As soon as upon a time, I spent roughly an entire summer time making blueberry muffins, gripped with an obsession (that may be worrisome wherever however this web page) to make what I hoped can be the final blueberry muffin recipe we’d ever want. You’d assume in spite of everything that that the trail to those raspberry muffins can be less complicated, nevertheless it took 5 raspberry seasons to get right here.
A really logical query you’re about to ask is: Why not simply swap the blueberries in your blueberry muffins with raspberries? And the reply is that whereas it really works, they’re not dangerous in any respect, they’re simply not the raspberry muffin I dreamed of. These are they usually’re completely good: hefty, moist, lemony, not too candy, and completely tie-dyed with a constellation of raspberries inside. I believe they may be one of the best muffins I’ve ever made. Right here’s what I’ve realized alongside the best way:
Raspberries: Let me simply get this out of the best way: The right amount of raspberries for six muffins is half a pound, or about 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cups. It is a greater berry focus than the blueberry muffins. Raspberries aren’t blueberries; they spill much less into the batter round them so that you want extra to get the precise oomph.
Frozen raspberries: As a result of contemporary raspberries will be notably dear, reasonably than let you know “go for it!” should you needed to make use of frozen raspberries as an alternative, I developed these with them. This was the shock: Frozen raspberries work even higher right here. As a result of we stir them in nonetheless frozen, they don’t get juicy till they’re baked so you find yourself with a thicker muffin batter that domes greater and spreads much less. “However I simply went raspberry selecting!” First, I’m jealous. Second, sure, you possibly can nonetheless use them right here, simply remember the fact that the muffins will be flatter.
Dimension: On a rushed, distracted morning on the finish of the college 12 months, I spotted that should you unintentionally divide my Excellent Blueberry Muffin batter into 6 muffins as an alternative of the supposed 9, you get an much more towering, beneficiant, bakery-like muffin that feels each bit just like the present I’d supposed them to be for lecturers*. On this recipe, that dimension just isn’t an accident. It makes 6 and it’s simply doubled to make 12. The muffins clock in at 4 to five ounces every and greater than one-third that weight is from raspberries, however they’re made in a standard-sized tin. I instructed you they had been dreamy!
Streusel: I don’t make the principles of the universe; I can’t clarify to you why raspberry muffins want streusel however blueberry muffins don’t, however belief me that the streusel right here is nonnegotiable. But I detest making a muffin batter and scooping it out solely to appreciate I’ve one other step: making a “fast” streusel. In Smitten Kitchen Keepers’ Peach Crumb Muffins, I bumped into this as effectively nevertheless it gnawed at me that streusel is simply butter, sugar, and flour, proper? And that’s already within the batter? A little bit of math later, my resolution is to work the streusel step into the early a part of the batter, so whenever you’re carried out, you’re actually carried out.
* Talking of lecturers! The Smitten Kitchen Classroom Wishlist Undertaking 2023 is now reside! Within the US, an incredible variety of lecturers don’t get the funding they should set their school rooms up for achievement. Most will find yourself paying out of their very own pockets to purchase academic supplies, which feels all flawed and makes me unhappy. I’ve requested lecturers to ship me their wishlists in hopes that we might help clear as many as attainable, as we did final summer time. Assist out should you really feel you’re in a position — you’ll unquestionably make a trainer’s (and their college students’) day! [Project information. Direct link to spreadsheet.]
