Great Blueberry Muffins

Every year when blueberries come into season there are contests for the best blueberry muffins.  In a way it’s sad that we only seem to think about them when blueberries are being picked.  Blueberry muffins are a wonderful treat and should be enjoyed year round.  The tartness of the berries mixes well with the sweetness of the muffin, creating a perfect taste explosion.  You are baking a real treat with these muffins.

This recipe started as in a department store, then went to an upscale hotel and was finally made public by the New York Times in 1987.  They don’t really need any additions but I like to drizzle a basic vanilla glaze on my muffins.  It’s that sweet tooth run amok that makes me do it, I need to try every dessert.

Muffins Ingredients

• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups blueberries, washed, drained and picked over
• 3 teaspoons sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cream the butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
4. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
5. Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries.
6. Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
7. Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day, if they last that long.

Blueberries can usually be found year round at most grocery stores.  Sometimes in late winter the supply is less than ideal and you will need to be sure to pick out shriveled and dried out berries.  As we all know, blueberries stain.  This means if you have blueberry juice in the batter it will make the batter stain.  Be sure to gently but thoroughly pat dry the berries before you add them to the batter.  The recipe calls for crushing 1/2 cup before adding to the batter but you still want to be careful about the amount of juice added.