Muffins are not just for breakfast anymore

HYDE PARK, N.Y. — Whether sweet or savory, adorned with garnishes or served plain, muffins are an American favorite. And who's to say they're just for breakfast? Muffins make any snacktime, lunch or dinner a little more special. Whipping up a batch is quick and easy, especially with a few tips from The Culinary Institute of America and a tasty blueberry muffin recipe.

Unlike the English muffin that is made from a soft yeast-leavened dough and cooked on a griddle, American muffins are baked in muffin tins and get their lifting power from chemical leaveners (baking powder and baking soda), which categorizes them as a "quick bread."

George Higgins, associate professor in baking and pastry arts at The Culinary Institute of America, offers this tip for using frozen blueberries: "Don't let blueberries defrost because the juices will run and turn the batter purple. Measure the berries and keep them in the freezer until the moment you need them."

This recipe is from The Culinary Institute of America's "Baking at Home with The Culinary Institute of America" cookbook.

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BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Flourless cooking spray for greasing

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup whole or low-fat milk

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry, or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray muffin pans lightly with cooking spray or use paper liners to line the pans. Sift the 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, salt and nutmeg into a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, blend the milk, egg and vanilla extract.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and smooth in texture, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula as needed to blend the batter evenly. Increase the speed to medium and mix the batter until very smooth, 2 minutes.