Allspice Crumb Muffins

It’s Friday and the weekend is here (cue the trumpets). With the hustle and bustle of typical weekday mornings, many people barely manage a bowl of Cheerios, let alone a homemade treat for breakfast. It seems that pancakes and sausage, fluffy waffles, and jumbo muffins are often reserved for weekend indulgences. Snuggled under your mountain of blankets, convinced that nothing could pry you out of bed after a week of sleep deprivation, you catch a whiff. The bacon sizzling, the sweet maple aroma of sausage, or spiced muffins coming from the oven, and I guarantee you’re out of bed in a flash. It seems ingrained in all of us – being roused from sleep with your nose, it’s almost inevitable that as soon as your feet hit the floor your stomach is rumbling. And suddenly you can’t get to the kitchen fast enough. It’s a marvelous way to wake up, and a perfect way to remember to slow down and savor the small things that bring us joy. Whether it be loved ones, the perfect cup of coffee, or a plateful of bacon No matter your favorite way to enjoy the laziness of a morning where you have nowhere to be, these muffins should be penciled into your weekend-slow-down-and-smell-the-bacon plans.

These muffins are every bit as Saturday-morning-cozy as you might imagine. The muffin itself is tender and light, and it gets a kick from the allspice in the batter. And then of course the streusel. Ahh, streusel. I am a sucker for anything that has streusel or buttery crumbs on it – cream cheese coffee cakes, sour cream coffee cakes, blueberry crumb cake, and it goes without saying, the holy grail of all that is sacred regarding streusel – New York-style crumb cake. As is the case with just about every muffin recipe, the beauty lies in the simplicity of the recipe, and that such a simple process can produce such amazingly delicious results. The smell of these baking away in the oven will get even the soundest of sleepers shuffling into the kitchen. Enjoy your weekend!

{Footnote: I had an assistant during my photo shoot, he kept a close eye on the muffins…}

One year ago: Cucidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
Two years ago: Tiramisu

Allspice Crumb Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

For the Streusel:
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground allspice
5 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

For the Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
¾ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or line with paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. To make the streusel, put the flour, brown sugar, and allspice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the bits of cold butter and toss, pinching the mixture between your fingers, until you have pea-sized crumbs. Set aside in the refrigerator. (The streusel can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.)

3. To make the muffins, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, allspice, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. The batter will be lumpy; that is how it should be.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Sprinkle streusel over each muffin, then use your fingertips to gently press the crumbs into the batter.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin. Cool completely on the wire rack. Muffins can be stored, in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

(Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)

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