It’s funny how fast our body adjusts to a new routine. Just two months ago, I was used to going to bed at 2:30 a.m. and sleeping in until at least 10:30. By the time I finally get myself out of bed, it’s usually around 11. Back then, I didn’t have to work until 5 p.m. so on the days I actually eat breakfast (I had a bad habit of drinking coffee for breakfast), I took my time making something delicious and nutritious… usually some sort of an egg sandwich or scrambled eggs with a side of greens and some rice.
Just one month into my new job, the only time I get to spend my sweet time deciding on what to have (or not have) for breakfast now are the weekends. My new job requires me to be up at 4:00 a.m… keep in mind that before February 3rd, 2014, I have never gotten up at 4 a.m. for anything. This whole “getting up early in the morning” thing has been brand new for me. I have also realized that at 4 a.m., neither my mind nor my body are awake enough to even lift a frying pan to cook anything on the stove. This is why this past weekend, I decided to make a batch of easy breakfast muffins as a quick and easy breakfast option. These are especially helpful on the days where I end up hitting the snooze button 9 times, as it can easily be packed in my lunchbox for me to eat once I get to work.
Today I present to you: earl grey breakfast muffins with a streusel topping. That’s right, you’ve heard read correctly – on top of these spongy soft muffins lays a generous layer of crunchy, buttery, sweet streusel topping, because let’s face it – muffins are good, but muffins with streusel topping? Even better.
You know what’s even better? The fact that these muffins can easily be made without a mixer. Just a few bowls, a spatula/whisk, and some arm strength is all that’s required. Now I’m going to share a little secret: the key to making the batter is to make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature... this includes your eggs and sour cream and everything else. I melted my butter and brewed my earl grey tea around the same time, and let both of them sit to cool for at least 20 minutes until it’s no longer warm to the touch. During this time, I occupied myself with catching up with my Instagram feed, picking up a dozen dog toys off the living room floor, vacuuming, and reading a few pages of my new book (The Goldfinch).
Once all the components are ready, the mixing and assembly literally only takes about 10-15 minutes, then bake these in the oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. This took 24 minutes in our oven, but every oven is different so start keeping an eye on it around the 20 minute mark.
Because these muffins freeze well, I divided these them into two batches – one for now and one for later. I kept about half on the counter and literally snacked on them all day, while the other half was stored in an airtight container in the freezer… you know, for mornings where you’d rather trade “time to eat breakfast on the couch” with “10 more minutes of sleep under some warm covers” (which for me, is almost everyday). If you’re anticipating a busy morning, take a few of these out to thaw overnight. Otherwise pop them in the microwave for half a minute or so, or until they’re warm and ready to eat.
The fact that there’s a slight hint of earl grey tea in it also makes me think it’ll keep me going in the morning since it technically contains a small amount of caffeine. It’s all mental, I tell ya.
- 2/3 quick cooking oats
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup strongly brewed Earl grey tea
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, work in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I found it easier to use my hands to mix everything together after initially incorporating the ingredients with a pastry cutter). Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line approximately 16 muffin tins with liners.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Stir until combined.
- In another larger bowl, whisk the sugar and butter until mixed. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Then add in the sour cream, Earl grey tea, and vanilla extract. Stir some more. Then slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
- Scoop batter into muffin tins about 1/2-3/4 full. Top with a generous amount of the streusel topping. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Store an an airtight container for up to 5 days (or put them in a freezer and simply thaw out in room temperature for a later date).
- Makes 16 muffins
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