Cranberry Coconut Streusel Muffins

These muffins are so "plain" looking. With the coconut streusel topping ... really don't know how to "dress" them up to make them look more appealing.  

Okay, just decorate them with some chocolates and chocolate Pocky! 

Do they looked like the sandy desert to you ? Ha ... ha ! Well ... I really don't know what they looked like .... I just 'dress' them with whatever "deemed appropriate props" I could find on the dining table.

Recipe source: Joy of Baking Blueberry Streusel Muffins with changes made in some ingredients (omitted blueberries as didn't have any on hand), my modified version below :

Cranberry Coconut Streusel Muffins:
Makes 6 muffins
Ingredients
1 large egg
100ml fresh milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
190 grams all purpose flour
70g grams raw light brown sugar
1 teaspoonbaking powder
Pinch of salt
50 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
40g dried cranberries
20g dessicated coconut
1.5 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted to make streusel

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Place rack in center of oven.

2) Line 6 muffin cups with paper liners or lightly butter the muffin cups or spray them with a non stick vegetable spray.

3) In a bowl whisk the egg with the milk and vanilla extract.

4) In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder, dessicated coconut and salt.

5) Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two knives. (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.) Remove 60 grams of the mixture and set aside in a separate bowl to make the streusel topping.

6) To the remaining muffin batter, gently fold in the dried cranberries. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. (Do not over mix this mixture or the muffins will be tough when baked.) Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with the batter, using two spoons or an ice cream scoop.

7) Bake the muffins for about 18 - 23 minutes or until firm and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool before serving.

Streusel Topping:
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and stir into the reserved one cup 60 grams of flour mixture until it is crumbly and looks like coarse meal. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the streusel on top of each muffin.

These muffins are at their best the day they're made, but they can be covered and stored at room temperature for about 2 days.

Girl : why decorated 3 muffins only ?
Mom : no more Pocky ....
Girl : why decorated with green colour chocolate?
Mom : green colour like cactus ....
Girl : Ha ha hah ! Cactus?! ... don't look like it !
Mom : ~-~ speechless !

Have a great weekend ^-^!

Submitting this post to "My Treasured Recipes #3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.