Blueberry Muffins … and no soggy bottoms!

In July, farmer’s markets and supermarkets abound with locally grown, dusky, sweet-tart blueberries, offered at hard to beat prices. When excitement overcomes my good judgement and I find myself staring down six containers of blueberries in my fridge, I know that it’s time to make blueberry muffins. My ideal muffin is domed, delicately crisp on top with a crust of crunchy sugar, and filled with lots of fruit. Unfortunately, the blueberries often sink to the bottom of the muffin. However, with this great tip from Stella Parks of Serious Eats, soggy bottoms are a thing of the past.

Blueberry Muffins

If you have been following that kitchen pointer to toss your blueberries in flour before adding them to your batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin, we can both admit now that this trick doesn’t work. According to recipe developer and cookbook author Stella Parks, the real solution is to “drop a little cushion of plain dough into the bottom of each muffin cup”. After that, the “berries are folded into the remaining batter and the dough portioned up, each scoop sitting happily atop its pillow”. The thick batter allows the blueberries to remain in position in the top two thirds of the muffin, resulting in beautifully domed muffins with a mouthful of sweet, juicy blueberries in every bite. Say goodbye to soggy bottoms!

This easy recipe for blueberry muffins that can be prepared using ingredients that you have in your pantry right now, is by Susan Purdy, published in her classic cookbook, The Family Baker.

Assemble your ingredients. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat it to 400°F. Prepare a nonstick or aluminum muffin pan by greasing it lightly with cooking spray or lining it with tinfoil or paper liners. In a large bowl, add the sugar and grate the rind of one orange onto the sugar. Mix the rind into the sugar until it resembles wet sand and releases a beautiful citrus scent. (You can use your fingers.) Add the eggs, milk (dairy or plant-based), and oil (or melted butter) to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just to blend. Don’t overbeat the batter. Drop a heaping tablespoonful  of plain dough into the bottom of each muffin cup.

Fold the blueberries into the remaining batter. Divide the dough evenly between each cup. Top each muffin with a generous dusting of sparkling or turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean (blueberries on the cake tester don’t count). Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Blueberries in the top 2/3 of the muffin…and no soggy bottom!

Print Recipe

Blueberry Muffins

Breakfast, Bread and Muffins

By Susan Purdy, The Family Baker ; Stella Parks – Serves: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 20 minutes – Total Time: 35 minutes

Blueberry muffins that are perfectly domed, delicately crisp on top with a crust of sparkling sugar, and filled with lots of fruit...but no soggy bottoms!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• grated rind of 1 orange
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cup milk, dairy or plant-based
• 1/4 cup canola oil, or melted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, rinsed and blotted dry gently with paper towel
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar or sparkling sugar (for sprinkling on the tops of the muffins)

Instructions

1

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat it to 400°F. Prepare a nonstick or aluminum muffin pan by greasing it lightly with cooking spray or lining it with tinfoil or paper liners.

2

In a large bowl, add the sugar and grate the rind of one orange onto the sugar. Mix the rind into the sugar until it resembles wet sand and releases a beautiful citrus scent. (You can use your fingers.) Add the eggs, milk (dairy or plant-based), and oil (or melted butter) to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together.

3

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, just to blend. Don't overbeat the batter. Drop a heaping tablespoonful of plain dough into the bottom of each muffin cup.

4

Fold the blueberries into the remaining batter. Divide the dough evenly between each cup. Top each muffin with a generous dusting of sparkling or turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean (blueberries on the cake tester don't count). Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Notes

These muffins are best enjoyed on the day that they are baked. They can be wrapped well and frozen. Defrost and warm gently before serving.