Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins

I ‘heart’ Ina Garten.  And these muffins!

I have said it before and I will say it again.  The woman is awesome.  For those of you that have missed my references to her in previous blogs (and there have been many) she has a show called Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network.  She used to own a specialty foods store in the Hamptons with the same name and has several cookbooks under her belt.  I truly believe that we could be close friends if we were to ever meet.  I’m fun!  I’m charming!  And I like to cook from her recipes.  That should be enough to guarantee me a Christmas card, at least!  Don’t worry, I won’t continue to gush, but will get right to the task at hand.  Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins.  Ooh baby.

When you find a great recipe and it works out well, the flavor is good, and it consistently produces fantastic results, you know you have a winner.  At this point I stop looking for more of those recipes.  I have dozens of different coffee cake recipes, but this is my ultimate blueberry coffee cake recipe.  I have found nothing better, so this is the only one I make when the fruit is in season or I have bags of blueberries frozen in the freezer.  It is perfect for company and they taste better than anything I have had from a bakery.  They have a moist, delicate crumb, and are simple to mix up the night before and bake off in the morning.  And who doesn’t like breakfast that you can make ahead of time!  Sign me up!  So Ina, if you are reading this, I just want to say…thank you.  Thank you for your recipes.  Thank you for your inspiration.  But most of all, when you mail your Christmas cards this year, my address is… Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins
Recipe by Ina Garten

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.  Scoop the batter into muffin pans lined with paper liners, filling each cup just to the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip #1: To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place in a bowl with warm water for 15 minutes.

Tip #2: These are great to mix up the night before, cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge over night. Bake as directed the next morning! Baked muffins freeze wonderfully!

Tip #3: When blueberries are in season and inexpensive, freeze them for later use. Place dry blueberries on a clean dry sheet pan in a single layer and place in the freezer. Once frozen, dump into a plastic freezer bag. This makes it very easy to scoop out just what you need for baking. This freezing method works great for all other berries and sliced peaches too!