The inspiration for these muffins came partly from the six-pack of Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal I accidentally ordered online, and the abundance of summer blueberries in the back corner of my fridge.

It’s the time of year when I buy as many fresh farmers’ market blueberries as possible. They’re *so* much better than the Driscolls ones. Don’t even get me started. They’re tart, juicy, and slightly firm, so they explode with flavor when you eat one. They’re nothing like the mushy, almost moldy ones we have to settle for in the winter or early spring months in the Midwest.

I love blueberry and cornmeal together because they compliment each other really well. The cornmeal has an earthy flavor and crunch, and the blueberries are tangy, tart, slightly sweet, and bursting with juice. Heating up blueberries increases the juice factor so when you bite into one of these muffins, the berries explode in your mouth. It’s basically all you could ask for in a muffin, and more.

If you don’t have cornmeal, you could just sub in extra AP flour. But I’d encourage you to explore cornmeal, even if you don’t accidentally order six bags. It lends a flavor and texture that sets these muffins a step above.

You can also play around with fruit. I bet strawberries or blackberries would also work well here. Go for berries that are juicy and fresh, the kind that look like they’re about to pop. The better the berries, the better the resulting muffin.

Here’s a song to get you started on your blueberry cornmeal muffin journey.

Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups, parchment paper, or silicone baking cups.

Mix the milk and lemon juice and set aside for 10 minutes. In the meantime, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Place the blueberries in a small bowl and toss them with a little bit of the flour mixture.

Whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the dry ingredients and melted butter. Gently fold in the blueberries in flour until everything is just combined.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup to the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the muffin tops are golden brown and puffy and spring back to the touch. Let them cool for a few minutes in the tin and then let them cool the rest of the way on a wire rack. Enjoy!