4/100: Sunday (muf)Funday!

Hey everyone!

This past Sunday I decided my goal was to, again, make the perfect muffin. So, I did what I do any time I want to bake something: 1) google "blueberry muffin" 2) click on the first link. This recipe's first link? A New York Times Cooking recipe! I can't tell you how many times New York Times Cooking recipes have been suggested to me, so when the first link I clicked was a New York Times Cooking recipe (you'd think I was getting paid royalties for this) no questions were asked: I knew this was the recipe. Yesterday I made Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins.

I went over to my dad's because I hadn't seen him since before Christmas. New Year, same dad! I always enjoy spending time with my dad. Very often we try on each others' hobbies when we get together (really, my whole family is like this and I appreciate it so much!). I'll suggest hitting golf balls, my dad will suggest whatever hobby or feat I've taken to at the time: string art, board games, tennis. It's a great way to support each other doing what we love and this weekend was no different. My dad invited me over and, with knowledge about the advent of my new resolution, suggested baking. It was an offer I couldn't refuse, especially because my dad and I have baked many an incredible thing together when I was in high school when my baking was in full swell.

I put together all of the ingredients and we noticed that we didn't have any vanilla. Well, my dad had "imitation vanilla" (who knew vanilla was so fancy it had its own mimics!), but once he heard this picture was going on the blog, he insisted we get the right thing. So, we made a little stop at Lucky's and then I had all of the right ingredients:

Honestly, this recipe was really really easy. You basically cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla, add the dry ingredients and you're basically done. These were blueberry muffins, and adding the blueberries was definitely the most exciting and technical part. First off, I will have you know that I taste tested the blueberries at trader joes to find the most perfect one: firm and tart, however these were ginormous. I was a little hesitant about the size (NYTimes did not specify blueberry size), but I decided flavor trumped size and moved forward. You eventually use two cups of blueberries. Of the two cups, half a cup will go into a bowl and you'll use a fork and crush them up. You'll add the crushed blueberries to the batter and mix it in with the mixer and paddle.

Crushed blueberries going into the batter!

I actually think this is a genius idea because a delicate blueberry swirl will be laced throughout the entire batter. So you'll taste blueberry even without hitting a blueberry! Perfect. You'll add the rest of the blueberries and fold them in to avoid crushing the remaining blueberries. Honestly, these muffins looked SO good that I forgot to take pictures of them. I simply aliquoted them into the muffin tin, sprinkled sugar on the top of the unbaked muffin batter, and slotted them into the oven!

They DEFINITELY passed the batter test

The result? Well, pictures speak louder than words!

Perfect, brown, crispy muffin tops. Hardened with a sugar shell... YUM!

My insta shot. Follow me there if you don't, yet! @casavantium

These blueberry muffins were SO good and SO blueberry-y that after my dad and I taste-tested one (we split it and cheers-ed on the muffin, it was fantastic) we took pictures and neither of us even noticed that I had blueberry on my lip. Heads up next time, maybe, dad? Haha

Caught blueberry-lipped. Yes, I am guilty of eating the yummiest blueberry muffin in history

These blueberry muffins went like hot cakes. The moment I got home my roommates gobbled them up. You know something is good when the moment you finish one muffin, you want a second. Or as Kiley, my roommate, says it: you lose all self-control. These muffins absolutely inspired complete lack of will power. That said, I highly recommend making this recipe. It's ridiculously easy and a total crowd pleaser. If I had to make one suggestion, it'd be to double the recipe!

This blog is totally working. On Saturday I could tell that I was getting the baking itch: I wanted to bake something, and now! I held out until Sunday to bake with my dad, but I can see that baking is something I am really turning to for joy. It's a great feeling to set out and make something new twice a week. I can plan it, talk about it with my friends and you, anticipate the bake, and enjoy the fruits of my labor by sharing it with everyone. Taking out all of the ingredients no longer feels like a chore, and I'm even starting to recognize teaspoon/tablespoon and all of the intermediate measures on sight! It's a great feeling to become more adept at something and I am excited for how many more bakes I have to grow and perfect this skill!

I've already started on the next bake: Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies! They're currently cooling in the fridge overnight, and I'll bake them and write a blog post tomorrow night!  The recipe was a suggestion by my friend Vy. Speaking of which, I've been loving all of these recipe suggestions people have been whispering into my ear in real life- definitely keep them coming!