Isaiah's Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping (Gluten-free)

 This recipe comes from one of my new favourite gluten-free cookbooks, Cooking for Isaiah:  Gluten-free and Dairy-Free.  Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals.  The author is Silvana Nardone, the former editor in chief of Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine.  She was inspired to create gluten-free and dairy-free recipes for her son, Isaiah.  I came across the book in my local library and quickly realized it was full of great recipes.  This book is definitely worth checking out (pun intended) at your local library.  

If you have read a variety of gf cookbooks, you will know that nearly everyone has their own gf mix.  Silvana is no different and I have included her recipe below.  Feel free to use the mix of your choice.  Just make sure your mix has xanthan gum as Silvana's mix does.

 Topping

1/4 cup Silvana's All-Purpose Flour (recipe below)

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

4 Tb. all-vegetable shortening (you can replace with butter)

Muffins

1 3/4 cups Silvana's All-Purpose Flour (see below)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tb. pure vanilla extract

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  To make the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.  Add the shortening and, using your fingers or a fork, blend together until coarse crumbs form.  Alternatively, you can put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse (as in photo above).

2.  To make the muffins, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth.  Add to the flour mixture; stir until just combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan until each cup is two-thirds full; top each with crumble topping.  Bake until the muffins are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.  Let cool in the pan set on a wire rack.  

 

 There seemed to be a lot of crumble topping, but I did manage to use it.  Feel free to leave this out completely or use less, depending on your wishes.

 The muffins rose nicely

Pumpkin muffins with the perfect accompaniment:  a pumpkin spice latte

Silvana's All-Purpose Flour Blend

6 cups white rice flour (she suggests Bob's Red Mill)

3 cups tapioca flour (she suggests Shiloh Farms)

1 1/2 cups potato starch (she suggests Bob's Red Mill)

1 Tb. salt

2 Tb. xanthan gum

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients.  Transfer to an airtight storage container and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator.