Coffee-Cake Muffins with Pecan Streusel

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside. Butter 10 cups of a standard nonstick muffin tin; set aside.

Make streusel: Spread out pecans on a baking sheet. Toast in oven, shaking occasionally, until crisp and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Raise oven temperature to 375°. Put brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour in a medium bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until well combined. Crumble pecans into small pieces; work into streusel with fingertips until just combined. Cover, and refrigerate.

Combine dry ingredients: Sift flour, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and spices into a large bowl; set aside.

Combine wet ingredients: Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and milk in a separate large bowl. Whisk in melted butter.

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients; fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Spoon batter into buttered cups, filling each less than one-third full. Gently press batter into an even layer.

Divide reserved streusel among cups, then top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with reserved cinnamon sugar. Fill any empty cups in the tin halfway with water. Bake muffins until puffed and golden brown, about 18 minutes.

Let cool slightly in tin, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack; let cool a few minutes more before serving warm.