Blueberry Buckle Muffins

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Chill 2

Servings standard muffins

200g or 1 cup fine granulated sugar
Zest of 2 lemons optional
113g or ½ cup butter unsalted and softened
¾ tsp fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs at room temperature (place them in a bowl of warm water before you start)
2 teaspoons baking powder
260g or 2 cups cake flour (can sub with all purpose flour but remove two tablespoons of it and add 2 tablespoons cornstarch)
30g or ¼ cup blanched almond flour optional, adds more heft to the muffin
80g or ⅓ cup kefir or buttermilk
1 ½- 2 cups fresh blueberries

Whisk together all the dry ingredients then add the butter and mix with your fingers until there’s no unmixed butter bits - it should be on the dry side but still able to clump when squeezed.. Squeeze parts of the mix into tablespoons sized clumps. Set the mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes while you make the batter, so the butter will firm up again.

In a large bowl, add the sugar and zest the lemons over it. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers. Add the butter, salt and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, for another 2 minutes, the mix should be very creamy and airy.
Add the baking powder and cake flour (and almond flour if using), and with the mixer on, pour in the buttermilk or kefir. When you have a smooth batter, toss in the blueberries and stir to just combine.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Using two 12 cup muffin tins, line every other muffin cup with a parchment liner (if you only have one pan, just clean and reuse it after the first batch).
Fill the muffin cups to the top and over the batter, generously add the chilled streusel to the top, sprinkling it all over the muffin in a mixture of small and bigger bits.
Bake the muffins for about 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out free of muffin batter (it might have blueberry goo - that’s ok) and the tops spring back when pressed.