Blueberry Streusel Muffins

We’re a big fan of muffins around here and I especially love to make them when we have weekend guests.  Now, I do have a couple of favorite recipes that I make on a regular basis but have been wanting to give a blueberry streusel recipe a shot for a long time.  I recently saw Joy the Baker pop out a browned butter blueberry muffin recipe but opted to go for Ina’s recipe from Back to Basics this time.  Honestly, I wish I would have tried Joy’s recipe.  While Ina’s recipe was good (maybe a little dry but that may have more to do with the paper liners than the recipe itself), these muffins didn’t blow me away.  And when I try a new blueberry muffin recipe, I want it to blow me away.  I want it to make me feel like I’ve found the only recipe I’ll ever need for the rest of my life.  Obviously, I haven’t truly found the one yet.  But I’ll keep looking!! Promise.

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One year ago: Blueberry Crumb Cake (speaking of blueberries…)

Two years ago: Sophisticated Mac and Cheese

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Blueberry Streusel Muffins

source: Ina Garten, Back to Basics, pages 244-245

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

For the Streusel Topping

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 4 tbsp (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in to a large bowl and blend with your hands.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest, and eggs.  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, mixing  just until blended.  Fold the blueberries into the batter.  Don’t overmix!  With a standard (2 1/4″) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.
3. For the topping, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces.  Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly.  Spoon about 1 tbsp of the streusel on top of each muffin.  Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.