Ingredients for Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins, by Ann Hood

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar, plus 2 teaspoons for the muffins’ tops
2 eggs
2 cups flour (unsifted, an equal blend of regular and pastry flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups blueberries
2 teaspoons Manion’s Vanilla
1 Tablespoon Manion’s Vanilla Sugar or other sugar for pre bake dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. On low speed, cream the butter with the sugar until it’s fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until blended.
4. Sift the dry ingredients; add the eggs -and-butter mixture, alternating with the milk.
5. Mash 1/2 cup blueberries and stir into the mixture by hand.
6. Add the rest of the berries whole and stir by hand.
7. Using Baker’s Joy, spray a muffin tin liberally.
8. Pile the mixture high in each muffin cup and sprinkle sugar over their tops.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.

Many people ask if you can skip vanilla extract in baking anything, including Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins. The answer is no. In order to make this recipe perfectly, you need a generous amount of vanilla extract in order to enhance the flavor of the blueberries.

A tip when making these muffins, or any muffin recipe, is that you do not want to over stir them. I learned this in a food chemistry class in college. When you over stir a muffin batter, you change its texture and cause them to rise unevenly. If you want your Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins to have those golden rounded tops that shimmer with sugar, be sure not to over stir your batter!