Blueberry Streusel Muffins (egg free)

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This month's muffin stems from a need to use up some of the two huge Costco packages of blueberries I accidentally ended up with in my freezer.  I need more freezer space!  This recipe was adapted from one I saw on the blueberry council website.  Berries are some of the most healthful fruit options because of their antioxidant properties.  Take note that blueberries will measure differently based on size between little wild berries and large commercial berries.  It makes a bigger difference than you would think.  So I highly recommend going by weight for the blueberry measurement or make sure to use large commercial blueberries for the listed volume.


One interesting thing about anthocyanins, (the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory pigments that make berries red, purple and blue), is that they are pH sensitive. That is why the batter may be vividly purple, but depending on how long it sits and the amount of basic leavener, it will go from purple to blue, and even green after a while. (Did you know that red cabbage makes blue dye better than blueberries?  Blueberries tend to be a delicate navy dye that can turn muddy, while red cabbage yields a sky blue color.) Baking soda will change the color even further toward blue and green.

I actually love these little egg free recipes because they are super easy to divide into partial batches by weight. I made a second mini batch of just four muffins, which is perfect for us. And these are so lovely, tasting like blueberry pie and staying soft out on the counter for two days.

Blueberry Muffins
makes 9 muffins

160g (~2 cups*) frozen blueberries, rinsed and thawed
75g (⅓ cup) buttermilk
7g (½ tbsp) lemon juice
20g (1 tbsp) maple syrup
65g (⅓ cup) avocado oil
65g (⅓ cup) sugar
150g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
5 g (1¼ tsp) baking powder
⅛ tsp cardamom
3g (½ tsp) salt

Streusel Topping:
32g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour 
54g (¼ cup) brown sugar
28g (2 tbsp) salted butter

Combine the streusel ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingers or a fork until very crumbly with a mixture of fine crumbs and small, even clumps.  Set aside. 

Either in the microwave or in a saucepan, thaw the frozen blueberries until they are soft and jammy.  (About 60-90 seconds in the microwave, or 3-4 minutes on the stove over medium heat.  Let the blueberries cool for about 2-3 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Line a muffin tins with liners, dividing the cups to every other well so that there is a space between the muffins.  

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, cardamom, and sugar in a large bowl.  Combine the oil with the flour mixture, stirring until fully blended into fine crumbs.  Work with fingers if necessary to break up any larger crumbs.  

In a blender, combine the blueberries, milk, lemon juice, and maple syrup, and blend until smooth.  Add to the flour/butter mixture and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.  The batter should be somewhat thick and quite purple!


Fill muffin cups ⅔ full.  Top generously with the streusel mixture.

Bake at 425°F for 18-20 minutes, until fully baked through and the streusel is golden brown on the edges (200-210º internal).  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Muffins will keep well for a couple days uncovered, or loosely covered at room temperature.

Mini batch FTW!


*weight is more important than volume here.  Two cups of small, wild blueberries will weigh nearly 100g more than large commercial blueberries because there is volumetrically more blueberry and less spaces, compared to larger blueberries in the same cup.  This will cause the recipe to fail.  Ask me how I know.  Small blueberries should be closer to 1½ cups, but weight is best.

Here are some more muffins for your Monday:


 

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