Tuesday 24 August 2010

The Blueberry Muffin

The blueberry muffin is thought of by my family as a classically American treat - whenever we travel to the USA my Dad always eagerly anticipates fantastic breakfasts finished off with a moist and fruit-heavy muffin. Along with treacle tart and coffee cake, muffins rank amongst his favourite ever bakes. In our recent trip to America, the muffin adapted to become our perfect afternoon tea treat. Bought from a Wal-Mart and carefully packed and brought to the beach the huge, blue juice stained delacies filled the afternoon gap perfectly  Once we returned to rainy England, we weren't quite ready to give up the muffin habit and so to the kitchen I was headed...
After a couple of baking flops recently, I wanted to be certain that these muffins would be a success. I have certain authors in the cookery book cupboard who I head to when looking for a reliable recipe for a true classic. These authors also tend to be the ones who have several books on the shelf, all with a particular favourite well-thumbed page. Examples include Rachel Allen, Delia Smith, Mary Berry, Nigel Slater and, in the case of todays recipe, Nigella Lawson. Just one look at the chocolate brownie page in our Nigella book FEAST shows the many many times it has been used (and the many many times brownies have been enjoyed in my household). Nigella's book How To Be A Domestic Goddess is full of delicious and irresisitible and so turning to it today I was certain there would be a decent blueberry muffin - and I was not to be disappointed.
Whilst perhaps not quite as large as their Wal-Mart relations, these muffins were good. Completely loaded with blueberry goodness (the more fruit involved = the more muffins acceptable to eat at one sitting!) and with crackly demerara sugared tops - I was happy. And with a recipe yielding 12 best-eaten-on-the-day-made muffins - I was settled!

Blueberry Muffins from How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
Ingredients: 75g unsalted butter, melted
200g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
75g caster sugar
pinch salt
200 ml buttermilk — (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 100 ml semi-skimmed milk, or 200ml milk and 1tsp vinegar)
1 large egg
200g blueberries ( I used 250g, which made them extra blueberry-y!)

Method:
  1. Preheat the oven to 200'C. Melt the butter, and set it aside to cool.
  2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl
  3. In a measuring cup beat together the buttermilk, (or yogurt and milk), egg, and melted butter
  4. Using a wooded spoon and a light hand, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently to combine
  5. Don’t worry about lumps; the important thing with muffins is that the mixture isn’t overworked
  6. Fold in the blueberries, again keeping mixing to a minimum
  7. Spoon into the muffin tin & bake for 20 minutes, by which time the muffins should be risen and golden and firm on top

13 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Your blueberry muffins look divine! That is something I adore.

Cheers,

Rosa

Dewi said...

From all of those muffins out there, I always choose the one that has blueberry. Good post Lucy!

Anonymous said...

I like them extra blueberry-y as well. They look scrumptious!!

Danielle said...

They look so good! You can actually buy bigger muffin/cupcake pans too. That's what i did anyway.

Faith said...

It's been far too long since I've made blueberry muffins! Your gorgeous muffins inspire me. ;)

George@CulinaryTravels said...

Those muffins look fabulous Lucy. Love the second pic.

sab le plaisir de gourmandise said...

a wondeful treat

Michelle coates said...

Omg your blueberry muffins look gorgeous! I cant wait to try this recipe :D

Maryam said...

your muffins look amazing .. keep doing what you doing !

Kiesha Jenkins-Duffy said...

Muffins are the best, especially blueberry.

Thanks for stopping by my blog! You should totally organize a pie in the park in London! If you Google "Pie in the Park" you should be able to find a page that explains how to organize one. Just a tip: Make sure your bakers bring a couple of pies or you'll run out really quickly!

Keep up the good work! I wish I had discovered my aptitude for and love of baking as a teenager!

apparentlyjessy said...

These blueberry muffins would make me happy and settled too! Now I'm craving baked goods, something, anything sweet!

Lynn said...

These looks so yummy! Perfect ratio of blue to batter! YUM!

Ash said...

These look like some seriously good blueberry muffins!! I'll take two please!