pumpkin-spiced mini muffins

I've been on the hunt for a mini muffin tin for months.  months.  have you seen the limitless options of what you can make in (and on) those things?!

with fall creeping in quickly here in the Midwest, I finally pulled the trigger this week.  I'm a nerd and was so pumped to find a tin that fits in our counter-top toaster oven.  I have a strong sense that this thing will see a lot of work on Sunday mornings this fall and winter.

these were supposed to be more like cake-style donut holes, but mine ended up as straight muffins.  good ones, too.

pumpkin-spiced mini muffins
adapted from here and here
active time: 20 mins | cook time: 12 mins | yield: 24-28 mini muffins 
ingredients
for muffins
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ginger + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

for spiced sugar topping 
(these are approximations only - modify as you'd like.  bonus: if you make too much, you can use the spiced sugar in morning coffee)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

directions
preheat oven to 350F. lightly grease two mini muffin tins with butter or cooking spray.  set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (work out those clumps), melted butter, and vanilla.

sift in baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours. mix until just combined. 

using a tablespoon, drop batter into preparted muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (12 on the nose for me!).  let cool in tins for 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

just before serving, mix sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a ramekin or shallow bowl.  dip one muffin's top into melted butter and use it to apply some butter to another's top, like a sponge brush.  this will help avoid dripping butter into your cinnamon sugar and getting clumps.  roll the tops of the muffins in the spiced sugar mixture.

note
if you plan to store these in a plastic baggie or any sort of storage container, don't add the spiced sugar topping until you're ready to eat them.  the sugar 'melt' under the humidity and make a mess of things.