Raspberry Lemon Streusel Muffins

I bought some lovely raspberries at the Farmers Market Saturday.  Time got away from me and I didn't do anything with them over the weekend. Raspberries don't last long and I didn't want to waste them. My Hubbers is on a biking trip in Washington so I knew I wasn't going to make a dessert with them. I am the only one home to eat it! I briefly thought about making jam but it was already late and I was feeling lazy. I decided to make some muffins.  I shared some with a few neighbors and took the rest to the office. Easy solution!

I love anything with raspberries in it and these muffins didn't disappoint.  The star of the recipe, in my opinion, is the lemon streusel topping.  With each bite you get a burst of lemon, so yummy!  The recipe makes more streusel than needed.  I store the excess in a freezer Ziploc bag.  I love being able to grab a little streusel from the freezer to top a pound cake or lemon loaf.!



Raspberry Lemon Streusel Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Streusel Topping
1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
8 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners or spray with baking spray.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, or two knives, cut the butter until the size of small peas.  The mixture should be crumbly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl, mix eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix just until incorporated.  Do not overmix.

Fill muffin liners 1/2 full with batter. Top with raspberries (3-5, depending on the size of the berries).  Top with streusel, enough to cover top of muffin.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack.

These are best served warm. Store in an airtight container if there are leftovers.  They can be reheated in the microwave.