Tall, domed muffins bursting with blueberries and crowned with a crackly sugar crust, just like the ones at Boston’s Jordan Marsh.
First comes the sugar crust, crackling before it gives way to a tender, vanilla-scented crumb streaked with blue-violet. The blueberries are everywhere, soft and gently tart, and the golden dome nearly spills over the pan. This is the kind of muffin made for Sunday mornings, best eaten while still warm, with the sugary crust sticking just slightly to your fingers.
What is a blueberry muffin?
A blueberry muffin is a classic American individual cake made with baking powder, with a tender crumb and a lightly crisp top. This version, inspired by Boston’s Jordan Marsh department store, features a rich batter, plenty of fruit, and a dusting of sugar added just before baking. It belongs to the same family of soft breakfast treats as American pancakes.
The frozen blueberries are thawed before being folded in. Some are mashed to tint the batter blue-violet, while the rest are left whole. Butter adds flavor, while a vegetable fat such as shortening helps the muffins keep their beautifully domed shape.
Jordan Marsh muffins
This recipe comes from Boston’s Jordan Marsh department store, famous for its domed muffins and sugary crust. Their signature lies in a fruit-packed batter, a few mashed blueberries to tint the crumb, and a layer of sugar sprinkled on just before baking. One more detail : only 10 cups out of 12 are filled, which creates beautifully full domes.
The key ingredients
The batter uses two fats : unsalted butter for rich dairy flavor and vegetable shortening to help the muffins hold their shape. Sugar gives them color and tenderizes the crumb, the eggs bind and provide structure, and the vanilla rounds everything out while complementing the blueberries.
The flour blend determines the texture : cake flour for a fine crumb, and a higher-gluten flour to support the dome. Baking powder ensures a lofty rise, salt balances the flavors, and whole milk hydrates the batter. The thawed blueberries bring fruit, juice, and color.
The final touch makes all the difference : two tablespoons of sugar sprinkled over the tops before baking create the crunchy crust typical of Jordan Marsh muffins.
Texture and baking
Their generous size comes from the way the batter is portioned : only 10 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan are filled, creating tall, full domes. The baking is done in two stages, with an initial blast of high heat to kick-start the rise, followed by gentler heat to finish without drying out the crumb.
The blueberries need a little care : a small portion is mashed to color the batter, while the rest is drained of some of its juice, then tossed with a little flour before being folded in so the berries don’t sink to the bottom. Mix the batter just until uniform, no more, or the muffins will turn dense.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 200 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 375 g frozen blueberries thawed
- 120 g cake flour
- 130 g bread flour
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 120 ml whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar for topping
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C with the rack in the center.
- Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin, lining only 10 cups; grease the top of the pan and add paper liners.
- Cream the butter and vegetable shortening with the paddle attachment for 1 minute.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- Add the sugar and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute.200 g sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, then beat for about 2 minutes 30 seconds to incorporate air.2 eggs
- Add the vanilla extract and beat briefly.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Set aside about 75 g of the blueberries, crush them, and reserve.375 g frozen blueberries
- Pour off some of the juice released by the remaining blueberries, about 60 ml, leaving a little behind.
- Sprinkle the whole blueberries with 2 tablespoons of flour taken from the mixture, then toss to coat.120 g cake flour
- Combine the two flours, the salt, and the baking powder.130 g bread flour, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, with the mixer running, mixing just until incorporated.120 ml whole milk
- With the mixer off, fold in the crushed blueberries, then the whole blueberries with their juice.
- Divide the batter among the 10 cups using an ice cream scoop, forming generously rounded tops.
- Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.2 tablespoons sugar
- Bake immediately for 5 minutes at 200°C.
- Reduce the temperature to 190°C and continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to overbake.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- Carefully loosen the muffins from the pan.
