Grammy's Wonderful Blueberry Muffins

My grandmother's blueberry muffin recipe card reads "Wonderful Blueberry Muffins" and they are wonderful.  Every time I eat one of Grammy’s muffins,  the happy memories they bring flood back.  Nearly every Sunday during the summer, my Grammy would get up early and bake blueberry muffins for her children and grandchildren.  Everyone gathered at my Gram’s house on Sunday mornings for breakfast and togetherness.  My cousins and I looked forward to those Sunday breakfast blueberry muffins.  My grandmother was a mix (she no longer cooks or bakes) of scratch cooking and convenience cooking.  She was known for her three standard homemade treats - banana bread, blond brownies, and blueberry muffins.  Her two semi-homemade treats were a box chocolate sheet cake for special occasions topping it with a Crisco based vanilla frosting that I loved and strawberry banana Jello in a Pyrex dish with a can of fruit cocktail or mandarin oranges mixed in which was a much anticipated picnic standard.   On Thanksgiving and Christmas she must have been plain tired out as she reheated Mrs. Smith pre-made frozen apple pies and served it with Coolwhip topping.  Her cooking repertoire included the whole range of cooking possibilities and she served her family in the best way she could and she served it up with a whole lot of love.

Grammy's Wonderful Blueberry Muffins

Makes about 1 dozen

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt scant

¼ cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/3 cup Crisco melted is in Grammy’s recipe but I use canola oil or melted butter

1 ½ cups or 1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries – if frozen do not defrost

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, together in a large bowl.

Add 1 beaten eggs, milk, and oil and mix with wooden spoon until just combined.

Add blueberries and mix lightly.

Spoon the batter into a greased or lined muffin tin.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on cooling rack.

Blueberry Scones

I have always wondered about the scones and why I hear people raving about them. I have had them at various tea and coffee shops and thought they were very much like a biscuit. I love biscuits and learned to make them years ago when PBS was the only station that ran food programs and Jeff Smith of the Frugal Gourmet showcased them. Up until that time I had only, sadly, experienced canned biscuits. I make biscuits at least once a week because my family loves them. I love biscuits but are the rave worthy? After watching and listening to many English chefs talk about scones, I found a recipe to try, and they are Oh My Goodness good!!! You must try these.

Blueberry Scones

makes an 8 inch circle for wedges or 10 medium biscuits

2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces (make cubes)

1 large egg lightly beaten

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3/4 cup of heavy cream

1 cup blueberries (don't thaw if they are frozen)

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl

Add butter and lemon zest. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or two knives until the flour looks like coarse meal with peas in it. Don't over work the butter and flour. It should be crumbly.

Add the blueberries and toss in the flour butter mixture.

Add the cream and stir until batter comes together but still crumbly.

Dump out the dough mixture onto a floured board and knead the dough lightly a couple of times.

Cut out with a biscuit cutter or any round shape or a larger circle for wedges.

Brush tops with softened butter.

Bake at 425 F for 12 minutes on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.