blueberry sour cream muffins
But something must be done when you decide to buy 20-pounds of blueberries because your friend knew someone and could get the deal of a lifetime (and include you and your little growing sweet pea in the mix). Err, I’m talking about me here. Yes, I have 20-pounds of blueberries and I’m not quite sure what I was thinking. Freezing! For future baby food, or a blueberry baked good when we are snowed in with a wee one and mama needs a buckle. Pies! Because my in-laws keep telling me about a blueberry pie dance ritual this husband of mine does, and I have yet to see it after three years of marriage. Snacking! Smoothies! Cereal Condiment! Jam! Yes, I can come up with grand plans, forgetting that I now need the occasional nap because by the end of the day I’m wiped.
Then there are days where I have all the energy in the world and figured this freezing needed to be done before my 20-pounds of freshly picked blueberries became freshly trashed, saving all but a few pounds to bake into spiced, sour-creamed dough. Ah yes, sour cream, it is another love of my life (and no, that is not the cravings talking). Whether it is baked in cakes, in gratins, in breads it has three consistent results: fluffy, springy, and moist. In my opinion it is the guarantee of any baked good, and when you stud blueberries throughout, well, then it’s time to kick up your feet and enjoy.
One Year Ago: Spinach Artichoke Pizza
Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins
Adapted from Baking by Flavor
Makes 2 dozen muffins
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cups thick sour cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Cinnamon-Sugar Sprinkle, Optional
1/2 cup sugar blended with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Generously coat the insides of 24 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. In a medium-size bowl, toss the blueberries with 2 1/2 teaspoons of the sifted flour mixture.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the sour cream and milk together; blend in the eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter.
Pour the whisked ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to form a batter using a rubber spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the sides of the mixing bowl to dispel any pockets of flour as you are combining the batter (the batter will be thick). Carefully, but thoroughly fold the blueberries into the batter.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, mounding it lightly in the center. If using the sugar cinnamon sprinkle, spread the mixture evenly over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until risen, plump, and completely set.
Place the muffin pans on cooling racks and let stand for 30 minutes to cool down and firm up. The muffins will be quite tender and fragile at this point, and they should cool in the pans until the oven heat diminishes in order to hold their shape, otherwise the muffins will slouch. Carefully remove the muffins to cooling racks. Serve.
Conversions & Equivalents
Volume | Baking | Metric | Pan Size | Temperature | Oven | Other
1/2 teaspoon
=
30 drops
1 teaspoon
=
1/3 tablespoon OR 60 drops
3 teaspoon
=
1 tablespoon or 1/2 fluid ounce
1/2 tablespoon
=
1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon
=
3 teaspoons or 1/2 fluid ounce
2 tablespoons
=
1/8 cup or 1 fluid ounce
3 tablespoons
=
1 1/2 fluid ounces
4 tablespoons
=
1 1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces
5 1/3 tablespoons
=
1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
8 tablespoons
=
1/2 cup or 4 fluid ounces
10 2/3 tablespoons
=
2/3 cup or 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
12 tablespoons
=
3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces
16 tablespoons
=
1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or 1/2 pint
1/8 cup
=
2 tablespoons or 1 fluid ounce
1/4 cup
=
4 tablespoons or 2 fluid ounces
1/3 cup
=
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup
=
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup
=
8 tablespoons or 4 fluid ounces
2/3 cup
=
10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
5/8 cup
=
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup
=
12 tablespoons or 6 fluid ounces
7/8 cup
=
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1 cup
