Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins

With school back in session for my kiddos, I needed to bake up an after school snack that would be just as good frozen and reheated as it was straight out of the oven.  You see, my kids are not morning people and I guess when your mom is a baker, you’re not easily impressed with box cereal, or toast, or warmed up spaghetti for breakfast.

Wow, are my kids food spoiled or what!?

I needed something that I could pop into the microwave on those mornings when there isn’t enough coffee in the world to get me going.  Can you see where my kids get it from?

Okay, so the solution?  The Coffee Cake Muffin.  Is it cake?  Is it a muffin?  I’ll never tell!

The kids will be impressed.  And they might even get up on time, and get all their homework done with a smile, and clean out the garage without even being asked.

Maybe.

Raspberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins (with lemon streusel crumb topping):

Recipes below make about 24 muffins each…

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 granulated sugar

Grated lemon zest (zest of 1/2 to 3/4 lemon)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted

Muffins:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, black raspberries or blueberries

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put paper liners into standard muffin tins
2. Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and lemon zest.  Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
3. Make the muffin batter: Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add the wet ingredients.  Mix until smooth.
4. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup
5. Cover the batter evenly with berries
6. Sprinkle the streusel crumb topping over the batter and berries until completely covered
7. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean
8. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then remove muffins and cool on a wire rack

Spiced Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins (with cinnamon crumb topping):

Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, melted

Muffins:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put paper liners into standard muffin tins
2. Make the crumb topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
3. Make the muffin batter: Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add the wet ingredients.  Mix until smooth.
4. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup
5. Sprinkle the streusel crumb topping over the batter until completely covered
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean
7. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then remove muffins and cool on a wire rack

These muffins can be frozen (wrapped well) for up to 2 months.  Just remove frozen and microwave for 35-40 seconds.