KAF Blueberry Muffins

Although I didn't sleep much last night, I still woke up happy. Yesterday was a great day.
I took my husband to Ikea. This probably doesn't sound like a banner experience for your average person. For someone who spends the better part of their free time in the kitchen, I have strong feelings of hatred towards it (it being my kitchen, not Ikea.) It is from the Early/Mid 90s, and the cabinets are oakey and ugly. They don't have knobs or pulls, they are permanently sticky from previous owners, they are removing themselves from the wall at rapidly increasing speeds, and the countertop is a horrible green marble formica that is cracked (again, previous owners), AND doesn't have a backsplash. I saw all this when we bought the house, but thought "SOMEDAY I will fix this kitchen" but haven't, for the year we've been here, been able to fully convince hubby that this was a good idea.
Yesterday, it clicked. If I am going to Ikea on my own, I typically breeze through the showroom, as it doesn't often change and the REAL shopping is at the marketplace. Yesterday, I took care to meander, oohing and ahhing at the kitchens, which are completely my style (I love modern things, did you know?) and are an appropriate do-it-yourself sort of project for a young married couple. Hubby Liked. He loved how he couldn't slam the cabinets and drawers - they closed themselves. He loved the granite-alternative counter substances. He loved the tile blacksplashes (MUSIC TO MY EARSSSS)...it was just all magical. Having a husband who *enjoys* the Ikea experience is key. Say what you will about Ikea, but I love it. And not ALL of it is fallaparticleboard, and the stuff that is serves its purpose for the length of time that it needs to as long as you build it properly. And now, we are seriously considering re-doing the kitchen this winter. I vote for double wall ovens and a central built-in Island with a cooktop!!! !!! !!!! ;)
Plus, he said I could get this apron, which I love. Do either of us need permission to buy ourselves presents? No. Does it make it more fun if we have it? Yes. :)

(Photo courtesy ikea.com)

So there is the explanation for the good mood, and besides that, I needed to *test out* my new apron. I decided it was a good morning to try a competing blueberry muffin recipe. I have a little bakers' crush on King Arthur Flour right now, so I went with their KAF GUARANTEED Blueberry Muffins.

A nice, thick batter...

Blueberry Muffins
from King Arthur Flour
Ingredient Section

• 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used reduced fat sour cream)
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (I used frozen maine blueberries)
• coarse white sparkling sugar for garnish (optional)

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with papers, and grease the papers. (I didn't grease the papers...it worked out fine.) 2) In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside. 3) In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand-held or stand mixer, until light, fluffy, and almost white in color. Start the mixer at low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, then gradually increase speed to medium-high until the desired color and texture are reached. 4) Scrape down the bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 5) Add the vanilla and sour cream or yogurt, and mix until incorporated. 6) Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth. It will be thick. 7) Fold in the berries by hand. 8) Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, using a heaping 1/4-cup for each. Sprinkle with regular granulated or coarse white sugar, if desired. 9) Bake the muffins for 18 to 24 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Remove them from the oven, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan to finish cooling on a rack. So I decided this was an awesome recipe as soon as I got to the ingredients list and it said: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. In only 12 muffins?! Look at all that vanilla. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh I love it. (Compared to the 0 teaspoons of vanilla in the last recipe of blueberry muffins that I made...) Yes, they have a bluish tinge...do I care? No, I do not. In fact, I like it that way. After actually MAKING and eating the muffins, the verdict is: they are Awesome. I might not ever try another bluberry muffin recipe as long as I live. And if you have the big sanding sugar crystals to put on top of the muffins, they are all the better. They are almost like a cake, they are so good. And I ate 9/12 of them, so I would know. (Hubby liked them, but he was in a "donut from a bag" kind of mood...so be it. I loved having the muffins all to myself. :) So enjoy your muffins, and happy baking!