Bakery style lemon and blueberry muffins, bursting with fresh juicy blueberries and flavoured with lemon zest. These muffins have a light and tender crumb and a sugar-crusted golden top.
The secret to light and fluffy muffins
Everyone knows that dense and dry muffins are so disappointing. There are several reasons why muffins can turn out like this, but the most common is overmixing the ingredients.
The good news is that there is an easy way to stop yourself from overmixing. Say hello to the “two-bowl method”. This involves mixing the wet ingredients (butter, milk, eggs and vanilla extract) in one bowl, and the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and baking powder) in another. Once they’ve been thoroughly mixed separately, you can then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold them together until just combined.
Notice the words “fold” and “just”? Basically don’t be stirring the bowl at top-speed! Instead use a slow, figure-of-eight motion until you can see that the ingredients are mixed together well (little streaks of flour is not a problem).
Recipe for Lemon & Blueberry Muffins (makes 12)
Ingredients
85g butter
300g self-raising flour
150g caster sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 medium eggs, at room temp
250ml whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
150g fresh blueberries
Zest of 2 lemons
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C and line a 12 hole baking tin with muffin cases.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately.
Melt the butter in the microwave in 20 second blasts, or on the hob, until it turns to liquid. Set aside and leave to cool.
In a jug whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla essence. Now in a separate large bowl whisk together the flour, caster sugar and baking powder until well mixed.
Now combine the ingredients.
Make a well in the middle of the bowl and slowly pour in the egg, milk and vanilla mixture, whilst folding the mixture together until combined. Now pour in the melted butter and fold again until you have a smooth combined mixture.
Toss the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour (this will stop them from sinking) and add them to the mixture, along with the zest of both lemons. Fold into the mixture until completely covered in mixture.
Time to bake.
Divide the mixture equally between the 12 muffin cases, filling each one about two thirds full and sprinkle a little caster sugar over each.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before tucking in. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.