Streusel Topped Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Although I’ve always been a big fan of lemons, it wasn’t until recently that Mike acquired a love for them, also. So, needless to say, I’ve been taking advantage of this new fondness by incorporating lemons in more and more recipes. Last week, when I made Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes, I was left with a good amount of frozen blueberries leftover. Since the lemon- blueberry combination was such a big success, I went in search of a different recipe to try (to use up those blueberries). At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, then I thought about muffins. Mike loves blueberry muffins. I chose to make this recipe because it had that “little something extra” that would bring it over the top, a cinnamon streusel topping. These muffins are “packed” with blueberries; as a matter of fact, there is actually more blueberries than batter, which made me fearful that this recipe would be a failure. Also, the batter is extremely dense (you’ll feel like you are mixing cement), but I guess that must be to account for all the liquid released from the blueberries during baking, because it does end up working out fine. However, I highly recommend the use of frozen blueberries (not thawed), as they are less fragile than fresh and can withstand the folding process without being totally crushed. Even though these muffins are loaded with blueberries, the lemon zest still manages to shine through, giving a nice fresh pop of flavor. The sugary crumb topping, with just a touch of cinnamon adds yet another layer of flavor (without being overpowering). Perfectly balanced and an irresistible treat for blueberry lovers. 

To make the streusel topping, in a small mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the cubed butter. Using a pastry blender (or two knives), cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate topping mixture while you prepare the batter.

Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners.

In a larger mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine. 

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir together just until combined. Be careful not to over mix (to avoid dense muffins); there will be lumps and that’s okay because they will bake out. 

Gently fold in the blueberries. There will be an abundance of blueberries in ratio to the dough and the dough will be extremely thick. Even using unthawed frozen blueberries, it’s inevitable that some of the blueberries will end up crushed because of the density of the batter. Don’t fret, though, it will turn out fine.

Using a large cookie scoop, divide batter amongst the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin generously with the crumb topping. (Note: The original recipe called for making twice as much streusel topping, which left a lot of waste, so I cut the recipe in half. Even cutting the streusel in half, you will still have more than enough topping needed.)

Bake the muffins 24 to 26 minutes, until cooked through and golden. (If using fresh blueberries, reduce cooking time to 20 to 22 minutes.) Cool muffins in tin at least 15 minutes before removing.

 

STREUSEL TOPPED LEMON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Source: Adapted from Alaska From Scratch
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

 
INGREDIENTS:
 
Streusel Topping:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Muffins:

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups blueberries, frozen (not thawed) recommended

DIRECTIONS:

Streusel Topping:
1. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the cubed butter. Using a
    pastry blender (or two knives), cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles
    coarse crumbs. Refrigerate topping mixture while you prepare the batter.

Muffins:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.  Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a larger mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk and egg. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Stir
    together just until combined. Be careful not to over mix (to avoid dense muffins); there will be lumps
    and that’s okay because they will bake out.
4. Gently fold in the blueberries. There will be an abundance of blueberries in ratio to the dough and the
    dough will be extremely thick. (Even using un-thawed frozen blueberries, it’s inevitable that some of
    the blueberries will end up crushed because of the density of the batter.)
5. Using a large cookie scoop, divide batter amongst the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin
    generously with the crumb topping.
6. Bake the muffins 24 to 26 minutes, until cooked through and golden. (If using fresh blueberries,
    reduce cooking time to 20 to 22 minutes.) Cool muffins in tin at least 15 minutes before removing.