Papa is not a blueberry, peach, or strawberry guy unless there's a lot of sugar involved. But did he devour these lemon and blueberry muffins? Yes indeed!!
Last month, I posted a wonderful recipe for blueberry lemon bread, and it's been super popular. So, I was anxious to try the recipe as a muffin to make it more grab-and-go, if you know what I mean. The bread is quite tender and cake-like, which makes it a plate-and-fork treat.
Well, they are simply amazing muffins! The recipe makes a full dozen beautiful muffins with a wonderful texture and a crisp, sugary top!
They are a proven flavor combination of tart lemon and plump, sweet blueberries baked together in an exceptionally tasty muffin that's perfect with a meal or as a quick breakfast on the run!
These yummy lemon and blueberry muffins are bursting with sweet, juicy blueberries that bake into little jammy pockets! You don't even need butter on these babies! (and I LOVE butter!)
You can make these yummy muffins quickly and easily any time of year! Thanks to our amazing grocery distribution system, beautiful blueberries and fresh lemons are always available. The recipe is quite simple, with just sugar, butter, flour, eggs, and milk as the main ingredients.
The magic happens when you add the lively flavor of fresh lemon juice and zest, and you don't need any fancy equipment to get it! The "zest" of citrus fruit is the outmost layer of the peel, the most colorful part. Be sure to wash the lemon well and dry it before you begin.
You don't need a special tool to zest a lemon; your trusty vegetable peeler will work nicely! Peel off only the thin outer layer, and try to avoid the white "pith" beneath the skin as much as possible.
It's easiest to zest the lemon before you cut it in half to squeeze out the juice. Remove all the lemon seeds from the juice before using it in the muffin recipe.
When I was growing up, we didn't have a juicer. I remember my mom squeezing the juice by hand with a strong grip. When every drop of juice was squeezed out, the lemon was little more than a limp outer skin!
Now, take that lovely zest and use a chef's knife to cut it into confetti-like pieces.
When I have more lemons to zest, for instance, when I make my favorite Orange Marmalade, I love my Cuisinart mini food processor, a gift from my youngest daughter! But for this small amount, this chef's knife trick works perfectly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and put cupcake liners in twelve muffin cups. I was excited when Papa brought this nearly-new one home from a garage sale. It holds twelve in one pan! It's the little things!
Before you begin making the muffins, wash the blueberries and pat them dry. Then, toss them with a tablespoon of flour in a separate small bowl. This step keeps the berries suspended in the batter so they don't all sink to the bottom. These were so plump and gorgeous that I had to snitch a few!
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and milk. I used light cream because I had some on hand. Stir in the lemon juice.
Stir in the baking powder and salt into the batter first to ensure they are well combined, then add in the flour, stirring just enough to incorporate all the flour. Over-mixing can make the muffins tough.
Finally, gently mix in the lemon zest, then fold in the whole blueberries. Divide the batter equally into the twelve standard-size muffin cups. Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of each muffin for a sweet, crunchy, sparkly crown.
Pop the lemon and blueberry muffins in the oven for about eighteen minutes or until they are golden brown on top and a toothpick poked in near the center of the muffin comes out clean. Check for doneness because ovens can vary in temperature.
If you want State-Fair-worthy muffins, here's a tip from Bob's Red Mill, an authority on baking with flour:
"If you want muffins that truly impress, instead of baking them at one temperature, we recommend trying two. Using two temperatures will result in a taller, rounded muffin with a lightly crisped top.
To achieve this muffin style, begin baking your mixture at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight minutes, then lower the oven back to the recommended temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are fully cooked."
I baked my first batch of lemon and blueberry muffins the regular old-fashioned way, and everyone loved them, just FYI! 💙
Here's a recipe for a dozen beautiful tender lemony muffins bursting with fresh blueberries and topped with sparkly sanding sugar.
If you're willing to try an unusual-sounding recipe, here are two for you. We all loved these unique Pork and Beans Muffins, and German Sauerkraut Casserole sounds terrible on paper, I admit it, but it's amazing (read the story!) and is my most popular long-running post ever! Are you ready?
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