Blueberry Blues

When I was a child blueberries were my favorite fruit. They still are. My grandparents would drive from Southern Indiana to Northern Michigan with my Aunt Julia and Uncle Jack to pick blueberries. They would return with a trunk full of spent coffee cans brimming with perfectly ripe blueberries. 

My grandmother would freeze most of her share to use throughout the year. She would make muffins and pies and sprinkle them on pancakes. I loved to visit at that time of year. My grandmother would let me eat as many blueberries as I wanted. 

As summer draws to a close I have the blues as the bountiful summer fruits will soon be gone for another year. But before that happens I'll use the last of the harvest to make these special blueberry muffins. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have my grandmother’s muffin recipe. I doubt she actually used one. She was a natural in the kitchen baking everything by instinct. But if she had used a recipe I am sure it would be very close to this one. The cinnamon and sugar topping adds a little something special to elevate these muffins from delicious to nearly impossible to eat just one. 

You can use all lemon zest or all orange zest, but a little of each adds a bright citrus note to the rich batter.

Be sure to remove any stray stems from the blueberries.

Mix the wet ingredients together and add to the dry ingredients. Gently stir until batter is moist.

Carefully fold in the blueberries just until combined to keep the muffins tender.

While the muffins are warm dip the tops in melted butter and then the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Adapted from Baking for All Occasions by Flo Braker

Muffins

2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams) sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (6 fl ounces/180 ml) buttermilk

3 ounces (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (or use 2 teaspoons of either lemon or orange)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces/225 grams) washed and picked over blueberries

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

3 ounces (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces/100 grams) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray with cooking spray or use silicon baking cups on a pan. 

In a mixing bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

In a smaller bowl mix together buttermilk, butter, eggs, lemon and orange zest, and vanilla. Gently add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until combined. Fold in the blueberries being careful not to break them. Do not over-mix or the muffins will not be tender.

Fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake in oven on center rake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. 

While the muffins are still warm, remove from the pan and carefully dip the tops in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. 

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

These muffins are sure to keep the blues away.