what is streusel

Streusel is a crumbly topping made of flour, butter, and sugar that is baked on top of muffins, breads, pies, and cakes. It is a very common addition to German and Austrian desserts like kuchen and crumb cake. Some modern recipes add spices and chopped nuts to the mixture. Streusel is made by cutting butter into a mixture of flour and sugar, and the ratios are higher on the flour vs the butter to produce a dry, crumbly texture, but still moist enough to hold together when squeezed into large "crumbs". The term "streusel" comes from the German word "streuen," which means to scatter or sprinkle. Streusel can be easily made in under 5 minutes by stirring together flour, sugar, salt, and melted butter. It is a versatile topping that can be used on many different baked goods, including muffins, breads, cakes, and pies.