Lemon Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Lemon Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping are studded with plump blueberries and enhanced by the fresh tartness of lemon zest.  The crumb topping creates a delightfully sweet and crisp exterior.   

I have to tell you, I am really, really proud of this recipe for Lemon Blueberry Muffins.  It sounds weird to say that you're proud of a batch of muffins, doesn't it?  But these muffins deserve it.  The interior remains soft, moist, and tender, just like a muffin should be.  However, the top becomes delightfully crisp thanks to a generous crumb topping.  The batter is just slightly sweet because of all those lovely blueberries.  But that sweetness is balanced by the refreshing tartness of lemon zest.  If you like lemon, these muffins are for you.  In a relatively small batch, I used the zest of one and a half lemons to achieve a pronounced lemon flavor.  

It took me four attempts before I was happy with this recipe.  The first batch was tasty but the muffins didn't rise at all.  In fact, they caved in immediately after I removed them from the oven.  The second batch rose a bit better but the lemon flavor was too subtle and all the blueberries settled to the bottom.  The third batch rose fine but the blueberries still settled.  And the crumb topping made the muffins feel oily, rather than rich and buttery.  After three attempts, I was starting to doubt that I could actually bake a perfect lemon blueberry muffin.

I decided to give these muffins one final try.  It would have to be my last attempt because we were nearly out of blueberries.  My husband and I froze several quarts of locally grown blueberries over the summer, when it was peak blueberry season.  We'd slowly been making our way through those precious berries during the winter months when fresh, local produce is so scarce.  I had precisely one cup of blueberries remaining, which would be enough for me to experiment with lemon blueberry muffins once more.

The result?  Perfection, I tell you.  See that picture above?  No sunken berries this time.  I removed the milk from the recipe, and increased the amount of plain yogurt instead.  This resulted in a batter that was thick enough to suspend the blueberries during the baking process.  I used regular ol' low-fat yogurt -- the kind that we all used to eat before discovering Greek yogurt.  But Greek yogurt would work nicely, of course.  As with all muffin recipes, the trick to preventing the interior from becoming rubbery is to limit the amount that you stir the batter.  Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, the less you handle the batter, the better.

The crumb topping is the crowning glory on these muffins.  It creates that crunchy, satisfying first bite. When mixing the crumb topping, I find it helpful to use my fingertips to rub the butter into the flour and sugar.  The warmth from your fingers will cause the ingredients to come together in small clumps perfect for sprinkling on top of your muffin batter.  These muffins are best enjoyed fresh from the oven.  But stored in a loosely covered container, they're still delicious, and the crumb topping is still crisp, up to three days later.   

(click here for printable recipe)

Lemon Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
•  zest from 1-2 lemons
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 tablespoons butter, cold and cut up into pieces
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners (please note that this recipe makes about 15 muffins, so you may need two pans).
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat together 7 tablespoons of softened butter and 2/3 cup sugar.  Continue beating about 2 minutes, until light and creamy.  Beat in egg and yolk until combined.  Add yogurt and lemon zest and continue beating until fully incorporated. 
4. Pour half of dry mixture over the wet ingredients.  With a wooden spoon, stir two or three times.  Then, add in remaining dry ingredients and stir another three or four times, just into dry ingredients are moistened.  Batter will be quite thick.  Gently fold in blueberries, stirring as little as possible.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, fill muffin tin with batter.
5. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cut-up butter, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.  Use fingertips to rub butter into the sugar and flour, until the ingredients come together in small clumps.  Sprinkle over muffin batter. 
6. Bake muffins for 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove to cooling racks.  Muffins are best enjoyed right from the oven, but will remain fresh for up to three days when stored in a loosely covered (not airtight) container. 

Yield: 14-16 muffins

(click here for printable recipe)