25 May 2021
Welcome friends. I was on my way to buy some herbs to plant, when I saw some poppies starting to open up. I am always attracted to poppies. The petals are so delicate and I love the orange color. This is looking inside one of those flowers. I am amazed at the complexity and diversity of textures. The smooth green and the velvety plum colored strips remind me of the art a former coworker made.
Today, I want to share my recipe for blueberry muffins. I remember the first time that I made these. It was last April, in the early days of the pandemic. I made them a lot over the spring and summer. Blueberries are one of my favorite things to buy at the farmer's markets. They are rich in antioxidants and they keep, in the refrigerator, for a long time. We didn't have any farmer's markets last summer, but they are returning this summer. It gives me hope that we are finally coming out of this covid crisis. I am not ready for large crowds or outdoor concerts, but I will be happy to spend less time wearing masks.
This batter is thick, but the blueberries are sturdy enough to hold up to the weight. These muffins are not too sweet, but almost like a pancake with pops of blueberry inside. The crumb is also nicer than a pancake. I like to use buttermilk, but it can be difficult to find sometimes. I've switched to silicone cups because I make them so often. They don't get the domed tops like the parchment cups do. But it is a small change that is better for the planet. I use parchment if I am giving them away.
These muffins don't take much time to make. They also freeze well. The ones in the photo don't have sunflower kernels on the tops. This is completely optional. They add a slight crunch and nutty flavor.
Blueberry Muffins
35 min. prep time | 30 min. bake time
Ingredients
Makes 12
- 1/2 cup oatmeal, ground course
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup lowfat buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, sorted, and stemmed
- sunflower kernels (optional)
Directions
preheat the oven to 375 °F.
line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or silicone cups.
grind 1/2 cup of oatmeal until course. I use a spice mill, but you can also use a small food processor. Pour this into a medium bowl.
add the flour and stir the mixture a few times with a whisk or a fork to combine.
cut the butter into pieces about the size of a tablespoon. Place them in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 10 seconds to soften. Repeat if needed. Add the softened butter to a mixing bowl and mix, with a paddle attachment, for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and mix, at a medium speed, until the mixture is light, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape the mixture from the sides and bottom of the bowl.
add the eggs one at a time. Mix for about 1 minute after each addition, at a medium speed.
add the baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix, at a low speed, until combined.
add 2/3 cup of the flour mixture. Mix at a low speed for a few seconds until the mixture begins to look shaggy. Add 1/3 cup of the buttermilk and mix at a low speed for a few seconds, until the batter starts to smooth out. Repeat this until all of the flour and buttermilk are added. Be careful not to over mix the batter. This step should take less than a minute.
add the blueberries to the batter. Using a rubber spatula, gently scoop some of the batter from the bottom of the bowl over the berries and stir the mixture in a circular motion once. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the scoop and stir. Repeat this until the berries are incorporated into the batter.
scoop the batter into the liners using a large scoop or a large spoon. Tap the tin on the counter top 2 or 3 times to release any air from the batter. I like to smooth the tops of the muffins with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sunflower kernels on the top of each muffin, if using. Let the muffins rest for 5 minutes before placing them in the hot oven.
bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, until the outer edge starts to be light golden. Remove from the oven and let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing them.