Coffee Cake Muffins

If you ever find yourself dreaming of those snack cakes from your childhood, this recipe is for you. To be honest, we didn't eat a lot of store-bought baked goods in our house. My mom and my grandmother made almost everything from scratch, reminding us at every opportunity that it was healthier and better than anything you could buy in a shop. Of course that didn't stop me from begging them to buy snack cakes each time we visited the supermarket. These were the days before "Fresh Direct" and other shopping services. So kids shopped with their parents and grandparents and we did our best to persuade them to buy whatever snack food we could get. They rarely gave in. But when they did, we eventually realized that once again, they were right. 

These muffins are moist, tasty and the perfect treat for mornings or afternoon tea.

Always a close family, childhood summers were spent at my grandmother's place on Long Island.
I learned a lot in her kitchen.

Humble ingredients usually lead to a tasty result.

I find it almost therapeutic to make this crumbly mixture.
Don't be afraid to get in there with your hands.

My coveted vintage PYREX measuring cup is the perfect vessel
for mixing and adding wet ingredients.

You don't need fancy tools to make great muffins.

Pile on those crumbs. You won't be sorry!

Coffee Cake Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Batter:
1 1/2c flour
1/2c brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
3/4c milk
1/3 oil (any flavorless oil of your choice will do)
2 large eggs

Crumbs:
2/3c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2c butter-room temperature
1 1/2c flour

Directions:

1. Make the crumbs: combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and rub with your fingers until the mixture is well distributed becomes crumbly. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Alternatively, you can oil the pan with a non stick spray, but this makes for easier clean up and removal from the pan. Who doesn't want that?

3. Make the muffin batter: in a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, oil and eggs.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and mix just until blended.

5. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. I like to use two spoons to distribute the batter. This helps me to keep track of how much matter goes into each cup.

6. Top each muffin cup with the crumbs, using it all. Don't be shy, really pile it on!

7. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees. After 5 minutes have passed, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of each muffin comes out clean.

8. Place on a cooling rack and enjoy!