Pumpkin Spice Crumb Cake Muffins

1¾ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp salt
½ cup canola oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1½ cups canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup milk, at room temperature

Crumb Topping:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners (recipe makes 15 muffins). Set aside.

Make the muffins: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, sugars, pumpkin puree, eggs and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.

Spoon the batter into liners, filling them almost full.

Make the crumbs: Whisk the flour, sugars and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Stir in the melted butter until crumbs form. Spoon crumbs evenly on top of batter and gently press them into the batter.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Make ahead tip: Muffins can be frozen up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature.

Eggnog Cheesecake

CRUST
2 cups vanilla wafers cookie crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp ground nutmeg

FILLING
4 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp rum extract (or 3 tbsp rum)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks

Heat oven to 325 degrees. To prepare crust, mix together crumbs, butter and nutmeg; press onto bottom and 1½ “ up side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake 10 minutes.

To prepare filling: beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, rum extract and vanilla with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing at low speed after each addition, just until blended. Blend in heavy cream and egg yolks; pour into crust.

Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan of loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. If desired, garnish with nutmeg and whipped cream.

Oatmeal-Coconut-White Chocolate Cookies

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut

3 cups old-fashioned or quick oats*

1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat butter and both sugars with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and continuing mixing until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn the speed to low and add the flour, mixing until incorporated.

Beat in the coconut, then mix in the oats and white chocolate chips until evenly combined.

Using a large (3 tbsp) cookie scoop, drop the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers have set.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Quick oats give a more delicate texture to baked goods.  If you want a heartier texture, use old-fashioned oats.