The Perfect Blueberry Muffin!

I miss my kitchen in New Hampshire.....  Well let me be more clear, I really miss my oven from New Hampshire.  Don't get me wrong, I'm really enjoying my time here in New Jersey and I like staying with Gilbert's Parents, but their oven is horrendous   There is no rhyme or reason for the temperature setting or where the heat is coming from (top, bottom, left, right, back).

This is why I have yet to try baking my favorite Blueberry Muffin Recipe.  Cakes are cheap and easy, if they burn I can just cut that part off or make another.  But Blueberries are very much out of season and I just haven't been able to justify spending money for what could be a disaster.  But, just because I can't make them during this time of funemployment, doesn't mean I can't share them with you lovely people.

My Favorite Blueberry Muffins

In my humble opinion this is the best Blueberry Muffin Recipe out there.  I made these for Gilbert's campaign office in 2012 and the whole office loved them!  Much to their disappointment, I came in a few days later with zucchini bread muffins... not what they were hoping for.   Anyway, these Muffins are moist, packed with blueberry flavor and offer the best muffin top I've had in a long time.

Blueberry Muffins

*This recipe has you make your own jam to swirl into the top.  I promise you it makes them amazing, don't skip this and use store bought jam.  It will make the muffins much too sweet.

Ingredients:
Lemon-Sugar Topping:
1/3 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely grated Zest from 1 Lemon

Muffins:
2 cups Fresh Blueberries (about 10 oz)
1 1/8 cups Sugar, plus 1 tsp
2 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 Large Eggs
4 tbs Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1) For The Topping: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

2) For the Muffins: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.  Put muffin wrappers in pan.

3) Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 tsp sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, mashing berries several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup.  It will take about 6 minutes.  Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10-15 minutes.

4) Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in large bowl.

5) Whist remaining 1 1/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous.  Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined.  Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.

6) Using rubber spatula fold egg mixture and remaining blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with a few spots of dry flour, do not overmix)

7) Using a spoon, divide the batter equally among the prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly).

8) Spoon teaspoon of cooked berry mixture into center of each mound of batter.  Using a chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion.  Sprinkle lemon sugar over muffins.

9) Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17-19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time.  Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated.