Buttermilk Berry Muffins

Yesterday got away from me and I didn’t have time to put together this week’s Request Line recipe, but tomorrow looks promising. “ANZAC” is your clue for what’s to come!

I did enjoy a fabulous brunch with friends yesterday morning, though, and one of my contributions was Buttermilk Berry Muffins from JoyofBaking.com. These muffins are moist, delicious, and just bursting with berries.

First, I buttered my 12-cup muffin pan and set it aside. I rinsed and dried 2 cups of fresh mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries) and set them aside as well. Next, I used my large glass measuring cup to whisk together 1 large egg, 3/4 cup of buttermilk, 2/3 cup of safflower oil, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (though any old bowl will do).

In a separate large bowl, I combined 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and about 1 teaspoon of orange zest. I gently folded the berries into the dry ingredients, and then folded the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. I mixed until everything was just combined.

I used a small ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to my prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. I baked the muffins on the center rack of my oven for 20 minutes at 350F; I used the “toothpick test” to make sure they were done. I let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to a cooling rack.

These were really terrific. The muffins themselves are kind of cake-y, and the baked berries are to die for. I’ll definitely make these again.

TIPS: Don’t rinse your berries until you’re ready to use them (moisture encourages spoilage), and be sure to dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Mixing the berries with the dry ingredients before adding the wet helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffin cups.

Also, I actually ended up with 16 muffins instead of the anticipated 12; I had extra batter, so I baked a second small batch. I *may* fill the muffin cups a bit more next time, but I was pretty happy with the size of the muffins. We’ll see.

Recipe link: Buttermilk Berry Muffins