Blueberry muffins are a timeless breakfast treat that’s perfect for Mother’s Day and throughout the spring as fresh berries from Louisiana farms begin to emerge. This recipe produces muffins that are mildly sweet and tender with just a hint of lemon. The extra sprinkling of sugar is an essential final touch.
For zesting the lemons, nothing works better than a zester tool, those small, handheld instruments that feature a row of tiny, stainless steel loops across the edge. As you drag the tool along the surface of a piece of citrus fruit, it pulls off thin strips of zest with no bitter pith. To create fine zest, simply chop the strips with a sharp knife. A zester tool is so much easier than a microplane or boxed grater, and it makes a great Mother’s Day gift.
Enjoy!
|
|
|
Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest
Servings: Makes 12 muffins
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
¼ cup sugar for sprinkling on top
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray and line the cups with cupcake liners.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl or in the bowl of a standing mixer.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat. To a medium bowl, add the milk, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Gently whisk the mixture, and slowly add the melted butter. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture. Gently blend. Do not overbeat, or the muffins will be dense.
Stir in the blueberries. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.
|
|
|
Place the muffins in the oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool for 5 minutes on a rack, then remove the muffins and cool further. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Modified from a Food Network Kitchen recipe
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.