Why this recipe Matters
For weeks Emma has been asking me to make blueberry muffins.
Emma: “Can you pleeaaase make blueberry muffins?”
Me: “No, but you can.”
Emma: “Oh come on. There’s not a good recipe. Pleeeeaaaaasseee just make some!”
Emma again: “Okaaaay fine. You should make them for your blog though.”
Smart as ever that one.
she knows this is how she will get me.
She knows.
Her Dad and I are often standing with confused looks on our faces when she is talking, her intelligence obvious. A mental shoulder shrug between the two of us, as we each have the same curious thought:
…she didn’t get that from me…..and let’s face it, she didn’t get it from you.
Nearly sixteen years have gone by and this question comes up more and more as the time goes on.
One year at a time. Our admiration for her grows.
She is so driven and hard working. Reading and studying for h-o-u-r-s up in her bedroom.
And, she Enjoys it.
She loves to learn.
Can you see my pride in her shining through or what?
She is also incredibly soulful and kind.
When I say she’s driven and smart, that’s only a fraction of who she is.
She is measured. Steady. Strong.
The last three attributes, undoubtedly inherited from her Dad.
Sharp Witted. Sarcastic.
Beautiful.
Yep, that’s our Emma Bear.
Prepare your Taste Buds
So you know.
I made Emma the blueberry muffins.
Six test batches in fact.
Emma just wanted blueberry muffins, but second batch in, I decided a hint of lemon sugar was needed.
Third batch in, oh what about a lemon crumb topping too?
I tend to take something that’s almost complete and then turn it upside down with some creative thought I have.
Basically, this is great, but I bet it can be better.
How can you make this even more of a pain in the ass for yourself, Sara?
It’s one of my ‘greatest’ qualities.
pffffffft.
Despite my muffin mania, it meant that Emma had blueberry muffins for breakfast all week.
She was happy.
Me…I’m all muffin-ed out.
Regardless, Emma’s persistent requests for blueberry muffins led to a week long creative baking challenge. The result, a delicious new recipe! It makes twelve homemade muffins, that taste as if they were made in a bakery. Their light and fluffy texture is perfectly blended with intense bursts of tart blueberries baked throughout. Then topped with a touch of lemon sugary goodness and a delicate streusel topping.
Happy Baking!
Handy Hints for Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar streusel
•For store-bought flour, I recommended using Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour. For these blueberry muffins, a soft, tender crumb is ideal, so a lower protein flour is best. Gold Medal has a protein content of 10.5%, which is slightly lower than other store brands.
•If you don’t have fresh blueberries you can substitute frozen. Frozen blueberries soaked in water and then dried will prevent their blue juice from bleeding throughout the batter. Read more about this baking secret in this article from King Arthur Baking.
•I recommend using a #16 Scoop to portion the muffin batter into the muffin pan. It makes distribution of the batter a breeze and ensures that the muffins bake evenly.
•I highly recommend using these cupcake liners for baking muffins. They prevent the batter from spilling all over the sides of your muffin tin and they look pretty!
PrintBlueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar Streusel
Love Blueberry Muffins? This new recipe is simply delightful. Featuring fresh blueberries in a light and fluffy muffin. Then topped with sugared lemon and a streusel topping, it is a must bake!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 12 Muffins 1x
- Category: Breads & Pastry
- Method: Muffin Baking Method
- Cuisine: Quick Bread
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Lemon Sugar:
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Blueberry Muffins:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 whole eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 cup water, room temperature
2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° and adjust an rack to the middle position. Line a muffin tray with twelve liners.
Streusal Topping:
To a small bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir together with a fork until a crumbly mixture forms. Set aside.
Lemon Sugar:
To a small bowl, add the sugar and the lemon zest. Stir with a spoon, pressing down to be sure the sugar and the zest really combine. Set aside.
Blueberry Muffins:
Melt butter in large bowl in the microwave. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sift the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium sized bowl.
To the large bowl of cooled melted butter, add the eggs, vanilla, cream and water. Whisk everything together until it is combined.
Add the sifted dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients. Using a rubber spatula fold until the mixture almost combined (a few traces of the dry ingredients are ok).
Next, gently fold the blueberries into the muffin batter until just combined. Do not over mix the batter!
Add 4 tablespoons of muffin batter to each lined muffin compartment.
Bake a 400° for 15-18 minutes, until the tops are golden and spring back to the touch.
Remove the muffins from the oven and let sit in the muffin pan for a few minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Notes
•It is extremely important that you do NOT overmix the batter. Over mixing will cause more gluten to develop and result in a tough muffin texture. Incorporate the flour until just combined.
Leave a Reply