Sugared Muffins

These sugared blueberry muffins start with cornbread mix, which gives them a slightly gritty, golden crumb that’s different from a standard muffin. The real hook is what happens after they come out of the oven: you dip the warm tops in melted butter, then press them into cinnamon sugar. Think donut meets cornbread.

Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the dry mix is moistened. Lumps are fine and actually wanted. Overmixing develops the gluten and turns muffins tough and dense instead of tender.

Fold the blueberries in gently at the end. If you stir too aggressively, they break and streak the batter purple. Pretty, maybe, but it means less burst of fruit in each bite.

Chef Tips

• Fill cups only two-thirds full. These rise quite a bit and will overflow if you go higher.
• If using frozen blueberries, don’t thaw them first. Frozen berries hold their shape better and bleed less color into the batter.
• Dip in butter while the muffins are still hot so the sugar sticks. Once they cool, the surface dries out and the coating won’t adhere.
• Grease only the bottoms of the muffin cups for taller, mushroom-topped muffins.

Variations

• Swap blueberries for diced fresh peaches for a Southern summer twist.
• Add a tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter for a bright citrus note that pairs beautifully with the berries.
• Use turbinado sugar instead of granulated in the topping for extra crunch.