Do note that, in the South, these muffins would just as likely be served as a dinner bread as at a brunch or breakfast—just as Southerners think nothing of nibbling sugared nuts and sweet pastries with cocktails.
Makes 1 dozen muffins
FOR THE TOPPING
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 cup finely chopped nuts
FOR THE MUFFINS
- 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter, at room temperature
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup whole milk
- 11⁄2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with butter and set it aside.
- To prepare the topping, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir over low heat until it dissolves. Add the cinnamon and nuts, mix well, and set the topping aside.
- To make the muffins, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and continue beating until well blended. Alternately, stir in the flour mixture and milk, mixing well. Then, fold in the blueberries.
- Fill each cup of the prepared muffin pan two-thirds full with batter. Spoon a little streusel topping onto each muffin. Bake the muffins until they turn golden, typically around 20 minutes. Serve them hot or at room temperature.
