Pumpkin Spice Muffins

There was a point in my day when Mila decided she was a cat. For a full hour, she spoke only in meows as she crawled around the house. That kid knows how to stick to a theme, that's for sure.

So does Alexis. It must be genetic or something because I told Alexis to go bake whatever she wanted and she was all "PUMPKIN SPICE!" I swear that every thing she has eaten for the past several weeks has had pumpkin in it.

Which, whatever. If she wants pumpkin everything, that's fine. I will happily munch on pumpkin snacks while Mila-the-Not-Cat meows at my feet.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 15-oz can pumpkin (not pie mix, straight-up pumpkin)
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup instant oatmeal
1/2 cup butter, cubed (and still cold)
1/2 cup instant oatmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinammon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans. You're making 30 muffins, so plan accordingly.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, and water using an electric mixer.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the other stuff, mixing as you go. Stir in the oatmeal last.

5. Fill the cupcake liners with muffin goop until they're about 2/3 full.

6. It's topping top. In a small bowl, combine butter, oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mush it with your hands until you have a chunky streudel like topping. Then sprinkle some on top of each muffin.

7. Bake the muffins for 35-30 minutes at 350 degrees. They're done when a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Warm. Try one warm. Alexis is really onto something with this whole pumpkin obsession she has going on.