Coffee Cake Muffins by Martha Stewart

Muffins are great for a fast breakfast right? Just grab and go. I enlisted Patrick the Baker to help me make these Martha Stewart coffee cake muffins one evening. I wasn't quite ready to get up at 7am and have freshly baked muffins plus this offered us a great alternative to watching another Law & Order: SVU that night. These muffins are very very tasty. Unfortunately I think Martha called up Paula Deen to help with this one--it has two sticks of butter in it! We'll be making healthy muffins next time. However eat them with a banana and you'll feel better.

Coffee Cake Muffins (makes 12 muffins)

Streusel Topping
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar (we had light in the pantry)
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1. Prepare streusel topping: In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles large coarse crumbs; refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare muffins: Butter and flour a 12-cup muffin tin. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. With mixer on low, beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
4. Divide half the batter among prepared muffin cups. Top with half the streusel mixture, then remaining batter, and top with streusel. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preparing muffins--half way through placing the first streusel mixture on half the batter.

Muffins just out of the oven. They rise a lot!