Best Blueberry Muffins w/ Crumb Topping

I have baked a lot of blueberry muffins ever since I became interested in baking back in 2000. I always liked them best when they just came out from the oven. They seemed to harden once they got cold. I didn't know how to bake muffins that would stay soft and moist until I came upon a recipe called "To Die For Blueberry Muffins" very recently. "To Die For" is a bit drastic, but the muffins I made with this recipe are the best blueberry muffins I have ever baked. Not only they smell awesome, they look equally impressive. The texture is somewhere between muffin and cupcake, and they stay soft and moist. I have baked them in both jumbo and mini sizes. The minis are perfect for potluck and parties. The jumbo ones are good for breakfast.

This particular recipe involves making a crumb topping for the muffins. It's a little more work, but the topping makes a huge difference. I followed the recipe pretty closely. I used evaporated milk and margarine (for the topping) only because I don't usually buy milk and happened to be almost out of butter. I bet they would be even better with butter! Also if you follow the recipe, you'll end up with a lot more crumb topping then needed. I made the crumb topping according to the recipe for 18 big muffins and ended up with enough crumb topping for 18 jumbo plus 24 mini muffins and more! I would cut the recipe in half for the crumb topping. Some fat conscience people will scrap off the topping, but don't worry, others will happily eat the topping that's been scrapped off.

Recipe for 8 large muffins or 24 mini muffins

Tip: I found there is too much crumb topping, so you may cut the last 4 ingredients in half if you don't want so much butter

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 3/4 cup white sugar * 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 1/3 cup vegetable oil

* 1 egg * 1/3 cup milk

* 1 cup fresh blueberries

* 1/2 cup white sugar

* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

* 1/4 cup butter, cubed

* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. 2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. 3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking. 4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.