I’ve mentioned before that blueberries are an indelible part of my New England childhood. Just the smell of blueberry muffins baking can catapult me back into my mother’s kitchen. These little muffins are soft and moist, with a pleasant tang from the lemon zest, and a toothy crunch from the cornmeal. They are great for a potluck brunch or a picnic.
Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins
from Whole Living
makes 24 mini muffins, or 12 standard muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk, plus about 2 tablespoons for tops
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups blueberries (about 1/2 pound), picked over and rinsed
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse sanding sugar (optional)
Nonstick cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Lightly coat a mini muffin tin (or a standard muffin tin) with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and lemon zest.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg yolks, and butter. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until just blended. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until just stiff. Gently fold whites and blueberries into the batter until just combined.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup three-quarters full. Bake 12 minutes. Remove from oven; gently brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Continue baking until tops are golden and a cake tester inserted in a muffin center comes out clean, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let muffins cool slightly, about 10 minutes, before turning out of tin.
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