Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (225 g) Fresh Strawberries, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour (for fruit coating)
- 1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar (for fruit coating)
- 2 cups (240 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup (150 g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) Buttermilk, full-fat and cold
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick/113 g) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar (for topping)
- 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest (for topping)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line the 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease thoroughly.
- Stabilize the Strawberries: In a small bowl, combine the chopped strawberries with the 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Gently toss until the fruit pieces are evenly coated. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the cold buttermilk, cooled melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Mix the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold the ingredients together just until streaks of flour remain. Do not over-mix, as this results in tough muffins.
- Fold and Scoop: Gently fold the stabilized strawberries into the batter, mixing only 2–3 folds to distribute them evenly. Prepare Topping: In a very small bowl, mix the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the lemon zest. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
- Sprinkle the lemon crunch topping generously over the surface of each mound of batter.
- Bake in two stages: Place the Strawberry Muffins in the preheated 220°C / 425°F oven and bake for exactly 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 175°C / 350°F (without opening the door) and continue baking for an additional 15–17 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.