blueberry cornbread muffins

I finally got a time slot to get a Costco delivery. The one caveat is that the expected shop and delivery time given is considered a "fast and flexible" five-day window. Still, I thought I would give it a try because it would save me the headache of entering the madness that is Costco and we are not completely depleted of groceries.

I had a very busy week- two Zoom meetings and a webinar. That was sarcasm, in case it did not come across on page. My life is very much not busy at all these days. Though, it has been nice to catch up and reconnect with people during this time. It seems like most people are still somewhat working for the most part. Funny enough, the reason I chose my profession is because I wanted a job that I can physically go to and do not have to bring any work home. But now I realize that, in times like these, maybe it is not so great to have a job in which working from home is entirely impossible. Oh, well. I have been making the most of the time I have off and it really hasn't been that bad. Bella is a great companion during the day while Ryan is still working and I have found a lot of joy in being a little more present. I went through a period of time where I felt too tired, too overworked, and just physically and emotionally exhausted. Because I did not have the time or energy to do anything that actually made my happy, I lost myself a little bit. I knew I had to make some changes, which meant taking a step back and setting my priorities. Since then, my level of happiness has significantly increased and I am for the better. So, while there may be those who are complaining right now, I am embracing the time I have to continue on my happiness journey. 

Let's talk about what I baked yesterday. Blueberries have been the star of my baked goods lately, which is completely due to the fact that I bought a few pounds and wanted to use them all. Last week, when I made the cheddar jalapeño buttermilk biscuits, I also made lemon blueberry buttermilk scones with a lemon glaze. They turned out really good, but I still want to make some recipe adjustments and additional test baking on those before I include that in the recipe box. Anyway, I had some extra blueberries and a lemon, so I wanted to find a good recipe that would incorporate the two again.

Blueberry Cornbread Muffins

Yields 12 muffins

Recipe by Jenn Segal

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup milk

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup blueberries (do not add more than 1 cup)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 1/2 tsp)

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Do not skip the liners or else the blueberries will stick to the pan.

2. Combine the milk and lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and toss with 1 tsp of the flour mixture. Set aside.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk/lemon mixture, vanilla and lemon zest. (I just mix this all together in the liquid measuring cup since I had to use it to measure out the milk.) Add to the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter. Stir until just blended; and then stir in the blueberries. Do not overmix.

6. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup very full. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden around the edges. Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm with butter or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Store in an airtight container. The muffins can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3-4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap individual muffins in aluminum foil and place in preheated 350 degree F oven until warm. 

These came out great and they were super easy. No stand mixer required. I love my stand mixer, but I always appreciate a recipe that does not require one. Anything you can do by hand just seems more approachable to an audience of any skill level. The muffins come out moist and are not overly sweet. You do not want to add more than 1 cup of blueberries, as noted. The way the recipe is written with 1 cup of blueberries is perfect. By adding more, the muffins will be too tart and too wet. The moist texture of the muffin is due to the buttermilk created by mixing the milk and lemon juice together. You could substitute the milk and lemon juice with buttermilk instead. However, since the recipe calls for lemon zest, it makes sense just to use the whole lemon for the recipe. Admittedly, I had one lemon left and just used all the zest and juice from it without measuring it out- probably more lemon juice for sure. But it turned out great and I don't have any gripes about more lemon flavor. I could definitely taste the lemon in the muffin but it is not too overpowering. There is a harmonious balance between the tart lemon and blueberry flavors with the slight sweetness from the cornmeal.

As you may have noticed, I did not have paper liners for my muffins. I cut 5 inch by 5 inch squares of parchment paper, fit one in each spot, and then continued to fill the muffin pan with the batter. Ta da! It worked just as well! There wasn't any sticking and it gives the muffins a little more character.

I drank my entire cup of coffee while writing this, so I am ready to bake Ryan's favorite cookies for his birthday tomorrow. Stay tuned for that. Back to the kitchen I go.