Heidelbeer-Brombeer-Muffins (blueberry blackberry muffins)
Tender muffins studded with blueberries and blackberries, the batter mixed only until just combined rather than beaten smooth, since overworking a muffin batter develops gluten that makes the crumb tough and rubbery instead of light. Tossing the berries in a little flour before folding them in is what keeps them suspended through the batter instead of all sinking to the bottom during baking.
Prep15 min
Cook25 min
Servings4
Christoph's blueberry blackberry muffins, the berries tossed in flour so they don't all sink during baking.
Ingredients
Written for a 7 cm round tin
Units
Temperature
Servings
Muffins
- 280 g flour rounded
- 10 g baking powder rounded
- 3 g fine salt rounded
- 140 g sugar rounded
- 2 eggs rounded
- 120 ml neutral oil rounded
- 200 ml milk rounded
- 100 g blueberries rounded
- 100 g blackberries, halved if large rounded
- 15 g flour, for tossing the berries rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until combined. Whisk in the oil, then the milk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold together with a spatula until just combined, with a few streaks of flour still visible; do not overmix.
- Toss the blueberries and blackberries with the extra flour, then fold gently into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cases. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed.
Notes
- Mix the batter only until just combined. A few streaks of flour left in the batter are fine and even preferred; overmixing develops gluten, which makes muffins tough and rubbery instead of tender.
- Toss the berries in flour before folding them in. The flour coating helps them grip the batter instead of sinking straight to the bottom as the muffins bake.
- Fold the berries in gently, at the very end. Overworking the batter once the berries are in can bruise them and streak the whole batter purple.
- They keep for 3 days at room temperature in an airtight container, and freeze well for months.
Ingredient substitutions
- Blueberries and blackberries can be any mix of soft summer berries, fresh or frozen (add frozen berries straight from the freezer without thawing).
- A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top before baking gives a nice crunchy crust.
- A little lemon zest in the batter brightens the berry flavour.
From Christoph Mayer