Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Thanksgiving during a pandemic. A smaller table than last year, by necessity — just me, Tom, the kids, Brett and Claire. Six people, which is our bubble, which is our world. No Jen and Dave (they're bubbled with Dave's family). No Carol (she's isolating carefully at seventy-four). No Denise and Greg. The table is smaller but the food is the same, because the food doesn't care about pandemics, and the recipes don't care about restrictions, and Diane's stuffing recipe does not acknowledge social distancing.

I cooked everything. The full production: turkey (brined, buttered, roasted to golden perfection), Mason's mashed potatoes (his fifth year, and the potatoes have reached a level of excellence that I cannot improve upon and will not attempt to), stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls. Tom made his huckleberry pie. Brett brought wine and the salad he's been perfecting under Claire's tutelage.

The table was set. The candles were lit. I said grace — the third year running, the annual tradition of gratitude spoken aloud: "Thank you for this food, these people, and five years of survival. Thank you for the people who aren't at this table this year but who we carry in our hearts. And thank you for the hands that prepared this — mine, Mason's, Tom's, and the hands of every woman who came before us and taught us how." Brett's eyes were wet. Tom squeezed my hand. Mason said "Amen." Lily said, "Amen, and when is pie?"

The turkey was the best I've made — maybe the best turkey anyone has made, though this is a biased assessment from a biased cook. The skin was crackling. The meat was juicy. The brine was worth the forty-eight hours of refrigerator space. I carved it myself, as I have for three years now, with the confidence of a woman who has learned that carving a turkey is not a man's job or a woman's job but a cook's job, and I am a cook.

Tom’s huckleberry pie was gone by nine o’clock — Lily finished the last slice before anyone thought to save it — and I woke up the next morning still riding that warm, full feeling that only comes after a meal you’ve poured everything into. I needed something simple for breakfast, something that honored the berry sweetness of the night before without asking too much of a tired cook. These blueberry yogurt muffins have become my Thanksgiving-morning ritual precisely because they’re humble and fast and just sweet enough — a quiet echo of the celebration, with coffee, in pajamas, before the chaos of leftovers begins.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for topping (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well with nonstick spray.
Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, eggs, oil (or melted butter), and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined — a few small lumps are fine. Do not overmix or the muffins will be dense and tough.
Fold in blueberries. Add the blueberries and fold in gently with 3 or 4 slow strokes. If using fresh berries, toss them in a teaspoon of flour first to help prevent sinking.
Fill and top. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the tops if desired for a little sparkle and crunch.
Bake. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through for even browning.
Cool and serve. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with butter or a drizzle of honey.

Nutrition (per serving)

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins — A Little Berry Magic the Morning After Thanksgiving