Apple Chai Coffee Cake Muffins

Spices:

1 tsp Cardamom

3/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ginger

1/4 tsp Ground Star Anise

1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

Batter:

Spice blend - {less the reserved 3/4 tsp}

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup greek yogurt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 small apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

Streusel:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp reserved spice blend

5 Tbsp cold butter

Prepare muffin tins, greasing or lining 18 wells with paper liners. Preheat oven to 350.

In a small bowl, mix together spices - cardomom, cinnamon, ginger, anise & cloves. Reserve 3/4 tsp of this mixture for the streusel.

In a medium bowl, combine flours,baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the larger portion of the chai spices. Blend well.

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and eggs, whisking until smooth. Add yogurt and buttermilk, and mix until all the lumps are gone. Stir in butter and applesauce. Fold in dry ingredients until just combined, and then gently stir in the chopped apples.

To make the streusel, mix together brown sugar, flour, salt, and reserved spices. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or two knives, until well blended and crumbly.

Fill muffin cups half way with batter. Top with a spoon of streusel, and then fill with more batter. {Tip: Press the batter in gently so that it sticks to the batter on the bottom and the layers bake together, otherwise the muffins can fall apart.} Top with a generous sprinkling of streusel, and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Yield: 18 muffins.

Chef Geoff's notes: With special thanks to Blissful Domesticity