Blueberry Muffins -- A Success!

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Earlier this weekend I wrote an article documenting my experience blueberry picking. This article is a follow-up describing my experience baking a batch of blueberry muffins!

I followed a recipe from New York Times Cooking called "The Ritz-Carleton's Blueberry Muffins". The recipe is inspired by Chef Charles Bonino who was a pastry chef at Boston's Ritz-Carleton in the '70's. He based this recipe off of the popular blueberry muffins sold at Gilchrist's - a popular Boston department store. Although he wasn't able to perfectly replicate the original, this recipe serves as a beautiful replacement.

The recipe is simple and takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to bake. It yields about 16 medium sized muffins.

The recipe is unique in that it highlights the fresh blueberries through the muted flavor of the batter. The acidity of the blueberries cuts through the subtle sweetness of the muffin. An important addition to the recipe is to coat the blueberries in flour before adding them into the batter; this way, the blueberries will not sink into the bottom of the batter when baked. Furthermore, it is very important to add a generous coating of sugar to the top of the muffins before being placed into the oven. This way, the top of the muffin is complemented with a crisp and sweet 'hat'.





Best,
Paul

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