Berry Buttermilk Muffins

Berries, Bread, Breakfast, Fourth of July, Summer / Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

AmazonEncore sent me a copy of Janie Hibler’s “The Berry Bible”at just the right time, because finally, finally, FINALLY, there is an abundance of berries in the universe, and I’ve been hoarding them. Buying up two-for-one containers full of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries and putting them in just about EVERYTHING. Smoothies. Pancakes. Pies. Fruit salads. Tossing  them into my oatmeal. Sprinkling them over my ice cream.

I needed some new ideas, and this book has them. Strawberry Mojitos. Brioche French Toast with Sauteéd Berries. Blueberry-Loganberry Ginger Jam. Hot-Smoked Turkey with Blackberry Barbecue Sauce. Strawberry-Rose Geranium Syrup. Damn Good Western Pennsylvania Black Raspberry Pie. Berries in Bittersweet Chocolate. Pages and pages of berry recipes, some using berries I’d never even heard of.

That’s like discovering new planets you can put in your mouth.

“The Berry Bible” also includes an A-to-Z guide to berries (from arctic raspberries to cloudberries, lingonberries, mountain ash and thimbleberries), berry anecdotes, berry trivia and a helpful chapter on “Berry Basics.”

What’s not included?

Photographs.

I KNOW.

The 2004 hardback version of this book has photographs; this new paperback version doesn’t. It’s a shame to have a book full of berry recipes – especially one with a glossary of berries – and not a single photograph.

That said, if you love berries, you’ll love this book. The recipes are far from the same old-same old, right down to the muffins. The Berry Buttermilk Muffins I made for breakfast last weekend were light and tangy and cakey, with just the right amount of sweetness from the cinnamon and sugar baked onto their tops and bottoms. And they were chock full of berries. Almost to the point of falling apart. Which means they were just right.

Berry Buttermilk Muffins

Adapted from Janie Hibler’s “The Berry Bible”

Makes 12 regular muffins or 9 jumbo muffins

  • Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
  • 1/2 cup sugar, plus sugar for sprinkling
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 pint (1 cup) frozen raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or huckleberries
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together 1 3/4 cups flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Blend with the dry ingredients until just combined–it will still be lumpy.
  4. In a separate bowl, toss the berries in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, and fold into the batter.
  5. Fill the muffin cups to the top, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar. (If you’re making jumbo muffins, pour a little water into the empty muffin cups.)
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Serve warm.

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142 thoughts on “Berry Buttermilk Muffins”

  3. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to…find a swimsuit that I can be happy in. I actually I need to do that before July 23rd . :( Not looking good so far.

    That is a serious bummer about the lack of photos in that book. What were they thinking? Anyway, nice muffins. Hee-hee!
    ~ingrid

  5. Go to the beach!! I live in Seattle and there are very few (read: 1) beach around and since I'm originally from Long Island, New York, I miss beaches like crazy!

  7. well since I'm in the heat wave in Virginia I'd have to say before summer is over I'm definitely going to melt!

  8. Gorgeous muffins!

    Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to … go on a nice picnic to the mountains with the boyfriend :)

    Julie @ Willow Bird Baking

  9. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to drink a basil mojito. That's probably going to happen today, since it's 102 degrees right now…

  11. Those look so yummy and I certainly have a ton of fresh berries right now in my fridge.

    Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to go to the beach.

  12. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to … soak up as much sun as I can while sipping ice-cold lemonade. Maybe strawberry lemonade? Definitely a possibility.

  13. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to … wind up with glove tans strong enough to last until next spring

  14. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to Shakespeare in the park, and I'm taking a cake!

  16. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to Madrid, where my boyfriend lives. And hopefully, I'll be living with him there in a few months :)

    Fantastic muffins! I love berries.

  18. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to master many different kinds of ice cream!

  19. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to go to a Texas Rangers baseball game!

  20. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to…have this baby! He's due July 31, but I'm hoping he'll be enticed by the smell of freshly baked muffins. :)

  21. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to…go camping! I'm not really the camping type, and neither is my boyfriend, but I still have fond memories of going with my father and brother to Caswell Park and "camping"–the kind where you sleep in the tent but there are still toilets and showers, the kind of camping I can handle.

