Sep 2011

Blueberry Muffins

I’ve never been a real superstitious person. I’ll walk under ladders, open umbrellas inside the house, and won’t go out of my way to avoid a cute black kitty crossing in my path. If there’s one thing I am superstitious about…it’s blueberry muffins.

My dad flies quite frequently for work, and since he usually takes a 6:00 am flight, he always get a blueberry muffin before he takes off. After dozens and dozens of pre-flight blueberry muffins, he has himself convinced that they are good luck for a safe flight. Therefore, every time I fly, I get a friendly reminder text from my dad to grab blueberry muffin before I take off. Even if my flight is in the afternoon, I’ve been known to scour the airport to find a muffin…just for my dad.

As we near the end of berry season, I am sucking in every opportunity to use fresh berries. These muffins are soft, moist and delicious. They have the perfect amount of blueberries in them, and adding a sprinkle of sugar on top gives them a nice crunch. Plus, since they have fruit in them, it automatically makes these muffins healthy, right?

Blueberry Muffins
Yields: 12-14 muffins

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups blueberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins, and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla; mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low; alternate adding reserved flour mixture and milk to mixer, beginning and ending with flour. Remove bowl from mixer; gently fold in berries by hand. Divide batter among muffin tins; sprinkle generously with sugar.

Bake until light golden brown, about 25-30  minutes. Remove from pan; transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely.

*Freezer Friendly Tip* – Freeze muffins in a ziplock bag, and allow to come to room temperature overnight before eating.

Source: Martha Stewart