Easy Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

This has become my go-to recipe for blueberry muffins; they are light, cake-y and the streusel crunch adds just the right amount of sweetness in every bite.  You can't eat just one!  And if you're K, you will eat seven in two days.  [Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens 75th Anniversary cookbook]

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg 
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

For the Streusel Topping:

• 2 tbsp cold, cubed butter
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper or foil muffin liners.  Start by combining the lemon juice into the milk; this is the common trick for making a substitute for buttermilk (and it does make a difference for baked goods!).  Then, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.  In another medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg with the sugar until frothy, then whisk in the milk and oil.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a large spoon, just until incorporated.  Then carefully fold in the blueberries.  For the streusel, cut the butter into the flour, sugar and spice mixture until the topping resembles coarse crumbs.  You can do this either with a mini food processor or with patience and a fork :-)  If using nuts in the topping, stir those in last.  
Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way with batter and then sprinkle with a few teaspoons of the streusel topping.  This is what mine looked like before baking (this batch was without pecans in the streusel):

Bake these at 400 degrees for 14 - 18 minutes; the cook time will depend on how powerful your oven is as well as how dark/heavy your muffin tin is.  Enjoy!  Go the extra mile this weekend and make them for breakfast.