Mollie Bakes: The Favorite Blueberry Muffins
Despite having visited a Jordan Marsh department store long ago (they changed to Macy’s when I was young), I never got to enjoy one of their “signature” blueberry muffins. I know. Who sells blueberry muffins in a department store? Stores that have a top-floor dining room, of course.
Way back when, Jordan Marsh shoppers would visit the restaurant (cafe?) and enjoy these muffins with tea; relaxing with a snack before shopping again, I assume. Genius! I, too, am a fan of a mid-shopping snack break. Personally, I’m more of a lemonade girl than tea, but to each their own.
I have heard that these blueberry muffins were unlike any other. They have been deemed “the best” blueberry muffin by several family members as well as hordes of commenters online who frequently ate these muffins. So while I never got to enjoy the original, I fully support anyone who is a fan of a morning baked good that’s best enjoyed early and often. Muffins are marvelous. It’s a small cake you can eat for breakfast. What’s not to love?
Conveniently, New York Times Cooking published said blueberry muffin recipe and I immediately saved it to my recipe box (as it’s called on the app). The recipe is basic, very little instruction given, but the results are, indeed, magical. Yes, I baked them gluten free, but omg it was still one of the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever eaten. Seth ate three in one day. I nibbled away at the last one on a Monday morning, realizing I needed to bake off another dozen immediately.
I haven’t yet baked them again, I probably will this weekend, but in the meantime here are a few tips and tricks I’d love to share with you about baking this excellent blueberry muffin.
I’m salivating as I type so I think it’s time to get going (and baking). Questions or comments? Leave them below!
Recipe
I am providing three options as they are all extremely similar; a subscription is required to view the one from NYT.
Jordan Marshs Blueberry Muffins (via NYT Cooking) - this is the one I used.
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin (via NewEngland.com) - I’ve heard good reviews of this one.
Famous Department Store Blueberry Muffins (via King Arthur Baking) - I’d like to make this iteration as well.
Bake them gluten free
For all of my baking, I simply swap out the regular flour and use Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour. My other go-to is the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. Both are terrific and I’d use either one for this muffin recipe.
All other ingredients are good-to-go. My friendly reminder: always buy the highest-quality ingredients possible. Even for muffins! Get that good butter. Invest in the best vanilla. It makes a difference in the finished product in that it’s even more delicious.
Baking Tips + Tricks
Per usual, the unsalted butter needs to be room temperature / softened prior to use. In a pinch, I’d place it in a window for a few minutes that gets direct sunlight. Otherwise, remove it from the fridge a few hours in advance. I know, it’s tough to remember, but you need that softened butter! Also, yes please use unsalted butter. Recipe just says “butter,” but make sure it’s unsalted.
For milk, I always use whole milk for baking unless otherwise specified. I haven’t tried a non-dairy option in this recipe.
Don’t use frozen blueberries! Freshly washed, non-frozen blueberries. Recipe calls for two cups, but I didn’t measure mine too closely. I used a pint of berries, but could’ve used a few more. ;)
The dough will be fairly sticky and glob-like (even with the blueberries in it), but don’t worry! I think this is because of the GF flour. Fear not: the result will still be the correct texture and flavor. I was also very worried about the dough consistency, but my anxiety was subdued once I saw them baking perfectly in the oven.
When filling the cupcake liners in the (standard-size) baking tin, make sure to fill each one fully to the top with batter. These are supposed to be very big muffins once baked! I under-filled a couple of mine and they were the most-flat of the bunch. Not bad in terms of flavor, but their over-filled neighbors were much prettier out of the oven.
The recipe says to use three teaspoons of sugar to sprinkle on each muffin before baking. This is “enough,” but not really. The sugar, once baked, becomes crispy which is delicious. I’d add a couple extra teaspoons so that each muffin has more than enough.
Once again, I always start on the low-end for the baking time. While the recipe states “30-35 minutes,” I worried that range would ruin my muffins. I started with 25 minutes, which was definitely too little time, and then baked them minute-by-minute until they were perfect. The final time was approximately 30 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven. I’d rather bake them this way than assume they’ll need a lot of time and end up with a burnt muffin. Patience is a virtue when baking: fact.
Out of the oven, I let the muffins sit in the baking tin for around 15 minutes before removing and letting cool completely on a cooling rack. My goodness they smelled amazing. I’d recommend eating one as soon as possible - slice it in half and add pats of butter because that’s how they are truly the best. :)
The aroma of fresh-baked, hot blueberry muffins filling one’s kitchen is a gift. I strongly recommend baking these muffins and letting that scent, which reminds me of weekends, lazy summer days, and family, take over your home. I hope it brings you joy. And a dozen delicious muffins.
Enjoy!
