I recently made it my mission to seek out the "best" blueberry muffin recipe. I don't think of myself as a stellar baker so much as a good recipe-picker-outer. Once I discover a winner, I just jump in and follow the directions. Believe you me, this particular recipe did not disappoint!

Let me tell you why these may be THE BEST blueberry muffins...

First of all, they're jazzed up with a lovely lemon-sugar topping. Mini bursts of lemon make me happy. Always.

Secondly, the blueberry goodness is two-fold so it packs a double punch; there's a combination of whole blueberries and a blueberry jam-like mixture swirled into each muffin.

And last but not least, they contain buttermilk which I've professed my love for before. But perhaps it bears repeating that I think buttermilk is the superhero of baked goods.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated, May 2009 // Makes 12 muffins

{~INGREDIENTS~}

• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
• 1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

• 1 1/3 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 cup + 2 Tbs + 1 tsp sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 Tbs unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

{~THE PROCESS~}

1. FOR THE TOPPING ~ Stir together the turbinado sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl; set aside.
2. FOR THE MUFFINS ~ Preheat the oven to 425 and adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position. Generously spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine 2/3 cup of blueberries with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing the blueberries often. Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup, 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Rinse the remaining 2/3 cup blueberries then drain and pat dry. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Toss the rinsed and dried blueberries into the flour mixture. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and remaining sugar until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the butter, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
4. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the wet ingredients into the flour-blueberry mixture, being careful not to over-mix. There should be lumps remaining and the batter should be just moistened. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, portion the batter into the muffin tins. Drop a scant teaspoon of the blueberry jam onto the top of each muffin, and use a toothpick to swirl into the batter. Sprinkle lemon-sugar over the top of each muffin.
5. Bake 17-19 minutes, rotating once, until the tops are golden and firm. Cool in the muffin tin 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack before serving.