Friday, February 27, 2009

Blueberry Muffins

The Darling Baker Beach party made me think of Blueberry Muffins. Whenever we go away to the shore in the summer I always bake up a batch of my favorite blueberry muffins before leave, so we can have some the first morning we are there. They are great with fresh summer Jersey blueberries and also wonderful with frozen ones all year long. After trying many recipes...this one remains our very favorite. When I recently made this batch,I sprinkled some Demerera sugar over top before baking...we liked the little crunch it gave the muffins. Normally I leave them alone and use nothing on top. I do like to use muffin papers for these, but you do not have to.


Blueberry Muffins
America's Test Kitchen
Makes 12 muffins

When making the batter, be sure to whisk vigorously in step 2, then fold carefully in step 3. There should not be large pockets of flour in the finished batter, but small occasional sprays may remain.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) sour cream
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, preferably wild

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. (I use paper liners)

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk egg in second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.

3. Add frozen berries to dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds. (Small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick. Do not overmix.)

4. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick or skewer inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Invert muffins onto wire rack, stand muffins upright, and cool 5 minutes. Serve as is or use one of the toppings below.

Variations:
Cinnamon Sugar–Dipped Blueberry Muffins
While muffins are cooling, mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small bowl and melt 4 tablespoons butter in small saucepan. After baked muffins have cooled 5 minutes, and working one at a time, dip top of each muffin in melted butter and then cinnamon sugar. Set muffins upright on wire rack; serve.

Ginger- or Lemon-Glazed Blueberry Muffins
While muffins are baking, mix 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or grated lemon zest and 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl. Bring 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 4 tablespoons. After baked muffins have cooled 5 minutes, brush tops with glaze, then, working one at a time, dip tops of muffins in lemon sugar or ginger sugar. Set muffins upright on wire rack; serve.


7 comments:

  1. Did I ever mention I love the name of your Blog? How did you come up w/ it?

    And the muffins looks delish!Even unbaked!

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  2. Hey...another Jersey Girl!! Nice to meet you...happy to see someone who can relate to our dear Garden State....And I knew you were from Jersey when I saw the rice pudding....Have you ever driven down at 3 in the morning to the OB diner in Pt. Pleasant just for the rice pudding......Sue. the original "Joisey" girl...

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  3. Monique...the name of my blog is the name of a book by my favorite food writer...M.F.K.Fisher...the book is called..."How to cook a wolf"...she was a great woman of her time. She lived in France and in Northern California and was a great woman who loved....loved men and loved food and not always in that order.

    Sue , it is nice to meet you too...I left the States to live in Europe when I was 18...and came back a few times here and there, went to India and Nepal and then lived in Germany for 6 years....then went to live in San Francisco for almost 15 years...I am a different brand of Jersey girl than most...my rice pudding influences come more from Greece than Jersey diners...but then they can be Greek as well, right?...thanks so much for stopping by!
    :*

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  4. oh these are going on my to do list for sunday! i love your variations too, do i make them 3 times then?!

    we need to do a darling meet and greet on sunday, there is so much to learn about everyone and i can see you have had a very interesting life! i look forward to hearing scads more!

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  5. I'm making these this weekend, too. Great looking muffins, Linda!

    Yes - I've heard snippets about your life, Linda. I'd love to hear it all sometime!

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  6. Linda what a life you have lived!! I must look into MK Fisher..I feel uneducated..but I have never read her.
    I will look into her books.
    I would love to see the itinerary of your life also:) I truly would.

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  7. Linda, I would have loved one of your muffins with my coffee this morning. Would have been the perfect breakfast.

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