7/24/10

The World's Best Fresh Blueberry Muffins






My baby (6'1") turned 14 today. When I asked what kind of cake he wanted, he asked for blueberry muffins. Since it was for his bd, I wanted to make something extra special.
I found this recipe on The Bitten Word. I've made dozens of blueberry muffins over the past 30 years. Same old , same old .
These are different. Here's what sets them apart: Home-made blueberry "jam" on top of the muffin. Seriously yummy. Top that with sugar and a heavy dose of fresh lemon zest. Fit for a birthday treat.
Happy bday Jake. Love, your Mother.




The World's Best Fresh Blueberry Muffins
Cooks Illustrated

printable recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

Lemon-Sugar Topping

1/3 cup sugar
2-3 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Muffins

2 cups (about 10 ounces) fresh blueberries, picked over
1 1/8 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 cups (12½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk *
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

*If buttermilk is unavailable, substitute 3/4 cup plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk.

FOR TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

FOR MUFFINS: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until combined, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not over mix.)

Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter. Using small spoon, gently swirl berry filling into batter. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Tips:
-I just mixed all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, then mixed the wet ingredients together, and folded the dry into the wet ingredients. Then folded in the blueberries.
-I was concerned that the mixture would overflow, but they baked up perfectly.
-Best when eaten warm or with in 12 hours of baking.
-This recipe makes 12 large beautifully shaped muffins.

19 comments:

  1. I am looking at your photos while drinking my morning coffee...oohh I need a muffin! BTW, we are building a home and I noticed your wood floor? What kind is it? (I like it very much)

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  2. Look how they just popped over the side, delicious

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  3. Those muffins look like they've been baked professionally! I wish I had one for tomorrow's breakfast!

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  4. I'm taking a trip to the blueberry farm this week, and these will be the first thing I make with them! They really do look like an exceptional muffin!

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  5. These for sure look good enough as dessert for me!

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  6. these look delicious! i want to bake them up right now :)

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  7. Si, These look like they could be sitting at the front of the case in a fancy upscale bakery. I would pay good money for these. They are beautiful.

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  8. Yum! They definitely look like the best!

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  9. These look amazing!
    can you tell me which issue of CI it is from? I may have it -- was it from an old one?

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  10. This is an America's Test Kitchen recipe. They made them this past weekend.

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  11. Hi,
    Just wanted you to know that I love your blog and I gave you a little gift. :)

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  12. Oh wow. I love the addition of jam. Yummy!

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  13. Isn't it amazing how using buttermilk makes such a difference in baking. I use it more than ever lately. Thanks.

    Plan B

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  14. I just wanted you to know that I made these and they are the best I've ever made or eaten! Thanks for sharing!!

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  15. thanks for all of your comments- it's great to hear feedback! The Hungry Artist asked what issue, I believe it was May/June 2009. Happy cooking!

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  16. yummmm! I agree, usually it's same ol' stuff, but these look fantastic

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  17. I made these tonight, and they are seriously the best blueberry muffins ever. My hubby and I agreed that we have never tasted a better muffin at any bakery or anywhere. They really look just like the picture, too, so you feel great passing them out because they're so pretty. The lemon sugar is a must.

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  18. i made these and took some to a friend, who later told me, "those were the world's best blueberry muffins!" guess the name is right on:) we absolutely loved them!!

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  19. I made these into bread and gave them to a neighbor. He proclaimed it was the best bread ever also. Good work.

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