=
16 tablespoons or 1/2 pint or 8 fluid ounces
2 cups
=
1 pint or 16 fluid ounces
1 pint
=
2 cups or 16 fluid ounces
1 quart
=
2 pints or 4 cups or 32 fluid ounces
1 gallon
=
4 quarts or 8 pints or 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces
FLOUR
1 cup all-purpose flour
=
5 ounces or 142 grams
1 cup cake flour
=
4 ounces or 113 grams
1 cup whole wheat flour
=
5 1/2 ounces or 156 grams
SUGAR
1 cup granulated white sugar
=
7 ounces or 198 grams
1 cup packed brown sugar
=
7 ounces or 198 grams
1 cup confectioners sugar
=
4 ounces or 113 grams
COCOA POWDER
1 cup cocoa powder
=
3 ounces or 85 grams
BUTTER
4 tablespoons
=
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup or 2 ounces
8 tablespoons
=
1 stick or 1/2 cup or 4 ounces
16 tablespoons
=
2 sticks or 1 cup or 8 ounces
32 tablespoons
=
4 sticks or 2 cups or 1 pound
1/4 teaspoon
=
1.23 milliliters
1/2 teaspoon
=
2.46 milliliters
3/4 teaspoon
=
3.7 milliliters
1 teaspoon
=
4.93 milliliters
1 1/4 teaspoon
=
6.16 milliliters
1 1/2 teaspoon
=
7.39 milliliters
1 3/4 teaspoon
=
8.63 milliliters
2 teaspoon
=
9.86 milliliters
1 tablespoon
=
14.79 milliliters
2 tablespoons
=
29.57 milliliters
1/4 cup
=
59.15 milliliters
1/2 cup
=
118.3 milliliters
1 cup
=
236.59 milliliters
2 cups or 1 pint
=
473.18 milliliters
3 cups
=
709.77 milliliters
4 cups or 1 quart
=
946.36 milliliters
1/4 teaspoon
=
1.23 milliliters
4 quarts or 1 gallon
=
3.785 liters
PAN SIZE
VOLUME
CAN SUBSTITUTE WITH
1 8-inch round cake pan
4 cups
1 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 9-inch round cake pan
1 9-inch pie plate
2 8-inch round cake pans
8 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
1 10-inch springform pan
1 9-inch round cake pan
6 cups
1 8-inch round cake pan
1 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
2 9-inch round cake pans
12 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 8-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 11x7-inch baking dish
1 10-inch springform pan
1 10-inch round cake pan
11 cups
2 8-inch round cake pan
1 9-inch tube pan
1 10-inch springform pan
2 10-inch round cake pans
22 cups
5 8-inch round cake pans
3 or 4 9-inch round cake pans
2 10-inch spring form pan
9-inch tube pan
12 cups
2 8-inch round cake pans
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
10-inch tube pans
16 cups
3 9-inch round cake pans
2 10-inch pie plates
4 8-inch pie plates
2 9x5-inch loaf pans
2 8-inch square baking dishes
2 9-inch square baking dishes
10-inch bundt pan
12 cups
1 9x13-inch baking dish
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 9-inch tube pan
2 11x7-inch baking dishes
1 10-inch springform pan
11x7x2-inch baking dish
6 cups
1 8-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch round cake pan
9x13x2-inch baking dish
15 cups
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
3 8-inch round cake pans
1 10x15-inch jellyroll pan
10x15x1-inch jellyroll pan
15 cups
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
2 8-inch round cake pan
1 9x13-inch baking dish
9x5-inch loaf pan
8 cups
1 10-inch pie plate pan
1 8-inch square baking dish
1 9-inch square baking dish
8x4-inch loaf pan
6 cups
1 8-inch round cake pan
1 11x7-inch baking dish
9-inch springform pan
10 cups
1 10-inch round cake pan
1 10-inch spring form pan
2 8-inch round cake pans
2 9-inch round cake pans
10-inch springform pan
12 cups
2 8x4-inch loaf pan
1 9-inch tube pan
2 9-inch round cake pans
1 10-inch bundt pan
2 11x7-inch baking dishes
2 8-inch round cake pans
8-inch square baking dish
8 cups
1 9x5-inch loaf pan
2 8-inch pie plates
9-inch square baking dish
8 cups
1 11x7-inch baking dish
1 9x5-inch loaf pan
2 8-inch pie plate
Water Freezes
32°F
0°C
40°F
4.4°C
50°F
10°C
60°F
15.6°C
70°F
21.1°C
80°F
26.7°C
90°F
32.2°C
100°F
37.8°C
110°F
43.3°C
120°F
48.9°C
130°F
54.4°C
140°F
60°C
150°F
65.6°C
160°F
71.1°C
170°F
76.7°C
180°F
82.2°C
190°F
87.8°C
200°F
93.3°C
Water Boils
212°F
100°C
250°F
121°C
300°F
149°C
350°F
177°C
400°F
205°C
450°F
233°C
500°F
260°C
275°F
=
140°C or Gas Mark 1
300°F
=
150°C or Gas Mark 2
325°F
=
165°C or Gas Mark 3
350°F
=
180°C or Gas Mark 4
375°F
=
190°C or Gas Mark 5
400°F
=
200°C or Gas Mark 6
425°F
=
220°C or Gas Mark 7
450°F
=
230°C or Gas Mark 9
475°F
=
240°C or Gas Mark 10
And for conversions that are not listed I found a great conversion calculator here!
