
Blueberry, lemon and buttermilk muffins
Blueberry season is clearly in full swing, with hundreds of punnets piled high in the shops anywhere you look. Because they are so fresh and cheap, I’ve been buying them non-stop for the last few weeks. In fact, there is exactly a kilogram of blueberries in my fridge right now. We popped blueberries straight into our mouths and layered in granola and yogurt parfaits. I have made blueberry compotes, cheesecake and tarts. They have been blitzed into smoothies and added to pancakes. At this point, my family probably has enough anti-oxidants in our bodies to tide us through the year. Everything that featured the super fruit has been delicious, but I must say that the best treat that has come out of this blueberry frenzy is surprisingly this no-frills muffin.
I can’t recall the last time I ate a store-bought blueberry muffin. Although I get tempted every time I walk past one, it always gets ousted by its fancier chunky dark chocolate chip counterpart. However, I started tinkering around with the idea of a lemon-scented, wholesome, moist bake, just bursting with blueberry goodness. It felt old-school. It felt right. I got to work pronto and within an hour, my hubby and I sat down to large batch of warm, fluffy, sweet muffins.
The tops were slightly crisp, the insides oh-so tender, and artistically streaked with purple. I adore how quickly the muffins came together (in just one mixing bowl), and of course how perfectly they went with our afternoon coffee. I couldn’t wait to have them again for breakfast the next morning. As my hubby gleefully gobbled his second one, which was still steaming inside by the way, he mumbled something about how I should continue making this until blueberry season ends. I concur.
The kids had one each for a snack when they came home from class that day. My son finished his so quickly, I couldn’t get a proper picture. My baby girl, who loves blueberries, took her time and savoured each bite, down to the last crumb. Watching my family enjoy the food I make is truly priceless. And for me, there is no greater reward.
Blueberry, lemon and buttermilk muffins
Makes 12-15 muffins
¾ cup demerara or white sugar
zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup (120 ml) canola oil
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk/milk/Greek yogurt
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour (I use wholewheat pastry flour, but you can use plain)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
250g fresh blueberries, washed (you can also use frozen- there’s no need to thaw them out)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Mix the lemon zest into the sugar, making sure the zest is well incorporated. Add the eggs, vanilla, canola oil and buttermilk. Whisk to combine.
Sift in salt, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. Fold in the blueberries and divide among muffin moulds.
Bake for 23-25-min, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
About Dawn Chia
Dawn, a lanky food-crazed lady, started out writing for lifestyle magazines, and later spent several years in banking. When not eating, she's cooking, reading about, hankering after, and writing about food. On her first date with her boyfriend (now husband), they dined at four restaurants across Singapore. He's gained 25lbs since, and their culinary escapades continue after welcoming two rotund angels. Dawn's committed to feeding them with the best, and creating lasting food memories and traditions for her family.





Yum..these look amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Most welcome, Lindsay! I hope you enjoy these.
Hi Dawn, thank you for the wonderful yummy recipe. Just made this last week n its was really moist n soft.