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Based on the feedback from family, neighbors and assorted friends, these really do deserve the ‘best blueberry muffins’ moniker.  The top of the muffins are dusted with lemon zest and turbinado sugar (also known as ‘raw’ sugar.  But you can also use granulated sugar) and the insides are moist, loaded with blueberries and absolutely delicious!

This recipe is adapted from one published by Cook’s Illustrated magazine.   I simplified their recipe to make it easier to make yet, in my opinion, just as tasty.  (The magazine goes through an added step of cooking down a portion of berries to make a sort of  ‘preserve’ that you then spoon over the batter of each muffin.  It did not make for a quick recipe and, in my opinion, I thought it did little to improve upon the taste).

This delicious recipe is whisked by hand in a matter of minutes.  You can use either frozen or fresh blueberries.  If using frozen, add them frozen to the flour mixture (if thawed you’ll end up having blueberry juice mixing with the batter which makes for a rather unappetizing ‘blue’ to the batter).  And the baked muffins freeze beautifully!

Best Blueberry Muffins (adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine, May 2009)

Makes 12 muffins

• 1/3 cup turbinado or granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (1/2 stick)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the lemon-sugar muffin topping:

1. Stir together 1/3 cup sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

For the muffins:

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with (cupcake) liners if using.
2. Whisk flour, baking power, and salt together in large bowl.
3. Whisk remaining sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds.  Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined.  Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined.
4. Add blueberries to flour mixture and gently mix to coat blueberries with the mixture.  Then, using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture into blueberries and flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with a few spots of dry flour; do not overmix).
5. Spoon batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.
6. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 – 20 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time.  Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool another 10 minutes before serving.

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I ran across this recipe quite some time ago, but unfortunately I did not note where it came from (I always try to give credit to the source for my recipes).  Without making it I posted it on an online recipe-swap I belong to and said that I thought it looked good.  Fellow swappers started making it and raved about it.  Over and over again.  And still I did not try it (nor admit that I hadn’t on the swap).  But just a week ago another post was made about how fabulous it was. So…..I gave it a try.  And it was, in a word, “Fabulous”.  Other words that could also be used to describe it: Delicious, Decadent, Easy, Scrumptious, Really Easy.

You prepare it the night before and keep it overnight in the refrigerator.  If you decide, instead, to make it right before you serve it just make sure that when it is all assembled you press down on the tops of the croissant so that they are submerged in the liquid. Do it a few times (as soon as you take the pressure off the tops  they will rise again).  The goal is to have them saturated with the liquid ingredients of the recipe.

One other note.  I can’t really tell you the exact measurements of which baking pan to use.  What I can say is use one that lets you snugly fit in four croissants.  Don’t worry if they are beautifully laid out.  Even if you have to cut them up a bit – the point is to fit four croissants snuggly in a baking dish.

Breakfast Croissant Casserole

• 4 croissants
• 1 T. butter
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 4 egs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded swiss cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Split croissants in half, horizontally.  Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place bottoms cut side up in one layer in a baking dish.

In a medium sized skillet, melt butter.  Saute mushrooms and green onions until tender and liquid has evaporated. (I like them to brown just a tad. It gives really rich flavor.) Set aside.

Beat together eggs and milk.

Pour half of egg and milk mixture over croissant bottoms.  Then layer mushroom mixture and cheeses on top.  Top with croissant tops and then pour remaining egg/milk mixture over the entire dish.  Lightly press down on croissants to briefly submerge in liquid.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Let stand overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Remove casserole from refrigerator and bring to room temperature while oven is preheating.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until tops are lightly brown and liquid has set.   Remove from oven and serve immediately.

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