The Awesome-est Blueberry Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

ingredients

● 2 7/8 cup flour (3 cups minus 2 tablespoons)
● 1 tsp baking soda
● 2 tsp baking powder
● 1 heavy pinch of salt
● 1 dash of nutmeg
● 1 cup sugar
● 1/2 cup vegetable oil
● 1 egg
● 1 cup plain, unflavored yogurt (generous cup) [or sour cream]
● 2 cup fresh blueberries[works best if frozen and dusted in flour.]
● 1 tsp vanilla extract (about a capful)
● 1 softened butter, for greasing muffin tins[can also use muffin liners]
● 1 turbinado sugar (optional, for topping) Or use Streusel Topping
● 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (for sauce; if fresh, add 2 tsp water)
● 1 tsp sugar (for sauce)

1/4 cup plain yogurt (heaping, for sauce) 

instructions

1. Preheat
Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix wet ingredients
In another large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, a capful of vanilla, egg, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients and stir to a count of 10.
4. Fold in blueberries
Add blueberries, reserving 1/2 cup, to the mixture and stir 3 times.
5. Fill pans
Add mixture to well-buttered muffin pans. Sprinkle remaining berries on top and press down lightly. Sprinkle turbinado sugar or Streusel Topping over top (brown sugar can be used instead).
6. Bake
Bake 20 to 25 minutes and allow to cool completely.
7. Make yogurt-blueberry sauce
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the blueberries (add 2 tsp water if using fresh) and sugar. Cook until berries pop and the liquid begins to thicken. Dump in the heaping plain yogurt and stir to combine. Drizzle on muffins.

Blueberry Freezer Muffins

Alright, so I have really enjoyed making these up lately and then having some quick muffins stashed away in the freezer, so awesome! Ooh, these also come in other varieties, not just blueberry!

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine


Muffins
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh, canned (drained) or frozen blueberries





Directions:


1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line 12 regular-size muffin cups with paper baking cups, or spray bottoms only of cups with cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, stir 1/4 cup flour, the brown sugar and cinnamon until mixed. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat milk, oil and egg with fork or wire whisk until blended. Add 2 cups flour, the granulated sugar, baking powder and salt all at once; stir just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently stir in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon streusel.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. If muffins were baked in paper baking cups, immediately remove from pan to cooling rack. If muffins were baked in sprayed pan, leave in pan about 5 minutes, then remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm or cooled.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Decrease baking powder to 1 1/2 teaspoons.


Nutrition Information:
1 Muffin: Calories 220 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 210mg; Total Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 15g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 8%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


Variations:

Apple-Cinnamon Muffins: Omit blueberries. Beat in 1 cup chopped, peeled apple (about 1 medium) with milk. Stir in 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon with the flour. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Banana Muffins: Omit blueberries. Decrease milk to 1/3 cup. Beat in 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium) with the milk. Use packed brown sugar for the sugar.

Cranberry-Orange Muffins: Omit blueberries. Beat in 1 tablespoon grated orange peel with the milk. Fold 1 cup cranberry halves into batter.

Rasperry Muffins: Replace blueberries with frozen or fresh raspberries.


Freezing Directions:


Okay, so I like to make up a double batch, since it's "like" the same amount of work, or nearly. and we can't eat very many muffins very fast around here. So I fill cups, paper ones work, but I do like the metal liners for this. and then I scoop into a snack size baggy the right amount of struesel topping. I freeze the filled muffins while still in the muffin pan --so they hold shape better.




Then, after they are frozen, I package 6 together at a time (one pan's worth). This way I can just grab some out in the morning and pop them into the oven. I don't dethaw them first, although you could if you wanted or had time. I just set the time for regular time, and then check them. They usually need a few extra minutes, since they started frozen. Oh, I also write on the outside of my vaccuum package what temperature and how long they need to bake for, along with the date they were made.