Blackberry Corn Muffins

One summer long ago, I tried a blackberry. The sun was setting and the lightning bugs were starting to flicker when I spied a small basket of them in my aunt's fridge. That first bite sparked a love affair with these midnight-hued berries. Naturally, I had to try the blackberry muffin recipe in Romney Steele's beautiful book, Plum Gorgeous.

The juicy blackberry and cornmeal combination makes these darlin' little muffins just delicious!  The flavors play off each other so well. The muffins are very moist, with a lovely cornmeal crumb. It's impossible to resist eating one while it's still piping hot and fresh out of the oven. Nothing beats blackberry muffins made from scratch. Brew some coffee or tea and enjoy!

 

Blackberry Corn Muffin Recipe

Makes 10 Muffins

Some Notes & Tips:

I riffed on Romney Steel's Blackberry Polenta Muffins, changing up some of the ingredients.

You can use regular milk or unsweetened coconut milk beverage in this recipe.

Sometimes laziness takes over and I mix everything in one bowl.  It works out just fine.

Freeze fresh berries, separated on a tray, so they don't drip to the bottom of the muffins when cooking. (A great tip from Romney's book!)

Swap the blackberries for raspberries if that's what you'd prefer.

If you want to eat them the day after they're made, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and pop them in the microwave to warm. We enjoy them for several days this way.

I love a hot cup of French press brewed coffee with these muffins. I also enjoy a good cuppa tea. My favorite tea is Grand Yunnan Imperial from the wonderful Palais Des Thes Company. The tea has subtle honey overtones. It's wonderful with the muffins. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of cornmeal. I use Quaker brand.
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 2/3 cup brown sugar. I use Florida Crystals Organic Brown Sugar.
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt. I use fine sea salt.
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1/3 cup of sunflower or other vegetable oil
• 1 cup of fresh blackberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Liberally grease 10 cups of a standard muffin tin.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk the eggs, milk and oil in a separate bowl. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry. Fold in the berries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 15-18 minutes.

Bon Appetit!