Spiced Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is adapted from the one that won Brittany Ayers her first blue ribbon when she was just eight years old. Fresh berries are best for these muffins, but you can also use frozen. Published in Cooking Light Magazine

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 14
• Yields: 14 muffins

Ingredients

• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1⁄2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1  tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2 cup 2% low-fat milk
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Lightly spoon 2 cups of flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour and next 6 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.
3. Place blueberries in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over blueberries; toss to coat.
4. Place butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute or until blended. Add milk, eggs, and vanilla to butter mixture; beat to combine. Add butter mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberry mixture.
5. Spoon batter into 14 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar evenly over batter. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove muffins from pans; place on a wire rack.