Pumpkin muffins with crystallized ginger streusel

Last night between gaps in trick or treat traffic, I warned my husband he was on door duty because I was going to take advantage of the lull and “sneak downstairs to get the brandy we need for breakfast.” For some reason he found that exquisitely humorous. What? Doesn’t brandy improve every Sunday breakfast?

The brandy was to soak the crystallized ginger and currants for pumpkin muffins. Pumpkin spice is everywhere this time of year, but I really only want to hear about it if it’s in baked form. (Well, or a really good mixed drink.) I had some canned pumpkin left over from making mini pumpkin cheesecakes and some crystallized ginger on hand, so I went looking for some combination to use them. I modified the recipe slightly based on the conflicting reviews (too much molasses, can’t even taste the molasses, etc.) and what I had on hand (no molasses).

Ginger-Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 1995

Ingredients

5½ tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger, divided

½ cup dried currants or golden raisins

2 tablespoons brandy

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon cloves

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided

¼ cup dark corn syrup

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup vegetable oil

Method

Preheat oven to 357 degrees. Line 22 standard muffin cups with paper liners or grease liberally.

Mix 2½ tablespoons crystallized ginger, currants and brandy in a small bowl. Set aside. Mix 1 tablespoon brown sugar with remaining crystallized ginger in another small bowl and set aside.

Whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla. In yet another large bowl, beat egg until light and fluffy. Beat in ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Beat in corn syrup, maple syrup and oil. Add pumpkin mixture and dry ingredients, alternating in three additions. Mix in brandied ginger and currants.

Divide batter among muffin cups; I found a ¼ cup spoon worked out about right. Top with crystallized ginger brown sugar mixture; about a scant teaspoon in the center of each.

Bake about 25 minutes until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Rating: Fine. Nice pumpkin and spice flavors. Gotta love crystallized ginger, which is what makes these muffins a cut above just ordinary. These muffins did seem more intent than most on sticking to the muffin tin liners, which I view as a drawback for company presentation. And if you really want a lot of streusel rather than a garnish, I suggest tripling the amount of streusel ingredients.

Dishes alert: There was a lot of whining in the comments sections on epicurious about how much work these were. Having chopped my crystallized ginger the night before, I didn’t find them particularly time consuming, but you are looking at five bowls and two muffin tins to wash by the time you’re done. But what better use of the extra hour from the daylight savings time switch than something that involves brandy for breakfast?