blueberry problem (with pic)

[fawn512]

I baked this a while ago, and mine didn't turned out JUMBO


i use this recipe Jumbo Blueberry Muffins (or Cranberry)

Halved the recipe and made 24 muffins.

I followed every amount, excpet:
1. reduce the sugar to 3/4 c
2. Canned bllueberry. We dont' have fresh blueberries here so i use a canned one. (blueberries in thick syrup)

I think dumping them all at once in a mixer is a bad idea. What i did was
1. combine oil,milk,egg, vanilla, sugar. And mix till incoporated
2. Combined the dry ingredients, and dump them in the mixer. I mixed them a few sec (flour and wet mixture isn't combined yet)
3. Then i dumped in the blueberries and mix them slightly using the mixer. There are still white lumps, but i go and put them in the muffin tins...afraid of ovemixing the batter.

As it came out, there are white spots in the muffin (because of the flour)

I baked them for 375 deg, at 23min. I know it shouldve been 400, but as i turn the knob of the oven at a higher temp, the oven thermometer won't budge. It just read 375 even if i turn the knob to a higher temp

So i know i underbaked them, that's why they turned out flat....what is the right mixing with this one? Clearly, dumping them all in wasn't it.

[Sackville]

You don't think using blueberries in syrup might have been your mistake? That would add a lot of liquid to the batter.

[Sackville]

Actually, re-reading your post you've made a lot of changes to the original. Baking is all about scientific reactions and one little change can make a big difference to the finished product. I would try again following the directions exactly and then start to modify things. I don't think the mixing order is necessarily the problem.

[Heather Sullivan]

They look like you didn't strain the liquid the blueberries were in and you should have folded them in softly by hand afterwards rather than letting the mixer beat them up.

[Chef #208121]

Ditto on following the recipe exactly including fresh blueberries or Cranberries. You can always freeze the extras. You need to see if it you or the recipe.

If it isn't the recipe: when you start to change the recipe, do it one thing at a time. First reduce to your half amount and try. That could even be it. I have some recipes that simply don't reduce and bake. If you can make only half the recipe, then start the other changes one at a time.

[-Sylvie-]

I agree. I think the main problem is probably the canned blueberries. Have you thought about trying frozen ones? If you used the canned ones I'd strain them for at least a couple of hours and also as Heather said, fold them into the dough at the end.

[PanNan]

I would use frozen blueberries with no liquid. Also, in my opinion very important - I never use a mixer when mixing a quick bread or muffin recipe. You need a light touch, and just mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated - a few little flour lumps are ok. I do dump the ingredients all together (as in the recipe) to prevent overmixing. The process is different for cakes or cookies, where thorough mixing is important.

[Roxygirl in Colorado]

Hi Fawn,
I was surprised to come across your post!! I'm sorry you wasted all your ingredients and time! The ironic thing is that I just pull out a batch of the same muffins and was eating one when I read it! I do use my Kitchen Aid for all my quick breads. I just let it mix a few seconds to incorporate, without overmixing. I actually have to decrease sugar for high altitude baking where I live. For every cup of sugar I decrease about 2 tablespoons. I just read on internet that you shouldn't decrease sugar ever more than a third in baking. Also, the 400 temp. is what makes these muffins rise high. The burst if high temp. makes them pop up in the first few minutes of baking. For this reason, I don't make recipes that take a lower temp. because I only like tall, big muffins! In one of my cookbooks it explains this...Again, I'm really sorry your muffins didn't turn out! I get so mad when I've invested the time in a recipe and it doesn't turn out. If you have any other questions please let me know. Hope you have a Happy Mother's Day.

Roxygirl in Colo.

[Kymmarie]

Was your baking powder active

[Roosie]

Hey Fawn-
I have to agree with the others that your main problem is probably the canned blueberries. If you want to use canned blueberries in a recipe that calls for fresh or frozen, especially if they are in syrup, I would suggest you rinse them and let them dry, or at least drain off as much syrup as possible. If you don't want to waste the syrup, you could even add a little water to thin it a bit and use it to replace part of the milk. If you can get frozen blueberries, though, that would really be best.

I don't think that reducing the sugar would have made a big difference, though. You only reduced it by 1/4 cup, which shouldn't have a huge impact on the final product. Quickbreads are pretty forgiving in this respect.

I don't think that the cooking temperature would have made a large impact either. It could have made some impact as to the rising, but not very much in my experience. I guess some people might argue that it makes a difference, but in my opinion, its not a big one. Many quickbread recipe are cooked at varying temperatures between 325-425, and in my experience the main impact this has is just on the cook time. I do wonder, however, that since you cooked these 25 degrees below the recommended temperature, if you shouldn't have cooked them for longer than recommended in the recipe. They do look a little doughy in the picture, but that may be unavoidable since you added the syrup from the blueberries.

In general, when it comes to muffins and quickbreads, unless they call for butter to be creamed, I don't use my mixer. I find it easier to overmix quickbread batters when using the mixer.
The best/easiest way to mix up most quickbread batters, in my experience, is this:
1) Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2) Combine the wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
3) Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients.
4) Fold together until all the flour is mixed in. (I find a rubber spatula works best for me.)
5) Fold in any additions (such as berries, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.)
6) Pour into tins and bake!

Mixing your batter by hand lets you gauge much more accurately whether it is all mixed together properly, and lets you target little patches of flour, which decreases your chance of overmixing as you might with a mixer. Its also easier to tell if your additions are evenly distributed and you are less likely to damage tender additons like berries. Overall, don't worry too much about overmixing- I know a lot of recipes exclaim "do not overmix!" but truth be told, it is a lot better for a quickbread to be slightly overmixed than it is for it to have clumps of flour in it.

If you're having trouble with your flour being clumpy, you might want to try sifting it first. A lot of people do this for most recipes, saying that it produces a lighter more tender baked good.

HTH!

[fawn512]

Oh, i guess it has something to do with the canned blueberry. We don't have fresh blueberries here,so getting them would be impossible.

i would try Roosie's idea of thining the syrup a bit and replace it with milk instead. Coz i don't want to waste the syrup.

and i wouldnt use a mixer this time

Roxygirl in Colorado, i'm so envy of you LOL. I'm glad yours turned out great? Are they like pounc cake and dense? I want those kind , and domed ones? Hmmm, Roosie said that baking at a high temp doesn't make any difference for her. And i read on a site. That you can preheat your oven at a high temp like 400, and once you put the muffins, reduce the temp as the recipe states (like 350-375) and it'll dome. and the thickness of the batter also has somthing to do with the dome.

I have to agree, it is so frustrating if the thing you baked was a disaster.what a loss of time and money. Can you post the recipes for muffins that you made that domed? I ttried making banana muffins from a banana bread recipe, and it was flat

RoosieI did sift my flour. i wouldn't use my mixer the next time if does't require creaming butter with sugar. thanks for the information. I would have to redo this recipe again.