Coffee Cake Muffins

I couldn’t resist trying another muffin recipe. While these have plenty more calories than the yogurt blueberry muffins they are definitely worth making—and probably sharing—although I didn’t do the latter. They are so good! Just reading the recipe makes my mouth water.

They’re made with sour cream batter, a cinnamon sugar center and streusel topping. I decided to use vanilla yogurt instead of sour cream, because I thought somehow it would make these little babies a tiny bit less fattening. It probably did, but they still have butter and pecans and plenty of sugar in them, ingredients that make food taste good. The recipe is from the food editor of All You magazine.  Enjoy!

Coffee Cake Muffins
Streusel:
8 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and chilled
½ cup chopped pecans

Muffins:
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and softened.

For the streusel: Pulse 5 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter in a food processor until just combined. Remove ¾ cup of the mixture and set it aside for the cinnamon sugar center. Add pecans and remaining sugar to the food processor; pulse until nuts are coarsely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside for streusel topping. Do not wash food processor.

For the muffins: Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners or coat with cooking spray. Whisk eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a bowl. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and butter in food processor until mixture resembles small peas. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a rubber scraper, gradually fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. Place 1 tablespoon batter in each muffin cup and top with 1 tablespoon cinnamon filling. Using the back of a spoon, press filling lightly into batter; spoon remaining batter over filling and sprinkle streusel evenly on top.

Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until muffins are light golden brown. Cool for about 30 minutes in muffin pan; carefully remove muffins from pan and place on wire racks.