6/17/12

crumb cake muffins with creamy espresso filling

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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.

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

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

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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.

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Heavenly I tell you!

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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.

30 comments:

  1. Looking good....can I use starbucks vivano powder in the filling?

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  2. Those look divine! Printing out the recipe now!

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  3. Oh my. They look amazing, Dawn! Ironically I made crumble-topped muffins (post to go out next week) but yours trump mine b/c of that filling! WOW! Just the sound of it..I want to pick off those huge crumble chunks, too :)

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  4. Thanks for posting these right after I get put on a healthy eating plan. *glare*. Heh. Seriously though, those look unreal, I want one wicked bad.

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  5. Oh, these do look good! I'm pinning this recipe and sharing it on my FB page.

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  6. Love those muffin tops and the espresso cream in the center - yum!

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  7. I always eat muffins bottom-to-top so that I can save the best for last. But the filling is in the bottom of these! So you're really confusing the way I eat muffins.

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  8. Wish I could trade in my sad breakfast of white bread toast with cream cheese (all I could rummage from the fridge this morning). Of course, too many of these muffin tops might result in the *other* muffin top. Who am I kidding - I'll take that trade! 8-)

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  9. I want one of these right now! Remember the Seinfeld episode where they open a store selling just muffin tops?! oh I wish that was real life.

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  10. My muffin tops look like that because I overfill them every time. :) But I love them that way.
    While I'm not a coffee drinker, I adore coffee in just about everything else. Odd of me, I know. Definitely will be making these!

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  11. ooh, those are the kind of muffin tops i like! :-P but clicking over here just now, what i really want is that peanut butter cup in your header :)

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  12. It's all about the muffin tops!! These and a cup of coffee would make me a very happy girl right now!

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  13. Yep, this is the kind of muffin that will make me eat the whole thing.

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  14. I'll take a dozen please. You ship right? They look amazing as usual Dawn.

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  15. HA! that black and white dude is right--i don't want to see a muffin top unless i'm about to eat it. :) clever combination--we don't have enough filled muffins in this world.

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  16. Those look insanely good. I'm all about the muffin tops, too.

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  17. creamy espresso filling sounds too good to be true! and that crumb topping! I wouldn't mind waking up to a dozen of these. :)

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  18. Those looks seriously good... and you are right, this is the good kind of muffin top!

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  19. I love the combination of crumbs and creamy filling! they look delicious

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  20. VERY delicious looking, all come hither like and all.

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  21. The crispy, streusel tops are definitely the best part of the muffin!

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  22. Don't have any muffin tops but if I eat these everyday I would have doubkemuffin tops...lol. They look so good especially the crumb topping.

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  23. These look like those fancy schmancy bakery muffins! YUM!

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  24. Oh, creamy espresso filling. Yes please. I love coffee. ;)

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  25. Making these for my husband...hes going to be so happy

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  26. Now these are the kind of muffin tops I can love!

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  27. Divine! I love anything that is flavored with coffee or made with cream cheese.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  28. When I think of a muffin top, it is the belly fat spilling out over peoples pants..wink. This kind of muff top is much more sexy.

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