Fresh Blueberry Muffins

This fresh blueberry recipe of mine is adapted from a 1986 Food & Wine magazine of mine, page neatly kept in a binder with a plastic jacket, but I will have to make copies of this so I will not loose it. It calls for 2 1/2 in. dimension size  which this is perfect. Notice it's stainless steel, from Goodwill, for $.69 each pan. It was brand new, and I imagine as old as my recipe. I gave my extra large  nonstick muffin pan, and another which is about this size, non stick, of course, which holds 12 muffins or cup cakes. Like a good mother, (pat on my shoulder) as a matter of fact, I've given all my good and expensive wares to my daughter, because I rarely had a chance to use them when I worked so many hours. So now, it's fun for me to go thrifting, and finding great wares. The original recipe calls for actually buttering the muffin pans, generously, but I don't think we had cooking spray back in 1986. I just love PAM, for every baking use. They have a good variety of them. I just use the original.Just look at all the fresh blueberries, and the yummy streusel topping. The batter is quite thick so it will not overflow when you spoon it or scoop it into the muffin pans. Any leftovers, if you have leftovers, you have to refrigerate, and it can easily be reheated in the microwave, for less than 60 seconds. or in your over, on 325 degrees F. for about 10 minutes. I prefer the short cut way. Who wants to wait 10 minutes?


Fresh Blueberry Muffins with Sreusel Topping

2 cups all purpose flour 
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 cups fresh blueberries
dash of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray. Muffin pans should be 2 1/2 inches in diameter.In a large bowl, place the 1/2 cup sugar, and the 1 teaspoon lemon zest; crush them together until the sugar absorbs the lemon flavor. Add the flour, and baking powder, and toss to blend.well. Whisk the egg in a small bowl with the milk, and whisk in the slightly cooled melted butter.Slowly add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, and just incorporate by hand, with a wooden spoon. Just barely, about 3 or 4 turns. Batter will be thick, but not to worry. Carefully fold in half the blueberries, and with an ice cream scooper, or a spoon, spoon mixture in evenly, into the 12 muffin cups. Keep the batter loose, don't pack it into the cups, just work with it, gently. Now, you can put the rest of the 1 cup blueberries on top, carefully sticking them into the batter, and spoon streusel mix on top. Bake for no longer, than 25 minutes. (check to see doneness after 20 minutes.) Should be nice and rosy on top. Yield, 12 muffins.


Streusel Topping

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup of flour
1 tablespoon (1 pat) unsalted butter


Mix all together with a pastry cutter, or a fork, until it resembles, like pieces of green peas. Sprinkle mixture on top of studded blueberries in the muffin pan, and bake as directed.


Note: The original 1986 Food and Wine recipe is so confusing, because all the ingredients are listed together; the streusel ingredients are listed in with the rest of the ingredients, and they call for too much butter, including buttering the pan. With all that extra butter in the original recipe was too heavy. This adapted one of mine, is very light, not too sweet, and is so good with a nice cup of Cappuccino, or Caffe Latte, any time of the day.