Magnolia Mae's Black Current Streusal Muffins

I love the fall! This weather makes me feel so alive and well and I'm a firm believe that good ole fresh air can really do a body good. Today I stumbled across a jar of  black current preserves that I picked up at Black Horse Farms in upstate New York. We we spending a weekend at my brother's house in New Baltimore when we stumbled across this farmer's market. The place had so many wonderful offering all fresh and organic. Of course being that it was the end of the summer they were well stocked up on preserves so I picked this one up. What a score!Not only was it fantastic on toast but it made a fantastic filled for the muffins below.

My office peeps had the luxury of gobbling these morsels up!

Black Current Streusel Muffins:
Software:

1 Jar of your Favorite Preserve or frozen berries
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest you can also use Orange I did =)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Hardware:
Cupcake Baking Tin 16-18 count
Cupcake Wax papers
Mixing bowls
Hand Mixer or a good whisk
Pastry Blender


The first thing you want to do is warm the house... I mean oven. You might as well warm the house too while you're at it. The nice thing about baking on a nice cold crisp Autumn day is that when you get your oven going the house warms up a few degrees and the air is intoxicating with flavor. Forget the Oxygen bar I'd be up for flavored air. That's a hell of a way to get amped.

Get your oven to about 359 degrees F for about a good 30 minutes as you prepare the ingredients. You're going to want the oven rack in the middle so it can get evenly heated from top to bottom.

Whip out your16-18 muffin tins, spray with non stick oil and place cupcake papers in them.

For the wet team mix together the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Remember in baking measuring is crucial so take care to top of each measuring cup before mixing it into the bowl.

Now onto the dry team. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl  then cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blend. It should start coming together like wet sand.

Set aside one cup of the mixture into a separate bowl to make the streusel topping. As for the remaining muffin batter, gently fold in the blueberries and Orange/Lemon zest. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture gently incorporate the increments do not whisk or mix too much as it will create a dry hard muffin.

Fill each muffin cup with the batter, using a tablespoon measuring spoon or a mini ice cream scooper.  Be sure not to spill the batter over the lining onto the tin.

Now with a spoon give each muffin a spoonful of the preserves or frozen berries. Be sure to try and place each spoonful into the center of each muffin.

Now onto the final  streusel topping: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over the reserved 1 one cup of streusel topping. Mix together with a fork until it is crumbly and looks like wet sand.

Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the streusel over the top of each muffin with your hands.

 Place in the oven and bake until very lightly blonde and firm,  a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, about 18 - 22 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy your muffins its a great way to make sure of the summer preserves you've got in the fridge.