By Marian Burros
Updated Nov. 13, 2023
- Total Time
- 40 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes' cooling
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(16,082)
- Notes
- Read community notes
In 1985, The Times published a recipe for the blueberry muffins served at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Boston, which Marian Burros, who adapted the recipe, judged among her favorite muffins in the city. A few years later, a reader wrote Marian to say that the best blueberry muffins in Boston were in fact from the now-closed Jordan Marsh department store. Marian tracked down and adapted that recipe so you can judge for yourself. But the origins of the Jordan Marsh recipe were unclear until 2023, when Mara Richmond of Burlington, Vt., wrote The Times to say that the developer of the recipe was her father, Arnold Gitlin, then the executive food consultant for Allied Stores, which owned Jordan Marsh at the time. His recipe, Richmond said, was an adaptation from one in Esther Howland’s 1847 cookbook, “The New England Economical Housekeeper, and Family Receipt Book.” Everything old is new again. This version has a lot more sugar and butter and fewer eggs than the Ritz-Carlton muffins. It also calls for mashing a half cup of berries and adding them to the batter. This produces a very moist muffin, one that will stay fresh longer.
Featured in: DE GUSTIBUS; THE BATTLE OVER BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
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Ingredients
Yield:12 muffins
- ½cup softened butter
- 1¼cups sugar
- 2eggs
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2cups flour
- ½teaspoon salt
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- ½cup milk
- 2cups blueberries, washed, drained and picked over
- 3teaspoons sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
260 calories; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 25 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 174 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Preheat the oven to 375.
Step
2
Step
3
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
Step
4
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
Step
5
Crush ½ cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries.
Step
6
Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
Step
7
Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day, if they last that long.
Ratings
5
out of 5
16,082
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Cooking Notes
John Frank
Toss the berries in flour before adding, to keep them from sinking to the base of the muffin.
Deborah
The original John Pupek recipe, which I have used for years, calls for 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp.salt, and he includes 1 tsp. vanilla as well. I don't know why the recipe above makes the salt optional. Salt is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer, and if it is left out of baked goods, the final product will not taste right.
Heidi
I would recommend adding a teaspoon of cinnamon and, MOST important, a tablespoon of lemon zest (thanks to Mark Bittman). Also I would use much less sugar -- I find that half a cup is enough, or three-quarters tops.
Lucas
I made a half batch (~8 muffins) and they were gone within six hours.I live alone.Despite my substitution of GF flour and a few mistakes, these are hands down the best blueberry muffins I've ever made.
marianne
I make these regularly at the inn where I am the cook. Some adjustments that really work (some echo others here): european butter, buttermilk instead of milk, reduce sugar to taste, add one teaspoon vanilla, (sometimes i add lemon zest), wild maine frozen blueberries instead of fresh, and sprinkle with brown or turbinado sugar before baking. Foolproof recipe.
Joe Schlabotnik
From Sam Sifton on the site newsletter: to help keep your blueberries from sinking to the bottom, "John Pupek, [Jordon Marsh's] head baker, long retired, told WCVB's Maria Stephanos to toss the berries in flour before adding them to the batter. The coating helps suspend them better during cooking so you don't get as much sinkage."
Diane Strauss
To create muffins that rival the originals, cover the tops with a full teaspoon or more of sugar before baking. This produces the crispy tops that some of us remember from Jordan's. You can watch the original baker in this video: http://www.wcvb.com/news/legendary-boston-baker-shares-recipe-techniques...
Roni Jordan
How bizarre to see this today since I just used the original Jordan Marsh recipe to make 4 jumbo-sized mega muffins yesterday. The differences? No liners used, muffin tins buttered inside and on the perimiter of the wells, 1/2 cup more blueberries; 1/4 cup less sugar in the batter. For mega-muffins, baked at 350 for 40 minutes. They're outstanding!
cindy
I reduce sugar in everything by half, never miss it + fruit is sweet
nancy
take the flour to toss the blueberries from the 2 cups so as not to add extra flour to the recipe and leaden the final product.
re "optional" salt, i think it's because many home bakers use salted butter and therefore, the extra salt isn't necessary.
