A Rekindled Love…& Pumpkin Crumb Cakes

“Our truest life is when we are dreams awake.”
–Henry David Thoreau

Hello, sweet friends…Happy October!

I started sewing when I was in junior high…

My first class project was a simple A-line skirt…

I continued tinkering for a few years…

it wasn’t until my first year teaching that I wore what I made…

that was my “official” beginning…

the year was 1981…

I continued sewing for about 10 years and then stopped.

Fast forward to 2020, the pandemic and nesting at home, that I had the desire to return to sewing.

I didn’t know how much I missed my sewing until I walked into a fabric store experiencing the old yet familiar scent of all the fabric…intoxicating

I purchased a new sewing machine and began sewing once again. Learning how to use my new machine was a humbling experience…

however, as in any worthwhile relationship…

love…patience…and determination are winning ingredients for success.

and speaking of ingredients…

What’s Cooking?

I want to give a shout out to my niece Jamie for sharing this week’s recipe from Sallysbakingaddiction.com. These pumpkin crumb cakes are absolutely delicious! My husband Joe really enjoyed them too…and that’s always the real test of excellence. *I did not have pumpkin pie spice on hand so I made my own by mixing 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg & 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves for 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

PUMPKIN CRUMB CAKE MUFFINS

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups  all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup  granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1 and 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup milk,, at room temperature

Crumb Topping

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup  granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

6 Tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted

Maple Icing (optional)

1 and 1/2 cups  confectioners’ sugar

2 Tablespoons  pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons  milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with cupcake liners. This recipe makes 15 muffins, so prepare a second muffin pan in the same manner. Set aside.

Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.

Spoon the batter into liners, filling them almost full.

Make the crumb topping: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined.

Using a fork, lightly mix in the melted butter until crumbs form. Don’t over-mix. Spoon crumbs evenly on top of the batter and gently press them down into the batter so they’re snug

Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 21-22 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan as you make the icing. *For mini muffins, bake for 11-13 minutes at 350°F the entire time.

Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together until combined and smooth. Drizzle over muffins and serve warm. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.