Blackberry Sour Cream Muffins

• Serves: makes 16 - 18 muffins
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• MUFFIN BATTER
• 2 1/4 cup Unbleached Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 cup Butter-melted/cooled
• 2 Eggs
• 2/3 cup Sour Cream
• 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
• 1 1/2 cup Blackberries- fresh or frozen
• STREUSEL- optional
• 1/4 cup Butter-cold
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Flour

Instructions

For the Muffin Batter-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Line the Muffin Pans with about 18 liners. I like to give them an insurance spritz with the non-stick spray stuff... but you don't have to

Melt the butter, and set aside to cool (to kill all my birds at once, I melt the butter in a large measuring cup, this way when it cools, I can add other ingredients without messing up another bowl).

In a medium Mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk them together... you don't have to go nuts... you just want them mixed up a bit.

Is your butter cooled off a bit? Go put the coffee on, or read a bit of the paper....

Ok ... now

Add the Eggs, Sugar, Sour Cream and Heavy Cream (yes, you can substitute milk...) to the butter. Mix it all up until it looks smooth-ish. Face it, it's going to look a little yucky... just stir a bit, and it will get better.

Now add the Egg/Butter/Sour Cream mess to the Flour mix. Use a spatula to sort of fold it together.

Fold- Scrape down the side of the bowl, and up through the middle... turn bowl about 1/4 of the way around.... repeat the spatula thing.

You want the mix to just be coming together, but not totally mixed... some dry bits are ok.

Over-mixing = tough muffins. (and unless you are in a food fight? yuck)

Now throw in the Blackberries.... frozen is ok....massive chunks of ice stuck to them is not ok. Fresh is best.

Fold a little more to mix them around..... and...... STOP.

Scoop the muffin batter into the lined baking pans. I have been using an ice cream scoop with a thumb release for this. It's quick, efficient, reduces the amount of muffin batter that I end up wearing, AND it makes me look professional... like those cooking shows. (you can use a spoon and your thumb if you want)

You want to fill the muffin liners about 2/3 of the way.

STREUSEL-
Put the Flour and the Sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut or grate the butter into the bowl, and work it between your fingertips. Rubbing. Until the butter gets incorporated, and the whole thing looks like thick sand. You DON"T want to over do it. You aren't making dough. You are making sand.

Sprinkle the Streusel over the muffin batter.
Or Sprinkle the muffin batter with sugar.
Or go naked (tee hee)

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes (tops will be browning), and a toothpick inserted will come out clean.

Cool in pan on a rack for 5 minutes... pull our of pan and let cool on rack until you can't stand it anymore and you have to eat them.

Enjoy