Blueberry Muffins

I love old-fashioned blueberry muffins. Plain, no-streusel-on-the-top, bursting-with-berries, blueberry beauties.  Sweet, but not too sweet--I like to taste the fruit and convince myself that breakfast pastries can actually be good for you.  Make these as is, or try one of the variations.
 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, well-beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, tossed with two teaspoons of flour

_____________________________________________

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease twelve muffin cups or use paper liners.

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Combine beaten eggs, milk and melted butter and add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir quickly and lightly until batter is barely mixed (lumps are O.K.).  Add blueberries on last few stirs.  DO NOT OVER MIX.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes.  There is no need to thaw frozen blueberries first, but the longer baking time will probably be required.

Variations:

• Add  1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. 
• Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind.
• Substitute other berries (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) for the blueberries.
• For cranberry-orange muffins, use 1 cup cranberries, and  increase sugar to 3/4 cup.  Add grated rind of one orange.