Florida Watermelon Muffins with Thyme and Sugar Crystal Crumble

Ingredients

Preparation

Florida Sugar Crystal Crumble

In a small bowl, add sugar crystals, freeze-dried strawberries, fresh thyme, light brown sugar and melted butter. Stir ingredients together using a fork, until combined. Add the flour and crushed freeze-dried strawberries. Lightly stir ingredients using the fork, without over-mixing. The goal is to have different-sized crumbs for the topping. Set the crumble aside for later.

Florida Watermelon Muffins with Thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Assemble a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix dry ingredients using a whisk. Set aside. Add the softened butter, Florida sugar and light brown sugar to a large mixing bowl or kitchen stand mixer bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar mixture over medium-high speed, until ingredients are creamy and smooth. This process should take about 3 minutes. With the mixing machine off, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the mixture from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Add the Greek yogurt, 2 cracked eggs and natural vanilla extract to the mixture. Blend ingredients on medium speed, then increase speed until the mixture is fully combined. With the mixing machine off, use a rubber spatula to scrape down the mixture from the sides as needed.

Add the dry ingredients (baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour mixture) to the wet ingredients on low speed, until just combined. Add the Florida milk and beat at low speed, until fully combined. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer, or set aside the hand mixer. Add the Florida watermelon, chopped thyme, toasted coconut and crushed freeze-dried strawberries to the muffin batter mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients evenly into the muffin batter.

Use a spoon to evenly add the same amount of batter to each of the liners inside the muffin tin. Spoon even amounts of the crumble topping on top of each batter-filled cupcake liner. Lightly press in the crumble topping on top of each muffin so they stick through the baking process. Bake the Florida watermelon muffins at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the cooked Florida watermelon muffins from the oven and let them cool. Serve warm with Florida honey, or store covered in the refrigerator.