Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

Many years ago, when my dear friend and co-worker, (Gayla), received her heart transplant, I decided that I would deliver her a box of 1 dozen freshly made muffins each week for one year.  Gayla loved muffins for breakfast, and I knew this would be the perfect thing to give her and her husband.  I could make them on Friday afternoon, deliver them that evening, and they would have the week to enjoy them.  I gathered together 50 of my best muffin recipes, so they would have a different batch each week for the year.  At the end of the year, I asked Gayla to choose the 2 types that she enjoyed the most for the last 2 weeks.  She said that rather then 2 different muffins, they would like to have my Blueberry-Lemon muffins for the last 2 weeks.  They said they so enjoyed opening the box and finding out what new flavor the week had in store, but when they took a bite of the blueberry-lemon muffins, that was in deed their favorite.  My husband loves anything that is blueberry, so when I make these muffins - I know they will again be enjoyed as much by him as they were many years ago by Gayla and Wayne.  I now share with you the same recipe.  This recipe makes 12 medium sized, (2 1/2 inch), muffins / 6 large sized muffins / or 1 loaf, (9" X 5"X 3"  pan).  The recipe comes together very quickly, and each muffin costs less than 30 cents to make.  A real deal compared to the retail cost of muffins at the market these days.

For the batter, you will need:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tabs baking powder
1 teas salt
6 Tabs cold butter
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1 lemon
1 teas vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
For the topping, you will need:
2 Tabs all purpose flour
2 Tabs sugar
2 Tabs butter
1/2 teas ground cinnamon / 1/2 teas ground nutmeg / 1/4 teas ground ginger

Line your muffin pan with muffin cups.


NOTE:  you can also spray the muffin tin, if you don't have paper muffin liners.

Grate the lemon and measure 1 teaspoon of lemon rind.

Squeeze 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice from the lemon.

Cut the 6 Tablespoons of COLD butter into small pieces.

Measure out the 2/3 cup of milk.

Slightly beat the egg.

Now that you have done the prep work, turn on the oven to 400 degrees, (350 degrees for a loaf).

In a large bowl, measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together to mix.

Add the 6 Tablespoons of cut COLD butter.  Mix into the flour mixture.

Note:  you can use a pastry blender, knifes, forks, or as I do - the tips of the fingers.  I find that just using my fingertips to blend the butter into the flour mixture works well and allows me to know if I have any large lumps of butter that need incorporated.

You want the mixture to resemble fine crumbs.

Now into the milk, add the slightly beaten egg.

 Add the lemon zest.

 Add the lemon juice

Add the vanilla extract, and stir to mix together.


You don't want to do this ahead of time, or the milk will start to curdle.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture.  Stir just to incorporate.  Do not overwork the batter.

 Fold in the blueberries, gently (you don't want to mash the berries).


Note:  you can use fresh or frozen blueberries.  If you use frozen blueberries, you do NOT need to thaw the berries.   I like to buy my berries on sale and freeze them, then I always have them on hand for baking.

Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.

 For the topping:
In a small bowl, combine
2 Tablespoons flour,
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Stir well.

Melt 2 Tablespoon of butter, add to the flour/sugar mixture.  Stir well.

The topping will look like this.

Sprinkle the topping over the muffin batter.

Bake for 20 minutes, (1 hour for loaf), until golden brown.

 It's been 20 minutes, and a toothpick comes out clean, when inserted in the center of a muffin.

Remove the muffins from the tin, and let cool for a couple of minutes on a baking rack.

As you can see, the inside of the muffin is very light and airy.  These delicious little cakes have wonderful layers of flavors.  As the cold butter lets off steam in the batter, it generated pockets of wonderful light airy deliciousness.

And the touch of lemon juice and lemon zest go so well with the blueberries.  Plus, there's not too much topping to overpower the muffin's wonderful taste.

 When you bite into the little cake, it is like heaven.

 And the blueberries are distributed evenly throughout the muffins.

These muffins are good whether you eat them warm, or cold, plain, or with a little butter or honey on them.  They are a great breakfast item as well as a snack item.

I hope you enjoy these luscious little cakes as much as my friends and family do.