A Recipe for Delightful, Fluffy Blueberry Muffins
Blueberry Muffins: A Great Way To Start The Day
There are few smells as nostalgic as that of blueberry muffins fresh from the oven. They are a perennial favorite, great for breakfast or midday snacks, and loved by all, young and old. The trick is finding a recipe that really brings out the best in this favorite snack. Here's one your whole family will love.
An Easy Recipe - Let The Kids Help You!
Let's face it -- kids like to help create tasty concoctions. This is one recipe that is easy enough to follow that you can let them help without getting flustered!
Start with 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sift these dry ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk; add milk and egg mixture to bowl containing dry ingredients and mix together with a spoon.
Melt 1/2 cup shortening, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Stir it gently into the batter until the ingredients are blended together. Fold in 1 cup of blueberries (may be fresh or frozen, making this recipe very versatile!), and fill 12 greased muffin cups approximately 2/3 full.
Top It Off
If you are the type who loves blueberry muffins with a crumb topping, you to do a little more work at this point (though you can feel free to omit these steps if you just want blueberry muffins without the topping).
Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup softened butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl; spoon this mixture over the top of the muffin batter (already in the muffin cups) before baking.
Bake the muffins at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are a golden brown (and topping is beginning to melt, if you opted to include it in the recipe). Shield muffins from little hands until they have cooled somewhat, then cut several in half and spread them with butter for a soul-warming family treat.
Good Morning Smiles
This recipe is quick and easy; if you can rouse yourself from bed about 40 minutes before the rest of your family awakens, you can surprise them with a delicious breakfast treat -- that is, if they don't wake up once they smell the muffins baking and interrupt your efforts. Or get the kids up with you and make blueberry muffins together!