Oh, y'all. I have a confession to make. I've been keeping a secret from you. I, the Baking Fairy.... am not a big fan of muffins. Ugh. I know, it's so embarrassing! But honestly, I think the reason is that I've never had a truly great muffin. I've tried a lot of recipes, but in case you haven't noticed, I only have a couple on this blog. And even then, while those were good, they weren't lifechanging. Ya know? Muffins will just never make my heart go pitter-patter like a chewy chocolate chip cookie hot out of the oven. Or a gooey brownie. But today's muffins might just be the ones that change my mind.
Here's my usual pet-peeves when it comes to muffins: they're too dry. They're kind of tasteless and bland. They're boring. When they have fruit in them, the fruit makes them soggy. Like, I just can't win. These muffins, though, were absolutely excellent! Think big, fluffy bakery-style muffins that are super moist without being soggy, with flavorful juicy berries {fresh berries are key, here!}, and a crunchy, irresistible crust on top made of turbinado sugar. I used my vanilla extract with vanilla bean in it for extra oomph, and I kid you not, these may be the best muffins I've ever had.
Part of the secret for really good muffins is fat content. Can you make a muffin that's low-fat or fat-free or "skinny"? Well, of course you can. Will this muffin be the best you've ever had? Probably not 😉 These babies use a mixture of butter and oil and sour cream for maximum moisture and flavor, and you can totally tell in the outcome! They're so tasty and not dry or flavorless in the least. If you're someone who's mostly indifferent to muffins like I was, these may just convert you! Eat them with a big mug of milky coffee for optimum enjoyment. 🙂
{recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour}
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup {5 tbsp} unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pint {2 cups} fresh blueberries, washed
- ¼ cup turbinado sugar, for topping
- Preheat the oven to 350F, and line a muffin pan with liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.
- Add in the sour cream and vanilla, followed by the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, and don't over-beat! Finally, gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin liners, and top each muffin with a couple more blueberries and a spoonful of turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and puffy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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