Michigan is the nation’s leading producer of blueberries. The reasons are the soil and climate make for the best blueberries in the world. Fresh blueberries call for the best ways to use these super fruit. Freshly baked blueberry muffins are a wonderful way to use fresh blueberries.
The origin of this recipe has an interesting story. In 1985, The New York Times published a recipe for the blueberry muffins served at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston, adapted by Marian Burros, NY Times columnist from 1981 to 2014. Burros had judged the recipe among her favorite muffins in the city.
A few years later, an undisclosed reader wrote Marian to share that the best blueberry muffins in Boston were from the now defunct Jordan Marsh department store. Marian tracked down and adapted the Jordan Marsh recipe. The origins of the Jordan Marsh recipe were unclear until 2023, when the origin of the recipe was revealed by Mara Richmond of Burlington, Vt., who wrote The Times to identify the developer of the recipe was her father, Arnold Gitlin, who had once been the executive food consultant for Allied Stores, the one-time owner of Jordan Marsh. Richmond explained her father’s recipe was an adaptation from a recipe in Esther Howland’s 1847 cookbook, The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book.
Howland’s version had more sugar and butter and fewer eggs than the Jordan Marsh recipe and calls for mashing a half cup of blueberries before adding them to the batter. This mashing process is essential as it produces a very moist muffin, that will remain fresh longer.
Marion Burros was a pioneering American food columnist and cookbook author best known for her plum torte recipe, which became the NY Times most requested recipe. Prior to working at The Times, she was food editor for The Washington Post and The Washington Star, applying investigative journalism standards to food safety and consumer protection.
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Equipment:
Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins
I just love recipes adapted from well known restaurants. This recipe was published by the New York Times and is from the now closed Boston department store Jordan Marsh. You may make 12 standard size muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar until combined and light in color.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons baking powder and vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
- Crush ½ cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries.
- Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin or a six jumbo muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over each of the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
- Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
512Fat
18 gSat. Fat
11 gCarbs
82 gFiber
2 gNet carbs
80 gSugar
48 gProtein
7 gSodium
487 mgCholesterol
98 mg