BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

When you think of Maine, your first thought might be lobster, and who can blame you. Perhaps, however, your mind may have leapt to wild blueberries? These delicious little gems are an integral part of Maine’s culinary and cultural identity. Wild blueberries are one of North America’s three native fruits and are only commercially harvested in the pine tree state during late summer. With 38 thousand acres of wild blueberry fields, Maine boasts thousands of varieties of these naturally delicious plants. With so many opportunities to grab a fistful, I’m reminded of a story, compliments of my very funny mother-in-law where she reminisces her summer camp days in Maine. Given the chance to play tennis – which was more of an assignment than her desire – Glammie would intentionally hit the ball over of the fence so she could sneak away to pick blueberries instead of returning serves. After spending some of our own family time in Maine this summer, it seems only fitting that blueberries should be included my seasonal baking. I mean, who doesn’t love a great blueberry muffin!?!?

Recipe

Yields:
12 muffins

Prep time:
20 minutes

Cook time:
18-22 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Blueberry Muffins:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 cups (1 pint) fresh blueberries, washed, drained, and picked over

For the Streusel Topping:

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Equipment:

  • Large mixing bowl

  • Medium mixing bowl

  • Whisk

  • Sifter (optional, but recommended for lighter muffins)

  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon

  • Muffin tin (12-cup capacity)

  • Cupcake liners

  • Pastry cutter or fork

Instructions:

Get Started:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

  2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Prepare the Dry Ingredients:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set this bowl aside.

Prepare the Wet Ingredients:

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the 2 eggs until they are smooth.

  2. Add the ½ cup of melted butter, ½ cup of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the eggs. Whisk until all the wet ingredients are well combined.

Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:

  1. Pour the wet egg mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients.

  2. Stir gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. The batter will be lumpy, and that's perfectly fine – avoid overmixing.

Fold in the Blueberries:

  1. Gently fold in the 2 cups of fresh blueberries into the batter until they are evenly distributed.

Make the Streusel Topping:

  1. In the same medium bowl you used for the wet ingredients (no need to wash it!), combine the ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt.

  2. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut in the 2 tablespoons of cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Assemble and Bake the Muffins:

  1. Spoon the blueberry muffin batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.

  2. Sprinkle approximately 1 tablespoon of the streusel topping over the batter in each muffin cup.

  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the muffin centers spring back lightly when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool and Store:

  1. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

  2. Once fully cooled, store the blueberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Enjoy!