I recently listened to a Radiolab podcast during which Robert Krulwich interviewed Brian Greene, a physics and mathematics professor and director of the Institute of Strings, Cosmology, and Astroparticle Physics at Columbia University, about his theory that there are an infinite number of universes. He describes the universes as being like the air bubbles in a piece of swiss cheese, however the cheesy space between the infinite number of bubbles is expanding so quickly that it’s impossible to traverse. There’s also a big point about how because there’s a finite number of ways molecules can be arranged, there is an infinite number of universes exactly like ours, therefore exact copies of each and every one of us out there, but I digress.
The swiss cheese in this simile could easily be replaced with a blueberry muffin, as I often feel like the cakey space between the deep purple pockets of blueberries goes on far too long. My answer to this dilemma is a recipe for Extreme Blueberry Muffins: where extreme meets blueberry. It’s a recipe for those who love muffins, but use them as a vehicle for fruit.
This recipe is adapted from one by Alton Brown that uses no butter, but does use yogurt. The result is a very light muffin that has just the right amount of sweetness. I should also note that it’s not the most beautiful muffin, but it tastes great.
Extreme Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Alton Brown
Yields 12 muffins
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-Heavy pinch salt
-1 cup sugar
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1 egg
-1 cup yogurt
-2 cups fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 380 degrees F.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients reserving 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss with the blueberries. Stir mixture for a count of 10. Add 1 1/2 cups blueberries to mixture and stir 3 more times. Reserve the 1/2 cup of blueberries.
Add the mixture to greased muffin pans (Mo note: I recommend not using the muffin cups if you want to have the whole muffin be slightly crispy). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of berries on top of muffins and press down lightly. Place into the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and turn out, upside down on tea towel or paper towel to cool completely (Mo note: Because of the amount of blueberries in each muffin, they will be fragile until fully cooled. Turn out with caution). Serve immediately or store in airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
