Out of all the great-looking recipes in this month's
Bon Appetit, these muffins were the ones that grabbed me the most. I just love the balance of sweet, tangy fruit and earthy herbs like thyme. These muffins were specifically created by
Chef Elizabeth Belkind as a coffee-pairing treat. Double score! I mean, one of the only things better than that morning cup of coffee is enjoying the coffee with a yummy treat. What a delicious start to the day.
**Note: This recipe can be made in large paper baking cups like
these. I made these the morning after I got my magazine, so I didn't have time to go to the baking supply store for them. I've noted baking times (which are longer than typical muffins) for larger cups and standard-sized muffins in this post.
Blackberry, Lemon, and Thyme Muffins
from Bon Appetit, March 2012
Ingredients:
For the crumble:
1
c.
cake flour
1/4
c.
sugar
1
tsp.
chopped fresh thyme
1/2
tsp.
baking powder
1/2
tsp. Kosher salt
6 TBSP
(3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-in. cubes
1
large egg yolk
For the muffins:
1 c.
plus 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1
c.
cake flour
1
tsp.
baking powder
3/4
tsp.
baking soda
1
tsp.
kosher salt
1/2
c.
(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar (I only used 3/4 c. and found the muffins plenty sweet)
2
large eggs
1
tsp.
vanilla extract
1
c.
buttermilk
2 TBSP
finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2
c.
fresh (or frozen, thawed, drained) blackberries (about 6 oz.), halved lengthwise
1
tsp.
chopped fresh thyme
Directions:
1. To make the crumble, whisk the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in butter until pea-size lumps
form. Add egg yolk then stir to evenly distribute and form moist clumps.
(Crumble should resemble a mixture of pebbles and sand.) Chill for at
least 1 hour. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. If making
standard-size muffins, line 16 wells of a muffin tin with paper liners.
3. Whisk 1
c. all-purpose flour and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using an
electric mixer, beat butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add
sugar and continue to beat until well incorporated, 2–3 minutes longer.
4. Whisk eggs and vanilla in a small bowl to blend; gradually beat into
butter mixture. Continue beating until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes.
Combine buttermilk and lemon zest in a small bowl; gradually beat into
butter mixture. Add dry ingredients and beat until just to blended (do not
overmix).
5. Toss blackberries and thyme
with 2 Tbsp. flour in another small bowl; fold into batter, gently
crushing berries slightly to release some juices. Divide between prepared muffin cups or, if using large paper molds, spoon in about 2/3 cup
batter. Top each large muffin with 2 TBSP crumble or each small muffin
with 1 rounded TBSP crumble.
6. Bake until tops are golden
brown and a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, about 40 minutes for standard-size muffins or 50
minutes for large muffins. Let
cool in pan 15-20 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to
continue cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be kept in an airtight container for one additional day.
