Sweet, tender blueberry muffins, courtesy of Julia Child.
This recipe was inspired by a recipe in a cookbook I recently brought home. I say inspired as I made a few changes. My go-to blueberry muffin recipe has been a favorite at our house for years. I decided it would be fun to see how the changes affected the final product.
The recipes were quite similar and both turned out wonderful. The batter is perfectly sweet and bursting with sweet, luscious blueberries.
Ingredients
Cake Flour: This recipe started with an ingredient I don’t keep on hand. Therefore, I was happy to learn there is a pretty simple substitute for cake flour. Cornstarch is substituted for two tablespoons of flour for each cup of all-purpose flour. Cake flour gives the muffins a fluffy, tender texture.
Baking Soda: The leavening agent that allows the muffins to rise.
Cream of Tartar: I don’t recall ever using cream of tartar in a muffin. It is used as a second leavening agent.
Salt: Brings out the flavor.
Butter: The original recipe called for margarine in place of butter. Margarine was the rage when I was a kid, but I haven’t used it in years. Butter is my choice for baked goods.
Sugar: Makes the muffins sweet and delicious.
Egg & Egg Yolk: The egg and extra yolk give the muffin structure and richness. You can save the remaining egg white for a few days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. I hate wasting food and eggs are way too freaking expensive right now to be wasting even a bit!
Sour Cream: A little sour cream gives the muffins a tangy flavor and richness. I love a little tang to balance out the sweet flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla wasn’t included in the recipe as written, but I include vanilla extract in all my muffin recipes.
Milk: Adds moisture and brings the wet and dry ingredients together. I use either skim or almond milk.
Fresh Blueberries: A whole pint of blueberries is an aggressive amount of berries compared to the batter. But hey, who doesn’t want a muffin plum full of blueberries?
Instructions
Start by preheating the oven. Using convection with baked goods like muffins makes such a difference. This really helps the muffins rise up high and create the all-important muffin top. 🙂
Wash and dry your blueberries. I like to pat dry with paper towels. Set aside the berries while you make the batter.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the remaining dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients as directed. Measure the milk. Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients along with half the milk. Stir until just combined then repeat the process. This gradual method of combining the dry and wet ingredients helps the muffins stay light and fluffy.
Gently stir in the blueberries until just combined. Try to keep the blueberries intact. Broken blueberries will mean blueish/purplish/greenish colored muffins. But still utterly delicious. 😉
Scoop the batter into your muffin cups and bake until risen and golden brown on top. The muffins should spring back when you tap them gently with your finger.
Enjoy your blueberry muffins fresh and warm out of the oven!
Julia Child’s Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour see note
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tarter
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 pint fresh blueberries about 2 cups, rinsed and dried.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 ℉. Use convection oven option if available. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or set out silicon muffin cups on a sheet pan.
- Combine the cake flour, baking soda, cream of tarter and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the egg and yolk and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Add the sour cream and vanilla and stir until well combine.
- Stir half the dry ingredients and half the milk into the wet ingredients until just mixed. Repeat process with the remaining dry ingredients and milk.
- Sprinkle the blueberries over the mixture and mix until just barely incorporated. Stir gently to avoid breaking up the blueberries.
- Fill each muffin cup until nearly full and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!