Sticky-Bun Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 0.5 cup firmly brown sugar light packed
• 0.5 cup butter melted
• 15 oz pumpkin canned
• 1 cup canola oil 
• 2 tablespoons plus light
• 4 large eggs 
• 3.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 3 cups granulated sugar 
• 2 cups pecan halves and pieces 
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 
• 1 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• aluminum foil
• muffin liners

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
3. Stir together melted butter and next 2 ingredients. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoonful butter mixture into each cup of 2 lightly greased 12-cup muffin pans, and top each with 1 rounded tablespoonful pecans.
4. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture.
5. Whisk together pumpkin, next 2 ingredients, and 2/3 cup water; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
6. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.
7. Place an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan on lower oven rack to catch any overflow.
8. Bake at 350 on middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert pan immediately to remove muffins, and arrange muffins on a wire rack. Spoon any topping remaining in muffin cups over muffins.
9. Let cool 5 minutes.
10. TRY THIS TWIST!
11. Pecan-Pumpkin Bread: Omit butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Substitute 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans for 2 cups pecan halves and pieces; toast as directed in Step Omit Step Prepare batter as directed in Step 3; stir in pecans. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loafpans.
12. Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes.
13. Remove from pans to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Makes: 2 loaves. Hands-on time: 20 min.; Total time 2 hr., 40 min.