Makes 12
By the time blueberry season rolls around, we’re eager to make breakfast or brunch muffins and fold the sweet little gems into the batter. Of course, you can use frozen blueberries other times of the year, but there’s nothing like fresh berries. For an appealing grainy-gritty texture, use coarsely ground or stone-ground yellow cornmeal, such as Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills, instead of fine cornmeal. Eat them warm or at room temperature or freeze them and pull them out one by one.
Vegetable oil or nonstick spray or paper muffin liners (for the pan)
1½ cups flour
1¼ cups coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1¼ cups buttermilk
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cool but still liquid
2 generous cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems
1. Set the oven at 375 degrees. Oil or spray a standard, nonstick 12-cup muffin pan; rub a small amount of oil around the top of each cup. Or use paper liners.
2. In a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to blend them.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter.
4. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until fully blended. Fold in 1½ cups of blueberries.
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, dividing it evenly. Top each muffin with some of the remaining ½ cup blueberries.
6. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, or until the muffins are light golden and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
7. Use a blunt knife to cut around the muffins to remove them from the pan. Set on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Lisa Zwirn
Lisa Zwirn can be reached at lzwirn9093@gmail.com.
