One Perfect Bite: sugarcrust

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Muffins

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These muffins are a wonderful addition to the array of cakes and sweet breads that are served for breakfast. Despite the sugary crust, they are less sweet than most breakfast pastries and I think they will appeal to those of you who watch your sugar intake or enjoy less treacly sweets. They are not much work to assemble and they can be made with a couple of bowls and a wooden spoon. The recipe is a treasure to have on hand when you have to work in a kitchen that has more charm than functionality. As a matter of fact, I carry a copy of it when we are vacationing and I know that we'll be eating in. Eating in is family code for "Mom's cooking." The muffins are at their best when made with fresh blueberries, but I use the frozen variety a good deal of the time. If you use frozen berries do not thaw them. Thawed berries are too soft to survive the folding process and you'll end up with muffins that look like pallid eggplants. These muffins have lovely dome-like tops that crack and crater the sugar crust as they rise. They are attractive in a rough-hewn way and a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar will add greatly to their eye appeal. These muffins are fast, easy and delicious. Here is how they are made.

Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup 1/2 stick cold butter, cut up
Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners sugar (optional)

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat wells of a jumbo muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) To make crumb topping: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, light-brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Work in butter with your fingertips until crumbs are formed. Set aside. .
3) To prepare muffins: In a small bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup water, the eggs and oil. Stir flour mixture into oil mixture just until moistened. Gently fold in berries.
4) To bake muffins: Divide batter among prepared wells, about 1/2 cup in each. Top batter with reserved crumb topping, dividing equally (about 1/4 cup on each). Bake at 350 degrees F for 33 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer directly to wire rack and continue to cool. Before serving, dust with confectioners sugar, if desired. Yield: 6 muffins.