As a nine year old from the South, I had never seen snow, never watched the seasons change, never experienced the comfort of sipping on a warm mug of hot chocolate on a cold afternoon. Needless to say, Colorado seemed magical.
We visited Susanne for several years, and then eventually, we too said "Adios" to Texas and moved north. But I still look back with fondness to those initial visits, those afternoons laying in the cool grass, watching the sun stretch over the mountains.
My sister has always been a woman of hospitality; she has a way of making anyone feel comfortable, at ease, and loved. When we visited her all those years ago, she showered Noelle and I with little gifts, small tokens to be found in our beds, and meals that were fit for the finest bed and breakfast.
Our absolute favorite treat? Freshly baked blueberry muffins. We could easily eat three or four in one sitting, purple juice dribbling down our chins. A few hours later, after a mid-morning hike, we would wrap a few more in a paper napkin and sit outside in the hammock, watching the dogs play under the apple trees.
For me, this is what baking is all about: children eating muffins and laughing under the cool Colorado sun.
With the summer months upon us, I take every opportunity to bake with these perfectly plump and juicy berries. Wandering through the farmers' market, I pray that I'll find a farmer selling pint after pint of freshly picked fruit. And when I do happen to find my cherished treasure, the first thing I do is mix together a batch of these exquisite muffins.
Imagine now a pot of coffee brewing, the morning sun streaming into your living room, a newspaper waiting at the front door. You are in the kitchen, pulling out a perfectly golden pan of blueberry muffins, the aroma of butter and berries and toasted almonds drifting throughout your house. And now we sit together, sharing muffins and laughter and passing the paper back and forth. Could a summer day start any better?
The key to these muffins, as to all others, is to only mix your batter until just combined. The more you stir, the denser your muffins will become. I also like to preheat my oven a tad hotter than what the recipe calls for. As soon as I put my muffins into the oven, I turn the temperature down, but the initial higher heat helps the muffins to form those enviable domes.
So please wander down to your farmer's market, buy a pint of blueberries, and spend the afternoon or morning baking a batch of these golden berry gems.
1 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest from one small lemon
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
4 TBSP brown sugar
3 TBSP flour
3 TBSP butter (cut into small squares and very cold)
1/4 cup toasted and chopped almonds
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a 12-tin muffin pan.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. With a whisk, stir dry ingredients until well combined. Add your blueberries and toss lightly to coat with flour. (By adding blueberries into the dry ingredients, your berries will not sink to the bottom of your tins)
3. Combine oil, egg and milk in small bowl and beat until combined. Stir in your vanilla extract and lemon zest.
4. Add your wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Your batter will be very thick.
5. Using a 1/3 measuring cup, evenly distribute your batter into your muffin tins.
6. Combine the brown sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl and mix together with a fork or fingers until small crumbs form. Stir in your toasted almonds and sprinkle the crumb mixture over your muffins.
7. Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins.