Chrystal's Recipe Corner
Brown Butter Pumpkin Muffins
By Chrystal Baker
Oct 30, 2011 - 5:34:42 PM

LOS ANGELES—Halloween is just around the corner, which is easily proven by the spooky chill in the air and the abundance of pumpkins on every stoop. The grocery stores have also lined their shelves with canned pumpkin, which is a surefire sign that the holiday season is upon us. With the holidays come baking. Preheat your oven and pop these muffins onto the top rack. Pure pumpkin puree, browned butter and spices bake up into a fluffy muffin topped with a sweet, crunchy and nutty streusel. You can grabbed the canned pumpkin or slice, deseed, roast and blend your own pumpkin...straight from the stoop.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Muffins – 1 dozen
Streusel
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 oats
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Muffin
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
15 ounces pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh nutmeg

1. Start with the streusel topping by placing the cashews, flour, brown sugar and oats in a food processor. Blend until combined, then add the butter and blend again until the mixture becomes crumbly. (If you do not have a food processor, whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then stir in the butter until the mixture forms crumbs.)

2. Spray a muffin tin with baking spray and set aside.

3. Set the butter into a small pan over medium heat and warm until all of the butter has melted, and it begins to crackle and pop, turn brown, and milk solids separate and float to the bottom of the pan, approximately five to seven minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree and eggs until smooth. Pour the cooled brown butter into the egg mixture. As the wet ingredients mix together, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt together in a separate bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

5. Scoop batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle about two to three tablespoons of the chilled streusel topping over each one, pressing the crumbles lightly into the batter if they fall off. Grate fresh nutmeg over each muffin cup, then bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool a few minutes before removing from the tin.