Streusel Cupcakes

You never know how much you miss someone until they're gone.

Stephanie went to Scandanavia for ten days in celebration of an important milestone birthday. I missed her. I spent a lot of time in my apartment staring at my laundry.

In an effort to convey to her how much I missed her, and to wish her a happy birthday, I made some cupcakes. My life is turning into that Jack Handey fuzzy memory that goes something like this: "My grandpa used to measure things in terms of cows. If you asked him how big something was, he'd say, 'it's about the size of a small cow.' Or if you asked him how long something would take, he'd say, 'about as long as it would take a cow to drive over here.'" I guess what I'm saying is that I'm finding that the answer to every question in my life or the life of anyone else I know is cupcakes. Sometimes it really works. Other times...

Streusel cupcakes were my effort to give Stephanie a taste of Europe right here in Texas. I don't know if it actually resembled anything European, but being the great friend she is, Stephanie humored me anyway. This is why I miss her so much when she leaves town.

Streusel Cupcakes

Makes 24

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. coarse salt (I used sea salt)

1/2 c. plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with baking cups. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Stir in vanilla by hand. Add flour mixture and sour cream, stir until just combined. Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Sprinkle half the topping over cupcakes, pressing it into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with remaining topping. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes (I don't have wire racks. I cool mine on my counter). To finish, drizzle with milk glaze.

Streusel Topping

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 c. packed dark-brown sugar

2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 c. plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt; cut in the butter using a pastry blender, your fingertips, or two table knives until combined (I used knives) but still crumbly. Refrigerate 30 minutes before using.

Milk Glaze

1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons milk

Whisk together ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.