Recipe of the Week: Scrumptious Blueberry Muffins

It's blueberry picking time here in the midsouth.  I'm still debating on whether to pick-my-own this year or just buy some locally grown berries at the farmers' market and freeze them to use this winter.  But either way, this recipe is a sure-fire hit for enjoying fresh or frozen blueberries year-round.

Scrumptious Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (or one 12-ounce bag frozen - do not thaw!)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
Heat oven to 375.  Grease muffin pans or line with silicon or paper liners.

In medium-size bowl, whip butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat and cream.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla, baking powder and salt.  Remove from mixer and use a rubber bowl scraper or spatula to fold in half the flour, then half the milk, then the remaining flour and milk, just until mixed together.  Add berries last, stirring only enough to mix them through.  Batter will be very thick.  Spoon into muffin pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when touched.

Makes 12 large muffins or 24 mini-muffins.

Note: The muffins can also be frozen before baking (use paper liners and place muffin pans in freezer until frozen.  Remove frozen muffins from the pans and store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.  When baking frozen muffins, add an extra 5 minutes or to the baking time.  The frozen muffins have been a great treat on Sundays - I can pop a pan-ful in the oven while everyone is getting up and around, and have hot, fresh, "from-scratch" muffins on the table with no prep time or mess to clean up afterwards.