An Ode To the World's Best Muffin Recipe
It's been five whole years since I was introduced to the world's best muffin recipe. And it's safe to say our relationship goes beyond mere dalliance—these are the muffins I will bake for my future grandkids. These are the muffins I dream about. If muffins were actors, this recipe would be the Daniel Day Lewis of baked goods. If inanimate objects could be recipients of living wills, these muffins would get my house when I take the rainbow bridge to the other side.
In short, I am in love with Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins. And since February 20 is National Muffin Day, I could not think of a better occasion on which to extol my love for the internet's best blueberry muffins. It all started six years ago...
Take a journey through time with me, won't you?
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A Love Sparked in a Texas Oven
My adoration of Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins sprung up in the most unlikely of places: Schertz, Texas. A stone's throw from San Antonio, I traveled there in late 2016 to film some video with Cooking Light Diet member Christy Lindberg-Price. Christy had lost 50 pounds using the Cooking Light Diet, and it was my job to interview her and shoot a video expounding on her momentous achievement.
Christy, being the amazing woman she is, greeted me the morning of the shoot with delicious smells wafting from her oven. Upon inquiry, I learned that the slowly rising muffins in the oven were the cornerstone of many Price family breakfasts. Christy absolutely loved the recipe, and after being offered a piping hot freshie straight from her Texas oven, I, too, understood the love affair. I'll try and walk you through what it was like to experience my first Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffin.
Imagine, if you will, your nose filling up with the intoxicating aromas of freshly baked blueberry goodness. In front of you sits a golden brown, blueberry-pocked confectionery in the shape of a mushroom. It looks as good as it smells. Now, subtract from that muffin the oiliness associated with bakery muffins that means you couldn't put it on a piece of paper without soaking it through. Disassociate any other reasons you'd ever have to feel guilty for indulging in every blueberry-filled bite of this baked delight—more on this later. Now, subtract the bakery from this scenario, and know you can have the best muffin recipe ever while wearing any pants (or no pants) you'd like. Finally, add a crunchy-sweet streusel topping to elevate each morsel into the stratosphere. Now, throw in what it felt like the first time you were kissed PLUS the first time someone told you they loved you.
Do that, and you're slowly on your way to understanding my love for Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins.
A Mother's Disdain/The Lighthouse in My Storm
Am I obsessed with these muffins? I'm inclined to answer no. But in the spirit of journalistic transparency, I'm also inclined to tell you that I've made these muffins so much my mother now loathes "the M word."
And by that, I of course mean "muffin."
That's right, folks—I've made Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins so many times that hearing the word "muffin" causes my mother to start twitching. That is how many times I've made these muffins since our introduction back in Schertz. When your mama starts treating your recipes like a terrible ex, maybe you've made them too much? That being said, my mother sincerely enjoys eating the muffins. She's just really tired of hearing about how much I enjoy them.
How can I accurately convey my feelings toward this recipe? Well, like my mother, Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins are like family to me.
Stay with me here.
They're forever intrinsically linked to my first location video shoot, and to my dear friend, Christy. So they're attached to a unique moment—and person—in my life. They've also seen me through a lot of personal situations and milestones. I baked them in each of my last three relationships. I bake them now for my future wife. I've given these muffins as Christmas and birthday gifts. I've noshed on them while clawing myself back from the depths of depression. I've baked them for random strangers turned new friends I met while out on a walk. They've been enjoyed by everyone from my New Hampshire-based Grammy to my adorable youngest niece. Heck, the blueberries themselves were more often than not grown by me in my own backyard, and the berries were lovingly handpicked by my nieces.
Throughout trials, tribulations, heartache, depression, and found love, Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins have been a lighthouse in the storm that is my life ever since we met.
And isn't that how we associate food? I mean, my Granny has been gone from this Earth for 15 years now, yet I still vividly remember the smell and taste of her chicken and dumplings. I'll never forget how she added diced egg to take her Christmas dressing over the top. Whenever I think of crab, I can't help but think of cracking claws on a Tuesday night with Granny and Granddaddy as we all watched Wheel of Fortune together. Likewise, I'll always remember Sunday mornings growing up in our cozy home on Hillcrest Drive, precisely because my Dad made his world-famous, melt-in-your-mouth pancakes for my brother and me.
I guess what I'm getting at is what all of us know to be true already: Food is often more than just food. It can be a time portal, an act of love, a reference point for an important moment in your life, and on and on. And to me, Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins have been all of these and more.
But that's not just what makes this the world's best muffin recipe.
How They Compare to Other Muffins
What exactly does make these muffins so great then, you ask? Well, firstly, they taste amazing. Despite the whole wheat flour, these muffins don't taste like healthy food normally does (ie, cardboard). They're airy, fruity, sweet, slightly crunchy, and wonderful. But part of what makes these muffins so great is that they are Cooking Light muffins, meaning I don't have to second-guess myself anytime I reach for one. I'll elaborate. Here's how regular and reduced-fat blueberry muffins break down in terms of nutritional value.
Regular Blueberry Muffin
467 calories
68g carbohydrates
39g sugar
1g fiber
Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin
410 calories
75g carbohydrates
39g sugar
2g fiber
Now, here's how the greatest muffin recipe ever conceived, Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins, stack up.
Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffin
248 calories
32g carbohydrates
16g sugar
3g fiber
Schedule Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins into your Cooking Light Diet meal plan today!
Much healthier than any blueberry muffin you'll get at a store or restaurant. Know what else makes this muffin recipe the best ever? Well, they taste just as good reheated after being frozen as they do when fresh. I know that seems like a stretch, but trust me on this—I've made a lot of these. I always make two batches at a time, keeping 8 in the fridge for general consumption while freezing the rest. Just take them out of the freezer, pop in the microwave for around a minute, and they'll taste like you just pulled them from the oven.
Honor These Muffins
What are you waiting for? Whether you make these Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins for National Muffin Day, bake them for a friend or loved one, or just make them for yourself to make mornings less hectic, you'll be so glad you did. And, in doing so, you'll add another link to the chain that is this recipe's legacy. And isn't that just heartwarming? I've got butterflies at the thought—like me with my memories of my Granny's food, you'll remember the first time you read this article and decided to give your now-favorite breakfast recipe a go.
And so, my love muffin story continues...
Happy National Muffin Day, everyone! Especially you, Blueberry Sour-Cream Muffins.
*No mothers were annoyed at the writing of this article. Schedule Blueberry-Sour Cream Muffins into your Cooking Light Diet meal plans today! You'll also receive customizable meal plans—breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner—every week for less than $2 per week. Subscribe today!
