Blueberry Swirl Muffins

I know what you’re thinking . . . “What the heck is Todd doing making food?!! Isn’t he the drink guy? Does he even own an oven?” Yes, I confess, I’m more adept at handling a penguin shaker than a chef’s knife. However, spending so much time with Karen and Erica has its perks. In addition to expanding my social life, I’ve started to learn my way around the kitchen a bit. Also, as I’ve mentioned, my wife is a serious baker. In a dream life, we’d move to a small California coastal town and open a bakery together. I’ll drip coffee in the front, and she’ll bake cakes, cookies and fresh pastries in the back. I’ll toss flour all over myself to feel productive, sip cup after cup of coffee, and chat with customers. Every once in a while I’ll grab a blueberry muffin or two and sneak down to the ocean to catch a few waves. Sounds like a plan . . .

I Instagrammed a photo of these a while back and everyone seemed to love them. And as it turned out, these were the tastiest blueberry muffins EVER, as they have whole fresh blueberries and a thick blueberry sauce mixed into the center. The recipe is adapted from the one and only, A Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook, which is kind of amazing to say the least.

Gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Start by making the streusel topping. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and flour in a small mixing bowl. Once the dry ingredients are evenly mixed, slowly add the melted butter.

Use a fork to combine until the mixture is evenly moistened and reaches a chunky consistency. Set aside.

Next make the blueberry swirl mixture!  Add 1 cup of blueberries and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar to a small saucepan. Cook the swirl mixture for about 5 minutes over medium heat, mashing the berries with a spoon while stirring frequently. When finished, the mixture should be thick and the berries broken down. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Finally on to the muffins!! Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and the remaining granulated sugar until thick. Slowly whisk in the butter and oil into the egg mixture. Lastly, whisk in the yogurt, milk, and vanilla into the egg mixture.

Next, combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture: slowly folding as you add.

Add the remaining cup of blueberries as you go. Fold until just combined – the batter should still be lumpy. Do not over-mix!

Fill your muffin tin with baking/muffin cups, and use a large spoon to evenly fill all the muffin cups in your tin with the batter. The batter should completely fill the muffin cups.

Next, spoon about a teaspoon of the blueberry swirl mixture on top of each cup of batter. Use a skewer or toothpick to carefully swirl the berry mixture into the center of the muffin batter.

Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the muffins until covered. Remove any extra topping from the tin that falls in between the muffins so it doesn’t burn.

Place the muffins in the oven to bake until the topping is golden brown – about 17 minutes – and when you insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin it comes out with a few crumbs attached. Rotate the muffin tin halfway through the baking process.

Remove from the oven and let the muffin tin cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool.

Although I like to eat them when they’re still nice and warm.

I think I burned my tongue. I can’t help myself . . . !

I hope you enjoy these little guys as much as I do.

Blueberry Swirl Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 1/8 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons warm melted butter

Directions:

• To make the streusel topping, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and flour in a small mixing bowl. Once the dry ingredients are evenly mixed, slowly add the melted butter. Use a fork to combine until the mixture is evenly moistened and reaches a chunky consistency. Set aside.
• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
• To make the blueberry swirl mix, add 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar to a small saucepan.
• Cook the swirl mixture for about 5 minutes over medium heat, mashing the berries with a spoon while stirring frequently. When finished, the mixture should be thick and the berries broken down. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
• To make the muffins, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and the remaining granulated sugar until thick.
• Slowly whisk in the butter and oil into the egg mixture.
• Whisk in the yogurt, milk, and vanilla into the egg mixture.
• Next, slowly fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture, also adding the remaining 1 cup of blueberries as you go. Fold until just combined  – batter should still be lumpy. Do not over-mix.
• Fill your muffin tin with baking/muffin cups.
• Use a large spoon to evenly fill all the muffin cups in your tin with the batter. The batter should completely fill the muffin cups.
• Next, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the blueberry swirl mixture on top of each cup of batter. Use a skewer to carefully swirl the berry mixture into the center of the muffin batter.
• Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the muffins until covered. Remove any extra topping from the tin that falls in between the muffins so it doesn’t burn.
• Place in the oven to bake until the topping is golden brown – about 17 minutes – and when you insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin it comes out with a few crumbs attached. Rotate the muffin tin halfway through baking.
• Remove from the oven and let the muffin tin cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack and let cool.

(images by HonestlyYUM; recipe adapted from A Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook)