Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins

I said what I meant and I meant what I said—I was going to play around with the recipe for the Caramel-Banana Muffins and this morning I did just that.  The batter for these muffins has not only butter, but some cream cheese as well and I really liked what it did for the banana muffins.  I knew it would be a great batter for other flavors as well—so today I made pumpkin muffins and they are really good.  Great if I must say so myself. ;)

I love a streusel topping on just about anything (okay, maybe not a baked potato or meatloaf, but you know what I mean.)  I made a lot of topping because I really wanted to be able to pile it on each muffin. 

The muffin itself is perfectly moist and not too spicy.  I wanted the pumpkin flavor to shine through more than the spices and I think they have a great balance.

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Streusel Muffins, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

Streusel Topping:

½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons oats (roughly)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour (15 grams)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips (40 grams)

Muffin Batter:

3 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat)

2 ounces unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (150 grams)

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Set aside. In a medium sized bowl, combine the streusel topping ingredients, except the chocolate chips. With your fingers, rub the ingredients together until butter is well combined with the rest. Add the chocolate chips and stir together. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter and sugar. Beat until well combined, 2-3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl. Add the egg and beat well. Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla until well combined. It will look a little curdled. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and sift together with a wire whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir together just until combined with a spatula. Do not overmix. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Pile the streusel topping onto each one. Press it down slightly. Bake the muffins for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins sit in tin on wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully remove each one to cool completely on rack.

If you want to go more simple without all the topping, these would still make a great muffin with just some pecans or chocolate chips mixed in with the batter.  Oh the possibilities!