How Robert De Niro Inspired These 'Falling Apart' Blueberry Muffins
These delicious Falling Apart Blueberry Muffins will become a weekly staple, with their golden muffin top and juicy fruit interiors.
Muffins are amazing for many reasons, but the reason why I think they’re great is because muffins have infinite possibilities. You can make them almost any flavor, they can vary in size, and there are very few rules. If you want to only eat the muffin tops, you can. If you’re only making the muffins for their tops, go for it. And if you want to add an abundance of fruit, you have the power to do so!
These Falling Apart Blueberry Muffins in particular are such a winner. In fact, these muffins make me want to eat more than just the tops. And the best part is that they’re oozing with so many fresh blueberries. So many that you can’t even count on one hand how many are in the muffin (like you sadly can with most muffins). But why are these blueberry muffins falling apart? Good question.
In the movie Casino (1995), directed by Martin Scorsese, there is a spot-on and hilarious scene about blueberry muffins. Why would there be a scene about blueberry muffins in a movie about a man, Sam Rothstein (played by Robert De Niro), who oversees the day-to-day operations of a casino in Las Vegas? It demonstrates that Sam pays attention to details “all the time,” and that he appreciates a quality blueberry muffin.
During a meeting, he catches an overlooked detail and rants, “Look at how many blueberries your muffin has and how many mine has. Yours is falling apart, I have nothing. Like everything else in this place, if you don’t do it yourself it never gets done.” He then proceeds to go into the kitchen to tell the chef to put equal amounts of blueberries in each muffin. Priorities, right?
This scene is one to remember because don’t most of us feel this way? It’s a sad moment when you split open a muffin to find nothing but plain baked batter, the juicy purple round berries nowhere to be found.
When I started the pastry module in culinary school, Day One involved recipe testing blueberry muffins. After learning about chemical leaveners, flours, gluten, and the consequences of over-mixing, I set out to make a go-to blueberry muffin that could be my weekend staple. I found it with this recipe, and the best part is it’s so easy to whip up.
Using my newly acquired knowledge, I added enough leavener to make a muffin I always crave: fluffy, light, not too sweet, and golden on top with enough rise to create a delectable muffin top. And, most importantly – because the details are very important (just ask Sam!) – I added enough blueberries that would satisfy anyone who feels the way Sam does when he opens a blueberry-less muffin.
‘Falling Apart’ Blueberry Muffins
Serves: 12 | Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole grain oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ milk (I used 2%)
4 cups fresh blueberries
Extra granulated cane sugar for sprinkling over the top of muffins
Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, whip on low speed the butter, sugar, maple syrup, and salt until smooth and combined.
Add eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla extract. When mixing, scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorporated. The mixture will look grainy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the flour/baking powder mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the milk (add half flour, all of milk, and the rest of flour). Mix on the lowest setting, until just combined. Don't overmix, as this will overwork the gluten in the flour.
Add berries to the mixture and fold in with a spatula.
Scoop the mixture into the paper-lined muffin tin until a little more than ¾ full. Sprinkle the tops with cane sugar - the sugar will caramelize when baking and create a delicious layer of sweetness on top of each muffin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until golden brown on top) in the oven. Cool or enjoy warm.
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