BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH ALMOND CRUMB TOPPING

Blueberry season was over too soon, again. But I was wishing for blueberry muffins. Frozen berries do not make the best muffins, but I decided to go ahead any way. I rinsed them with cold water and blotted them dry with paper towels, helping them not to bleed.

These muffins are tender, moist and full of blueberries. My fave yogurt,Stonyfield Farm, provided a lot of the moistness, and some grated apple did the rest. (The apple is undetectable in the finished muffin.) The almond crumb topping is a nice complement to the blueberry flavor, and all in all, this is a great muffin recipe for frozen berries that would be even better with fresh.

Be sure to check out my other blueberry muffin recipes. Just go to the category list on the right side of this blog. Go to Muffins -- Blueberry. You'll find 5 recipes in all, including two that are rated 10 out of 10. Or do it the easy way: just type in "blueberry muffins" in the search box in the upper left of this blog. All five recipes will come up. Blueberry Muffins with Almond Crumb Topping Source: Judy’s Kitchen Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS: Topping: 1/3 cup slivered almonds 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose) 1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional) 4 Tbsp. butter, melted Muffin: 2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh 1 cup grated raw apple (I used Ginger Gold, but any apple will do) 1 cup white whole wheat flour + 1 cup all purpose flour (or 2 cups all-purpose) 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/8 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. lemon or lime zest (optional) 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farm) 1 extra-large egg (or large) 6 Tbsp. butter, melted (or oil) Make topping: In work bowl of food processor, or mini-food processor, process the almonds and sugar till the almonds are finely ground. Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon and process again till combined. Add the butter and process till combined. Set aside. Heat the oven to 425F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. If berries are frozen, rinse them in a colander or sieve with cold water and let them drain; then blot them dry with paper towels, leaving them wrapped in the paper towels. Blot the apple in paper towels also. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest (if using). In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg and butter till well combined. Add the blueberries and apple to the dry ingredients, tossing till the fruit is well coated. Add all at once to the wet ingredients and stir lightly with a spoon or spatula till combined, being careful to not over mix. Fill muffin cups with about 1/4 cup of batter and spoon topping over each, pressing topping down slightly. Place pan in oven and immediately reduce heat to 350F. Bake 18-22 minutes or till muffins test done when a toothpick is inserted in center. Cool on wire racks. (Even if you are using frozen berries, you can still refreeze these.)