The Best Blueberry Muffins

The Best Blueberry Muffins recipe

I’ve had a really busy weekend. I’ve spent most of it in the kitchen, I’m behind on my admin, washing and have a teenager with a horrid case of tonsillitis. Monday’s rolled round again and I’m in the mood for a muffin for breakfast. So its balls to porridge, I’m having one of my Best Blueberry Muffins.

Well, they’re not actually my Blueberry Muffins, the amazing Smitten Kitchen came up with these, I just meddled with them a little. I found, then promptly lost, this recipe about 10 years ago; but thank God I found it again. These soft bites of fruit filled sponge are not too sweet, lemon and vanilla scented with a beautiful sugar encrusted top. They’re made in one bowl, utilise frozen blueberries and in my case, a large dollop of past it’s use by date yoghurt, making them both a store cupboard and washing up friendly situation. And did I mention, they really are the best blueberry muffins ever?

This recipe makes 9 big buggers, so that’s 8 for me, 1 for whoever’s standing next to me when I take them out of the oven.

This really is a brilliant recipe to have up your sleeve. Frozen blueberries make them easily accessible, however, if you have fresh, they’ll also be good. The demerara sugar gives them a tasty crust, which works so well with the not too sweet muffins.

Pre heat your oven to 170 degrees fan assisted and line your muffin tin with 9 muffin papers. Take your big bowl and add the melted butter. Whisk in the yoghurt, which doesn’t have to be past it’s sell by date like mine, lemon zest, sugar, vanilla and egg until smooth.

Measure in the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt then whisk again until well combined.

Finally, in this all too easy recipe, fold in the flour and your chosen blueberries, until just mixed. No beating here, no one wants a tough muffin.

I used my large ice cream scoop to dollop this mixture, in equal dollops, into the paper cases.

Liberally scatter the tops with the demerara sugar then bake, in your pre heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden, firm and smelling too good to be true.

If you can bear to leave them to cool for 10 minutes, then you’ll avoid a mouth burnt on hot blueberry situation. Then devour, in warm, lemony fruit filled mouthfuls.

Don’t let my unattractive, pigs trottery hand put you off, these really are the best blueberry muffins ever.

Lucy x

The Best Blueberry Muffins recipe

Makes 9 big ones

You will just need bowls and a muffin tray lined with muffin papers

70g butter, melted

100g caster sugar

Grated zest of a small lemon, or half a bigger one

180ml yoghurt, mine was Greek

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

195g plain flour

200g blueberries, fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons demerara sugar, for topping

Pre heat your oven to 170 degrees fan assisted and line your muffin tin with 9 paper cases.

Take a large bowl and melt the butter in the microwave or on the hob. Whisk in the caster sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, yoghurt and egg until smooth. Whisk in the baking powder, bicarb and salt until well combined.

Gently fold in the flour and blueberries until just combined, don’t overmix, you don’t want tough muffins. Scoop the mixture into the 9 cases; I used a large ice cream scoop to get reasonably even sized muffins.

Sprinkle the tops, generously, with the demerara sugar then bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The muffins will be golden, firm to the touch and smelling amazing. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, if you can bear to, before devouring.

The muffins are best on the day, or pop them in the oven to warm over the next couple of days. You can also freeze them fresh on the day for future devouring.