COFFEE CAKE STREUSEL MUFFINS

This is a wonderfully flavorful and light dessert muffin with chocolate chips incorporated in a crunchy, sweet topping and drizzled with warm caramel. To make it a little less sinful, I reduced the fat and sugar and switched the all-purpose flour to Ultragrain (30% whole wheat). The nice thing about the changes is that no one will know. The muffin doesn't taste "healthy," and, in fact, it isn't healthy. It has chocolate, sugar and some butter in it, in addition to the caramel topping and flour. Did you know there are over 400 calories in 1 cup of flour, whether it's whole grain or stripped all-purpose? This muffin will impact your diet a little less than it would with the original ingredients, but it will still impact your diet. You can find the original recipe on the Land o' Lakes website, along with some other great recipes.

Coffee Cake Streusel Muffins

Adapted from Land o' Lakes

Rating: 8 out of 10

STREUSEL TOPPING: 2/3 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet, if you prefer)

1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, broken or chopped

3 Tbsp. quick oats

1/4 cup sugar (I used 3/4 tsp. Stevia + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar)

1 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

MUFFINS: 2 Tbsp. melted butter

3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 Tbsp. Stevia)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. coffee essence*

1 cup light sour cream

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup Ultragrain flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour, if preferred)

1/2 cup quick oats (not instant)

1-1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

*Coffee essence: Combine equal parts of instant coffee granules and coffee brandy, or your favorite liqueur. Store in fridge to use as needed.

DRIZZLE: Purchased caramel topping

Heat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, or grease well.

In medium bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, eggs, and flavorings. Add sour cream and applesauce and whisk till smooth and well combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients all at once to dry ingredients and whisk lightly, till just barely combined. Do not overmix.

Spoon half of batter into muffin wells. Top with half the streusel. Repeat. Bake 16-17 minutes, or till muffins are done. (Test with toothpick.) Cool in pans 10 minutes, then lift muffins out of pans onto wire rack to finish cooling. Before serving drizzle with microwaved caramel topping, if desired. Yield: 12 muffins