Coffee Cake Muffins

Growing up, there was a certain German Coffee Cake I would wake up smelling on special mornings. (But really, what morning isn't special when you wake up to homemade coffee cake?) One of Mom's (many) specialties, it's relatively easy and extremely tasty, and a recipe I reach for often. Especially when the kids are begging me to bake, early on a Saturday morning. If I haven't got the energy for rolling out and cutting biscuits or scones, or the patience to man the pancake station, it's a good bet I can still be convinced to get a coffee cake in the oven because of the smell alone. Very comforting. Very house-filling.

Mom's recipe came from Fredericksburg, Texas in the 1960's and it's a good one. This is not that recipe, exactly... Last week, on Morning 5 of drivemomcrazyweek -- I mean SPRING BREAK, I asked the kiddos what they wanted for breakfast (a practice I do not necessarily recommend), and was answered with a surprisingly united chant: "MUFFINS, MUFFINS, MUFFINS!" Like they had planned it or something.

We didn't have berries on hand, or bran cereal or poppy seeds or anything I usually put in a muffin. So, I immediately thought of Mom's German Coffee Cake. In muffin form! Quick and simple and satisfying. And because, apparently, I cannot leave well-enough alone, adapted. Just a little.

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. granulated sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. table salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 c. vegetable shortening (Crisco)

2 unbeaten eggs

1 c. vanilla yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla

Streusel Topping

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. table salt

4 TB all-purpose flour

1/4 c. vegetable shortening (Crisco)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tin (12).

Sift together dry ingredients, into large mixing bowl. Work in shortening with fingertips or fork until consistency is of coarse crumbs. Add in the eggs, yogurt and vanilla. Mix until smooth, but do not beat or over-mix. Distribute evenly into muffin cups -- they will be at least 2/3 full, if not fuller. This gets the bakery-like muffin top.

In medium bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and flour for streusel topping. Cut in shortening with a fork, until crumb-like. Sprinkle evenly over un-baked muffins. There will be a LOT of streusel for each muffin. Trust me. This is good.

Bake on middle rack of oven for about 15 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean or with crumbs, and your house smells awesome.

Enjoy. Makes 12.

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