Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Submitted by dboritt
Tender blueberry cream cheese muffins made in the food processor with cake flour, juicy berries, and a tang of lemon. Soft cake-like crumb, ready in 45 minutes.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThese muffins live somewhere between a coffee cake and a classic blueberry muffin, thanks to two key choices: cake flour for a soft, fine crumb, and a few ounces of cream cheese blended into the batter for richness and a faint tang. The whole thing comes together in a food processor, which keeps the technique foolproof for new bakers.
Hot melted butter is the trick. Streaming it into the food processor while the cream cheese mixture is running emulsifies the fat into the batter and creates a velvety texture you don’t get from a stand mixer. Watch the temperature: 160 to 180°F (70 to 82°C) is ideal. Cooler butter won’t fully blend, hotter butter risks scrambling the eggs.
Resist the urge to over-pulse once the dry ingredients go in. Four to six half-second pulses is exactly the right window. More mixing develops gluten and turns the muffins tough.
Pro Tips
- Toss the blueberries with a teaspoon of the measured flour before folding in. They’ll suspend evenly instead of sinking to the bottom.
- Frozen berries work, but don’t thaw them. Add them frozen and pulse minimally to avoid streaks of purple bleed.
- Fill the cups generously, three-quarters full, for that classic domed muffin top.
- Cool 15 minutes before lifting from the pan. Hot muffins tear at the bottom liner.
Variations
- Swap blueberries for raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries.
- Add a streusel topping (flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon) before baking for a bakery-style finish.
- Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon zest into the batter for a brighter lemon-blueberry version.
Ingredients
Directions
Adjust oven rack to middle position.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Line the cups of a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
Set aside.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Stir well; set aside.
Using metal blade, process cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla in food processor until smooth.
Add eggs and process 15 seconds.
Scrape down side of container with a spatula.
With processor running, pour hot melted butter through food chute within 10 seconds.
Process another 10 seconds.
Add milk and process 5 seconds.
Add dry ingredients to container and mix with 4 to 6 half-second pulses.
Add blueberries and mix until all are incorporated into batter, usually with 3 or 4 half-second pulses. (Or use a spoon to fold them in, if you prefer your berries whole.)
Pour an equal amount of batter into each muffin cup, filling each about ¾ full.
Bake 30 minutes.
Cool on rack 15 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
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