Pumpkin Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray 12 muffin tins or use cupcake liners.
In medium bowl whisk together flour, soda, spices and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Fill muffin tins.
Bake 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake 16-17 minutes.
May add 1 cup nuts, chocolate chips, raisins or craisins to mix.
Apple Crisp
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 1/2 to 3 pounds apples (half Granny Smith, half Macintosh)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 385 degrees.
Peel, quarter, core and cut apples into 1/2 inch slices.
Mix cornstarch and brown sugar together and mix with apples. Add lemon juice and grated rind. Mix well.
Scrape apple mixture with rubber spatula into 8” square casserole dish or 9” deep dish pie pan.
Topping:
Pulse flour, sugar, spices and salt in work bowl of good processor. Add butter and pulse 10 four-second pulses. Mixture should look like coarse cornmeal. Add nuts, then pulse again, 4 or 5 pulses at 1 second each. Do not over mix.
Chill topping 5 to10 minutes.
Distribute chilled topping evenly over apples.
Bake 40 minutes.
Increase oven temp to 400 degrees and continue baking until topping turns a deep golden brown – about 5 more minutes.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream on top, if desired.
