Blueberry Muffins

Notes: Originally published in the NY Times with recipe clarifications and enhancements by Debra Steppel. Yield 15-18 regular muffins or 48 mini-muffins. This recipe came to The New York Times in a 1987 article by Marian Burros, "The Battle of the Blueberry Muffins." Two years prior, Ms. Burros wrote about a recipe for the muffins attributed to the Ritz-Carlton in Boston. The hotel had adapted a recipe used by Gilchrist's, once one of city's best-known department stores. After it ran, one reader wrote in to say that the best blueberry muffins in Boston were not from the Ritz-Carlton, but from the Jordan Marsh department store. She sent along the recipe, with a description of how she picks wild blueberries: standing in a pond in the August heat and plucking berries from bushes along the bank. This version has a lot more sugar and butter and fewer eggs than the Ritz-Carlton muffins. The recipe also calls for mashing a half cup of berries and adding them to the batter. This produces a very moist muffin, one that will stay fresh longer. Featured in: De Gustibus; The Battle Over Blueberry Muffins. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) See also: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/real-jordan-marsh-blueberry-muffins-recipe/

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) softened butter

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract (Debra doubles this to 2 tsp.)

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup milk

2 ½-3 cups blueberries (~18 oz.), washed, drained, stems removed

~3 Tbsp turbinado sugar (large crystals) (or you can just use regular sugar)

Mise En Place

1. Let butter soften to room temperature. (Or, microwave in a glass mixing bowl on DEFROST until soft.)

2. Wash and drain blueberries. Remove any stems or spoiled berries. Dry off berries as much as possible.

3. Grease muffin tins generously. (Or, line muffin tins with paper liners. Or, spray silicone muffin liners with nonstick spray.)

4. Measure flour, salt, and baking powder into a sifter; place over a bowl.

5. Measure sugar. Measure milk. Set both aside.

6. Crush at least 3/4 cup of the blueberries in a bowl with a fork or potato masher; set aside.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Add vanilla and keep mixing.

5. Add the sifted flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.

6. Mix crushed berries directly into the batter with the electric mixer.

7. Fold in the remaining 2 cups of whole berries.

8. Fill tins with batter (just to the top but not over the top).

9. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the tops of the muffins.

10. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing muffins, then cool muffins on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Store lightly covered with wax paper, or freeze whatever you haven't eaten in 2-3 days.

To thaw, microwave on a plate for 20-30 seconds on high.