(Battle of the) Blueberry Crumble Muffins

I know, I know.

Blueberries are summer food.

Also they are very expensive right now…and pretty pitiful looking.

Normally, I would not ever ever ever buy blueberries in the winter time.

But I did that…I bought them…and I made muffins.

Because:

1. I miss summer something AWFUL.  Also my boss is on vacation and her blog is killing me so I needed a taste of some summer livin’.

2. These were on “sale” (still expensive but better) and were actually blue instead of white-ish

3. That man o’ mine requested these blueberry muffins (which he loves) for breakfast (which he hates)…how could I deny him?

I guess I could have used frozen blueberries or even dried blueberries.

Technically that’s true but not in real life.  In real life fresh blueberries are the only kind that give that satisfying burst of juice when you bite into them.

Also, only fresh blueberries make that huge splotch of bluey purple in your muffin that let you know it’s going to be an amazing bite.

You need fresh blueberries.  Splurge a little.  Before you resolve not to do that anymore.

Now…I have a confession to make.  I struggled with these guys.  What we have here is an EllenintheKitchen eipc failure

I know exactly why, too.

I mixed the dry ingredients correctly, then I mixed the wet ingredients correctly, then I mixed them together….

…and then I didn’t bake them immediately.

Idiot.

I realized I needed to make the crumble topping and also take pictures for you and also my phone rang and also the dryer cycle ended and I guess I should take the clothes out so they don’t wrinkle……….oh yeah wait a second…I’m making blueberry muffins.

::sigh:: real life.

Meanwhile all those leavening gases (which make the muffins nice and fluffy) that the baking powder starts producing when it’s mixed with the wet ingredients was working it’s magic on…the air.

Idiot.

It’s ok though….I tried again and it was fine…just like it has been fine all the other times I have made these muffins.

Sorry…more than fine.  These are delicious.

I promise you can make them, too.

If your muffins fall, just pick up and try again.

Kinda like if your resolutions fall by the wayside around February (or January 2) it’s ok.  Just pick them up and try again.

Also, bake your muffins immediately.

These aren’t just fluffy, moist, juice-bursty blueberry muffins.  These are muffins with a lesson!

Class is in session.

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING: make that freakin crumble.  Don’t be like me and get to the end with everything all mixed and gassy (which is what you want in a muffin, trust) then realize you need to make the crumble.  Do it now. No one cares if this stuff sits for a while.

What? Don’t look at me like that. The brown sugar hat made the butter look like teeth! Obviously.

He’s the muffin man HA!

Ok ok recess is over. The blueberry eyes shouldn’t actually go in your crumble.  Some cinnamon and maybe some oats should, though.  Then break it up into little crumbly pieces..

Ok muffin time.  Dry ingredients-unite!

Then you get your wet ingredients together….

and I have a secret for you.

Buttermilk really and truly makes a difference in baking.  Treats come out moist and richer than they do with regular milk.

However, buttermilk isn’t a thing I just have laying around all the time-so I have a trick.

Milk + Lemon

BAM buttermilk….imitation…

Just put a tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of milk (which means a teaspoon of lemon for 1/3 cup of milk in these muffins).  Put the juice in your measuring cup then fill the cup the rest of the way with milk.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes before baking.

It works..for real life.

((apparently you can use vinegar instead of lemon juice too but…gross))

Fold in the blueberries (the batter will be thick and gluey…that’s good…no sinking berries!!), throw them in muffin tins, crumbly topping them…

See those berries peeking not sinking!?

Woohoo they rose!!

Happy Breakfast-ing. Or…fast breaking I suppose.

New Year’s Eve Appetizer tomorrow!

Enjoy!

❤ Ellen

P.S. Just submitted this to a sweet treats trade off at sweet as sugar cookies!  Check it out…lots to see!

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Recipe ever so slightly adapted from To Die For Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1/3 cup..let sit for 5 minutes) ((you could use just regular milk too….but don’t…))
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup oats (if you want)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups well or line with muffin liners.
2. To Make Crumb Topping: Put 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 cup oats in a small bowl. Combine with a pastry cutter until you have pea sized pieces of butter.  Set crumble mixture aside
3. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder, set aside.
4. Combine vegetable oil, egg and buttermilk.
5. Mix wet mixture with flour mixture, then fold in the blueberries. The batter will be very thick-that’s what you want!
6. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and sprinkle (generously) with crumb topping mixture.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes-then eat up!