I usually shy away from using the term ‘comfort food,’ but I will make an exception when referring to blueberry muffins.

Sadly, most commercial muffins are stale, over-mixed, high calorie bombs loaded with trans fats, and have a shelf life of around forty years. Freshly-made muffins are light and airy, contain no industrial trans fats, and have a shelf life of about one day…and that is something I am quite comfortable with.

The small cake-like American-style muffin is quite similar to a quick bread. They can be sweet or savory, and they are (as the name implies) quick to make. Because they are leavened by baking powder and steam (not yeast), no fermentation time is necessary. Further, they are supposed to be tender products with little gluten development…meaning mixing them takes just a few minutes. 

Even though the method for making muffins is fast and easy, there is a danger that the dough can easily become over mixed…which will result in a heavy muffin. One tip in creating very light muffins is to mix the batter only until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Don’t attempt trying to make a smooth batter. Once the batter is prepared, make sure to pan and bake the muffins immediately. When portioning the batter into the muffin tins, another tip is to avoid stirring or mixing the batter. For best results, try to scoop the batter from the outside edge of the mixing bowl, then gently drop the batter into the pan without smashing it down to make the batter even. Finally bake the muffins in a pre-heated hot oven. Small muffins take about 15 minutes, and larger muffins will need about 20 minutes.

Here is how we make summer blueberry muffins:

Start by finding the freshest blueberries available, which usually means a trip to the market. Wash about 150 gr. fresh blueberries and set aside to drain. Lightly butter the muffin tin and dust with flour. Meanwhile, sift together 360 gr. of all-purpose flour, 100 gr. sugar, 20 gr. baking powder and 3 gr. salt. In a separate bowl , beat 2 eggs, then add 250 gr. milk and 100 gr. melted butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until all of the flour is moistened. Gently fold in the blueberries just enough to combine the ingredients. The batter will look lumpy. Carefully spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling each about 2/3 full. Immediately bake the muffins in a pre-heated 200° oven for about 20 minutes (set a timer).

variation: To make whole wheat blueberry muffins, adjust the flour to 260 gr. and add 100 gr. of whole wheat flour. Reduce the baking powder to 15 gr. and add 3 gr. of baking soda. Finally, add 35 gr. of molasses to the liquid ingredients.

Use the following conversions if you prefer volume measurements: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 3 1/2 ozs. butter, 1 cup fresh blueberries.