I don’t know how or why I started dreaming about blueberry muffins, but I did. Call it a COVID-19 craving. Call it a Tuesday.
I’ve baked blueberry muffins in the past, and to be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan.
This recipe changed my mind.
It’s based on the blueberry muffins famously served at the now-defunct, Boston-based Jordan Marsh department store. Sadly, I don’t have any personal experience with the real thing.
I made some changes, as I normally do for recipes. I did not mash any blueberries. Instead, I used frozen berries that I rinsed and drained. I added lemon zest to the batter (though I found the flavor too subtle once baked). And instead of topping the muffins with granulated sugar, I used sparkling white sugar. This created a delicious, crispy crust to the muffin top—a change I’d gladly repeat.
The muffin itself is delightfully fluffy, almost cake-like in texture, and I enjoyed each burst of blueberry more than I anticipated. Thank you, King Arthur Flour, for this winning recipe!
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups blueberries
- Sparkling sugar for topping
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line and spray two muffin tins (plus two to three extra liners).
Beat butter and sugar until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl and beating well after each addition.
Add baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix well.
Add the flour alternately with the milk, beating gently just to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add blueberries, stir until just combined.
Scoop generous amounts of batter into the muffin tins. Sprinkle sparking sugar on top of each muffin.
Bake for 30 minutes, until light golden brown and tester comes out clean.
Notes
I tried this recipe using ¾ cup of sugar instead of a full cup. The muffin was definitely not sweet enough on its own, but tasted amazing with honey butter.
Using less sugar also led to a flatter muffin top. A full cup of sugar adds structure to the batter and creates a “prettier” muffin.