Last night when I heard the rain on my roof, I had a feeling we’d be seeing some white this morning on the mountains. And I was right.
I love when the mountains have snow in the early summer and fall, because they contrast so beautifully with the trees, whether they are green or yellow. Such a horrible life it is staring at them everyday.
The snowy tops and chilly weather are a big change from where I was earlier this week. As one last ‘hurrah’ of summer, a group of us spent a few days on a houseboat on Lake Powell. It’s basically one enormous lake in the middle of the Utah/Arizona desert. Spectacular canyons and rock formations line the lake and the temperatures were still in the high 80’s with lots of sunshine. We had a great time.
But now, back in Vail, as the cooler temps have moved in I’ve found myself using lots of pumpkin in my pastries for Yeti’s Grind in Vail Village. I could eat pumpkin baked goods year-round, but this time of year is when they really taste exceptional.
This pumpkin muffin recipe is originally from The Smitten Kitchen, and I love it because the muffin is moist and tender without being too oily or heavy. I make a hazelnut crumb topping for mine that I like to scatter on top before they go into the oven.
Wrap them well, then enjoy one on a chilly morning, looking out at the dusting of snow as you clasp a steaming cup of coffee…
How to make this high altitude adjusted recipe:
Pumpkin Crumble Muffins
adapted from The Smitten Kitchen
- For Muffins:
- ⅓ cup safflower or canola oil
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- For Topping:
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup ground hazelnuts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 12-compartment muffin tin.
- In a medium bowl combine the oil, canned pumpkin, eggs, spices, salt, sugar, and vanilla.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, and flour, then fold until just combined.
- Portion batter into muffins cups and cover with the crumble topping.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops spring back lightly when touched.
- For the topping:
- Melt the butter, then add the sugars, flour, hazelnuts, and cinnamon. Mix until the flour is moistened and the mixture presses easily into crumbs. You will have some leftover, simply refrigerate it and use again another time.
Note: This recipe is adjusted for high altitude baking. To make at sea level, increase sugar to 1 1/4 cups, baking powder to 1 teaspoon, and baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon.
