📖 Instructions

1. Before you do anything else, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). This high initial heat helps the muffins rise beautifully and create those lovely domed tops. While it’s heating, line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease it really well with non-stick spray. Don't skip this; it's a small step that prevents sticking and makes for easy removal.
2. In a large bowl, grab your dry ingredients: 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Whisk these together thoroughly. You want to make sure the baking powder and salt are evenly distributed so your muffins rise consistently. A lumpy mix means lumpy muffins, and no one wants that!
3. Now for the wet ingredients in a separate, medium-sized bowl. Whisk together ½ cup of milk (whole milk gives the best richness, but any kind works), ¼ cup of melted unsalted butter (let it cool slightly so it doesn't cook your egg), 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Here’s where the lemon magic happens: add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest. This combo delivers that bright, zesty punch. Make sure the zest is just the yellow part; the white pith underneath can be bitter.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir them together with a spatula or wooden spoon *just until* they’re combined. This is crucial for tender muffins! Lumps are okay – seriously, a few small lumps are perfectly fine. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, making your muffins tough and chewy instead of light and fluffy. Stop mixing when you see no dry streaks of flour.
5. Gently fold in 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen blueberries, there's no need to thaw them first! Just toss them right in. Some people like to lightly dust frozen blueberries with a teaspoon of flour before adding them to prevent them from sinking to the bottom, but I often find it's not strictly necessary with this thicker batter.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups. An ice cream scoop works wonders for this, making sure each muffin is roughly the same size and bakes uniformly. Fill each cup about two-thirds full.
7. Before popping them in the oven, sprinkle a tiny bit of extra granulated sugar on top of each muffin. This creates a lovely, sparkling crust that adds a little crunch and extra sweetness. It’s a small touch that makes a big difference in presentation and texture.
8. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 400°F (200°C). Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue baking for another 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The initial high heat gives them a great 'oven spring,' then reducing the temp ensures they cook through without burning.
9. Once baked, take the muffin tin out of the oven and let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes. This allows them to set up a bit. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on a rack prevents the bottoms from getting soggy. I know, it's hard to wait, but patience here rewards you with perfectly textured muffins!