Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

• Recipe by Linda Greenlaw and Martha Greenlaw

Diana laughs when asked if she bakes with Isle au Haut's tiny, intensely sweet-tart blueberries: "The wild turkeys and deer get them long before I do," she says. Instead, she makes these tender, citrusy muffins using top-quality frozen berries from a mainland grower: "By the time fresh blueberries make it to the island they're nothing but mush." Using frozen berries makes the batter incredibly thick and keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the pan. Of course, the muffins are fantastic with fresh blueberries as well.

Ingredients

1. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3. 2 teaspoons baking powder
4. 3/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1 cup blueberries
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1/2 cup milk
8. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
9. Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
10. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the blueberries. In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, oil and lemon zest, then whisk in the lemon juice. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until blended; do not overmix.
2. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins stand in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead

Once thoroughly cooled, the muffins can be kept overnight in an airtight container.