[Photograph: Carrie Vasios]

The first person to put crumb topping on muffins was a genius. More isn't always more, but I can think of very few times when an extra layer of butter rubbed with brown sugar and cinnamon wouldn't be a good idea. In fact, after eating crumb-topped muffins I often look at plain muffins and think sadly, "What a shame. You're all so... bald."

To compensate for the extra butter and sugar up top, these muffins have a light, fluffy crumb and are jam-packed with fruit. An entire twelve ounces of blackberries are barely contained within these muffins' moist shells. Blackberries create larger pockets of fruit than say, blueberries, and blackberry season is so short and sweet that there seems no reason not to gorge while they're around.

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Blackberry Crumb Muffins »