Blueberry Muffins

Makes: 12 standard or 8 large

Time: About 40 minutes

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This low-maintenance recipe is a canvas for experimentation. Mix and match your fruit with chopped chocolate, nuts, seeds, or spices. If you’re using frozen fruit, there’s no need to thaw it. The only rule here is not to overmix — muffin batter must remain lumpy if you want the muffins themselves to be tender.

• 3 tablespoons good-quality vegetable oil, plus more for greasing (optional)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk, plus more if needed
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or 8-cup jumbo muffin tin with oil or line it with paper or foil muffin cups.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Beat the egg, milk, lemon zest, and oil together in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just enough to combine everything. If the batter is very dry and doesn’t come together easily, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more milk. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
4. Distribute the batter among the muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes before removing the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature. Or cover tightly and keep at room temperature for up to a couple of days.

Vegan Blueberry Muffins Substitute almond milk for the regular milk. Replace the egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water; let sit for at least 3 minutes, until the mixture has a gel-like consistency before adding it. V

Cornmeal Blueberry Muffins Cornmeal gives these muffins a great crumbly texture: Substitute cornmeal for ½ cup of the flour.

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins Substitute ¾ cup yogurt or sour cream for the milk. Reduce the baking powder to 1 teaspoon and add ½ teaspoon baking soda.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins Substitute 1½ cups whole wheat flour and ½ cup ground flaxseed for the all-purpose flour.

Cranberry-Ginger Muffins Substitute 2 teaspoons ground ginger or minced fresh ginger for the cinnamon. Replace the blueberries with fresh or frozen cranberries.