In preparation for my staycation (I mean, who doesn’t just love staying home for four days instead of flying off to Cabo?), I am preparing to turn my place into a B&B, and I am not talking Bénédictine here, although surely alcohol will be on hand. You can’t have a vacay or staycay without indulging a little.
So I am making the quintessential B&B treat: Blueberry Streusel-Topped Muffins. Ha! Take that, beautiful ocean, wind blowing through my hair, sand between my toes and tequila in both hands. I have blueberry muffins in a dusty house with an ocean breeze candle and a PBR.
I think blueberries are about as close to a perfect food as we can get. Delicious, and good for you, too. Of course, I’m combining them with butter, flour and sugar, but nonetheless, they are still perfect little bursts of sunshine in your mouth.
So many of us think we have the perfect muffin recipe, and then the rest of us find they sink in the middle, are dry and crumbly, or just taste plain boring. This recipe won’t disappoint anyone — the buttermilk adds a richness you can’t beat, and adding a streusel topping to the already delicious little cake will send your staycation over the top. You will never want to leave the house to travel again. Who needs Italy when you have blueberry streusel-topped muffins?
These are regular-sized muffins, just so you know. Not the soccer ball-size muffins you can buy from many a coffee shop. Not that there is anything wrong with food bigger than your head, but I’m making them a little less offensive in the calorie department, so you might not feel as bad indulging in one or two with coffee, tea, mimosa, tequila, margarita, pina colada.
What? Muffins go swimmingly with anything when you have to stay home instead of lounging poolside.
Save a few blueberries and pop them in some champagne to pair alongside the muffins. That my friends, is a berry good idea.
Now, follow the directions, put some love into it, and invite me over when it’s done.
Blueberry Streusel- Topped Muffins
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries
Streusel topping
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. butter (cold and chopped up)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a 12-count muffin tin with liners or grease muffin tin (this recipe ends up making about 15 muffins). In small bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a fork or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
In another small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in buttermilk until batter is smooth.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture. Stir until just incorporated.
Fold in blueberries.
Fill each muffin holder with batter until almost full. Top each muffin with streusel mix. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Take out and let cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove. Enjoy!
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