Baking Day - Blackberry, Bueberry Muffins

One of my cousins, whom is really more like a best friend, called this morning to let me know she needed to get out of the house, and was on her way over for tea. I've been trying to not keep anything too sweet around, because it's a major weakness of mine, so I thought I would whip up a batch of my go-to muffins. They're easy, they're quick and most importantly, they're delicious!

Blackberry, Blueberry Muffins

[adapted from Martha Stewart's Basic Muffin Recipe]

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

1 stick (1/2 c.) of butter, softened

1 1/4 cup of sugar

2 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

2 cups of berries

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with large baking liners. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In your mixer, on medium high, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar together. Add one egg at a time and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add milk and mix until incorporated and then final amount of flour mixture. Mix only until just combined.

In the small bowl from the flour mixture, add berries and toss with a good sprinkling of flour. Fold into the batter and divide evenly, with an ice cream scoop, among the cups. In a remakin, mix remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with nutmeg. Generously sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate, and the finish baking for another 15 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and the transfer to a wire rack.

Coating the berries with flour will keep them suspended in the batter so they won't sink to the bottom. I use 3 parts blueberries to 1 part blackberries but you can use 2 cups of whichever. Or, switch it up and use cranberries or cherries or raspberries. If you're going to try raspberries, switch out the nutmeg for some fresh ground cinnamon. Or, with cranberries, through in some freshly grated lemon zest.

Doesn't the batter look divine? I really only use the blackberries because they streak the batter with pretty pinkish swirls.

The nutmeg adds an earthiness to the muffins, which compliments the blueberries perfectly. Plus, the muffin tops are better with a sugary crunch and they look more rustic.

For an extra special treat, I like to have one warm with a cup of Earl Grey tea. I use the remaining nutmeg and sugar mix instead of plain sugar, which tastes so delicious in the tea!