Coffee-Coffee Cake Muffins.

That's right.  That would be coffee-flavored coffee cake muffins.  Oh and by the way; Happy Easter to everyone!

This morning my husband asked for french toast for his breakfast.  Since I pretty much only make it once a year, I decided that today would be that day.  Although, I didn't have the proper bread for the french toast.  Real french toast should only be made with Challah bread.  Anyhow, I digress.

This being Easter I thought it would be nice to come up with a new muffin recipe.  Well, maybe not new as it was thought of by someone else who put it in a book.  But I saw the muffin recipe and thought it would be nice to try a new variation of a muffin I've made several different ways.

COFFEE-COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS

This recipe comes to me courtesy of Muffins: Over 200 Recipes and Variations to Accompany Any Meal by Francesca DiPaolo

INGREDIENTS:

Muffins:
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder

Filling/Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a muffin pan (either lining with paper liners or using Pam to spray).

In a medium bowl, blend the eggs, sour cream (or milk), vanilla and instant coffee powder. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

Cut in the softened butter.

Blend all until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan.  Top with 1 tablespoon reserved brown sugar mixture and then with the remaining batter.

In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients.  Sprinkle the tops generously.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the pan, and cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm.


PERSONAL NOTES:

Let's see...what did I do differently this time?

No sour cream, I used fat free Greek yogurt.  Absolutely no difference in texture or taste.  So good.

And instead of using 1 cup of butter, I used 1/2 cup butter and then 1/2 cup of applesauce to lighten it up a little bit.

Finally, I didn't have pecans or walnuts (although I'm sure either would have tasted wonderful) so I used raw hazlenuts instead.  I have to say, they really added a nice chewiness to the texture.  So good.

These are a keeper - yummy and easy to make.