Muffins for Mom, and the cookbook they came from
Mother's Day always seems to be the perfect occasion for muffins — muffins not made by Mom, that is.
And one of my go-to sources for muffin recipes is a sweet little cookbook by London-born food writer Elizabeth Alston called, cleverly enough, "Muffins."
Alston was the food editor at Women's Day magazine for 16 years and the author of many cookbooks. "Muffins," published in 1985, is the first of a four-book series of small — about 5-by-7-inches — charming books devoted to breakfast and high tea baking. The others are "Biscuits and Scones," "Tea Breads and Coffeecakes" and "Pancakes and Waffles."
The first two were published by Clarkson N. Potter Inc. and are, in my view, the most beautiful. The jackets feature colorful, vivid illustrations by Sally Sturman that depict irresistible tea tables brimming with baked goods, glowing with summer light. The last two books were published by HarperCollins, and the jacket illustrations by Jane Human are similar but just don't evoke the same magic. The new publisher also made some odd font changes, but that's just me quibbling. All the books are filled with Alston's wisdom, tips and great recipes for foods we love to eat.
In her introduction to "Muffins," Alston talks about the differences between what was called a muffin when she was growing up in England and what she delightfully came to know as a muffin as a young adult on Long Island. Her description of these "delectable, golden cupcakes" makes my mouth water.
So if you're looking for a gift for Mom this weekend, I recommend a batch of Alston's "The Best Blueberry Muffins" along with a copy of the book, for, as Alston herself writes, "In my own home, I've found that a basket of fragrant muffins always pleases both family and friends, and that the cook gets far more credit than the effort might seem to deserve."
The perfect gift.
Enjoy!
Jill Blanchette is the multiplatform production editor at The Day. Share comments and recipes with her at j.blanchette@theday.com.
The Best Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 regular-size muffins
½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, or slightly less depending on the tartness of the blueberries
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups blueberries (mash ½ cup with a fork)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 regular-size muffin cups, including the area between each cup. Or use foil muffin cup liners, if you prefer.
In a medium-size bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.
Using a spatula, fold the mashed berries into the batter (see Note) and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt and flour.
With that same spatula, fold half the flour mixture into the batter, then stir in half the milk. Work quickly and do not over mix. Fold in the remaining flour, then add the remaining milk. Gently fold in the remaining berries.
Scoop and divide the batter evenly among your prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each with nutmeg sugar then bake, 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Let the muffins cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.
Note: If using frozen blueberries, thaw just the half cup that you intend to mash. Leave the remaining 2 cups frozen until you're ready to fold them into the batter. Because the berries are so cold, you'll have to increase the baking time a bit. But check them after 25 minutes and continue to bake as needed.
Original recipe from "Muffins" by Elizabeth Alston.
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