Bursting with blueberries!

Yep, blueberries in January. Living in Southern California so close to Mexico we stay in berries year round.  It was too tempting to resist - so in the rainiest January in quite a while - I had to make some of my favorite blueberry muffins.

This recipe is from a book (Muffins - Elizabeth Alston which is still available used on Amazon)  I've had for years. I've been making these for about 30 years and yes my family loves them!

The Best Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (mash 1/2 cup with fork)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with foil baking cups and butter the top of the muffin tin.

In a medium-sized bowl (I use a stand mixer), beat butter until creamy. Beat in sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, baking powder and salt.

Mix mashed blueberries into batter. This is the magic part!

Fold in half the flour with a spatula, then half the milk. Add remaining flour and milk, folding in each just until blended. Fold in remaining blueberries.

Scoop batter into muffin cups. The recipe says to sprinkle with nutmeg sugar but I sprinkle with Lavender Sugar. I also put a few pieces of Maldon salt on each muffin.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let muffins cool at least 30 minutes in the pan before removing them. I never wait longer than a few minutes before I eat them - I want butter melting all over them!