Blueberry streusel muffins, and another "treat"

On Saturday, my mom and I had the pleasure of getting facials at Exhale Spa. I try to do this twice a year, but wish I could go more. I love this spa. It is the ultimate in relaxation. An ideal day would be a day at Exhale, including a yoga class in the a.m., followed by a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. A girl can dream, can't she?

My mom and I were both looking forward to this special treat for ourselves. I thought I'd start that morning off with another kind of treat... something sweet. I was itching to bake something, so I pulled out the cookbooks and browsed the breakfast recipes. I have two of Ina Garten's cookbooks (aka Barefoot Contessa), and I almost always turn to them first because 1) her recipes are "accessible" for the everyday cook (and mom), meaning they are quite simple to make and don't involve a ton of ingredients, 2) everything of hers that I've made has turned out delicious, and 3) I love her show. I'm a little obsessed with the Food Network, and I particularly enjoy watching Ina cook and entertain. I would love to cook in her East Hampton kitchen (with her, of course; not only is she an amazing cook, but she seems like the sweetest person too), and then relax and enjoy some delicious food and a glass of wine with her in that beautiful backyard. (Apparently it never rains there... the weather is picture perfect in every episode. My kind of place.)

In her cookbook Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavors from Simple Ingredients, I found a recipe for blueberry streusel muffins. I love that crumbly streusel topping, so I was sold. For the record, these are by no means healthy. But we all deserve a treat every now and then. And when you can make it yourself, it makes the experience and the food that much sweeter. I have a huge sweet tooth and love to bake... so this was just another excuse to try something new :) These muffins were very simple to make. Besides using the food processor to mix the streusel topping, everything else can be mixed in bowls (making cleanup pretty easy). I loved the flavor that the lemon zest added to them... it was not overpowering, but gave them an added dimension. They turned out amazing and I would absolutely make them again. My mom and husband agreed. I served them with Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, blueberries, sliced almonds, fresh OJ and coffee. It was the perfect treat to start the day.

Then we were off to the spa, and from there off to lunch. I have to give a big thanks to my husband who watched Little H while my mom and I were getting pampered. I'm already looking forward to going again (never soon enough!).
Blueberry Streusel Muffins (from Ina Garten's Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavors from Simple Ingredients)
(this original recipe makes 20 muffins, but I cut the recipe in the half and froze the leftovers)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemond zest
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (2 half-pints)

For the streusel topping:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
• Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and blend with your hands.
  
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, lemon zest and eggs.
• Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a fork, mixing just until blended. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Don't overmix!
• With a standard (2 1/4-inch) ice-cream scoop or large spoon, scoop the batter into the prepared cups, filling them almost full.
• For the topping, place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the butter is in very small pieces. Pour into a bowl and rub with your fingers until crumbly. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the streusel on top of each muffin.
• Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 muffins until golden brown.

Enjoy!