Still in search of the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. (Attempts I and III can be found here and here.) This recipe was published in Redbook in 1988. It seems to be attributed to a cafe called Helen's in Machias, Maine. While there is (and was, since 1950) a Helen's Restaurant on the outskirts of Machias, it's not currently open for breakfast and doesn't have muffins anywhere on the menu. Perhaps they're served on the side with a main course, or perhaps hours have changed. (They do incorporate blueberries into their dishes in creative ways, and I'd love to try their wild blueberry pie!) The sign outside the restaurant reads, "Restaurant • Bakery", but the bakery appears to serve only desserts.
To make six muffins, here's what I used:
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/6 cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Heat oven to 400F. Grease 6 muffin tins. Toss blueberries with 1/2 tablespoon of the flour in a small bowl; set aside. Sift remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat egg, milk, and melted butter in a glass measuring cup, then stir into the flour mixture only until just blended. (Batter will be stiff.) Fold in floured blueberries as you stir. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until lightly browned and a sharp knife inserted in muffin comes out clean.
Conclusion: This is a high contender, but not quite there yet. These are only mildly sweet, and not as cakey as I want, but very good. They could use more salt, or okay as is as long as you're eating them with salted butter. I probably would like them just a little sweeter as well.
Recipe: Maine Blueberry Muffins via Redbook, March 1988
