Blueberry Beauties

Tick tock! With Spring making her grand entrance in Minnesota at 4:58 p.m. today, may as well stir up another batch of blueberry muffins to celebrate! Those pints of tiny blue beauties at the market sure are tempting…

Last time we made these tasty blueberry muffins, they were devoured and divvied up in a day. And, they feature a special Lutsen, MN ingredient. We’ll get there – stay with me here 😉

One quick pic from above, just to amp up the appetite-appeal on these PYTs. This blueberry muffin recipe is pretty straightforward – no surprise ingredients or tedious steps. They’re probably not considered a super healthy option; but they fit the bill for a grab-and-go snack or breakfast that is filling, delish and made with love. Even Evan and his friend Constance prepped a batch of these a few days ago – so fun to see them mixing and measuring in the kitchen!

Key indicator of a great recipe ⇑  This tattered print-out from Food.com, now Genius Kitchen, illustrates just how much we love this blueberry muffin recipe! I did a quick search, and here is the inspiration. You’ll see over time I’ve made a few adjustments along the way, swapping buttermilk for milk, cutting down on the sugar, and…including the flavorful Lutsen-made topper.

We visit Caribou Cream in Lutsen quite often to stock up on their delicious home-grown & harvested maple syrup. Their team was so kind to partner with us on a giveaway  last December, and we created this Caribou Cream-inspired granola recipe, in case you’re interested.  Herb, the “sapmaster” and CEO, was generous in letting us taste test his signature Maple Sugar blend!

These baked-with-love goodies would serve a skier well, after a day on the Lutsen Mountain slopes. Or after hiking the wondrous Superior Hiking Trail.

Without further adieu, and with Spring well on her way, time to bake!

Preheat oven to 375º. Dig out your 12-count muffin pan and add liners or lightly grease your pan. In one large bowl, mix the butter till creamy, then add the sugar and whip until fluffy.

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar

Add eggs one at a time, mix well. Then, add vanilla, baking powder and salt until combined.

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

With a spoon, mix in half the flour, stir well. Then, add 1/4 cup buttermilk and stir. Repeat adding the remaining flour and 1/4 buttermilk and stir to combine.  

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or milk; we use buttermilk when we have it on hand)

Fold in blueberries.

• 1 pint (approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

Top batter with a sprinkle of Caribou Cream Maple Sugar. Or make a blend of sugar and cinnamon or sugar and nutmeg by combining 1 tablespoon sugar with 1/4 teaspoon spice. Use this as your tasty topper.

Bake for 15 minutes. Check muffins, if they’re golden brown and springy to the touch, they’re done! Or, if they need a few more minutes, place back in oven and check every two minutes. 

Allow muffins to cool – and enjoy! 

If you try these, please let me know what you think! And, most of all, happy Spring! xo

This recipe, story and photos first appeared on From Lutsen with Love in March 2019. All reflections and images are my own.