Equipment
Ingredients
Almond Streusel Topping
- 40 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g granulated sugar
- 40 g sliced almonds
- 40 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 g fine sea salt
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 1 lemon, zested
Wet Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks, room temperature
- 180 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 115 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Double Strawberries
- 200 g fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
- 15 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g strawberry jam, stirred until smooth
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius or 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners.
Prepare the streusel topping in a small bowl. Combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, sliced almonds, and fine sea salt. Add the cold cubed butter and pinch the mixture together with your fingers until crumbly clumps form. Place in the refrigerator to stay cold.
In a small bowl, toss the diced fresh strawberries with the small amount of all-purpose flour until fully coated. This prevents the fruit from sinking during baking.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until highly fragrant. Whisk in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
In a medium mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the room temperature egg yolks, whole milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and completely homogenous.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, fold the mixture gently just until the dry streaks mostly disappear. Gently fold in the floured strawberries. Stop mixing while the batter still looks slightly lumpy.
Divide half of the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Spoon about one teaspoon of strawberry jam into the center of each cup. Top with the remaining batter to encase the jam, filling the cups to the top. Evenly sprinkle the chilled almond streusel over the muffins.
Bake the muffins at 220 degrees Celsius or 425 degrees Fahrenheit for exactly 5 minutes. This initial blast of high heat activates the leavening agents to create tall muffin domes.
Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 190 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue baking for an additional 13 to 15 minutes, or until the streusel is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffin portion rather than the jam center comes out clean.
Remove the muffin tin from the oven. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes to set their structure, then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool slightly before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Utilizing only egg yolks instead of whole eggs limits the protein network in the batter, resulting in an incredibly tender, cake-like crumb that melts in your mouth.
- The two-temperature baking method is a bakery secret. The initial high heat rapidly creates steam, pushing the muffin top upward to create a beautiful dome, while the lower finishing heat bakes the center evenly without burning the crust.
- Tossing fresh fruit in a small amount of flour gives the fruit grip, keeping the heavy strawberries suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom of the muffin liner.
- Rubbing the lemon zest directly into the sugar releases the essential oils from the citrus skin, permeating the entire batter with a bright, natural flavor that perfectly complements the strawberries.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag.
Reheating: Warm in a 150C or 300F oven for 5 to 8 minutes to crisp the streusel.
