blueberry streusel muffins.

I have an idea. Let’s all pretend that it’s still the weekend and we’re all at home laying in bed, eating delicious blueberry streusel muffins fresh out of the oven.

Muffins are the perfect thing to bake on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Baking something in the morning just makes breakfast feel more special, and if I’m doing a brunch with guests – well, in that case, baking something is a must. I adore blueberries, and the addition of lemon zest adds the perfect lightness and freshness to the batter – you won’t even taste it. But the real shining star of these muffins is the streusel topping, of course. I mean, what wouldn’t streusel topping make even better? I even used some whole-wheat flour, just to increase the health-factor a bit,  and you couldn’t tell at all – they were pure perfection.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 20 muffins

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour {I replaced 1 cup of flour with whole-wheat}
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar {I ran out of sugar and replaced 1 cup with brown sugar}
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh blueberries {I used frozen, and let them defrost for about 20 minutes}

For the streusel topping:

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

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into 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 at fork, mixing just until blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don’t overmix! With a standard (2 1/4 inch) ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.

For the topping, place all the ingredients into 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 tablespoon of the streusel on top of each muffin. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Pair with a deliciously hot fresh-brewed pot of coffee, and enjoy.