Blythe's Blueberry Muffins

Nico begs me to make blueberry muffins a lot. The obsession began after my Mom gave him the book Henry In Love, a sweet story about a cat named Henry and his crush, Chloe. At the end of the book, Henry swaps snacks with Chloe, handing over a blueberry muffin his Mom baked in exchange for a carrot. I refer to Henry a lot when trying to teach Nico to share. It doesn't usually work, especially with food, but I'll keep trying.

This recipe comes from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook and it's the only one I've tried so far. It's her Mom's recipe and probably a bit unhealthy for Gwyneth's standards since it includes a stick of butter and close to a cup of sugar.  Gwyneth offers a healthier version of them which I also want to try, but I need to find some spelt flour first.

Until then, it looks like these will be a staple in our house. They're quick and easy to make and I usually have all the necessary ingredients on hand, plus some ground flaxseeds which I like to add for a nutritional boost. And as much as I love my standing mixer, it's refreshing to rely on a simple wooden spoon and good old-fashioned stirring every now and then.

Blythe's Blueberry Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 organic large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers.

Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, the 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries. Divide among the muffins cups and sprinkle the muffins with the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Best to eat these warm.