Recipe of the Week: Pumpkin Patch Muffins

A culinary celebration of the bounty of the American Midwest, Heartland: The Cookbook embraces the spirit and flavors of the modern farmhouse. These Pumpkin Patch Muffins are, as author and chef Judith Fertig explains, addictive for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, with their soft and moist crumb and spicy streusel topping.

Pumpkin Patch Muffins
makes 12 muffins

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Muffins
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup roasted and pureed or canned pumpkin (not pie filling)*
1/2 cup yogurt or sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or lightly grease the muffin pan.

For the streusel, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, rubbing the butter in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Gently squeeze bits of the mixture together to form larger pieces of streusel. Set aside.

For the muffins, stir the melted butter and pumpkin together in a medium bowl, then stir in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together, then stir in the sugars. Stir the pumpkin mixture in to the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups and top with the streusel mixture.

Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes to allow the streusel to set, then remove from the pan.

*To make these from fresh pumpkin, buy several small sugar or pie pumpkins - before Halloween - at the market, then roast, puree, and freeze enough to use in dishes both savory and sweet.

Heartland: The Cookbook, by Judith Fertig. Photography by Ben Pieper. Andrews McMeel, $35.