To Die for Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry muffins bring back memories of my childhood. I remember how my sisters and I used to get up at 6 in the morning to get ready for school. After getting dressed, we'd go into the kitchen for breakfast. Some mornings we might eat cereal, other mornings it might be leftover cake or cookies. But, every now and then, I'd look on the table and my eyes would light up as I saw a plate of my favorite blueberry muffins warm from the oven. Granted, they were the Duncan Hines made from a mix kind of muffins, but that didn't matter to us. All we knew was that we had a mother who loved us so much that she would get up at 5:30 in the morning just to make them for us.

Now that I'm grown, I find that I'm able to return the favor and the love as I make blueberry muffins for my mother. The Duncan Hines box has been relegated to the pantry for emergencies only and instead I reach for a good recipe and stir them up from scratch. This time, I chose the To-Die-For Blueberry Muffins from the Allrecipes site. Believe me when I say that they really are "to die for." They are amazingly light and fluffy and full of flavor without being too sweet. The best part is that they're sprinkled with a slightly sweet streusel that turns into a crunchy, caramelized topping. One bite and my mother couldn't stop raving about them - "They're better than bakery muffins. They're the best muffins I ever ate. They're just so good." So, if you want to show someone you love them, make them these muffins.

(We couldn't keep our hands off of these.)

To Die For Blueberry Muffins (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 c. milk
1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen mini blueberries)

Streusel Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. butter or margarine, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 500F. Grease 24 mini muffin cups.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the oil, egg, and milk. Stir to combine. Fold in the blueberries. Fill each muffin cup with about 1 Tbsp. batter.

Combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the streusel topping. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles sand. Sprinkle the muffins with the streusel.

Bake at 500F for 5 min. After the 5 min. are up, immediately lower the temperature to 350F and continue baking for 7 min. more, or until muffins test done.

Makes about 24-27 mini muffins

Note: This recipe makes way more streusel than you'll need for the muffins. I'd suggest cutting the amounts in half.

This recipe is linked to:
Muffin Mondays
My Meatless Mondays
Just Another Meatless Monday
Mouthwatering Mondays
Midnight Maniac Meatless Monday
Sweet Indulgence Sunday
A Little Birdie Told Me
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tasty Tuesdays
Hearth and Soul Hop
So Sweet Sundays
Sweet Indulgences Sunday