Blueberry Muffins with Streusel

There is no better way to start the morning than with some homemade blueberry muffins. This recipe for filled cupcakes achieves the perfect balance between the sweetness of the batter, the slight tartness of the blueberries and a fluffy texture we get with buttermilk inside, and a golden crust on the outside. But what really makes them irresistible is the streusel, that crunchy topping and slightly caramelized that gives them a special touch. But if there's one thing that truly makes a difference when baking them, it's using a Lodge cast iron muffin pan.

Cast iron is unbeatable for baking: it retains heat like no other material and distributes it evenly, ensuring the batter rises better, bakes more uniformly and that the surface becomes golden with that irresistibly crispy edge. It's not the same to make muffins in an aluminum or silicone pan as in a cast iron one... and when you try them, you notice it.

Also, these muffins include streusel, a crunchy and slightly caramelized topping that makes them even more special.

Another secret of the recipe is buttermilk, which adds a deeper flavor and incredible juiciness. With all these little details, these muffins become a must-have, both for a special breakfast and as a treat at tea time.

So you know, preheat the oven, take out your cast iron pan and get ready to enjoy muffins that not only smell wonderful while baking, but are also delicious. Let's get baking! (I leave the video recipe with the step-by-step below).

Ingredients

For the muffin batter:

• 55 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100 g sugar, plus 10 g extra
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 120 g wheat flour*, plus 7.5 g extra
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 60 ml buttermilk (buttermilk)
• 1 cup blueberries, washed and dried

For the Streusel topping**:

• 30 g wheat flour
• 10 g sugar
• 15 g brown sugar
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 10 ml milk

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
2. Let's make the streusel: In a bowl, mix the first four ingredients with a fork until pea-sized crumbs form. Add the milk and stir well. Set aside.
3. Now for the muffin batter. In a separate bowl, using a whisk or a KitchenAid with the whisk attachment, beat the butter with the sugar until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until everything is combined.
5. In another bowl, sift the flour, salt and baking powder and mix well.
6. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter gradually, alternating them, until fully incorporated.
7. Toss the blueberries with the remaining flour and sugar and gently fold them into the batter, stirring just enough to distribute them.
   
8. Pour the batter into a muffin tin previously greased with butter and sprinkle the streusel on top.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and carefully unmold.
11. Allow them to finish cooling completely before serving.

Tips and tricks:

• *If you want lighter muffins, you can substitute plain flour for cake flour.
• *The streusel is very similar to the popular crumble, but they have small differences. Here we talk about streusel, which is a finer, sandier topping typical of muffins, cakes and pies, made with flour, sugar and butter, and sometimes nuts or cinnamon. In contrast, crumble usually has a coarser, more rustic texture with larger pieces, and is mainly used over baked fruit desserts, like the classic apple crumble. Also, crumble often includes oats or almonds to give it more body.
• If you like, you can place muffin papers in the cavities of the pan. The heat from the cast iron pan will bake the batter excellently anyway, but it is more convenient when removing them or saves you from cleaning the pan.
• You can find buttermilk in supermarkets, but you can also make it at home. Here I explain what it is, its benefits, how to prepare it and also how to substitute it.