Cappuccino Crumb Muffins

Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Add the cold margarine. Cut the cold margarine into small cubes and work it into the mixture with a fork or your fingertips.

Stop at crumbs. You want small clumps, pea-sized crumbs, and some loose sandy crumbs. Do not turn it into a smooth paste.

Chill. Refrigerate the crumb topping while you make the muffin batter.

Preheat the oven. Heat to 375°F / 190°C. Line 15 standard muffin cups with paper liners or lightly grease them.

Coffee note. Use instant coffee or instant espresso powder, not regular ground coffee. If your instant coffee is coarse, dissolve it in 1 Tbsp of the measured soy milk, warmed briefly, then stir it back into the remaining soy milk.

Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, soy milk, melted margarine, and vanilla until evenly combined.

Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, instant coffee if using powder, and cinnamon. Break up any brown-sugar lumps.

Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently only until the flour is almost incorporated.

Add the chocolate chips. Fold in the mini chocolate chips just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.

The batter should be thick but scoopable. A few small lumps are fine. Do not keep mixing until perfectly smooth or the muffins can become tough.

Fill the cups. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Add the crumbs. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping generously over each muffin. Leave the crumbs loose on top and do not press them into the batter.

Bake. Bake at 375°F / 190°C for about 18-22 minutes.

Check early. Begin checking at 18 minutes.

Look for doneness. The muffins should be risen, the crumb topping should look dry and lightly golden, and the tops should spring back gently when touched.

Use the toothpick test carefully. A toothpick inserted into the cake portion should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Chocolate on the toothpick is fine. Wet batter is not.

Cool briefly. Leave the muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes.

Transfer. Move the muffins to a cooling rack.

Serve. They are excellent warm, but let them cool enough that the chocolate is not scorching hot.