Blueberry Muffin Tops with Streusel Topping

Yes, it’s true… I’m still talking about Mother’s Day. 🙂

One of my special Mother’s Day gifts was a “Muffin-Top” pan. It’s genius. (My daughter only eats the top of her muffins, so this really was a perfect gift!) Needless to say, I already have a couple of muffin-top recipes to share. We enjoyed this version for our Memorial Day breakfast. They were fabulously loaded with fresh blueberries.

This recipe was adapted from Gourmet via Epicurious.com. I lowered the oven temperature, increased the vanilla, and reduced the flour in the topping. Next time I plan to incorporate some whole wheat flour. These muffins could also be made in a standard muffin tin, of course!

An absolute highlight in the original recipe was the informative explanation about the origin of the “Muffin-Top” baking pan. It was described as a TV triumph from a 1990’s Seinfeld episode. Here’s the recap:

“After Elaine exclaims that she only likes the tops of muffins (“The Muffin Tops” first aired on May 8, 1997), her former boss thinks Elaine has hit on a clever marketing idea. But when you only sell the tops, what do you do with the hundreds of muffin ‘stumps’ (bottoms) that are left? Elaine and her gang take to the streets with garbage bags of stumps, trying to pawn them off on anyone and everyone. There are no takers; even the homeless turn them down with disdain. It didn’t take long after the airing of the episode for muffin-top pans to appear on store shelves.”

LOVE it. 🙂

Yield: 12 muffin tops

For the Batter:

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 whole large egg
• 1 large yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can use some white whole wheat flour, if desired)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (12 oz)

For the Topping:

• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Make the Batter:

1. Put oven rack in the center or upper third of oven and preheat to 350°F, preferably on convection. Generously butter muffin pans. (I used cooking oil spray.)
2. Melt butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, then remove from heat. Whisk in milk, then whisk in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined well.
3. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add milk mixture and stir until just combined.
4. Fold in blueberries gently but thoroughly.
5. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, spreading evenly. (I used a large cookie scoop.)

Make the Topping and Bake the Muffins:

1. Rub together all topping ingredients in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender until crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over batter in cups, about 1 tablespoon per muffin.
2. Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted diagonally into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Cool in pans on a rack 15 minutes, then run a knife around edge of each muffin top and carefully remove from cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.

One Year Ago:

• Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins with Orange Streusel

Two Years Ago:

• Black & White Crème Brûlée
• Vanilla Rose Cake

Three Years Ago:

• Alton Brown’s Berry Muffins

Four Years Ago:

• Cheesecake Brownies
• Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dori Sanders’ Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

As much as I enjoy trying new dishes and recipes, I have been making the same peach cobbler for about 20 years! I originally found the recipe in Southern Living- but remembered that it was originally from Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking.

A few weeks ago, we stopped by a community trust fundraiser sale at one of the oldest homes in my town (Circa 1610!). I spotted- yes– Dori Sanders’ Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand on a table loaded with cookbooks. Yay! In the peach chapter, along with my favorite easy peach cobbler, was a recipe for peach cornmeal muffins.

As we had been on a Southern food binge after my husband’s birthday dinner and all of the leftovers (which we ate for DAYS), I had to make them right away. 🙂 Using blueberries instead of peaches seemed like the appropriate seasonal substitute. I also adapted the recipe to incorporate whole wheat pastry flour. Simple and delicious!

Yield: 12 muffins

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/8 tsp coarse salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup milk ( I used 1 percent)
• 1 cup blueberries (or finely chopped fresh peaches for the peach version)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees on convection.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the egg and again beat until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg and mix well.
4. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in two parts alternating with the milk, stirring after each addition until just combined.
5. Add the fruit and stir until just incorporated.
6. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full with the batter and bake in the preheated oven for about 17 minutes on convection, or for up to 25 minutes in a standard oven. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then gently remove from muffin tins and allow to cool completely before serving.

One Year Ago:

• Whole Wheat Spicy Herb & Garlic Bread Loaf

Two Years Ago:

• Whole-Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones