Blueberry Muffins

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

3/4 cup sugar 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild

Heat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined.  Whisk egg in a second medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds.  Add sugar and whisk vigorously until thick and homogeneous, about 30 seconds.  Add melted butter in 2 or 3 steps, whisking to combine after each addition.  Add sour cream in 2 steps, whisking just to combine.

Add berries to dry ingredients and gently toss to combine.  Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds.  (Small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick - do not overmix.)

Use an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to drop batter into cups of greased muffin tin.  Don't overfill the cups.  Bake until light golden and a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time.  Invert the muffins onto a wire rack, stand them upright, and cool for 5 minutes.  

Makes 12 muffins.

From Cooks Illustrated, September 2001