Blueberry Muffins

I made these muffins a few weeks ago, and they were a big hit among my housemates. According to "Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook," tossing the blueberries with some of the flour mixture helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins as they bake. You can also opt to add 1/4 tsp of nutmeg if you are so inclined.

I'm not lactose-intolerant, but, lately, I've been experimenting with soy milk for its health benefits. For this recipe, I substituted 1/2 c of Silk brand vanilla soy milk for regular milk. It made the muffins extra dense and delicious!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

makes one dozen

1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
2 c all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c fresh blueberries
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 c milk (I used Silk brand vanilla soy milk)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss the blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 tsp of the flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and blueberries.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined; do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn the muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.