Blueberry Shortcake Muffins

My girls used to love the Strawberry Shortcake cartoons when they were growing up and I do confess . . . I did too.   They were such sweet characters (no pun intended.)  Little Strawberry Shortcake was the cutest little redhead, always ready to help and so kind to others.   I do confess, I loved her best friend Blueberry Muffin . . . coz, well . . . who wouldn't love a blueberry  muffin???

They were such cute freckle faced characters.   I do have a weakness for cute . . . dolls .  . . and blueberry muffins.   No surprise there!



I had a real hankering for some blueberry muffins this morning . . . I do so enjoy a nice tasty blueberry muffin, as you know.  Today though . . . I added something a little bit different.



Why should Strawberry have all the shortcake fun???  I think Blueberry deserves a little Shortcake fun too and so I had some leftover shortbread/cake biscuits from Christmas and I just crumbled them up and tossed them into and on top of one of my favourite blueberry muffins recipes.

 

Sweet and buttery . . . stogged full of lovely sweet blueberries (which I always keep in the freezer from my summer pickings!) and now topped with the added crunch of shortbread biscuits.



You can never have TOO much buttery crunch in my opinion.   What do you think???  We found them, quite . . . quite delightful.  Now if I could only figure out how to get her best friend cheesecake in there . . . now that's food for thought.

 


 *Blueberry Shortcake Muffins*
Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins
Printable Recipe

I always have blueberries from summer pickings in the freezer.  It only seemed natural to combine them with the leftover shortbread biscuits from Christmas.  Sweet, and crunchy moreish good eating.

100g unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup)
200ml of whole milk (7 fluid ounces)
the finely grated zest of one un-waxed lemon
2 large free range eggs
150g of caster sugar (3/4 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
240g plain flour (2 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
125g blueberries (about 1 cup)
about 8 crumbled store bought shortcake (shortbread) cookies
(You want a few crumbs and a few chunks)

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4 for large muffins, or 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6 for small muffins.  Butter and flour a large muffin tin or a small muffin tin.  Set aside.

Melt the butter.  Whisk in the milk, lemon zest and vanilla.   Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk the butter mixture into the egg mixture until combined.   Fold in the flour mixture just to combine.  Spoon about a third of this batter into each muffin tin.  Sprinkle with 1/3 of the berries and the shortcake crumbs.  Repeat twice, ending with berries and shortcakes.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, if large muffins or 12 to 15 minutes for small ones.  They should be well risen and lightly golden.  The tops should spring back when lightly touched.