If you happen to be hosting overnight guests this holiday weekend, they’d definitely appreciate waking up to a batch of these blueberry muffins. I know I already have quite a few blueberry muffin recipes on the blog, but I don’t think you can ever have too many. Besides, these are a little bit different from your typical blueberry muffins, which is not terribly surprising considering the source is Cook’s Illustrated. They often add extra steps to a recipe and you wonder if the effort is worth it; here, the answer is a resounding yes! Half of the blueberries in the recipe are cooked down into a homemade jam, which is swirled into the batter, and along with the fresh berries in the muffins results in a ton of blueberry flavor. I think the jam is the element that elevates this recipe above many others, it really is a fantastic addition. The muffins are topped with a lemon sugar that not only adds a nice crunch but a bit of citrus flavor that pairs so well with the blueberries.
By Tracey
“Best” Blueberry Muffins
from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:

Lemon-Sugar Topping

• 1/3 cup sugar (2 1/3 oz)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

Muffins

• 2 cups (about 10 oz) fresh blueberries
• 1 1/8 cups sugar (8 oz) plus 1 teaspoon
• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the topping: Combine the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl and rub together with your fingertips until fragrant.

Preheat the oven to 425 F with a rack in the upper third. Spray your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine 1 cup of the blueberries along with 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, mashing the berries with a spoon and stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the berries break down and the mixture has a thick jam-like consistency; the volume should be reduced to about 1/4 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 1/8 cups of sugar and the eggs together until pale yellow and thick. Whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to incorporate fully. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture along with the remaining 1 cup of blueberries. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold until the dry ingredients are just moistened – the batter will be lumpy, that’s fine. Don’t overmix.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared wells of the muffin pan – each well should be completely full. Add one teaspoon of the blueberry jam to the center of each well of batter. Use a skewer to gently swirl the jam into the batter. Sprinkle the muffins with the lemon sugar.

Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are golden and they spring back when gently pressed. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins.

If you happen to be hosting overnight guests this holiday weekend, they’d definitely appreciate waking up to a batch of these blueberry muffins. I know I already have quite a few blueberry muffin recipes on the blog, but I don’t think you can ever have too many. Besides, these are a little bit different from your typical blueberry muffins, which is not terribly surprising considering the source is Cook’s Illustrated. They often add extra steps to a recipe and you wonder if the effort is worth it; here, the answer is a resounding yes! Half of the blueberries in the recipe are cooked down into a homemade jam, which is swirled into the batter, and along with the fresh berries in the muffins results in a ton of blueberry flavor. I think the jam is the element that elevates this recipe above many others, it really is a fantastic addition. The muffins are topped with a lemon sugar that not only adds a nice crunch but a bit of citrus flavor that pairs so well with the blueberries.
By Tracey
“Best” Blueberry Muffins
from Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients:
Lemon-Sugar Topping
1/3 cup sugar (2 1/3 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Muffins
2 cups (about 10 oz) fresh blueberries
1 1/8 cups sugar (8 oz) plus 1 teaspoon
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
To make the topping: Combine the lemon zest and sugar in a small bowl and rub together with your fingertips until fragrant.
Preheat the oven to 425 F with a rack in the upper third. Spray your muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine 1 cup of the blueberries along with 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, mashing the berries with a spoon and stirring frequently. Continue cooking until the berries break down and the mixture has a thick jam-like consistency; the volume should be reduced to about 1/4 cup. Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 1/8 cups of sugar and the eggs together until pale yellow and thick. Whisk in the butter and oil until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to incorporate fully. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture along with the remaining 1 cup of blueberries. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold until the dry ingredients are just moistened – the batter will be lumpy, that’s fine. Don’t overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared wells of the muffin pan – each well should be completely full. Add one teaspoon of the blueberry jam to the center of each well of batter. Use a skewer to gently swirl the jam into the batter. Sprinkle the muffins with the lemon sugar.
Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are golden and they spring back when gently pressed. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them to cool completely.
Makes 12 muffins.

These candy-topped treats are a blast for kids to help decorate for your feast - or a Thanksgiving school party. You can use our sugar cookie recipe here or store-bought dough.

What you'll need

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Vanilla frosting
• Green fruit leather
• M&M's or Reese's Pieces candies

How to make it

1. Using an electric beater, cream the butter and sugar
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 3 parts. Working on a floured surface with one part at a time, roll out the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a knife, cut out corncob shapes about 4 inches long. Place the cookies on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 9 minutes or just until the edges brown. Let the cookies set on the sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Frost the cooled cookies. Next, use kitchen shears to cut husks from the fruit leather to fit the sides of each cookie. Press the husks in place atop the frosting, with the tips down a bit. Now fill in the middle with candy kernels gently pressed into place. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies.

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