Muffin recipe for August: Gingerbread Blackberry Muffins

 

Photo from Victoria magazine, July 1997

It's edging toward the end of August all too quickly, and I have yet to share a muffin recipe for the month.  Paging through a vintage Victoria magazine, I spied this recipe which seems perfect for August.  It makes a nice large quantity,  too -- 18 regular size muffins.  That's a nice reward for turning on the oven in August!

Gingerbread-Blackberry Muffins

3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup softened unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark molasses
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 350º.

Grease 18 regular size muffin cups (or 8 to 10 of the Texas-size ones).

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and all of the spices.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar until light.  Gradually add molasses, eggs (one egg at a time) and buttermilk until combined well.

Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk all and once and stir until just combined.  

Layer the batter with the berries (evenly divided) in the muffin pans until each pan is 3/4 full.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffin tops spring back when touched lightly.  Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then gently remove muffins to wire racks to cool.

I'm sure frozen blackberries would work in this recipe, but if I used the gigantic frozen berries from the grocery store, I think I would cut each one in half.

I did a major purge of my magazine stash several years ago,  but I couldn't bring myself to throw away my saved issues of Victoria.  So glad I didn't, as some of the grandgirls enjoy them.  Plus, I get to find recipes like this one!