Blueberry Muffin Tops
Source: adapted from recipe at food.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=108529

'90S SEINFELD

After Elaine exclaims that she only likes the tops of muffins ("The Muffin Tops" first aired on May 8, 1997), her former boss thinks Elaine has hit on a clever marketing idea. But when you only sell the tops, what do you do with the hundreds of muffin "stumps" (bottoms) that are left? Elaine and her gang take to the streets with garbage bags of stumps, trying to pawn them off on anyone and everyone. There are no takers; even the homeless turn them down with disdain. It didn't take long after the airing of the episode for muffin-top pans to appear on store shelves — another TV triumph.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

For batter:
6 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1/3 cup low fat soy milk
1 whole large egg
1 large yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
9 Splendas (a sugar substitute)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (12 oz)

For topping:
3 tablespoons cold Earth Balance Buttery Spread, cut into bits
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Special equipment: 2 muffin-top pans, each with 6 (4- by 1/2-inch) muffin-top cups (1/2-cup capacity)*; or regular muffin pans

Make batter:
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Generously spray muffin pans with Pam (a fat free cooking spray).

Melt buttery spread in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, then remove from heat. Whisk in soy milk, then whisk in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined well.

Whisk together flour, Splendas, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add soy milk mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, spreading evenly.

Make topping and bake muffins:
Rub together all topping ingredients in a bowl with your fingertips until crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over batter in cups.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted diagonally into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool in pans on a rack 15 minutes, then run a knife around edge of each muffin top and carefully remove from cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Available at cookware shops and cooking.com.

Makes 12.

Gourmet

September 2003

Reviews:

Betty Hakes ( betty@gourmetbetty.com ) from Mason, OH on 11/18/03  
This is THE best blueberry muffin recipe. I made these in the Flexipan Tartlet Tray (www.gourmetbetty.com) and they were the perfect size to fill all 12 'muffin tops'. When I first added the blueberries (I used frozen), I thought it was too much, but it ended up being perfect. - Very moist muffin. My husband loves the taste and thought it was the perfect size too. Thank you Gourmet.

A Cook from Arlington, VA on 11/01/03  
These were the best blueberry muffins I have ever made or had. They worked just fine as regular muffins and not muffins tops. I will be making these again soon. Yummy.

A Cook from Salt Lake City on 09/19/03  
We really liked these. I added the lemon zest, as suggested, but otherwise followed the recipe. We used our "muffin top pans" from vermontcountrystore.com and they were great!