crumb cake muffins with creamy espresso filling

Muffin tops. If I'm out in public and I hear those words I automatically check my boobs to see if I have indeed produced muffin tops.
Bad. Can't help it. Those kind of muffin tops are embarrassing. Check yourself--I know you do too.
The muffin kind of muffin tops are not embarrassing, but actually really good.
So good in fact, that one (myself included) seeks out a muffin with a really good, hearty, thick muffin top.
Am I right?
A truly good muffin is really 80% all about the muffin top.




Isn't that a good muffin top? Those crispy sides are buttery, sugar heaven. And perfect with hot morning coffee. :::swoon:::



Very easy to make. Just get all your fixings lined up and ready to go.






The crumb part? Do not be stingy--this is what helps produce a nice muffin top complete with crisp edges. These will rise a tiny bit, and spread out onto pan making your once circle muffin a nice big crispy muffin top square. This is good.


Heavenly I tell you!



coffee cake muffins with creamy espresso filling
some inspiration from macheesmo.com
print recipe

batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
just under ½ cup sugar
2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts salt
6 TB unsalted butter, melted
1 ts vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk

espresso filling: (might have leftover filling)
6-8 ounces of cream cheese, room temp
½ cup confectioners sugar
1-2 ts of espresso powder (use as much or as little as you like)

streusel topping:
6 TB unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup light brown sugar (not packed)
2/3 cup sugar
6 TB all-purpose flour
½ ts salt
1 ts cinnamon

For the streusel:
Combine all ingredients, but the butter in a bowl,. Mix then add in the melted butter, stir well, set aside.

For the espresso swirl:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.

For the batter:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Add the two together and mix till just combined.
Line regular muffin tin with muffin liners. Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop, fill muffins halfway with batter. Then place a dollup (2-inch ball like amount) in middle of batter. Then fill remaining muffin up with batter—it’s ok to go “almost” to the top. We need to save a bit of room for the crumb topping.
Next pack on the streusel. Gently push it down if you want, but not too hard.
It’s ok if the muffins are overflowing a bit—mine were and this makes excellent muffin tops!

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Rotate pan halfway thru baking. Mine were done at the 20 minute mark. You can tell they are done by the non-jiggly middle. If you use a cake tester in middle you will hit the cream cheese filling and not get an accurate read. You need to let these cool a while before eating as the cream cheese needs to finish setting up and the muffin tops need to harden a bit. After all it’s all about the muffin tops. Should make about 10-12 regular muffins. Mine made 11 muffins.