In mid- to late-July, the blueberries would be ripe in the field in front of the farmhouse in Maine. Before breakfast, Mom and I would go out with enamelled cups and pick enough blueberries for muffins for breakfast. This recipe came from my grandmother, Hester Case Higginbotham.
INGREDIENTS
½ c sugar, scant
2½ c flour
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c milk
1 egg, beaten
2 - 3 Tbsp oil
1 c wild Maine blueberries
DOUBLE RECIPE
¾ - 1 c sugar, scant
5 c flour
8 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
⅓ c oil or a bit more
2 c wild Maine blueberries
Preheat oven to 375°, and grease a muffin tin.
Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
Mix the milk, egg, and oil together in a smaller bowl or measuring pitcher.
Add the liquids to the dry ingredients all at once and stir lightly until barely mixed. Do not overmix.
Fold in the blueberries.
Spoon into the muffin tin. Using a large ice cream scoop works well, as the batter is fairly stiff.
Bake 20 minutes.
Remove the muffins to a wire rack so the bottoms don't get soggy, or you can just tip them up in the pan to keep them hot like my Mom did.
Makes 12 muffins (4-6 servings). A double recipe bakes in a 9" x 13" pan; just cook longer until tests done with a toothpick.
If any muffins are left over, reheat them directly on the rack of a toaster oven at 350° for 13-15 minutes. This firms up the outside, giving it a bit of a crunch, like the freshly-baked tops. Yum!
Note: My new favorite muffin pan is the Williams Sonoma goldtouch nonstick pan! The muffins rise really well and come out of the pan sooo easily—just grease with butter or shortening (not oil or spray). Use a plastic knife to take the muffins out although they may come loose without it. And, unlike my old darker nonstick pans, there's no need to adjust the oven temperature.