Vanilla Chocolate Muffins with Streusel Topping
Yield = 6 large or 12 regular sized muffins
* The secret to making good muffins is to not mix the batter too much after the wet and dry ingredients are combined. As long as the wet and dry ingredients are in separate bowls, you can mix the wet ingredients or the dry ingredients for as long as needed to combine. It is not until the wet and dry ingredients get placed into the same bowl that the mixing time can become a problem. The reason for this is that once the wet and dry ingredients are put into the same bowl and you start mixing them together, you are starting to develop gluten in the batter. You do not want gluten in this batter because it will make the texture of the muffin tougher and chewier.
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
¾ cup
¼ cup
¼ cup
½ teaspoon
1 teaspoon
¼ cup
105 grams
56 grams
50 grams
3 grams
5 grams
57 grams
All-Purpose Flour
Brown Sugar (light or dark)
Granulated Sugar
Kosher Salt
Vanilla Extract
Unsalted Butter – melted and cooled
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees with a shelf in the middle of the oven. Generously butter a muffin pan that holds 6 large muffins.
2. To make the streusel, add all of the streusel ingredients to a small bowl. Mix all of the ingredients with a fork or rubber spatula until the mixture has a fairly even consistency and the ingredients appear slightly moist. Set the streusel aside for now.
For the next step you are going to partially make the wet and dry ingredients, weigh them out, and then divide them before continuing. This is because we need to have both a white (vanilla) batter and a dark (chocolate) batter to make the muffins. Also, I prefer using dry buttermilk powder rather than whole buttermilk. I find that with using the powder I don't have to purchase a larger container and then throw away the excess buttermilk. Just remember that if you use the buttermilk powder make sure that you refrigerate the powder after you open the container. If you open the container and then leave it at room temperature, it will turn into a brick within a few days/weeks. If you want to use whole buttermilk just substitute the first two muffin ingredients with 200 grams of buttermilk.
Ingredients
Muffins
3 Tbsp
¾ cup
1¾ cups
¾ cup
1 Tbsp
1 tsp.
1 cup
½ tsp.
3 large
1 cup
¼ cup
1 tsp.
3 Tbsp.
½ cup
30 grams
170 grams
245 grams
90 gram
14 grams
5 grams
200 grams
3 grams
227 grams
57 grams
5 grams
24 grams
90 grams
Powder Buttermilk
Water – room temperature
All-Purpose Flour
Cake Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Granulated Sugar
Kosher Salt
Eggs – room temperature
Light Sour Cream
Unsalted Butter – melted and cooled
Vanilla Extract
Cocoa Powder
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, AP flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. You are now going to divide these dry ingredients into two separate bowls. Measure the weight of these dry ingredients using a digital scale. You are going to remove 1/3 of the dry ingredients and place that amount into a separate bowl. Set these two bowls aside for now.
3. Add the 3 eggs to another small bowl and whisk them to combine. Now add the buttermilk mixture to the eggs along with the sour cream, vanilla, and the melted butter. Use a whisk to incorporate these wet ingredients. You now need to measure the total weight of these wet ingredients. You are then going to divide the wet ingredients into two portions just as you did with the dry ingredients. Remove 1/3 of the total weight of the wet ingredients and place that amount into a separate bowl.
To make the Chocolate Batter – we are now going to use the bowls that contain the larger amounts of the wet and dry ingredients.
4. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the bowl that contains the larger amount of the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate.
5. Add the larger bowl of the wet ingredients to the larger bowl of dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in all of the ingredients just until they are all incorporated together. Be careful to not overmix the batter at this point.
To make the Vanilla Batter – we are now going to use the bowls that contain the lessor amount of the wet and dry ingredients.
6. Now add the remaining bowl of wet ingredients to the remaining bowl of dry ingredients and using a rubber spatula, fold in the ingredients. Again make sure you do not over mix the ingredients.
7. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop put a scoop of the chocolate batter into the muffin tins. Then add a smaller scoop of the vanilla batter followed by another smaller scoop of the chocolate batter. Do not mix the batters together; just place one on top of the other. The muffin cups should be filled just below the top of the muffin pan. Sprinkle the streusel mixture generously onto the tops of each muffin.
8. Bake the muffins on the middle shelf in the 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake the muffins for an additional 19 minutes. (The higher temperature at the start of the bake helps to give height to these muffins.) To test the muffins to see if they are done baking, stick a wooden toothpick into the center of a few muffins to make sure the toothpick comes out of the muffin clean (no batter sticking to it). If the muffins are not done, bake them for an additional 3 minutes and check again. Repeat this step until the toothpick is clean when removed from the muffin.
9. When the muffins are done baking, cool the muffins in the pan on a cooling rack. The muffins will come out of the muffin tin much easier if you allow them to cool first.
10. After about 10 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to continue cooling on a wire rack.