Spoonful #55: The BEST Blueberry and Raspberry Muffins

In honor of A Spoonful of Grammar's 1st anniversary, I'm pleased to share the recipe for the BEST blueberry and raspberry muffins I've ever tasted. This recipe hails from the Captain Lord Mansion, a luxurious B&B in Kennebunkport Maine. It makes 12 muffins that will be gobbled in a flash. Make sure you check out my time-saving tip!!

Set oven to 375 degrees
Line or butter your regular-sized muffin tin

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soften margarine or vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I use 2%)
2 cups flour
​2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh blueberries or raspberries (or a combination of both)

Directions:
1) With an electric mixer, cream margarine and sugar together
2) Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk
3) In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
4) Stir the egg mixture into the flour until all ingredients are moist
5) Fold blueberries or raspberries in by hand. Be gentle with this last step, especially if using raspberries. 
6) Butter muffin tin or use paper liners.
7) Fill muffin tin, making sure each spot is filled to the top.
8) Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a little sugar before baking. 
9) Bake for 28 minutes or until tops are golden brown
10) Serve warm and enjoy!

Time-saving tip: 
For my latest batch, I only had vegetable oil on hand and the muffins came out great! The beauty of using oil is that you can easily and quickly mix all the ingredients together by hand. I still recommend folding in the berries last, especially with delicate raspberries.

What makes this recipe so special? 
Cinnamon is the magic ingredient here - it makes the muffins smell and taste divine!! And the sprinkling of sugar before baking provides a satisfying crunch. 

Can you substitute frozen berries?
If you rinse and dry them so they aren't syrupy, they will probably work. If that's all you have on hand, give it a try! Though I haven't tried it, I imagine you could also substitute chocolate chips! 

These muffins are special enough for celebratory brunches and easy enough for every day. Especially when home with our families during this unsettling time, this recipe is a wonderful way to soothe bellies and souls. Have fun baking and please stay warm, healthy, and safe!

Sincerely,

​Laura Fineberg Cooper
A Spoonful of Grammar

---