Blue Raspberry Muffins

These are a few of my favorite things...Right Now! 

Favorite Song right now...Don't think twice, It's all right by Bob Dylan.

Favorite Drink right now...Vodka Gimlet

Favorite Day of the week right now...Sunday

Favorite Book right now...Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

Favorite Piece of clothing right now...Milken Maxi Dress

 Those are some of my favorite things right now. I always seem to have a new favorite thing. You know how that goes. I mean I was recently obsessed with listening to Kinks albums and eating everything with avocado. But after baking today...I think berries are going to be my new favorite thing. 

They are in season, which of course makes them taste really, really, really good. I think I hated blueberries when I was little. I am not sure why. Maybe I had some bad blueberry pancakes or something. And that is the worst thing you can do is try something once and then never eat it again. This is so terribly wrong to do. I mean I say at least try something three times (preferable three different ways) before you pass real judgement and forego entirely. 

 These muffins turned out really well and I think it was the extra step of rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar. It took a very ordinary berry muffin and brightened the flavor. If you like super sweet muffins you  may want to add more sugar. But I like a muffin that is slightly sweet and buttery. 

Enjoy these over your morning cup of coffee or tea. Or perhaps on a sunny afternoon (this is my plan). Oh and you will be in love with the smell that will fill your kitchen when these are baking. This recipe should make 10-12 regular muffins but I had these great baking cups (no muffin pan needed) so I got about 7 medium sized ones. You may be able to get 4-5 giant muffins as well. 

Blue Raspberry Muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 stick of unsalted butter, chilled

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

zest of one lemon

2 cups, fresh or frozen mixed blueberries and raspberries (do not defrost if frozen)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Zest your lemon and then in a small bowl work the lemon zest into the sugar. You will notice the sugar will begin to come together slightly and it will be quite fragrant. Set aside. 

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium sized bowl. Now mix in the lemon sugar into the flour. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or in your stand mixture until you have pea-sized bits of butter. 

Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. The batter should be lumpy. 

Take your berries and toss them in a separate bowl with just a little flour. Then fold into your batter. Fill your muffin cups about 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned and spring bake when you touch the tops of them. About 15 minutes.