    Even if I did get stung all over by wasps the time we went when I was 10…

  24. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to … MAKE THESE MUFFINS! Ohhh, and I need to work on some serious wedding planning!

  25. I will get started on my quilt project, or maybe get a real tan, which one is more productive?

  26. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to the beach! Gotta love it. Thanks for the giveaway!

  30. I've already been doing a lot of the stuff that I've wanted to do. I made blackberry and raspberry cobblers. I also made apricot jam!! But before summer is over I want to make a drunken peach pie. I will. And hopefully it will be delicious!

  35. I have been eating so many berries lately that I'm on the verge of turning into one! These muffins look fantastic.

    Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to…learn how to can so that I can preserve some of this berry goodness and eat summer during the freezing cold depths of January!

  38. SWIM! I've been non-weigh-bearing since April 30th, when I had ankle fusion surgery. I should be able to swim after July is over!

  40. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to …make strawberry pie dessert…which was served at one of my wedding showers, 25 years ago!

  43. I am going to host a BBQ to spend time with family and friends outdoors and hopefully get a break! : )

  48. Before summer slips away I'm going to eat or freeze as many summer fruits and berries I can get my hands on. Summer always ends and I never feel like I had enough!

  49. Before summer slips away I will do attempt to go to the farmers market every weekend (barring some random trip out of town) and buy our produce for the whole week there,at least finish Twilight (yeah I am dork and seem to find too many things to do,than actually read the book in 4 days as other folks done have that i know) and enjoy being pregnant ( i just found out last week and it's a lot to take,haven't told the family yet,just giving it a few more weeks until my next check),that was a lot,but the summer's plenty long and I'm plenty blessed.

  50. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to… bake with as much fresh fruit as possible!

  51. Before summer slips away, I'd like to have completed some of my thesis work! :)

    I'm definitely going to make this sooon!

  52. I'm definitely going to get my motorcycle license! Been wanting to do it for years, want to make sure it's done before the rain starts.

  53. Before summer slips away, I'm going to get my house babyproofed! Our little man is into everything and I'm going batty!

  55. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to … harvest some tomatoes. We got such a late start in our community garden, but I'm not going to give up hope.

  61. Before summer slips away I'm going to learn how to make jam and preserves, so I can keep some of this berry goodness after they are gone once more. Great giveaway, I've been eyeing this book!

  62. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to spend at least 1 day in Duluth, MN. I have lived in the Twin Cities for 5 years now and I mean to every summer, but I still haven't been!

  63. I'm going to invent the most spectacular strawberry milkshake recipe anybody has ever imagined!!!!

  67. …make your strawberries romanov. Seriously. I live in Portland, and we've been waiting (and waiting and waiting) for summer. It's finally here (as of two days ago) so now I'm just waiting to have some friends over so I can indulge.

  70. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to try my hand at canning, or jam making, I'm a grad student that has no classes this summer. Canning and jam making will remind me of the finer things in life found in summer~

  72. Before summer slips away I'm going to make some frozen berry goodness, such as Blackberry Ice Cream or some Blueberry Sorbet, to get me through the start of my Graduate School work.

  76. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to….take some "Me" time to my quiet place on the beach, where I can relax, feel my tootsies in the sand, listen to the sounds of the ocean, take in the smells of the ocean breeze and listen to favorite music on my ipod. This is my away time to rejuvinate myself so that I can come back home and be a mom and wife again!

  78. Before the summer slips away, I'm definitely going to take full advantage of swimming in the pool…October 1st comes too quickly (the day we close the pool for the season) and I have to look at it for the next six months just sitting there until it is time to open it up again. Summer never lasts long enough. These muffins are spectacular in looks, can't wait to make them and see if the taste is just as deserving of my first reaction: these are the best looking muffins EVER!

  79. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to kayak on the Concord River. Something I haven't done since I was a child and did it with my dad.

  81. Hang up the shelves I bought at the Flea Market! They are going to look great in my Kitchen and make working in my small space much more enjoyable!

  82. make these muffins when I get home tonight! I love berries and its something I always have in the fridge for us to snack on! Thanks for sharing, this book sounds amazing!

