Isn’t it funny how food can take you back in time?  My freshman year in college, my husband and I still lived at home with our parents and traveled back and forth to the neighboring town to attend classes together every morning.  (Yes, we were super cool.)  On our way to class, we frequently stopped at our local convenience store/gas station and grabbed something to eat and drink for breakfast.  I used to get a blueberry muffin and chocolate milk, warming the muffin up in the microwave and trying to eat a piping hot muffin on the way to school.  (I can’t imagine where our freshman 15 came from, can you?)

I LOVED those muffins, even though I realize in retrospect that they were probably nothing special.  Every time I eat a blueberry muffin now, I’m immediately reminded of my early college days.  Of course, after I realized exactly what that daily muffin was doing to my waistline, (haha…muffin top…) I broke the habit and I haven’t had one since. 

Tips:  Use muffin cups or make sure that you liberally spray the muffin tins with cooking spray.  They weren’t terribly easy to get out of the pan.  If they stick a little, let them cool and use a butter knife to ease them out carefully.  Don’t over fill the tins, I’d recommend filling them about 3/4 full.  These rise a LOT.  Don’t over mix the batter, and take care not to crush the berries when you add them.  The sugar topping makes just enough to put a Tablespoon on each muffin.   Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Muffin ingredients:
7 Tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping ingredients:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease (liberally) 12 standard muffin cups. 

To make the topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, combine until the butter forms a coarse-crumb mixture.  Set aside.

To make muffins, cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  When light and fluffy, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla and beat just until combined.  Scrape down bowl occasionally. 

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.   Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.  Add 1/2 of the milk, mix until just combined.  Add the rest of the flour, mix until just combined, then add the rest of the milk and mix until just combined.  The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Add the blueberries and fold into batter using a large rubber spatula until evenly distributed.  Take care not to break up the fruit, and don’t over mix.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each one approximately 3/4 full.  Sprinkle the top of each one with the sugar mixture.

Bake until golden brown, dry and springy to the touch, about 20-25 minutes.  Mine took 22 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.  Serve warm with maple butter.

Maple Butter Ingredients:
1 stick room temperature unsalted butter
dash of salt
4 Tablespoons pure maple syrup

Cream together butter, salt and maple syrup in a small bowl until well combined.  Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma Muffins