Lemon Muffins with Blueberries

Circle B Kitchen

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T baking powder

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

½ tsp salt

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 ¼ cups sour cream or yogurt

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I prefer fresh)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in medium bowl until combined.

Whisk egg in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream or yogurt in 2 steps, whisking just to combine.

Add blueberries to dry ingredients and gently toss to combine. Add sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed. Do not overmix - O.K. to have small spots of flour or thick batter.

Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 or 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time.

Remove muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before applying the glaze.

Lemon Glaze

Bring ¼ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 4 T (this should take about 5-6 minutes).

Lemon Sugar Topping

While muffins are baking, mix 1 tsp grated lemon zest and ½ cup sugar in small bowl and set aside.

After muffins have cooled 5 minutes, brush tops with glaze, then, working one at a time, dip tops of muffins in lemon-sugar. Set muffins upright on wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature.