Allspice Crumb Muffins

Happy Fall! It seems like the weather in my area has changed from summer to fall since my last post! Can you believe it's already October???

I've been MIA lately but for good reason - we closed on our new house and moved in! We are still working on getting settled, but my first priority was establishing a functional kitchen. I'm really looking forward to getting back into a routine that involves more cooking, baking, and blogging!

I've had my eye on these Allspice Crumb Muffins for quite some time, and I decided that they would be the perfect breakfast for my wonderful family members who graciously gave up their Saturday morning to help us on moving day. These muffins were great - incorporating the delicious spices of fall.

Stay tuned for some great fall recipes coming soon! :)

Allspice Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:

For the streusel:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice*

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice*

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon, optional

*When I'm out of allspice and can't get to the store, I make a similar-tasting substitute by mixing 2 parts ground cinnamon, 1 part ground nutmeg, and 1 part ground cloves.

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375F.

1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. For the streusel, put the flour, brown sugar, and allspice in a small bowl and sift ingredients through your fingers to blend. Add the cold pieces of butter and toss to get irregularly shaped crumbs. Set aside in refrigerator.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, allspice, and salt. Stir in the brown sugar, making certain there are no lumps.

4. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract together until well combined.

5. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with a whisk or rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. The batter should be lumpy. Stir in lemon zest if using.

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

7. 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 rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin to the cooling rack.

Source: Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, as featured on Meet Me in the Kitchen