My Go-To Blueberry Muffins

Another coworker's going-away party this summer meant more bittersweet goodbyes as one more friend left my library district to start a new and exciting adventure in another state. It also meant another opportunity for baking. Well, I just couldn't show up to the party empty handed.

I brought baklava to the last party, but this latest event was specifically a breakfast affair. "What to bring, what to bring?" I wondered. Pancakes and French toast are my favorite breakfast foods to make, but don't exactly transport well. I didn't have time to bake the night before, so it had to be something I could bring together quickly the morning of--before the 8 a.m. party and after my 5 a.m. jog. That usually meant some sort of pastry. And my list of perfect breakfast pastries begins and ends with "muffins."

Now there are so many different types of muffins out there, it's almost ridiculous. You can make them sweet, savory, with any kind of fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter, corn, carrots, spices, buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream--oh, the list goes on and on. You just can't whip them up with an electric mixer and frost them because then they become cupcakes. And while you might love yourself a nice cupcake, I personally prefer the more rustic texture of a good muffin over a fluffy, airy, saccharinly sweet, too-much-gobs-of-frosting...but that's another rant. The point is that the decision of "what muffin to make" can be a little overwhelming sometimes. So for this breakfast I decided to go traditional, and traditional for me meant "blueberry."

I first made these muffins for an old boyfriend of mine, and it has remained my Go-To Blueberry Muffin recipe ever since. It's easily adaptable to both my "jumbo" muffin pan and my "mini" muffin pan, and makes at least two batches of regular muffins if you just have the standard-sized tin. The secret ingredient is the almond extract, which pairs especially well with blueberries and buttermilk. I just love the smell!

Ingredients:

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar, plus more for the topping
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted (any flour will work, but I always go with wwpf)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups blueberries + 1/2 cup blueberries for the topping
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the butter and sugar with a fork, mixing thoroughly. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the almond extract and buttermilk. Stir just to combine.

2.) In a separate and larger bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt (I like to sift all three ingredients in). Gently fold in the 1 and 1/2 cups of blueberries.

3.) Carefully add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just to combine (Over stirring could result in denser muffins, and stirring too quickly or harshly could cause the blueberries to break and turn the mix purple...). Use an ice cream disher or large spoon to drop the batter into a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or lined with paper muffin cup wrappers.

4.) Add a couple of blueberries to the top of the batter in each filled muffin cup so they will be visible after baking. Sprinkle with extra sugar (I like to use white sugar crystals to stand out more) and almond slices if you desire.

5.) Bake for about 15-20 minutes (17 worked best for me). These muffins tend to come out "blonder" than most of my "golden brown" baked goods, so use a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins to test for done-ness. If it comes out with batter still stuck to it, leave the muffins in a little longer. If the toothpick comes out clean, you're good to go!