Allspice Crumb Muffins

I may have mentioned this a few dozen times, but muffins are my favorite food. Not too sweet, not too fussy, endlessly varied, good for a meal or a snack or even a dessert! I tried this recipe once before and failed on the streusel miserably, but this time I nailed it. I'm a bit exhausted and brain dead today, so on to the muffins!

Allspice Crumb Muffins (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours)
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground allspice

pinch of salt
5 Tb cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease/line a 12-cup muffin pan.

Make the streusel first: Stir the flour, light brown sugar, allspice, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter bits and rub them into the dry ingredients until everything is moistened and comes together into large, irregular crumbs. (I used to always get this wrong. It takes longer than you think. Keep rubbing until all the dry stuff is incorporated and it starts almost feeling like dough. This is the key to perfect streusel that doesn't melt into a crusty puddle on top of your muffins!) Put the streusel in the refrigerator to keep cool while you make the batter.

In large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, allspice, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the zest, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together. Slowly drizzle the melted butter in, whisking constantly or it will cool and congeal. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. It should still be lumpy!

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool a few minutes in the muffin pan, then remove to cool on a wire rack.

The Geologist has dubbed these "the streusel muffins". They're scrumptious! He says the whole thing tastes like streusel, and he's absolutely right! And he would know, because he loves streusel. I'm so glad I figured out how to make it right!

They're soft and light and delicious, lightly and warmly spiced with a hint of zippy lemon. The perfect snack, or way to start your day!