topic Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again! in Recipes

Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 19:23:15 GMT

I am not the best cook or baker in the world, but I do okay with baking. I absolutely can NOT get my streusel topping to be crumbly. I follow directions precisely and it never works out! Can anybody help me here? It's so frustrating!

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

Snowpuppy — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:43:20 GMT

I think the more dry your mixture going on, the more crumb like it will be. Too much butter may be causing the brown sugar to melt into your batter.

Try less butter and/or adding quick oats or chopped nuts for more crumb texture. Adding a bit more flour or Bisquick may help, too.

I double most topping recipes. Many are too skimpy for me!

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

Kachina624 — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:12:06 GMT

@12andcounting. I think I'd try a different recipe. I don't use one, I just throw together brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, very cold (important) butter, cinnamon until it's a dry crumbly consistency. You might try adding it when your baked good is about half done.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

tiny 2 — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:17:33 GMT

@12andcounting wrote:
I am not the best cook or baker in the world, but I do okay with baking. I absolutely can NOT get my streusel topping to be crumbly. I follow directions precisely and it never works out! Can anybody help me here? It's so frustrating!

@12andcounting

If your butter is melted or room temperature it will spread. I usually mix it and then put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before adding.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

tiny 2 — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 20:58:30 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
I think the more dry your mixture going on, the more crumb like it will be. Too much butter may be causing the brown sugar to melt into your batter.

Try less butter and/or adding quick oats or chopped nuts for more crumb texture. Adding a bit more flour or Bisquick may help, too.

I double most topping recipes. Many are too skimpy for me!

@Snowpuppy,

One of my Make Ahead Cooks Illustrated books has a large recipe that is supposed to last through 3 or 4 items to top. I made it up to have on hand and ended up putting the whole thing on my Apple Crisp! Hangs head in shame

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 21:09:28 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
I think the more dry your mixture going on, the more crumb like it will be. Too much butter may be causing the brown sugar to melt into your batter.

Try less butter and/or adding quick oats or chopped nuts for more crumb texture. Adding a bit more flour or Bisquick may help, too.

I double most topping recipes. Many are too skimpy for me!

@Snowpuppy Thank you so much!

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 21:10:15 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@12andcounting. I think I'd try a different recipe. I don't use one, I just throw together brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, very cold (important) butter, cinnamon until it's a dry crumbly consistency. You might try adding it when your baked good is about half done.

@Kachina624 Thanks so much!

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 21:11:06 GMT

@tiny 2 wrote:
@12andcounting wrote:
I am not the best cook or baker in the world, but I do okay with baking. I absolutely can NOT get my streusel topping to be crumbly. I follow directions precisely and it never works out! Can anybody help me here? It's so frustrating!
@12andcounting

If your butter is melted or room temperature it will spread. I usually mix it and then put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before adding.

@tiny 2 I actually thought about refrigerating it this time, but for some reason I didn't do it. Should have, I guess. LOL

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

deepwaterdotter — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 22:32:38 GMT

I make sure my mixture is crumbly before chilling it in the refrigerator. Here's my recipe:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp white sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

5 tbsp cold butter. cut into 10 cubes

Whisk all the dry ingredients, then add butter cubes. Pinch with fingers to mix until crumbly. Chill for an hour before using.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 22:57:05 GMT

@deepwaterdotter Thank you so much for giving me your recipe. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

house_cat — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 01:32:37 GMT

1 ¼ cup (156 g) all purpose flour

½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed

⅓ cup (66 g) sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons (85 g) unsalted melted and cooled so that it’s warm but not hot to the touch (if you only have salted butter, use that and omit the salt)

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

AuntG — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 02:29:40 GMT

@12andcounting wrote:
@deepwaterdotter Thank you so much for giving me your recipe. I really appreciate you taking the time to do so.

========
I bet you'll have success with her recipe @12andcounting. Cold butter, not melted, makes it crumbly.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

Mom2Dogs — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 18:36:30 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
I make sure my mixture is crumbly before chilling it in the refrigerator. Here's my recipe:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp cold butter. cut into 10 cubes

Whisk all the dry ingredients, then add butter cubes. Pinch with fingers to mix until crumbly. Chill for an hour before using.

@deepwaterdotter ...could ALL ingredients be put in a blender to pulverize?...it woud be easier (for ME) to use that way. thanks

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 18:59:45 GMT

@Mom2Dogs I've always used my fingertips, so I'm not sure. I'm a little worried that it might become dough-like if blended too long.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

sabatini — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 19:24:25 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@deepwaterdotter wrote:
I make sure my mixture is crumbly before chilling it in the refrigerator. Here's my recipe:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
5 tbsp cold butter. cut into 10 cubes

Whisk all the dry ingredients, then add butter cubes. Pinch with fingers to mix until crumbly. Chill for an hour before using.

@deepwaterdotter ...could ALL ingredients be put in a blender to pulverize?...it woud be easier (for ME) to use that way. thanks

@Mom2Dogs, I use a food processor, & don't go by a recipe, per se, but use the same ingredients as @deepwaterdotter's.

Put your dry ingredients into the food processor & pulse a few time to combine.

Now, drop in your cold butter piece by piece, pulsing a few times after each addition.

Stop when the streusel looks crumbly.

Takes only a minute! Good luck.

p.s. I think that streusel, like meatloaf, falls into 2 camps.

With meatloaf, there are those who free-form, & others who bake it in a loaf pan.

I'm a free-former!

With streusel, the camps are divided by those who use cold butter, & those who use melted.

I use cold butter! I've found that melted butter creates more of a sandy texture, as opposed to crumbles.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 20:16:27 GMT

@house_cat Thank you for going to all that trouble in your post! I appreciate it!

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

12andcounting — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 20:18:00 GMT

@Mom2Dogs Thanks for the suggestion!! Maybe I'll have some luck with all the good information I've received here.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

lynnie61 — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 22:00:45 GMT

@12andcounting Me too!

@Kachina624 I will try one with oatmeal. I've only used brown sugar, flour and frozen butter. I'll try this. Thanks!

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

kate2357 — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 23:26:22 GMT

@lynnie61

My recipe and technique is close to the recipe @house_cat posted. I alter by using equal amounts of of flour and an oatmeal based granola (Bare Naked Fruit and Nutty), I use an entire cube of melted butter, I only use brown sugar and a tsp or so of cinnamon. It's a family favorite on fruit crisps, apple brown Betty and various cream cakes.

Re: Streusel Topping Flop - Again!

peachesncream — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 02:12:01 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
Pinch with fingers to mix until crumbly.

This is the clue to success in my experience!