National Blueberry Muffin Day: Chocolate Blueberry Muffins

I'm a major blueberry person from way back, even before I knew they were healthy with antioxidants and flavonoids and vitamins. I grew up back East, and when we went to the 'country', my Aunt Annie used to take us blueberry hunting in the woods. It was great fun. We'd all come back with blue-stained hands and mouths. Those blueberries were small and juicy and sweet as wild blueberries should be. I still crave blueberries, and I can't wait until they're in season. Local blueberries at the farmers' markets are in right now. I usually freeze my own blueberries, but in a pinch the wild blueberries from Trader Joe's are very tasty. Of course, I can get fresh blueberries all year round from other countries, but local is the way to go.

For National Blueberry Muffin Day, use fresh blueberries in these muffin recipes. I am partial to plain muffins with blueberries and chocolate chunks, so the first recipe is the one I use. But since this is a chocolate blog, I found a recipe for chocolate blueberry muffins. I haven't made that one, so let me know what you think if you do. It comes from a very reputable source.

Here's my recipe for Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Muffins. I like my muffins firm with a crusty top and soft inside--and not too sweet. I think you'll like these. I use a 1/2 cup of sugar, but if you want them a little sweeter use 3/4 cup.

Blueberry Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup whole milk
blueberries (maybe a cup?)
dark chocolate broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 400. Grease your muffin cups or use liners.
Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center.
Put oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg (already whipped) and enough milk to fill the cup to the brim. Pour into the well and mix with flour mixture. Do not overmix.
Fold in blueberries and as much of the dark chocolate as you'd like. I like a lot, but you want to be able to taste the blueberries.
Fill the muffin cups right to the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven-- or until done.

So that's my favorite, but for those who want a chocolate muffin with blueberries, here's a recipe from Yankee Magazine. As I mentioned, I haven't tried it, but it looks easy and good.

Chocolate Blueberry Muffins (from Yankee Magazine)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 squares (3 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar (I'd probably use less)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate over medium heat until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the sugar, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Gently mix with the liquid ingredients. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into well-greased muffin cups, filling to the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. Drizzle the cooled muffins with the semisweet chocolate.

Have a great Blueberry Muffin Day--make it Chocolate!