Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Continuing on with the blueberry season!  I've made the lemon and blueberry combination a few times this year already and I'm beginning to find that I taste the lemons more than the blueberries.  Blueberries are fantastic - high in vitamin content, a source of fiber and have been seen to reduce blood sugar and symptoms of depression in addition to being super tasty.  It's time to let the blueberry shine!  Here's a simple recipe that lets the blueberry take centre stage, where it should be.  Enjoy!

Tools needed:

• Measuring spoons and cups
• Large, medium and small bowl
• Sifter or fine mesh sieve
• Whisk
• Spatula
• 12 cup muffin tin
• Paper muffin cup liners (optional)
• Olive oil or Pam spray(optional)
• Spoon
• Pastry cutter (optional)
• Toothpick (optional)

Ingredients:
Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cane sugar (granulated white sugar can be substituted)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg (perferably organic but not necessary)
• Approximately 1/3 cup milk (I used almond but you can use coconut, 2%, skim - pretty much whatever you like)
• 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries (frozen don't work the same)

Streusel topping (optional)

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with Pam or olive oil spray.  Set aside.


2.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.  Add sugar and mix so all ingredients are combined thoroughly.  Set aside.


3.  In a 1 cup measuring cup, add the oil and egg and then fill the remainder of the cup with milk until it's full.  Transfer this wet mixture into a small bowl and whisk for 2-3 minutes and add to flour mixture.  Mix the flour mixture and oil mixture just until the dry mixture disappears - the batter may appear lumpy but that's ok because we do not want to overmix!


4.  Fold in blueberries.  Fill in muffin cups to the top - should be about 9 regular-sized muffins - and fill the empty muffin cups with 2 cm of water.

5.  Make streusel topping:  in a medium bowl add together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter.  With a pastry cutter or your hands, gently mix the ingredients together ending with pieces of varying sizes within (see photo).  Top muffins with streusel topping - do not add too much or else the muffins won't be able to rise.

6.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove the muffins to a wire rack until completely cooled. 

7.  Eat and enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)