I like combining blueberry and chèvre (goat cheese) in salads and I've even worked chèvre into a blueberry cheesecake, but I often forget it when considering other baked goods. But when I recently combined the two in a muffin recipe, I came up with a new favorite. This fantastic muffin is perfect as part of a quick breakfast or as an offering on a brunch table. It can play second fiddle to a quiche or take on a stronger role if paired with a spring salad. You get the idea.
If you don't have goat cheese, you could try working in crumbled cream cheese or blue cheese, but the combination of chèvre and blueberry is really pretty vital to this one. I'd recommend waiting until you can make it like this before working on lots of tweaks. And the lemony sugar on the top is a perfect crown. A little tang, a little sweet, a little crunch. Mmmmmm.
Frozen blueberries will turn the batter a blueish green. Stick with fresh, slightly firm berries to give your muffins a perfectly lovely appearance with a sweet, juicy treat in every bite!
Blueberry Chèvre Muffins
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup coarse sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 400°F and fill a muffin pan with paper baking liners.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
Break the eggs into a small bowl and whisk lightly; add to the dry ingredients along with the buttermilk and melted butter. Fold a couple of times with a spatula. Add the goat cheese and blueberries and gently fold until just combined. Fill the paper baking liners ⅔ full.
Stir together the coarse sugar and lemon zest and sprinkle lightly over the tops of the muffins.
Bake at 400°F for 20 – 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean and the muffin tops are golden brown.
- Yields: About 18 muffins
- Preparation Time: 30-40 minutes