Put Some Spice in Your Muffins

Whether made from a packaged mix or from scratch, muffins and coffee cake can always be enhanced by a little streusel sprinkled over the top or marbled inside. Double the recipe, and the streusel can be substituted for the upper crust on a pie or become the topping of a fruit crisp.

Basic ingredients of the sweet, crumbly mixture are flour, sugar, butter and, usually, spices. Often nuts are added, and even oats, wheat germ or granola can be stirred in before the streusel is sprinkled on top, layered or marbled with the batter.

STREUSEL

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 tablespoons cold butter

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour, cinnamon and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in nuts.

BLUEBERRY-STREUSEL COFFEECAKE

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package blueberry muffin mix

1 recipe Streusel

Prepare batter according to package directions but do not fold in blueberries. Spread batter in greased 8-inch-square glass baking dish and sprinkle blueberries evenly over top.

Sprinkle streusel mixture over batter and blueberries. Fold into batter with fork, just enough to create marbled effect.

Bake coffee cake at 350 degrees until golden brown on top and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Variation: To make streusel-topped blueberry muffins, prepare batter according to package directions for muffins. Combine streusel ingredients and sprinkle over muffin tops before baking as directed.

9 servings. Each serving:

264 calories; 308 mg sodium; 7 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 47 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.07 gram fiber.