Heard of blueberry muffins w/cinnamon sugar?

[Canice]

I have been asked to make blueberry muffins with a cinnamon sugar topping but have never heard of that combination. The person requesting them mentioned running the muffin tops in butter and then cinnamon sugar, but I'm wondering if I can make my regular ol' bb muffin recipe and just sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top and bake? If I do that, do you think I should leave out the lemon zest from the batter? TIA!

[tbb113]

Google is my friend ;)

http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/ToDieForBlueberryMffins.asp

http://southernfood.about.com/od/blueberrymuffinsbreads/r/bln294.htm

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,184,150166-250195,00.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=blueberry+muffins+with+cinnamon+topping

[mbrogier]

I've had blueberry muffins that had a cinnamon streusel topping. I prefer my blueberry muffins plain.

[hAndyman]

I have been asked to make blueberry muffins with a cinnamon sugar topping but have never heard of that combination. The person requesting them mentioned running the muffin tops in butter and then cinnamon sugar, but I'm wondering if I can make my regular ol' bb muffin recipe and just sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top and bake? If I do that, do you think I should leave out the lemon zest from the batter? TIA!

I recently made a cinnamon streusal muffin recipe and was quite taken with the flavour combination - I'd never made blueberry muffins with cinnamon as I usually have lemon or orange in them.
I keep a sprinkle jar of cinnamon/sugar handy and often do just sprinkle on top of a muffin/loaf recipe for the added flavour boost it gives; brushing with butter beforehand will make it stick better but I never bother. I think you could easily just leave out the lemon from your favourite recipe and sprinkle cin/sugar on top before baking and that'd likely make your someone happy!

[biondetta]

Someone in a recent muffin thread posted a strawberry cinnamon muffin recipe that I made yesterday. It was delicious and it featured the cinnamon sugar topping. Once the batter is in the pan, just sprinkle the mixture over the top of each muffin and then bake. No butter needed and it comes out lovely.

I would probably leave out the lemon from the blueberry muffins, though, if you go this route. Although you never know.

[Canice]

Thanks everyone! I'll just skip the lemon and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top then - easy enough.

Now can anyone tell me approximately what the cinnamon/sugar ratio is?

[travelbug]

Here's a really good recipe from Cooks Illustrated. If you just want to use your own recipe, looks like they use 1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for the topping.

Cinnamon-Sugar-Dipped Blueberry Muffins
9/2001

This recipe does not require a standing mixer, but when making the batter, be sure to whisk vigorously in step 2, then fold carefully in step 3. There should be no large pockets of flour in the finished batter, but small occasional sprays may remain. Do not overmix the batter.

Makes 12 muffins
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sour cream (10 ounces)
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries , preferably wild
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk egg in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 steps, whisking just to combine.

3. Add frozen berries to dry ingredients and gently toss to combine. Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds (small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick). Do not overmix.

4. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright, and cool 5 minutes.

5. While muffins are cooling, mix sugar and ground cinnamon in small bowl and melt butter in small saucepan. After baked muffins have cooled five minutes, working one at a time, dip tops of muffins in melted butter and then cinnamon-sugar. Set muffins upright on wire rack; serve.

[gardenmom]

I sprinkle cinnamon sugar on non-lemon zest blueberry muffins often, right before baking, and it makes a crunchy topping if you bake to the medium brown stage (no butter needed, I concur.)

My ratio is kind of an eyeball, as I have a jar at the ready for kid's toast. I put about 1 tsp. in about 1/4c. of sugar. I have that Penzy's Vietnamese cinnamon, and it comes out too brown and spicey if I don't add a lot of sugar to cinnamon.

What a sweet friend to make a favorite treat the friend's way! Good Luck, they're addictive.

[biondetta]

The recipe I used said to use 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon and it made plenty for 12 muffins.

[Canice]

Thanks everyone, for all the great options and input!
Now to decide whether to make my recipe or the CI one. Any idea why they would specify frozen berries? I don't like using them as they bleed way too much.

[gobluem82]

I don't have problems when I use frozen blueberries as long as they are added to the batter when they are still frozen, folding is kept to a minimum (which you're supposed to do for muffins anyway), and they are baked right away.

[Shelly]

You could use the streusel topping from the Maple Raisin Bran muffins in the October issue of CL.....I made them this week and the recipe was missing either baking soda or baking powder so they were very dense, but they were actually very good despite being rather like hockey pucks! The topping was a mixture of oats, brown sugar (I used regular instead of dark brown), canola oil, a little flour and last but not least, cinnamon. It is pretty sweet, but very tasty!