Lemon Sugar Topped Blueberry Muffins

​Blueberry muffins might just be the most universally loved food that I know of.  I don't know that I've ever run across anyone who has claimed to NOT like blueberry muffins.  They have a universal appeal.  Adults, kids, teens - everyone likes blueberry muffins.  I have a great blueberry muffin recipe but I thought I would try a new one out on some teenagers recently.  I sent several dozen to school for a mid morning snack during the week of standardized testing at my daughter's middle school last month.  I was happy to see an empty container return home.  My daughter reported that everyone "loved" the muffins and they were gone in an instant.  (Ok, so maybe starving teenagers aren't really the best judge of a great muffin.) These are really great muffins and it's definitely worth giving this recipe a try.  

Lemon Sugar Topped Blueberry Muffins
Lemon Sugar Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups grated lemon zest

Muffins
2 cups blueberries
1 1/8 cups + 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

​Stir together sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl for topping.

​Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to a simmer in a saucepan.  Cook, mashing berries with a spoon until broken down and reduced to 1/4 cup.  Cool to room temperature.

​Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

​Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs until thick.

​Slowly whisk in melted butter and oil.

Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla.

​

​Fold egg mixture into flour mixture.

​Fold in remaining blueberries.

​Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter into lined muffin tins.

​Spoon 1 teaspoon blueberry puree onto each muffin.

​Use a chopstick to swirl puree through batter.

​Sprinkle lemon sugar topping over each muffin.   Bake 19 minutes at 425.  

I made about 6 dozen of these muffins.  I sent 5 dozen to school and the remaining dozen didn't even make it to morning.  My family scarfed them up as a bedtime snack instead.

Ciao!

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