Best Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• Lemon-Sugar Topping:
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• Muffins:
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 1/8 cups plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• Streusel Topping (optional alternative to Lemon-Sugar Topping):
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. For the lemon-sugar topping: stir together the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Bring 1 cup of the blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook, mashing the berries with a spoon several times and stirring frequently, until the berries have broken down and the mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
5. Whisk the remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick and homogenous. Slowly whisk in the melted butter and oil until combined.
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture and the remaining cup of blueberries into the flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with a few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)
7. Divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups, completely filling and mounding slightly. Spoon a teaspoon of the cooked berry mixture into the center of each mound and swirl into the batter. Sprinkle the lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.
8. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17-19 minutes, rotating the tin from front to back halfway through baking.
9. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool 5 more minutes before serving.
10. For the streusel topping variation: combine the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and the flour in a small bowl. Drizzle in the melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and the mixture forms large chunks with some pea-sized pieces. Proceed with the recipe, sprinkling the streusel topping over the muffins before baking instead of the lemon-sugar topping.