Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

These are very, very yummy. Big hit around here.

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins
From: Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten
(Clarkson Potter; October 2002; ISBN:060961066X; HC)
Cookbook Heaven @ Recipelink.com

There were days at Barefoot Contessa in Westhampton Beach when we would bake 2,000 muffins on a Saturday morning and they would all be gone by 9:30 A.M. As bakers came out of the kitchen with more muffins, people would try to grab them off the trays. I guess there's not much that's as appealing as a freshly baked muffin!

Makes 16 muffins

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 extra -large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
3. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

The bakers at Barefoot Contessa use an ice-cream scoop to measure the batter so that every muffin comes out the same size.

Greasing the tops of the pans makes it easier to take the muffins out.