Strawberry sweetheart streusel muffins

Moist and fluffy with a nice crunch from the streusel topping, these muffins are first-rate. 

It's been the summer of muffins here at the Monitor! A few weeks ago we announced the winner of our muffin mix-off contest. A delicious apple cinnamon muffin took home first prize, but these strawberry sweetheart streusel muffins submitted by food blogger Sue Lau from Washington Township, Ohio, were such a close second, we thought we should share them.

Baked goods with strawberries can sometimes turn out too wet. But in these muffins the strawberries held up well and the muffins were moist, but not mushy in the least. The streusel-nut topping was a great addition, adding a nice crunch to every bite. Ms. Lau's recipe for strawberry butter puts these muffins in the "special weekend breakfast" category. But without the butter and baked the night before, these could easily work as an early morning, grab-and-go breakfast.

With summer winding down, strawberries will only be at markets for a few more weeks. So try these muffins out soon!

Muffins

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh strawberries (or 1 cup blueberries, rinsed and drained)

2 tablespoons flour

Streusel topping

1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup quick oats

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Strawberry butter (optional)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of 18 cup muffin tin/s.

2. Mix together ingredients for streusel and set aside.

3. Mix together for the muffins the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Separately, mix together the milk, melted butter, beaten eggs and vanilla.

4. Gently mix the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Fold in lightly floured chopped strawberries. Pour mixture into prepared muffin tins and top with streusel mixture.

5. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool for 10 minutes before trying to remove them from the pan (or they will stick). Finish cooling muffins on a wire rack.

6. To make strawberry butter, mix together thoroughly the soft butter and powdered sugar. Fold in the strawberries and toasted pecans. Chill until needed and soften before serving on split muffins.