Happy last week of February, friends! As I type this post, I'm watching snow flying outside my window. AGAIN. I think this winter calls from some TLC, don't you? These blueberry muffins with a crunchy pecan topping fits that prescription perfectly! You may even have everything you need to make these in your frig, pantry and freezer right now.
I recently came across a recipe for a blueberry cake in Food 52's Genius Desserts cookbook. I decided to convert the recipe into jumbo muffins. I love how easy muffins are to freeze and take one out at a time to enjoy. Both my husband and I really enjoy these as a treat at breakfast or with tea or milk in the afternoon. The little bit of cornmeal gives them a wonderful texture and color. I added a simple streusel topping made without butter for a bit of delicious crunch.
If you're using frozen blueberries, it's a good idea to rinse them well under cold, running water and then pat them dry before adding them to the batter.
If you're as winter-wearing as we are, I hope this video of my 3-year-old grandson brings a smile to your face. He loves playing the keyboard at Nana and Papa's house ♥ Priceless!
Blueberry Pecan Muffins
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon grated orange zest (use organic, if possible)
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Simple Streusel:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F .
Line muffin pan with paper liners or use jumbo muffin cups that don't need a muffin pan. I found mine here.
For the streusel, mix together the brown sugar and chopped pecans until blended together and set aside.
Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until well incorporated. Don't worry if it looks a little curdled. Add the flour mixture and mix just until the flour is incorporated. Fold in the blueberries just until combined.
Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and top with a generous amount of streusel on the top of each muffin.
Bake muffins until golden and nuts are browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This will take about 20-25 minutes for standard-sized muffins and 30-35 minutes for large muffins. Oven temperatures vary so check often toward the end of baking.
Adapted from Genius Desserts
