P(y)ummmmmkin Muffins

I want to first apologize for my lame excuse of a creative title.  I was trying to think of some punpkin..... oh wait I mean PUMPKIN puns, but I could not find anything all that smashing :P Yesterday signaled T-7 days before thanksgiving and at this time, I came to the horrific realization that I have made it 89% of the way through pumpkin season (october 1-thanksgiving in my book) without baking a pumpkin dessert.  In this time, I have consumed probably 10 cans of pumpkin on my oatmeal or just by the spoonful (I am not quite sure how socially acceptable that is, but it is good!) but Gertrude has not turned out a warm, spicy, moist pumpkin-y baked good...... yet. My excuse to bake this time was to bring something for my Biochemistry project group to celebrate our successful analysis of the protein, Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase.  For those that are wondering (because I know so many are), Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase  is a protein that catalzyes the reaction that makes Uracil Monophoshate, UMP, the ugly stepsister of ATP/AMP.  So perhaps I should retitle this blog P(UMP)kin muffins........... or not. Anyways, here is what I did:


FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) Cream Cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar

MUFFIN:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup pecans

STREUSEL
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 tbs cold butter, diced into pieces
1 tsp cinnamon


1. Blend together ingredients for filling in small bowl and set aside
2. Blend flour, spices, baking soda and salt in medium bowl
3. Beat together eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil
4.  Slowly combine dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture and beat until combined
5.  Mix in pecans, if desired
6.  Fill prepared muffin tins halfway with batter
7.  spoon as filling on top of batter (as much as desired)
8.  Fill muffin tins with remaining batter- I as able to make 12 very full muffins and about 6 smaller ones
9. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees
10.  Prepare streusel by using a food processor to make small crumbs
11.  Sprinkle with streusel immediately after they come out of oven
12.  Let cool and enjoy!