I used to call this my favorite blueberry muffin recipe, but since posting I've tried so many other blueberry muffins I'll say it's now among my favorites. Also known as Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins, key attributes to the recipe are that the butter is creamed with the sugar, ½ cup cup of the berries are crushed, and the muffins are baked at 375F.
I was introduced to the recipe through Nick Malgieri's How to Bake, back when I was just learning how to make good muffins. Like everyone else, I modified it through the years using ingredients on hand and swapping milk for buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. But even the smallest substitutions can change the whole muffin. I wanted to get back to the original department store recipe.
The Original Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
Thanks to this old video, I did. Hopefully the link will continue to work, but in this video retired Jordan Marsh pastry chef, John Pupek, share secrets to making the original Jordan Marsh recipe. The video is amusing because Mr. Pupek reveals more secrets than the home version provides like "cream the sugar with the shortening, use fortified eggs and add gradually" while the recipe given with the story is geared for home bakers using butter and regular whole eggs.
My Five Tips for the Jordan Marsh Muffins
You'll get more tips from watching the short video, but here are mine from making the muffins over and over.
- One big tip that makes a difference is to use a mixture bread flour and pastry flour. The bread flour helps structure, the pastry flour helps with tenderness. Use 125 grams of each flour plus another tablespoon of flour to dust the berries.
- Drain the berries well before tossing with flour, especially if using thawed from frozen, as they are much juicier. Once drained, toss with an extra tablespoon of flour. This is in addition to the 250 grams.
- Cream the butter and sugar (or use half butter and half shortening) on low to medium low, don't overdo it.
- Since you're not using eggs out of a carton you can add room temperature whole eggs one at a time, but do it gently and stir in each egg before beating or crack them separately and add in increments if that's what you feel like doing. The point is to create a thin balloon-like sheath that expands with the heat without collapsing (thanks Chris Kimball). This is important for most cakes.
- Dust the tops with extra sugar. Use sparkling or regular sugar. The video shows some fancy commercial kitchen dusting sugar which they probably used along side their better tasting commercial kitchen shortening and pasteurized eggs from a carton.
Blueberry Muffins and Blue Batter
This recipe makes a pretty blue batter, and that will happen even if you flour your berries. What really matters is how well you drain the berries. Even though you crush ½ cup of berries into the batter, you want to get rid of some of that extra juice, otherwise it seeps into the batter and causes a steaming effect. So drain those berries and flour them to sop up any extra juice. Don't be alarmed at the blue batter. The muffins will bake up with a more natural looking crumb (pictured above) rather than like Grover from Sesame Street.
Recipe
Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries or thawed frozen berries
- 2 cups flour, half bread and half cake or pastry plus an extra tablespoon for the berries (250 grams plus an 10 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (10 ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt (2 ml)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter or shortening, softened (114 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature cracked and beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- ½ cup whole milk (110 grams)
- 1 tablespoon coarse or sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the top of a 12 cup muffin pan, focusing around the edges of each cup, then line the 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- Drain the berries very well, especially if using thawed from frozen.
- Mix the 2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in the eggs gradually, then beat in the vanilla.
- Scrape sides of bowl and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk stirring just until blended.
- Toss the berries with a generous tablespoon of flour, then crush ½ cup (skip if using frozen thawed) and mix in with the batter. Fold in remaining whole berries.
- Spoon batter into muffin pans, piling it to the top towards the middle, and sprinkle the tops with some extra sugar or sparkling sugar.
- Bake on center rack for 27-30 minutes or until muffins are set and lightly browned around edges. Let cool in cups for about 5 minutes then carefully remove.
Kathie says
just made these and they are wonderful! Big thumbs up from my taste testers at home.
Maybe The Daily Muffin 365 in the future : )
Kathie says
Just made these and they are WONDERFUL! Big thumbs up all around from my taste testers at home. Maybe The Daily Muffin 365 in the future!
Benny Crocker says
I tried these esp. after seeing the last 2 posts - drama!
I have tried many blueberry recipes and had settled on a "corn meal/lemon/bb" recipe as our favorite. I am now pleased to say this recipe is right up there - it is exactly as you describe.
Highly recommended from a guy who knows his bleuets.
I added a maple & cinnamon glaze to half and found them almost too sweet.
Thanks Anna.
Anna says
Hi Lise,
They do have a light texture, but they should be tight crumbed and delicate like a good cake. That may be the problem! If you're expecting a muffin texture, you may not like the light cakiness. I'll have to differ with you on the taste opinion. Mine tasted fabulous. With butter, fresh blueberries and vanilla, there's plenty of flavor. Maybe you're coming down with a cold.
lise says
I just finished making these muffins and I'm not impressed. They seem too light and lacking in any distinctive taste.
Marlisa says
Just made my second batch of these-- they are addictive! I've been using vanilla yogurt instead of plain because it was what I had around. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Carole Resnick says
I made these today, Tuesday, July 14. They baked in a few minutes less than stated time. Super moist. Will make again.
Katherine says
These turned out great with sour cream (light). I also added lemon zest. Thanks for the recipe!
Rachell says
Where can I get a recipe for those sausage and cheese muffins! My hubby and daughter would love them for breakfast. Going to try these as soon as I get some berries.
Anna says
Hmmmm. Sour cream has a lot more fat than yogurt, but it would probably work. The muffins would just be richer.
Katherine says
I just bought a 10 lb box of blueberries in Mighigan for $20! Needless to say... I need to start baking. Do you think you could substitute sour cream or greek style yogurt for the plain yogurt?
Anna says
Thanks for all the reviews! Love the feedback.
Martha, I was thinking lemon zest might be good, but I was out of lemons. Thanks for testing. Also, 99 cents a pint????? Wow! I don't think Austin will ever see blueberries that cheap. For us, $2.99 is a bargain.
Martha in KS says
I just made a double batch of blueberry muffins today - a day late, but fabulous! I added lemon zest & juice and it really brightens the flavors. I wanted a treat to take to some elderly relatives tomorrow, plus a few for my freezer. Blueberries are on sale here for $.99/pint. Wish I could "beam you up" a few pints. I froze 8 pints last week & will get more this week and try blueberry preserves.
Avanika (Yumsilicious Bakes) says
These look soo good! I had no idea it was National blueberry day. I posted one day early 🙁
Sue says
Hi Anna!
As soon as I saw this I knew I had enough of all of the ingredients to make a half batch. They are very good muffins! The texture is great!
Thanks!
sherri says
I just purchased fresh blueberries- I'll be trying these real soon!
snooky doodle says
these look so good. I love blueberry muffins. yumm
Michelle says
I'm still looking for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe, so I'll have to add this one to my want-to-try list! Glad to know it is your favorite!
Jane says
These sound delicious. I bet the yogurt gives it a great texture.
I had no idea it was National Blueberry Muffin Day. I made Blueberry Boy Bait this afternoon, I suppose that's close enough! 🙂
Carol A, says
Oh darn, what timing. Go ahead and delete these two, and I'll post something else. 🙂 I understand! Thanks, Anna.
Carol A, says
I'm LOLing at the "moist people", too! I just love fun typos! Please, Anna, don't change it!
The muffins look great. I am about to do my weekly (or so) muffin bake; I make a dozen blueberry-pumpkin-apple muffins and a dozen sausage-cheese for my husband. He eats one for breakfast and takes the other one to work for his break.
It's the one thing I do for him that makes me feel wifey; otherwise I'm pretty non-traditional. 🙂
Hope you're having a great weekend!