Coffee Cake Muffins

These remarkable coffee cake muffins are well worth the effort. They feature a crunchy crumb topping and conceal a cinnamon-sugar filling inside.

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffin Batter

• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 ¾ cups sugar

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 2 eggs

• 1 ¼ cup buttermilk (1 cup milk + ¼ cup white vinegar)

• ½ cup canola oil

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

  
  

  Cinnamon Sugar Filling

• 3 tbsp salted butter, melted

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

  
  

  Crumb Topping

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ cup salted butter, melted

  
  

  Glaze

• ¼ cup powdered sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

1. Prepare the cinnamon sugar filling: In a small bowl, add 3 tbsp melted butter, ⅓ cup brown sugar and 1½ tsp cinnamon until combined. Set it aside while you make the muffin batter.

2. Let's make the muffin batter: In a mixing bowl combine 3¾ cups flour, 1¾ cups sugar, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a larger mixing bowl, mix together the 2 eggs, 1¼ cup buttermilk, ½ cup canola oil, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. The batter will be thick! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

4. While resting for 15 minutes, prepare the crumb topping: In a mixing bowl, mix together ¾ cup flour, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ cup melted butter using a fork or rubber spatula. The mixture will be thick, so ensure you stir well to combine all the ingredients. Keep mixing until it appears wet and crumbly. It's fine if the texture is "sandy." Set the crumb topping aside until needed.

5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by placing liners in 6 of the cups, so you'll fill every alternate cup with batter. This spacing helps the muffins expand and rise without touching each other.

6. Half-fill the liners with the batter. Place 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar filling in the center of each muffin. Add more batter until each liner is completely filled. Sprinkle the crumb topping, crumbling it into fine pieces over each muffin, and press it on gently.

7. Position the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 7 minutes at 425ºF. Then, leave the muffins in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350ºF, and continue baking for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 15 minutes before taking them out. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, ensuring the temperature is raised back to 425ºF.

8. Prepare the Glaze: Mix ¼ cup of powdered sugar, ½ tsp of vanilla extract, and 1 tsp of milk in a small bowl. Transfer the mixture to a plastic sandwich bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins.

ENJOY! I prefer to freeze half of the muffins in a plastic container. I take them out the night before to enjoy fresh muffins in the morning.