Apple streusel muffins

Buttermilk and Granny Smith apples on hand compelled my perusal of our recipe book library. I came across this recipe for apple streusel muffins, which the authors declared were "super-moist apple cinnamon muffins, delectable from the golden-crusted lid to the stray crumbs on my plate". With such an endorsement, how could I say no? However, I was a bit confused upon reading the recipe, trying to find the "streusel" element. In my head, I believe I was confusing it with "strudel", so I was looking for some kind of layered pastry element. However, upon a bit of Googling, I determined that a streusel is simply a crumblike topping for coffee cakes and rich breads, consisting of flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. For the nerdy linguist in all of us: [German, streusel, from Middle High German ströusel, something strewn].

Recipe

from Bite MeMakes 12 muffins 2-1/2 cups flour1 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp ground cinnamon2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar1 cup buttermilk1/2 cup vegetable oil1 large egg1 tsp vanilla extractTopping 1/2 cup packed brown sugar1/2 cup flour1/4 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 cup melted butterPreheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and diced apples. Gently toss to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla. Gently stir into flour mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into a prepared muffin tin, dividing evenly among muffin cups.For topping, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Add melted butter and toss with a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over muffin cups. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until muffins spring back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on a wire rack.

Musings

A few notes on preparation: General laziness led to my not peeling the apples. I also ran out of light brown sugar whilst making the topping so I used about half light and half dark brown sugar.These muffins are, in a word, yum. The recipe's advertised moistness was not a lie--delightfully moist and tender. Loved the brown-sugary topping, adding a bit of crunch atop its moist interior. The topping was a touch moist from the melted butter when I was making it, which meant it didn't disperse as evenly as I would've liked. Perhaps a smidge less butter or more flour might dry up the topping a bit and allow it crumble more evenly across the top. Otherwise, seriously delish!