Earl Grey Blueberry Muffins
(from Half Baked Harvest cookbook)
I did not own a muffin tin until three days ago. There are lots of ways in which our little kitchen is lacking (lots of ways that it is charming and wonderful, too!) but I did not realize how deeply we were missing out until I stumbled upon this recipe for Earl Grey Blueberry Muffins and promptly remembered that I do not own a muffin tin. So, I remedied that right quick and got busy making muffins, only to remember I hadn’t bought muffin cup liners. So, I remedied that by cutting little squares of parchment paper to use as liners, which worked surprisingly well. So, here we are, against all odds, with muffins.
This recipe is from the wonderful cookbook Half Baked Harvest, given to me by my mother-in-law, that is making its way to my heart. I’ve been cooking out of it exclusively all week long and it has not failed me yet. From homemade BBQ sauce to apple cider pork chops to these delicious muffins, each of the recipes has a unique twist and an effort in healthiness!
So, now onto the muffins. If you’d like to try your hand at making these delightful muffins, here’s…
What You’ll Need
1 cup milk
3 Earl Grey tea bags
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey (I used maple syrup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 plain yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 egg yolks
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped.
What You’ll Do
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the wells of two muffin tins with paper liners.
In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat. Do not let it boil! Add the tea bags and steep for 15 minutes, then discard tea bags.
In a large bowl, combine oil, honey, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, the yogurt, vanilla, egg and egg yolks. Stir it all together until pale in color. Add the steeped milk and stir. Add 3 cups of flour, the baking powder, and the salt and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not overmix, unless you want blue batter! Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about three-quarters of the way full.
To make the cinnamon streusel,
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, the butter, cinnamon, and nuts. Mix together with your hands until crumbly and mixed. Sprinkle streusel topping over the batter, dividing it evenly.
Bake for 15–20 minutes.
The Earl Grey tea is a subtle but special addition and the muffins are not overly sweet, so they work perfectly as a quick breakfast.
Beginning the day with a warm muffin and a hot cup of coffee is setting yourself up for goodness, as far as I’m concerned.
Until next time,
Elle