  86. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to see my Godson more and make new recipes in my new apartment!!”

  87. Before summer slips away I'm definitely going to have a backyard campfire. The fire pit is there, just hasn't gotten used yet!

  88. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to …start doing yoga regularly again. Also, eat pints and pints of fresh berries. This post as just reminded me I have yet to do that, and that needs to be remedied immediately!

  90. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to … load up on all the amazing produce available to me at the local farmers markets. I love them! It's amazing how much fresher and tastier the foods are when you buy direct from farmers. Loving it!

  91. Before summer slips away I'm going to start and finish my vacation scrapbook!

    These muffins look amazing!

  93. Before summer slips away I'm going to tone back up from just having my newborn Samantha

  95. “Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to …clean out my kids closets and rejoice by making a sinful yet satisfyingly amazing dessert with berries!

  96. …definitely going to stop by Morning Glory Farms here in Middle TN and pick my own peaches, hopefully without getting stung by any bees/wasps! :) Those muffins look heavenly…this is one of my favorite breakfasts/desserts. Thanks for the giveaway!

  99. before summer slips away, I am going to learn how to make berry jam(hopefully from the berry bible and winning this giveaway!)

  105. Before the summer slips away I'm going to go to the new country market, buy a potload of peaches, plums, tomatoes, etc. everything my car will carry and spend a couple of days making chutney, spiced peaches, jams, jellies, pickles, and will can tomatoes for the winter. I love doing stuff like this and didn't get a chance to last year.

  108. go for a nice hike somewhere in NH with my boyfriend and our chocolate lab.

    Those muffins look spectacular! I had too many bluberries floating around and just baked them into something wonderful last night.

  109. Before summer slips away, I am going to read as many books as I can! Love berries too, so I will most assuredly make this. Thanks for the chance to win! Enjoy the rest of your week!

  110. I'm surprised that this recipe calls for frozen berries. Did you use frozen or fresh? Any precautions if I use fresh berries?

    Before the summer ends I would like to get new windows installed and insulation blown in my attic.

  112. Before summer slips away I'm going to try a fruit or veggie I haven't tried before. I know they're out there…

  114. Before summer slips away, I'm going to invite friends over for outdoor movie nights in our backyard!

  115. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to try making homemade popsicles! I bought a mold 2 years ago and haven't got around to trying it.

  120. Before summer slips away, I'm definitely going to lose my Virgin……………ia Smithfield Ham desire!

  121. …get my toes in the sand. Somewhere, somehow, I'm getting near the sand and water!

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  122. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to create a painting featuring a myriad of fruits, INCLUDING berries on a rather large poster AND at some point have a magnificent bake sale (:

  123. I'm definitely going to read one of the trashy chick-lit novels I bought! Preferably on the patio with an equally girly glass of rose.

  126. Blackberry barbecue sauce sounds intrguing!

    Before summer slips away, I'll start my new job as a nanny and will likely buy a house. In all that, I'd also like to cook up a storm. Also, as a goal, I want to start the barbecue by myself, without guidance, before summer slips away. I'm pretty new to grilling, but I'd love to experiment with it more.

  128. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to celebrate my birthday with all-homemade food this year (not takeout pizza like last year. *blushes*)

  131. Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to …
    Go to the fields in the forest for a day of lounging, reading and fresh fruit!

  132. Before Summer slips away I'm definitely going to make these luscious looking Berry Buttermilk Muffins! This morning I am heading to our local farmers market to purchase those beautiful berries that I've been passing up! Can't wait!

  136. Before the summer slips away I am going to make up for the June Cobbler Distaster, where I tried to make a cobbler from scratch and failed miserably!

  138. Before summer slips away I am definitely going to make berry jam to have a way to enjoy those fruits in the winter.

  140. “Before summer slips away, I’m definitely going to …” teach myself to cook (seriously).
    I've made it by on bland and frozen veggie foods along with fresh fruits. I have now raided the library's vegetarian cookbook section, started a spice collection and have had some good and not-so-good attempts at various meals. I am loving the process and so happy to have come across your blog vis a foodie friend.

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