When I was in my twenties, I worked at the Hard Rock Café. We would get to work at 10am in the morning to tidy up from the night before, and set up for lunch. The kitchen opened for lunch at 12pm and closed at 3pm. After this, we could eat and if there was enough time before the supper shift started, I would rush home to spend an hour with my partner. He owned a restaurant and our hours were crazy. I was allowed to arrive an hour later than the rest of the staff for the supper shift – but that meant that I could not eat supper. It also meant that I had to make my lunch count. We started serving meals at 6pm and during the week we closed the kitchen at 1am. On a Friday and a Saturday the kitchen closed at 3am and on a Sunday night, relief was in sight, with the kitchen closing at 11pm. Some night shifts saw me getting home, showering to get the smell of hamburger out of my waist length, very thick hair, and then climbing into bed for a few hour’s sleep. On those mornings, there was no time for breakfast. Thankfully there was a very good coffee shop next door to the Hard Rock, and they made the most amazing blueberry muffins. Barbara, the owners wife, and I would get one each morning to have with the first of our many cups of coffee that would sustain us throughout the day.
So, when I saw the theme for this month’s mingle on Mele Cotte’s blog (cherries and berries) I knew I wanted to turn my hand to blueberry muffins. Blueberries are in season right now, and this recipe seemed like the perfect one to share.
Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 215 g flour
- 5 mls baking powder
- 0.625 mls bicarbonate of soda
- 125 mls fructose
- 75 g fresh blueberries
- 60 g butter
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 125 mls milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200° Celsius
- Mix together the dry ingredients
- Gently mix in the blueberries
- Melt the butter
- Add the milk to the egg and then add the melted butter
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the liquid
- Gently fold in until just mixed - you want a lumpy texture
- Spoon the mixture into a prepared muffin tin
- Bake for 15 minutes
- Allow to cool on a wire rack
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
I’m still using frozen blueberries -can’t wait for the real thing.
I always have frozen ones for ‘in case’ which I used on Saturday night 🙂
A delicious entry to the monthly mingle Tandy! And it sounds like it may have brought back some nice memories too 🙂
Thanks Lorraine, they were really good!
Sounds like a hectic job you had in your twenties 🙂
*hugs*
but I earned a lot of money so it was worth it 🙂
I love blueberry muffins. Your fascination with food started at an early age? I hope you are enjoying Cape Town’s lvely weather?
this summer has been amazing! We were at the beach this evening Pink 🙂
Those look wonderful.
Thanks Greg 🙂
Thanks for sharing your memories, Tandy. 😉 Those muffins look very yummy indeed. I could eat one right now with my coffee. 😉 xxx
wish I could send one over 🙂
What great looking blueberry muffins!! Fantastic job! Blueberries are definitely top 5 of my favourite fruits! Lucky you! Blueberry season has already arrived where you are! Can’t wait for summer to be here, so I can go back to becoming a berry monster!!
I always keep frozen blueberries to hand as well, in case the need to have them strikes in winter 🙂
I have never made a successful muffin in my life: fairy cakes, yes, muffins, no. I shall take my courage in my hands and have another go after reading that lovely recipe, Tandy. here goes…
please let me know if they work out! This can be another job for Felix, stirring the muffin mix 🙂
I worked at a Hard Rock Café too! It was the first one in Spain (Madrid) and I was a member of the first crew (I have a t-shirt and a pin that say so). But I worked at the gift shop.
These BB muffins look delicious Tandy and they bring good memories for me too 🙂
I think the gift shop is a better place to work! We didn’t have a gift shop at ours, only the restaurant and the bar and a loot of rowdy customers 🙂
I used to love to go to the Hard Rock Cafe :). And just look at these muffins. This is the perfect breakfast for me
They made a great breakfast – but I stuffed myself with them which is why I don’t make them too often 🙂
I remember the days of Serving, but never at a cool place like the Hard Rock. Always wanted to work there. Crazy Fun!
Thanks for participating in the Monthly Mingle with these lovely looking muffins. They’re perfect!
Thanks for such a great challenge! And crazy fun is a good descriptor 🙂
When I was in my 20s, the Hard Rock was a proper establishment!
I have not been to one since I turned 24 but in the day, it was a great place 🙂
Oh my, I cannot imagine you with waist length hair – do share a pic, please. Great recipe!
🙂 Mandy
I wonder if I have any? It was super thick and super curly!
I love blueberry muffins and as I’m pregnant at the moment I’m always hungry and need to eat cakes in the afternoon – these will be perfect!
I don’t have the excuse of being pregnant to eat all the time! I have just read your carrot cake recipe and that also sounds like a great afternoon snack (I read it on my reader so I am not commenting). Have super pregnancy Corina 🙂
Great story – I remember going to the first Hard Rock in London with my first bofyfriend – it felt so grown up! Meanwhile my parents were working the crazy hours you were and my mum was always washing clothes as she hated the smell of “kitchens”! Lovely recipe tandy, the muffins look so good 🙂
the hamburger smell is the one thing I do not miss about working in these type of places 🙂
Golly Tandy, how long did it take your hair to dry after washing it at midnight? Oh, to be young again, it’s probably not the sort of thing we’d do anymore.. 😉 Your muffins look great!
Celia, I would go to bed with it wet! I actually got so fed up with it, that I cut it all off – my partner was not impressed 😉
Nothing beats the traditional blueberry muffin – this looks fabulous 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Lemon Polenta Raisin Cookies + Mini Berry Citrus Yoghurt Bundts
thanks so much, and thanks for the visit 🙂
They look delicious,my sister loves muffins,I printed the recipe for her
please let me know what she thinks of them!
Hi Tandy, just wanted to let you know I made these for the Crazy Cooking Challenge and they were lovely. I’ll definitely be making them again.
Thank you so much for letting me know, I love it when my recipes work out so well for other people 🙂
Hi Tandy…guess this is my first time here. You have a great blog. Came thru your blog from monthly mingle round up. I love blueberries…bookmarking this recipe,will surely make it soon:)
hi Nina and thank you for the visit 🙂 Please let me know how the muffins work out for you 🙂