Believe in the Magic Traci Diary

I’m always looking for new inspiration for recipes to put on my blog.  So I decided to join a food party called Food Extravaganza.  Each month, there is a theme based on a National Food Holiday during that month.

Monthly April Holidays are Florida Tomato Month, BLT Sandwich Month, Soft Pretzel Month, Soy-foods Month, Grilled Cheese Month, and Garlic Month.  Hubby will be all about it being garlic month.  He loves garlic.  The Imaginative One and the Wee One will be all about it being soft pretzel month.  They love soft pretzels!

Anyway April 7 is Coffeecake Day.  Not cake made of coffee – Cake that you have with your coffee or even hot tea.

Have you ever heard of food memories?  I have lots of food memories.  Certain foods will take me back to a time in my life.  When I think of frozen pasta with veggies, I’m taken back to my College Program.  I used to buy them and then shared them with one of my roommates.  When I think of Australian meat pies, I think of the summer of 2013.  We went on a super trip.  One of the places we went was to Charlottesville, VA.  We met up with a fellow blogger.  She showed us around the pedestrian mall with the food trucks.  One of the delicious treats I tried there was an Australian meat pie.  (Link to the experience here.)

Coffeecake has a food memory for me.  It brings me back to my high school years.  The church I attended would have a social time every Sunday.  I can remember coffeecake being served during that time.  I still miss my church I attended while in high school.  The other members really shaped me in who I am today.

Back to this coffeecake muffin recipe.  I decided I would do muffins since I’m primarily the one who loves coffeecake.  That way I can freeze the extra coffeecake muffins for when I feel like coffeecake.  Just a few seconds in the microwave and it will be ready to enjoy.

Coffeecake Muffins

adapted from Oh Sweet Basil’s blog

Stars of the recipe:

• 1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 10 Tbsp. butter (1 stick plus 2 more Tbsp.)
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 c. sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt with a whisk.
4. Cut  8 tablespoons of butter into 1/2 in. cubes.  Sprinkle over the flour mixture.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is oat sized.
5. Remove 1 c. of the flour mixture and add to the brown sugar mixture.  Combine to make a Streuesel.  Set aside.
6. Add baking powder and baking soda to remaining flour mixture.  Stir to combine.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, egg, and vanilla extra.  Add to flour mixture.  Stir until just combined.
8. Add 3/4 of the streuesel mixture to the batter.  Stir until the streuesel is distributed in the batter.
9. Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter.  Add to the Streuesel until it resembles a crumble.
10. Divide the batter among the 12 muffin tins.  Sprinkle with Streuesel mixture.
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
12. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
13. Enjoy!

It’s Foodie Extravaganza Day and this month’s theme is Coffee Cake with Caroline from Caroline’s Cooking is hosting What is Foodie Extravaganza? It’s when a group of bloggers get together and make a recipe using one main ingredient. Where do we get the ingredient? We look at The Nibble and pick something off of their list. Croissants are actually celebrated on January 30th, but it’s in January, so it’s fair game. You can check out our group Pinterest board for past recipes. If you’re a blogger, you can join along with us by requesting to join on our Facebook page. Now, on to the goodness being shared this month:

• Almond Raspberry Cake by Food Lust People Love
• Blueberry vanilla coffee cake by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Cappuccino Cake by G’Gina’s Kitchenette
• Caramel Coconut Coffee Cake by cookinandcraftin
• Classic Coffee Cake by Basic N Delicious
• Coffee Cake Cookies by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Coffee Cake in a Jiffy by Our Good Life
• Coffee Cake Muffins by I’m Hungry
• German Beer Coffee Cake by Wholistic Woman
• Gluten free hazelnut pear cake by Caroline’s Cooking
• Kärleksmums (Swedish Coffee Cake) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Lemon Thyme n Mint Loaf by Baking in Pyjamas
• Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streuse by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Polish Placek by Cooking With Carlee
• Simple Coffee Cake by Sneha’s Recipe
• Strawberry Coffee Cake Muffins by Making Miracles

Happy eating,
Traci