Streusel Topping by grizzlybiscuit

[BakerAunt]

STREUSEL TOPPING
Submitted by grizzlybiscuit on October 01, 2005 at 8:48 pm

This is a simple formula--it can be used for cakes, pies, muffins, the list goes on and on! This recipe comes from Joseph Amendola (whom I had the pleasure of meeting personally). He was one of the top bakers at the school at the time I went there in '73-74. The word "streusel is German for "sprinkle" or "strew."

8 oz. cake flour
8 oz. bread flour or whole wheat pastry flour
8 oz. butter diced into small cubes
4 oz. white granulated sugar
4 oz. light brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Measure out both flours and mix together.

Now work the butter into this mixture with your hands or a pastry cutter until you have coarse pea size crumbs. Do not overwork the butter and let the warmth of your hands make the butter become soft! Now add the rest of the ingredients and mix well and taste the seasoning. Store this in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid and keep it in the fridge or the freezer.

People making this preparation for the first time sometimes have a tendency to want to add more butter to it because they think it is too dry. This is a mistake! You must trust the formula because if you add more butter or fat, your finished product will be greasy on top because the carefully designed ratio of flour to fat will be upset and there won't be enough flour to absorb the now added fat. I have also seen some try to use 10x sugar in place of the regular, and this won't work IMHO because the moisture content is also what makes this formula work--the 10x being too dry (you won't get those large chunks everybody loves).

You can use all-purpose flour for this recipe if that's all you have and it will work ok. You can add any other spices you like, such as nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, star anise ground, etc. You can also add nuts, dried fruits, raisins, sundried fruits (cranberries, currents, cherries, etc.) and different types of grains and seeds, such as sunflower seed, flax seeds, sesame, etc., and oatmeal or barley flakes. This is now more of a "Crisp" topping, better suited for fruit fillings. This recipe will double or halve with no problems

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