[Recipe] "Fall for Fall" Pumpkin Surprise Muffins

It snowed the other day. Just a light flurry, but it reminded me that autumn and, with it, pumpkin season, is coming to an end (a travesty). I tend to stock up on ingredients, though, and canned pumpkin puree is no exception. So there are still a few autumn recipes left in me!

I bought these beautiful autumn silicone molds on a whim a few weeks ago and have been dying for a chance to use them. Muffins topped with streusel might not be the prettiest way to showcase the designs, but it was more an excuse to use them than a reason.

And if anyone else is also looking for an excuse rather than a reason to make these, they'd be perfect for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving. Or for any morning, really, because I think you'll discover that these need no excuses or reasons at all.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear reader, and stay warm and toasty :)

"Fall for Fall" Pumpkin Surprise Muffins
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

Cream Cheese Frosting Filling (Optional) - Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Cream together the cream cheese, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Put the cream cheese frosting mixture onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll into a log, then freeze the log for a few hours before using.

Muffin and Streusel Topping - Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (for better flavor, I use instant apple cinnamon oatmeal)
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons rolled oats (for better flavor, I use instant apple cinnamon oatmeal)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 18-20 muffin cups (18 if making without the cream cheese filling; 20 or more if making with) with paper liners.
2. Combine 2-1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup oats, the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, the vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in the raisins.
5. Beat 1/4 cup brown sugar with butter in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Whisk 2 tablespoons oats and 2 tablespoons flour, using a fork, into the sugar-butter mixture until the streusel topping is crumbly.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, about 3/4 of the way full. Remove the frozen cream cheese frosting from the freezer and slice into slim cylinders, short and slim enough to be slipped into the center of the muffin batter. Slip the frozen cream cheese cylinders into each filled muffin cup and make sure the batter covers the cream cheese frosting.