Comment Guidelines
Most of the comments and emails I receive are positive, conversational, and very welcome as part of the dialogue that I love about the food blogging community. Unfortunately, there is still a minority of comments that are offensive, irrelevant, and sometimes simply rude. Of course, the misfortune about creating comment guidelines is that the people leaving the former kind of comments are already following the guidelines, and the people leaving the latter kind of comments probably won't bother to read the guidelines or will simply ignore them. Still, please follow the guidelines. It will make the online world a better place for all of us.
The Good Kind of Comments:
- Conversational. If you're starting or continuing a conversation about your life, your experiences in the kitchen, or stories about your family, then I love and welcome your comments. The ability to genuinely connect with other people with similar interests whom I may never otherwise meet is one of the things I most love about the food blogging community, and I encourage people to participate as much as they'd like in these sometimes spontaneous conversations.
- Feedback. If you tried a recipe that you found on The Red Spoon, I would love to hear about it. Whether it was a success or a flop, whether you added ingredients or adjusted cooking times, whatever you did, I am always interested in hearing how things went in another kitchen with the same recipe.
- Questions. If something in a recipe is confusing or obviously wrong, please feel free to ask a question. Or, if you're just really curious about where we bought the cutest outfit on the latest Henry cameo, don't be shy at all about asking.
The Bad Kind of Comments:
- Irrelevant. I'm pretty open minded about the kinds of conversations that might happen in the comments section, but the ones I'm referring to here are things like permission requests, recipe requests, advertising requests, etc. that would be more appropriate in an email. A good rule of thumb is that if the comment will alienate everyone else reading the post, try putting in an email directly to me instead.
- Linking. As part of the comment in-take form, there is a field where you can enter your website or blog and it will appear as a hyperlink embedded in your name in the text of the comment. This kind of linking is perfectly acceptable. When linking is not acceptable is if the corresponding comment is completely irrelevant, i.e. an excuse to market your website on my website, in which case your comment will be deleted for irrelevance, or if you leave a link in the body of the comment. The rule of thumb is don't try to market your website on my website. I know all the tricks and I will delete your comment if I think this is what you're doing.
- Nastygrams. Every once in a while I find one of these in my inbox or in a comment on a post. People sending me nastygrams: don't do it. You're wasting your time. I really don't care if you think my blog "looks like" another blog, of if you think talking about my kid and putting pictures of him in posts is "copying" another blog. Seriously. The blog you're rushing to defend probably didn't come up with that one either, and even if they did there is nothing illegal, unethical, or unfair about doing the same thing. If you're genuinely concerned that plagiarism has taken place on The Red Spoon, just send me a polite email asking if I forgot to credit someone somewhere. But when you leave an anonymous comment saying that my website is ugly, you have become that annoying kid on the playground that wants to correct everyone but that no one else likes, except you're not a kid so what's your excuse? Your comment will be deleted, your email won't be responded to, and thank you for the page views and corresponding advertising revenue.
- Parenting Advice. Josh and I love being parents, and we definitely need all the help we can get, but from the people that are actually involved in our daily lives and know what help we need. Please don't leave parenting advice in the comments sections. Such comments will be deleted.






That is one lucky baby! It sounds like there is so much yummy food making the rounds at your house, these blueberry muffins definitely being one of them. And I’m totally with you on the sour-cream-in-baked-goods thing–it’s amazing!
Wow, 20 pounds of blueberry is huge! And I thought we bought too much :)))
Congratulations on the baby!!! Could not visit for a while – work got hectic all of a sudden- and I missed the big news!!
I can use this recipe tonight since I have some blueberries close to the end of their lives in the fridge! Guess coworkers will be eating muffins tomorrow!
In my opinion, you can never have too many blueberries! Or muffins. Or waffles. Or eggs. Or any breakfast food!
Keep feeding yourself and your little one. It’s a good cause!
Yep. I have about that many blueberries in my freezer too. I went a little nuts at the Farmer’s Market. I will be making this muffin. It looks fantastic. Come over and visit. We have a delicious Southern favorite today.