Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsifted all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon solid shortening (Crisco)
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 5 extra large eggs
- 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon unsifted all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 2/3 cups cake flour (Soft-as-Silk is one brand)
- 2 pints blueberries or 4 cups other fruit.
- 2 egg whites, beaten with 1 tablespoon water until frothy
- additional sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400.
Cream first all purpose flour with salt, shortening, and sugar.
Add eggs all at once and beat 3 minutes with electric mixer.
Add remaining remaining all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Beat again. Blend in buttermilk and vanilla.
Add cake flour and beat until mixed. Batter will be very stiff.
Fold in fruit of choice, dividing batter if you want to make several kinds.
Grease muffin tins well and fill all the way to the top. Brush egg white mixture over tops with brush or your fingertips. Sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes, then remove to racks to finish cooling. Batter may be stored 3 days before baking. I usually add the fruit just before baking, however.
If you want the top like the originals had, butter the top of the muffin when it's hot out of the oven, and then dip in a saucer/small bowl of sugar. It'll harden up and be that delicious sugary crust...