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The Blueberry muffin is a classic favourite in the muffin world. Of all the fruit flavours it’s the one that has the most distinct flavour and has been especially popular as a breakfast treat.
On their own, the blueberries do enough to flavour the batter, but adding fresh lemon zest lemon gives them a huge punch of flavour and adding almonds brings in a new texture.
Many people shy away from muffins because they have issues getting the perfect rise and texture. In fact it’s actually super easy to bake and I’ve shared my top tips on getting the perfect shape and texture in my Strawberries and Cream Muffin recipe.
But did you know why it’s called a muffin? Or what the key difference between muffins and cupcakes are? Read on to find out, or skip to head directly to the recipe.
Why is a muffin called a muffin?
In general terms the word muffin refers to a yeasted cake but to make things confusing it can actually mean two separate types of bakes; an unsweetened flat bread that is cooked on a griddle, and a sweetened cake baked in the oven.
It is actually unclear where the word ‘Muffin” came from but some sources suggest that it may be from the old French ‘Mou-Pain” (“soft-bread), which may have been translated to “mouffin”.
What is the difference between a muffin and a cupcake
The most noticeable difference between the muffin and cupcake is the well-known “Muffin top”, the crispy brown crust formed when the mixture rises and bakes.
The other difference is in the method. Muffins are made by mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately and then carefully combining them, whereas cupcakes are usually mixed either all in one, or via the creaming method.
Muffins also generally have less sugar than a cupcake and hold more flour which is what makes them rise upwards as opposed to outwards. It’s because of this rising direction that we can fill the batter to the top of the cases as opposed to cupcakes where we have to allow space for the batter to rise. If cupcake cases are overfilled, you usually get what is known as the mushroom effect, but in muffins, the batter just continues to rise and it where we get the well known and loved muffin tops.
Can I add frozen blueberries?
I would always recommend using fresh blueberries for this recipe but if you don’t have any or want to use frozen then of course this is completely fine. Although, I would recommend letting them thaw before adding or you may find they don’t cook through entirely.
Blueberry, Lemon & Almond Muffins
Ingredients
- 100 g butter melted
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g caster sugar
- 60 g soft brown sugar
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 100 ml sour cream
- 100 g blueberries
- Juice and zest of a Lemon
- 50 g flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C and line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases
- In a medium bowl combine the melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract and whisk well
- In a separate large bowl, add the flour, lemon zest, almonds, sugars and blueberries and stir all together until well combined.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture then add the sour cream and lemon juice and carefully fold it all together until just combined.
- NOTE: Be careful not to overmix here. You want lumps to get that classic muffin texture.
- Scoop the muffin mixture equally into the prepared cases and bake for 25 minutes until well risen and golden.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack and serve with a fresh cup of tea
