Blueberry Muffins

Besides maybe vanilla cake, I think the recipe I’ve made most often through the years is blueberry muffins. When I worked at a five star hotel in DC the item we ran through - even more than cheesecake - were these blueberry muffins. Buckets and buckets of batter each week for in-room dining, brunch service, waiters and cooks needing a snack. So luckily when my toddler suddenly developed an obsession with The Muffin Man, I could tell her I knew him. Very well.

This batter is a “mother muffin batter”, meaning you can branch off of it to make many different flavors. I’ve used it most often for blueberry muffins, but you could mix in cranberries, cinnamon-sugar, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts to name a few. Aside from muffins, you could also bake it into a loaf. It’s the best recipe I’ve come across that results in a perfectly domed muffin top with a tender, almost creamy, crumb. I strongly believe that all muffnis should be eaten warmed with extra butter.

When making the batter at home, I typically make it the night before I want to bake muffins and let it sit in the fridge, covered, overnight. It makes the batter easier to scoop into the tins and also gives you a “first rise” out of the baking powder which gives you a prettier muffin. This isn’t a 100% necessary step though and I’ve baked it right away with good results too. I wait to add the fruit or mix-ins until I’m portioning the batter into muffins. This might be more out of habit from how we used to do it at the hotel, but that way you can also make sure enough blueberries get into each muffin. Make sure to add a few to the tops along with sanding sugar (sugar in the raw or any coarse sugar) so you get a pretty blueberry finish!

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Blueberry Muffins

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 20 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 35 M

Ingredients

• 1 1/4c Sugar (225g)
• 3/4c Softened Butter (150g)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/3c Milk (300g)
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 1 tsp Salt (5g)
• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Baking powder (32g)
• 3 1/4c All-Purpose Flour (375g)

Instructions

1. Cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix on slow speed until fully absorbed.
2. Add the vanilla.
3. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add all at once to the butter/egg mixture.
4. While mixing on slow, pour the milk in slowly until the batter comes together. Continue mixing for up to a minute more to smooth out any lumps, but do not overmix.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
6. Sprinkle batter with blueberries or fruit of choice before portioning. Scoop into paper lined muffin tins using two spoons or an ice cream scoop.
7. Bake at 350*F until the tops are domed and golden brown; Standard sized muffins take between 20-25 minutes and mini muffins take 15-20.