Coconut Lemon Streusel Muffins

These muffins have spring, summer and "best Mom ever", written all over 'em! A moist, pound-cake-like muffin with a burst of lemon and coconut flavor, topped with loads of crisp, nutty, buttery streusel on top. Mom will definitely feel appreciated, if you bake these for her on Mother's Day or even any day of the year!

Coconut Lemon Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:

Muffin Batter:

• 3 cups flour

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 tbsp. baking powder

• ½ non-fat dry milk

• 1 ¼ cups coconut cream

• 1 ½ tsp of your best quality pure vanilla

• rind and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp pink himalayan sea salt

• ½ c. butter, softened (can be substituted with oil of the the same amount).

• 3 eggs

Streusel Topping:

• 1 3/4 cups flour

• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts or any nut you prefer

• 1/4 cup sweetened grated coconut flakes

• 1 tsp. lemon rind

• 1 teaspoon ground Pumpkin Spice (never too early for Pumpkin Spice)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1-2 Tsbp. coconut cream

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients on a Kitchen Aid with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer.

2. Add wet ingredients, including lemon rind and juice.

3. Mix until combined and scrape in between mixing.

4. Pour batter into muffin liners with an ice cream scoop about 1/2 way.

5. In a medium bowl, combine flour, coconut flakes, nuts, lemon rind, sugar, Pumpkin Spice, and salt. Mix in the butter with a paddle attachment until combined. What I love about Pumpkin Spice is that A.: who doesn't love Pumpkin Spice? ...and B.: It has the perfect blend of spices and a great pizzaz and an interesting flavor component than your basic cinnamon.

6. Using the best tool ever (your hands,) squeeze the mixture together to form large clumps. You want it to be not too dry to where it doesn't clump/too sandy, but also not too wet, to where it's gloopy. Add 1-2 Tsbp. coconut cream to moisten the mixture, if needed. You can totally store this topping in an airtight container for up to 5 months.

7. Top each muffin with streusel by squeezing a portion in your palms and cutting off large chunks on top of the batter. I like large, almost marble-sized visible chunks you can peel off when you eat it.

8. Bake at 350F until toothpick comes out clean and streusel topping is crisp and golden brown. Mine were about 20 minutes.

*I like to use the self-standing muffin liners so that when they rise, it could go pretty far up and you can fill it with extra streusel. You can find these at specialty baking stores and they're usually meant for brioche and muffins. They're right by the disposable baking pans. I got these at Daiso for $1.50!!!

#muffins #coconut #lemon #streusel