Who doesn’t love muffins? It’s breakfast, it’s a snack, it’s dessert, it’s sweet, or savory. I have a love hate relationship with blueberry muffins. I love them, but everywhere I get them they have that artificial “blueberry flavour” that you taste for hours, yuck! I have tried a few recipes but this one is, ‘the one’.
I found this recipe while browsing Pinterest. The picture and title of the Pin caught my attention, “Best Ever Blueberry Muffin”. Now, we have all had recipes that were “the best” in someone elses eyes, and when you make them you think ‘Really? someone thought these were good?’ It is amazing how personal preferences are so different! These, they live up to the name, they really were the best ever blueberry muffins (that I have tasted, at least).
Best Ever Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from A Cook’s Quest
Sugar Topping
1/3 cup (21/3 ounces) sugar
1½ teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon
If topping with lemon sugar, stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.
Streusel Topping
3 T white sugar
3 T brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
5 T melted butter
If topping the muffins with streusel, combine ingredients until it is the size of peas and set aside.
**As suggested by A Cook’s Quest, depending on your location you may need more or less of the melted butter to achieve the crumble, I only needed 3 T’s of melted butter**
Muffins
2 cups (or less if you are me!) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. If your oven cooks on the hot side normally, reduce the heat. Some people have commented that 425 was too hot. I would recommend getting a thermometer for your oven if you aren’t sure.
2. Prepare standard muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray or liners.
3. Bring 1 cup blueberries, water, and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing the berries with your potato masher or fork several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced by about half. This will take about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
Forgot to take a picture of the final product
4. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl.
5. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and well combined.
6. Slowly mix in butter and oil until combined.
7. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla.
8. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)
9. Using a cookie scoop or large spoon, divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly).
10. Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion.
11. Sprinkle lemon sugar or streusel evenly over muffins. **this is where I read the directions wrong! I made both the lemon sugar AND the streusel. So not to waste I used all the streusel and some of the lemon sugar.**
12. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.
A thing of beauty!
The best blueberry muffin ever, have I mentioned that? Everything about this muffin, just works. The muffin itself has a wonderful texture, moist, not crumbly. Just enough blueberries without being too many. The addition of the blueberry sauce gives it that extra sweet kick.
The crumb topping is delicious. The addition of a little crunch really brings it to another level. Even though I made the error of making BOTH of the toppings instead of just one, I would do it again! Having that little hint of lemon really brought out the blueberry and the refreshing citrus zing.
Mom, who does not like blueberry muffins, said “it was excellent!” and went back for more.
Excellent recipe that comes together quite easily. Try them you won’t be disappointed!
Recipe suggested to eat them warm. I prefered them cold, much more flavour.
**A Cook’s Quest – These muffins can be flavored with any variety of fruits and toppings. Using the muffin recipe as a base for any flavor you like!**
Posted by ericasedibles 
There was stuff everywhere, just like when I bake. But I gotta say, it is much more fun baking when you are not worrying about the mess you make and cleaning it up after then trying to be neat and tidy and not spill a drop. Sorta like never trust a skinny chef, never trust a tidy baker! lol Anyways…..
