Blueberry Muffins, a Cup of Tea, and a Friend

A safe spot for tea

My longtime baking buddy often sends me photos and recipes of what she’s currently cooked up. Recently it was blueberry muffins. Since the pandemic has altered the way we live, work, and entertain, she now invites one friend at a time to sit on her front porch.

They laugh and talk while enjoying a cup of tea along with a goodie freshly pulled from the oven. This sounds like a practice worth continuing even after COVID runs its course.

The welcoming porch also includes hand sanitizer sitting by the door.

This once cozy corner now requires some social distancing.

Muffin Magic

There’s a few rules for successful muffin making, that are worth noting. First, rinse the fruit well and pat dry. This will help prevent muffins from taking on a blue-green hue.

Dust the berries lightly with flour to minimize the fruit “bleeding” into the batter. In my haste, I often overlook this step and haven’t noticed that much difference.

Muffins fresh from the oven and oozing with blueberry goodness. Recipe here.

To avoid having the berries sink to the bottom, drop a small bit of plain batter into each muffin cup before adding the fruit. This will make a cushion for the batter-berry mixture to rest upon and prevent the fruit from gathering at the bottom of the tin.

It’s Wise to Include Blueberries in Your Diet

I have been eating a handful of these little, blue baubles daily ever since I read, that they’re loaded with vitamins and minerals, as well as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. I’m not sure there’s enough nutrients in one muffin to count in the long run, but they sure make the present sweeter.