Apple Streusel Muffins

A couple years ago I tried a new recipe for a cinnamon apple coffee cake.  A brave maneuver on my part, considering it was meant to be the main feature on the breakfast menu at a baby shower.  However, all the stars aligned and it came out delicious.  Everyone wanted the recipe.  

The funny part was, among my friends I have a small reputation for dabbling in homemade everything--but that coffee cake was a doctored-up yellow cake mix!  That news actually came as a relief for many of the curious recipe seekers, and obviously I wasn't left out of that group on that particular weekend!  

However, since I do my best to find the "from scratch" version of most everything my family and I love to eat, I went on the hunt.  There were a couple flops.  But I think this is the winner.  

Since I didn't know this would be "the one," I don't have step-by-step photos.  But I promise it's easy.  This recipe makes a lot, (we got 24 mini muffins and 18 regular sized) but you can cut it in half and get the same result.  Or dump the whole thing in a bundt pan like I did for the baby shower, putting half of the streusel topping on the bottom of the pan, filling with half the batter, sprinkling remaining streusel and finishing with batter.  That will probably bake for 45-60 minutes.  Add a glaze if you're feeling fancy.

Apple Streusel Muffins

4 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups water (or milk if you want to omit milk powder)

2 cups chopped baking apples, peeled if desired

for the streusel:

1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

6 T cold butter 

Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Mix wet ingredients in large glass measuring cup.  Combine dry and wet ingredients, mixing only until moistened.  Do not over mix.  Gently fold in apples.  In a separate small bowl, combine dry ingredients for streusel and then cut in butter using two knives or a pastry blender.  Grease muffin tins or line with muffin papers and fill cups 3/4 full with batter.  (1/4 cup for regular sized muffins, 1 T for mini muffins) Cover tops with streusel topping.  (1 T for regular muffins, 1 tsp for mini muffins)  Bake at 350; 18-22 minutes for regular muffins, 10-15 minutes for mini muffins, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from pans immediately to cool on wire racks before serving.