Legendary Boston baker shares recipe, techniques for making Jordan Marsh's blueberry muffins
Jordan Marsh's blueberry muffins are a local legend.
The store is just a memory and the recipe's been out in the world for a while, but many of the secrets to what made the muffins so good are in the techniques used by baker John Pupek.
"Did you love making the blueberry muffins?" WCVB anchor Maria Stephanos asked him.
"It was my life," Pupek answered with a smile.
After Jordan Marsh's closed, Pupek opened his own shop to produce the special muffins for a loyal customer base. Eventually, however, his body told him it was time to retire.
During a recent interview, Pupek willingly shared his legendary baking wisdom. He explained the blend of flours in his recipe and the fistful of sugar tossed on top of each sweet muffin before baking. Mixing the blueberries with some of the flour before adding them to the batter was another of his tips.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups flour (unsifted, blend of bread and pastry)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups blueberries
- 2 teaspoons sugar (for tops)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
On low speed, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until blended. Sift dry ingredients; add to eggs-and-butter mixture, alternating with milk. Mash 1/2 cup of berries and stir into mixture by hand. Add the rest of the berries whole and stir by hand. Grease muffin tins well with butter; grease the top surface of the pans as well. Pile mixture high in each muffin cup, and sprinkle the sugar over tops.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.