What I Learned During My College Internship: How to Make Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

When my parents sent me off to business school and footed a hefty bill, I don’t think they imagined the most important thing I would learn during my junior year internship was how to make the most perfect, sugary sweet blueberry muffin in the world. But yes, Mom and Dad – it is true.

My internship was at Jordan Marsh and I was an assistant manager at one of the stores. Jordan Marsh was a Boston-based department store founded in 1841 legendary for their bakeries, and more so for their blueberry muffins. Every morning that sugary-sweet berry aroma started to make its way through the store, wafting through each and every department, slowly but surely, floor by floor.

I was a smart little gluten-eating cookie back then.  I asked to come in early each day (blamed it on the Route 128 traffic) so I could take my morning break first, at exactly 10:20 AM each day – right about the time those delectable sugar-crusted muffs were being taken out of the oven.

Nearing the end of my internship, the recipe for the legendary muffins made its way around the store, employee-to-employee, faster than the news that the muffins were out of the oven and ready to be served.

I found the recipe a few weeks back and tried it out, gluten-free style of course… Gluten Free Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins.  I am proud to say that I aced it – they came out sugary, sweet, and exactly the way I remember – minus the gluten.

And for the record? I also aced the internship. Sweet.

 

Gluten Free Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup of sugar (plus another plus ½ cup for sprinkling the tops of the muffins before and after baking)
2 eggs
2 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour (plus another 1-2 tablespoons for tossing the berries)
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup milk
2 cups of blueberries – plus a handful to sprinkle on the tops of the muffins prior to baking

With a blender, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until smooth. Add one of the eggs and beat. Repeat with the second egg. 

Sift together 2 cups of the gluten-free flour, salt and the baking powder. Add it to the creamed butter mixture slowly, alternating with adding milk.

In a large zip lock bag add the 1-2 tablespoons of the gluten-free flour and 2 cups of the blueberries. Gently shake until the blueberries are coated. Add a bit more gluten-free flour, if needed.

Next, carefully fold the flour-coated blueberries into the batter and refrigerate for ½ hour while preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 6 jumbo muffin tins, as well as the outside of the tins (since the batter mushrooms over).  Remove the muffin mix from the fridge and fill the muffin tins generously with the batter. Evenly sprinkle the muffin tops with ¼ cup of the sugar and about 5-6 extra blueberries (not coated in flour) on each muffin.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Cool for 30-40 minutes before removing from tins to ensure they come out in one piece.

Tags:

6 Responses to “What I Learned During My College Internship: How to Make Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins”

  1. bj in RI Says:

    I’ve got to tell you. This is the first time I got really, really, really excited about a gluten-free recipe. I so missed JM blueberry muffins way BEFORE celiac diagnosis. I may actually go to the market to buy the necessary ingredients LOL. Did I tell you how really, really, really excited I am.

    ciao for now
    bj in RI

  2. Faith Says:

    I have not seen gluten free all-purpose flour–just baking mix which already has stuff added. What brand is it? I am a blueberry muffin fanatic–I have been GF for three weeks, but still crying over missed muffins! These would really cheer me up!

  3. Kathleen Reale Says:

    Hi Faith-

    The type of flour I used in this recipe is the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour, but I am pretty sure any baking mix / flour that is gluten free would work just as well. I would be interested to hear what other type of flour folks may use for this recipe.

    I had a couple of members reply back to me and tell me they made the muffins. They said they came out awesome!

    My thoughts and wishes are with you over the next few weeks. The first few months of being diagnosed with celiac is the hardest. At least you’ve been diagnosed in the summer months when the fruits and veggies are so fresh and plentiful – I was diagnosed during the holdiday time and it was extra hard.

    Also, that walking around the supermarket like a zombie for 3 hour long grocery trips will end soon too… I promise!

    Have a great Fourth of July, and on that note…

    Be Free!
    Kathleen

  4. Brenda Hoffman Says:

    Loved the Muffins. Thank you for the wonderful memories that food can bring us. They brought me back to the days my Auntie Joan would take me on the red line into town for the day. We would either have a muffin or one of the famous Chocolate Chip Cookies.(maybe you have that one too)
    Thank you reminding me that we can change our favorite recipes to Gluten Free. Keep up the great website. I love how your site is so personal.

  5. Carol Says:

    I’ve been wanting to make these muffins for a long time, and finally made them this morning. Wow! Delicious! I used the Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour too, and added their recommended xantham gum for muffins.
    They do not have the after taste that I have come to know from gluten free baked goods. These are a keeper!

  6. Cynthia Says:

    I am really exicited about trying these. I’ve come up with one or two good muffin recipes, but my blueberry muffins were not good. Thank you for sharing this.

Leave a Reply


Be Free For Me Blog is proudly powered by WordPress
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).