Bakery-Style Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients you’ll need:

• All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing all your ingredients using a kitchen scale for accurate recipe results. If you’re using cups, don’t scoop your cup into the flour. Spoon the flour into your cup and level it off with the back of a knife.
• Leaveners: To ensure that these muffins rise to form high-domed tops and brown evenly, you will need to add both baking powder and baking soda.
• Butter: It is very important to have your butter at room temperature. You can ensure this by lightly pressing your finger on the block of butter. It should slightly leave an imprint. I also prefer to use unsalted butter because salted butters have varying amounts of salt content in them and it is always a good idea to add it on your own and avoid your bakes from being too salty.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar acts as a binding agent to your muffins along with adding sweetness. You will also need some additionally to sprinkle on top of your muffins.
• Egg: Use a large egg and bring it to room temperature before mixing in. Eggs strengthen the binding of your muffins and also add moisture. Having your eggs at room temperature makes it easier to incorporate them and allow them to mix thoroughly in your muffin batter. A good way of doing this is by letting them sit in a bowl filled with room temperature water for around 10 minutes or until they come down to room temperature.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is more acidic and has a higher fat content than whole milk too. Both of these things help it cut through the sweetness of the muffins, giving them a better flavor overall. It also helps to add moisture to your bakes.
• Vanilla: You must use a high quality pure vanilla extract in your recipes. This helps to add a rich flavor to your baked goods. Pure vanilla extracts are typically dark brown in color. This enhances the flavor of all ingredients and you should never leave this out.
• Lemon juice: In my experience, homemade lemon juice gives an incredibly better flavor than store bought lemon juice. I highly recommend that you put in those few extra minutes and use homemade lemon juice for a rich, preservatives-free flavor.
• Lemon zest: Citrus zests are known to add a lot more flavor and fragrance to your bakes. You must not leave them out.
• Blueberries: You will need to add fresh blueberries to the muffin batter and even top the unbaked muffins with a few more, if desired.

FAQ

How to get perfectly tall & domed shaped muffins?High domed muffin tops are always preferred over flat tops. To get that high top, bake the muffins at 425ºF (232ºC) for 5 minutes and then turn the oven down to a lower heat, that is 375ºF (177ºC) for another 15 minutes. The initial 5 minutes of baking at a higher temperature will push the muffins to rise upwards more rapidly rather than spreading sideways, thus creating that high domed top. The temperature is then lowered for an additional 15 minutes to help the muffins bake all the way through.

Can I make these muffins ahead of time?Yes, you can make the muffin batter and freeze it for upto 3 months. Let it that overnight in the refrigerator before you bake it and bring it to room temperature. I also do not recommend freezing baked streusel muffins as the streusel top will become soggy and not taste as delicious. These muffins are best consumed within a few days.

Can I scale this recipe?Even though this is a small batch recipe and yields only 6 large muffins, you can always scale it according to your needs. The baking time stays same as long as you double it. However, if scaling otherwise, make sure to keep an eye on them and keep checking for doneness. They’re done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Other Spring Recipes you’ll love:

• Mini Blueberry Chantilly Cheesecake Tarts
• Chocolate Orange Madeleines
• Cherry Swirl Oreo Crust Cheesecake Bars

Some other tips to make this recipe:

• Make sure to store these muffins with a paper towel or some saltine crackers. This helps the muffin tops not become soggy and retain those crunchy exteriors. Incase they still become soggy, you can put them in the oven or air fryer until warm about 5 minutes. It is known to make them better.
• If you’re in a pinch and don’t have buttermilk in hand, I have a DIY substitute for you. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in half cup. You can double or half this as required. Fill that cup with whole milk to the top. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes. That’s it, your buttermilk is ready. Your muffins may not turn out marvellous, but they will still be delicious!
• I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and a kitchen scale. Baking at accurate temperatures and weighing your ingredients correctly ensure that you can replicate the recipes perfectly and enjoy the best flavors.

Happy Baking!