Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Double Lemony Blueberry Muffins

Category: cupcakes, cakes and muffins

Serves/Makes: 30 mini muffins
Difficulty: 2
Prep/Cook Time: 28 minutes

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Spray metal mini cupcake pans with vegetable spray.

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Sorrento Lemon Olive Oil*
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 pint blueberries
1 cup prepared lemon curd

Directions

In a small container put the sugar and zest of the lemon. With the back of a spoon rub the lemon zest and sugar together until all the sugar is soaked with the oil from the zest. Dump into large mixing bowl.

In the large mixing bowl whisk together the lemon sugar, buttermilk, lemon olive oil, lemon juice, eggs and vanilla until well blended.

Add flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir together until well blended but do not over mix.

Lightly squish blueberries to release a little of the juice and add to mixture. Fold in gently so you don't turn the yellow mixture blue.

With a 1 ounce ice cream scoop, scoop batter into muffin tins almost to the top. Bake for 12 minutes turning pan half way through. Using a toothpick, test to make sure it comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 3 minutes and turn out onto cooling rack. While cooling to room temperature, take lemon curd and put it in a pastry or frosting bag. Use the tip that you would normally use for writing. Gently poke the tip into the side of each muffin and squeeze gently to fill about a dime size amount of lemon curd into the middle of the muffin. Store in a airtight container. May be frozen if desired.

*Sorrento Olive Oil is available at The Olive Tap in Long Grove, IL. You will be absolutely amazed at what this oil does for your muffins.

Cooks Notes: I know you're thinking, "Olive Oil in my muffins?" This isn't like using the EVOO that is kinda green and heavy. The Sorrento Lemons from Italy that are used to make this have such an intense lemon flavor and the olive oil is very "light". The moisture factor is also over the top.