Bake, Run, Live

July 11th is National Blueberry Muffin Day!

Ok, I am going to admit to you- right here, right now- I do not care for blueberries.

However, Nick and my dad both like blueberry muffins, so I knew they wouldn’t go to waste. I just had to depend on their reviews of the recipe! (Don’t feel sad that I didn’t eat one- I was busy eating this brownie!!)

I used fresh blueberries that I bought at the grocery store (they are not in season at my local fruit stands yet). However, you can use frozen berries. A quick tip when using frozen blueberries- if you want to avoid purple batter, rinse your thawed blueberries and pat them dry (on a paper towel).

Either way, using fresh or frozen blueberries, these turned out to be a really good muffin. Not too heavy, lots of blueberries, and a nice touch of sweetness from the streusel topping.

Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
Prep time: 20 minutes     Bake time: 25-27 minutes

Muffins:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup vanilla sugar (or regular sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup half and half
2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cake flour, divided
1 1/2 cups flour
1 pint fresh blueberries (or frozen blueberries, thawed)

Streusel topping:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cupcake pan with liners or grease with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the blueberries with 1 tablespoon cake flour, mixing briefly (this will help the blueberries not to sink in the batter). Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla bean paste and mix well. Stir in the salt and baking powder. Add in the half and half and stir until combined. Add in the remaining 2/3 cup cake flour and the regular flour. Stir well. Fold in the blueberry/cake flour mix. Set aside.

To make the streusel topping, in a small mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour. Add in the butter and using a fork, combine everything until it resembles small peas.

Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling them at least 3/4 of the way full (they don’t rise a great deal, so don’t be afraid to fill them!). Sprinkle on the struesel topping and lightly press it onto the muffin batter. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool. Note: if you used muffin liners, you can leave the muffins to cool completely in the cupcake pan. If you sprayed the pan with cooking spray, let the cupcakes rest for about 15 minutes, then run a knife along the edges and remove the cupcakes. Transfer them to a cooling rack and cool completely. Enjoy!

Made with love, not calories!