Raspberry Crumble Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (see note below)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh raspberry
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup oatmeal, dry
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, cold

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. MUFFINS: Beat together the egg, milk, lemon zest and oil in a medium bowl.
3. Mix together in a separate bowl the baking powder, white sugar, 1.5 cups sifted flour and 1/2 t. salt. Stir into the wet ingredients just until the dry ingredients are moist, about 8 rotations. Add raspberries; stir about 2-3 more times.
4. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.
5. STREUSEL TOPPING: Stir together the remaining flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and oatmeal. Cut in with a pastry blender the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
6. Sprinkle topping over each muffin.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan immediately. Makes about 12.
8. NOTE: The key to making a truly tender muffin is in NOT overmixing your batter. Stir it as little as possible. It’s OK if the batter is somewhat unevenly mixed; it “corrects” itself in baking. Sifting the dry ingredients lends to the light texture, so don’t neglect this step, either. Use either a traditional sifter, or a mesh strainer to sift your ingredients.
9. Try a Microplane grater for your lemon zest, or a Messermeister zester/channel tool. I find these to be the easiest way to get fresh zest from citrus. Use only the colorful exterior of the lemon– the white peel part adds only bitterness.