These blueberry muffins come from my mother’s handwritten recipe collection and are made with an unusually generous amount of berries. A portion of the blueberries is mashed into the batter for deeper flavor throughout, while the rest are folded in whole with lemon zest. Once baked, the warm muffins are brushed with melted butter and finished with a crackle coating of sugar.
Sugar-Crackle Top Blueberry Muffins
A classic blueberry muffin with lemon zest and an unusually generous amount of berries. Some of the blueberries are mashed into the batter, while the rest are folded in whole, then the warm muffins are finished with melted butter and a sugar crackle topping.
Ingredients
Muffins
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- 2 cups fresh blueberries divided
- 1 –2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Finishing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with 3-inch paper baking cups.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and 1 cup sugar until light and well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until combined.
- Mash ½ cup of the blueberries and gently stir them into the batter.
- Toss the remaining 1½ cups blueberries with the lemon zest, then gently fold them into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared cups.
- Bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out without wet batter.
- While the muffins are still warm, brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle lightly with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
Notes
Blueberries: Mashing a portion of the berries distributes blueberry flavor throughout the muffin while leaving plenty of whole berries intact.
Lemon: The lemon zest should complement the blueberries rather than make these taste distinctly lemony. Use 1 teaspoon for a subtle flavor or up to 2 teaspoons for a more noticeable citrus note.
Muffin size: This recipe was tested using 3-inch paper baking cups and yielded 12 large muffins.
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