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Blueberry Muffins (Blueberry Compôte)

blueberrymuffinsblueberycompoteThese buttermilk blueberry muffins are moist and tender, filled with fresh blueberries and topped with a vibrant blueberry compôte to deliver maximum blueberry flavour. We top each muffin with a sprinkle of sugar in the raw to give some sweetness and subtle crunch to the tops.

2 cups fresh blueberries
2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
1 cup + 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. raw sugar

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Spray muffin tin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small saucepan add 1 cup of blueberries and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Simmer. As you're stirring, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the berries. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

In a medium size bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the remaining 1 cup of blueberries to the flour mixture, toss to coat. Set aside.

In another medium size bowl whisk the remaining 1 cup of sugar and the eggs for 1 minute. Add the butter and oil whisking to combine. Finally, whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the flour and blueberry mixture. Use a spatula to mix everything together. Don't overmix.

Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin tins. Fill each muffin tin ¾ full, or pretty close to the top of the muffin tin.

Spoon 1 tsp. of the cooked blueberry mixture into each muffin tin. Use the prongs of a fork or a chopstick to swirl the blueberry mixture into each muffin tin. Sprinkle each muffin with 1 tsp. of sugar in the raw.

Bake for 16-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the muffins cool for 3-5 minutes and then remove the muffins from the tin and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 14 muffins.

Cook's Notes:

  • This blueberry compote is exactly that, a compote. So yes, there will be some chunks of blueberries. But as the blueberries cook they will break down and some may even pop as they cook. This compôte isn't overly sweet. Feel free to add an additional teaspoon of sugar to sweeten it up.
  • Toss the blueberries in flour to prevent them from falling to the bottom of the batter while baking.
  • Mix the muffin batter until you can no longer see streaks of flour. Some lumps in the batter are OK. It's best to refrain from over mixing muffin batter; over mixing can cause tough, sometimes gummy, and overly chewy muffins.

Variations: You can use different berries other than blueberries to make this recipe. Huckleberries work beautifully, as do raspberries.