Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins with Struesel Topping

I rarely bake breakfast treats, but after tasting these muffins I think I may be doing it more often. I adapted a recipe from Annie’s Eats (a great food blog for everything from appetizers to dessert) and found a recipe that caught my eye. These muffins were great for not only breakfast but they also made for a satisfying dessert with a scoop of icecream. While I found the recipe on Annie’s Eats, the muffin recipe originally comes from Williams Sonoma and was exactly what I was looking for in a muffin.

The recipe made about 10 muffins and the batter came together very quickly. After baking, the end result yeilded golden muffins with a crisp topping gently covering their  light and fluffy texture. The light and tender crumb is thanks to the use of buttermilk in the batter. As noted, I opted to use a basic crumb topping instead of dipping the muffins into melted butter and then into a  cinnamon sugar topping as called for in the original muffin recipe and I am more than pleased with the results. Besides, who needs a muffin dipped in melted butter? 

The muffin itself has a slightly sweet and subtle cinnamon flavor and bakes up with a moist, tender and fluffy crumb. I felt it was a nice contrast to the sweet brown sugar and cinnamon crumb streusel that gives the muffins a crisp top and gorgeous appearance, sure to impress company if needed. 

Next time I may add some chopped toasted walnuts to the batter or the topping for a little extra flavor punch. I would highly recommend these the next time you have some buttermilk to use up or are just looking for an easy and flavorful muffin recipe. 

I rate this recipe an 8

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

Ingredients:

7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:

2/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving. Makes 9 muffin

For the topping:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins
Williams Sonoma 

7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (I used 3/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
 

For the Struesel
2 TBS flour 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

1/2 tsp  ground cinnamon

1 TBS  butter, softened

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full.

To make the topping, in a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or forks until mixture resembles cornmeal. Gently sprinkle topping evenly over batter in prepared muffin tin. Gently press down topping slightly. 

Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.