Cooking
My latest warehouse find was an enormous package of blueberries imported from Canada. Looking at the package I saw the word "bleuets". Apparently in French speaking Canada blueberries are called bleuets. Isn't that a sweet word? Much more charming than "myrtille", which is what I learned in French class. Though truthfully I like the word blueberry too. It's so very accurate. But bleuets kind of hints at how cute they are.
Frozen blueberries are fine, but fresh ones are really special. They are such sweet little gems to bake with. When I wrote about blueberries last Summer, I suggested adding blueberries to pancakes and muffins. But I didn't have any specific recipes for you. Well I do now! My blueberry muffin recipe is adapted from the one in The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. While I highly recommend the cookbook, the King Arthur Flour website has TONS of recipes too. Those King Arthur people know what they're doing when it comes to baking.
My ideal muffin is not too greasy, too sweet, or too big. It's light with a tender crumb, and a little tang to it. After having tried many different times to bake perfect muffins, my favorite recipe is one that happened by accident. I wanted to make blueberry muffins but realized I didn't have enough blueberries. So I added some dried cherries and they turned out great. I tried the recipe again with dried cranberries and that worked well too.
I like making smaller batches of muffins. My recipe is for just 6 muffins which is just the right amount if you ask me. You could easily double the recipe if you want to. It's not a super healthy recipe, but go ahead and indulge after all, blueberries are full of antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C. That's gotta count for something.
Blueberry Muffins
makes 6 muffins
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
3/4 cup blueberries, either fresh or frozen
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 teaspoon sugar (preferably turbinado or raw sugar)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor or mixer. When thoroughly combined, add the egg and blend. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and lemon peel, blend and then gradually add the milk. Put batter in a mixing bowl and gently fold in the blueberries and dried fruit. Fill muffin tins completely and top each muffin with a sprinkle of sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes then move to a rack.
Enjoy!
FOOD + BLUEBERRIES + MUFFINS
- Mom's Blueberry Tart: Recipe
Blueberries are intense. Intense color that stains your mouth purple. Intense sweet and tangy juice so rich it almost tastes like wine. Unlike other fruit, such as apples, they don't even need vanilla or cinnamon to give them a boost. They are the...
- Cranberry Zinger Muffins Recipe
Today is the 13th edition of Is My Blog Burning hosted by Maki of I Was Just Really Very Hungry. Check out her site for a complete listing of participants. Baking muffins is a great way to start the day. The smell and warmth fills the house and the muffins...
- Double Blue Pancakes Recipe
Summertime is when all sorts of berries appear. Strawberries first, then raspberries and blueberries and eventually blackberries. Right now you can buy big baskets of blueberries for only a couple of dollars. They are sweet and turn your tongue blue...
- Imbb 27 + Shf 20 = The Joy Of Soy!
Can it be? Are we really up to IMBB 27? And SHF - didn't that start a couple of months ago? SHF 20??? I knew I had skipped a few of these events, but am horrified to find I've missed ten of each. This month Reid - the nicest guy in Hawaii - is...
- 'b' Is For "brrrr' And 'blueberry'
Alex is a fruit monster. Cartons of berries disappear the day they're purchased. Melons last only as long as it takes to cut them up. The kid inhales fruit. One of his favorite fruits is blueberries. While shopping over the weekend, Matt noticed...
Cooking
Blueberry Muffins:Recipe
My latest warehouse find was an enormous package of blueberries imported from Canada. Looking at the package I saw the word "bleuets". Apparently in French speaking Canada blueberries are called bleuets. Isn't that a sweet word? Much more charming than "myrtille", which is what I learned in French class. Though truthfully I like the word blueberry too. It's so very accurate. But bleuets kind of hints at how cute they are.
Frozen blueberries are fine, but fresh ones are really special. They are such sweet little gems to bake with. When I wrote about blueberries last Summer, I suggested adding blueberries to pancakes and muffins. But I didn't have any specific recipes for you. Well I do now! My blueberry muffin recipe is adapted from the one in The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. While I highly recommend the cookbook, the King Arthur Flour website has TONS of recipes too. Those King Arthur people know what they're doing when it comes to baking.
My ideal muffin is not too greasy, too sweet, or too big. It's light with a tender crumb, and a little tang to it. After having tried many different times to bake perfect muffins, my favorite recipe is one that happened by accident. I wanted to make blueberry muffins but realized I didn't have enough blueberries. So I added some dried cherries and they turned out great. I tried the recipe again with dried cranberries and that worked well too.
I like making smaller batches of muffins. My recipe is for just 6 muffins which is just the right amount if you ask me. You could easily double the recipe if you want to. It's not a super healthy recipe, but go ahead and indulge after all, blueberries are full of antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C. That's gotta count for something.
Blueberry Muffins
makes 6 muffins
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
3/4 cup blueberries, either fresh or frozen
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 teaspoon sugar (preferably turbinado or raw sugar)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor or mixer. When thoroughly combined, add the egg and blend. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and lemon peel, blend and then gradually add the milk. Put batter in a mixing bowl and gently fold in the blueberries and dried fruit. Fill muffin tins completely and top each muffin with a sprinkle of sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a bamboo skewer comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes then move to a rack.
Enjoy!
FOOD + BLUEBERRIES + MUFFINS
- Mom's Blueberry Tart: Recipe
Blueberries are intense. Intense color that stains your mouth purple. Intense sweet and tangy juice so rich it almost tastes like wine. Unlike other fruit, such as apples, they don't even need vanilla or cinnamon to give them a boost. They are the...
- Cranberry Zinger Muffins Recipe
Today is the 13th edition of Is My Blog Burning hosted by Maki of I Was Just Really Very Hungry. Check out her site for a complete listing of participants. Baking muffins is a great way to start the day. The smell and warmth fills the house and the muffins...
- Double Blue Pancakes Recipe
Summertime is when all sorts of berries appear. Strawberries first, then raspberries and blueberries and eventually blackberries. Right now you can buy big baskets of blueberries for only a couple of dollars. They are sweet and turn your tongue blue...
- Imbb 27 + Shf 20 = The Joy Of Soy!
Can it be? Are we really up to IMBB 27? And SHF - didn't that start a couple of months ago? SHF 20??? I knew I had skipped a few of these events, but am horrified to find I've missed ten of each. This month Reid - the nicest guy in Hawaii - is...
- 'b' Is For "brrrr' And 'blueberry'
Alex is a fruit monster. Cartons of berries disappear the day they're purchased. Melons last only as long as it takes to cut them up. The kid inhales fruit. One of his favorite fruits is blueberries. While shopping over the weekend, Matt noticed...