Blueberry and Cream Cheese Muffins, You're Welcome

 

No, I did not make this recipe up, though I wish I had. But making up recipes is not high on my list of priorities in this stage of my life, so I like the tried-and-true ones for now. I discovered this gem in my June 2012 issue of Glamour magazine. And for the record, I stopped loving that magazine a long time ago, but I think I was subscribed for like three more years, so I still get it. It used to be interesting, now it's just offensive and pointlessly risque. But I flip through it anyway, and good thing I did!

I have found that fashion and home magazines usually have really good recipes when they're doing a piece about an up-and-coming blogger, or chef, or cookbook author, because that person is trying to hook you with that one recipe. I always like to try those recipes out, and they're usually winners. People ask me where I find my recipes, and it's kind of crazy how many of them I get from random magazines. This one is from Jane Hornby, a London food writer who's promoting her new book.

Anyhow, these muffins have a really good texture, almost like a scone, which I really, really like. Some muffins just taste like bread in a paper liner. Not these--they are bursting with flavor. They can also be made with other fruits such as peaches or plums or even raspberries, but I haven't gotten that far yet. I've made these a couple times with blueberries, which is delish with the cream cheese in there. I doubled the amount of blueberries, just because, in my opinion, they make the muffin. And they're not very sweet, so if that's what you're going for, add in another half cup of sugar, especially if your blueberries are very tart. Another thing I love? You don't have to drag out the mixer for these! How easy can they get?

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Muffins

7 tbs. unsalted butter

3 tbs. vegetable oil

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tsp. vanilla

3 large eggs

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs. baking powder

1 cup superfine baking sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

6 oz. blueberries (I used an 11 oz. package)

4 oz. cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line two muffin pans with liners.

Melt butter in a medium pan over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in oil, yogurt, vanilla and eggs. Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl, stir in sugar and salt, then make a well in the middle.

Pour warm yogurt mixture into flour well and lightly fold the dry ingredients into the wet using a rubber spatula until the mixture has just come together. Pour in the blueberries and stir until just combined.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared baking cups, then dot about a 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese on top of each muffin cup. Add remaining batter, then add another 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese on top.

Bake muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

Makes 24 muffins.

*I found the batter too sticky to be able to layer it with the cream cheese twice like the recipe says, so I just added a dollop in between the top and bottom layers of batter. It might even be better this way, because the cream cheese stays moist.

xoxo,

Tanya