Barak
I almost wept with joy when a friend walked into my house and said, "I baked blueberry muffins--the Jordan Marsh recipe." I grew up with those, and even though she cut back on the sugar and didn't sprinkle sugar on the top, they were incredible (and she promised to follow the recipe exactly the next time!). I don't know what this nonsense about Ritz-Carlton muffins is all about. Never heard of those. Tea at the Ritz. Muffins from Jordan Marsh. Everyone knows that.
Lisa W
i made this recipe twice. once as written (with wild organic blueberries) and the second time i omitted the vanilla and added grated lemon peel from a medium lemon. the addition of lemon peel brought the recipe to life. it is so simple to make and this has become my go to blueberry recipe.
Chuckersnut
Cooking at 8,000 feet required the following mods: 1tsp baking powder, 3/4 cup milk, 3 additional tbsp flour, oven at 400F, reduced time to 25 minutes.
Amy
Like most others I made these and love the way they turned out! I also decreased the sugar to one cup, but may go to 3/4 cup next time. Unfortunately I didn't read the notes about making sure the unmashed berries be bone dry and coating them in flour, but they still turned out OK. One note I want to include for anyone who isn't a seasoned baker (because I just learned this in the last couple of years) is that in order to get the butter and sugar "light" you really need to beat it for 10 minutes.
cheryl
Substitute Buttermilk for the regular milk for moist flavorful muffins
Louie
Made these, but made a few adjustments. I substituted the butter for canola oil for a healthier batter and traded in the blueberries for fresh cherries. These came out beautiful, and I will definitely be making them again!
Mary
I'll use cupcake papers next time. I don't normally, but these stuck despite greasing the pan like I normally do for muffins. I also added lemon zest to the butter and sugar and lemon juice to the milk for a "buttermilk." They were delicious! I also didn't mash the 1/2 cup of blueberries. Instead, I added them while mixing in the last of the flour, and that ended up with a few mashed.
Bea
You guys....... this one is really good.I'll try using less sugar next time, as they turned out a bit sweet for me, but the muffins come out delicious. Blueberries are quite expensive where I live, so I made one batch using blueberries and another one using orange and grapefruit zest and dark chocolate chips.Also didn't have milk so I used natural organic yogurt with a bit of water.Delicious, smelled amazing, look great, I'll definitely be making these again.
justincg
I have made these twice and they do not rise and there is too much filling for 12 muffins so they just go flat at the top and drip over the pan edges. It is like a bad cupcake instead of a nice muffin.
yl
Crumble con’t:- 2 tbsp brown sugar (25g)- lemon zest (optional)Mix everything in small bowl w fork Press on top of wet batter in muffin cups before baking Also when using frozen strawberries, do not defrost. Toss in flour and fold in just before distributing Batter into cups
Hez B
I can confirm these are the blueberry muffins of your dreams! I took some of the other comments to heart and added less sugar and the zest of one lemon. They are perfectly moist, lots of blueberry flavor and the little sugar on top gives them some pop.
amali
Didn't have milk on hand and used heavy cream. Added some lemon zest and cinnamon, as per reviews. Results were so delicious- the lightest, fluffiest, most delicious blueberry muffins I have ever had. Incredible recipe!
D
3/4 cup sugarZested lemonSqueezed lemon (1/4)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
St Mark's Girl
We used to take the Red Line from Fields Corner to downtown Boston where we'd buy our plaid school uniforms at Gilchrist's. Got a box of Jordan Marsh muffins to eat on the train home. One time my mother noticed some blood on one of the muffins and we never got them again. Thanks for this recipe. I'm making them today in California.
Popsicle blueberry
If you use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen, so they don’t turn all the muffins a weird color
Sabrina E
This recipe is amazing, so easy to make! A family favorite! I’ve made it at least a dozen times so far
sad muffin man
DON'T USE FROZEN BLUEBERRIES LIKE ME. My muffins came out a creepy shade of blue. Only use frozen blueberries if you want a halloween zombie shade of muffin.
John A
Add some lemon zest and top the muffins with a small sprinkle of large granulated sugar prior to putting in the oven. Makes excellent muffin tops as well.
Toni
I can not recommend enough steeping the 1/2 cup of milk with two bags of Earl Grey tea.
Maggie
Substitued oatly oat milk and miyokos vegan unsalted butter to make these muffins dairy-free--turned out great!
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