Berry Muffins II

A plain creamed-butter muffin batter of the kind that filled turn-of-the-century breakfast tables. It is straightforward once you know the oven setting, which the original assumes you already have in hand.

• Oven and timeThe original gives no temperature, time, or even a baking instruction. A modern equivalent batter is usually baked around 400F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops spring back and a skewer comes out clean. Grease the tins well or use papers; the batter is not especially rich.
• The hinge: flour the berriesThe reserved quarter cup of flour is tossed with the berries before they go in, which keeps them suspended rather than sinking to the bottom. Fold them in at the very end with a few strokes only.
• Leavening is generousFour teaspoons of baking powder to 2 2/3 cups flour is about half again what a modern recipe uses. Baking powders of this period were single-acting rather than double-acting; with a current brand, 3 teaspoons gives a good rise without a soapy aftertaste.
• "Add gradually sugar and egg well beaten"Cream the butter and sugar until pale, then beat the whole egg in separately. Do not try to beat a cold egg into cold butter or the mixture will curdle.
• Alternating dry and wetAdd the sifted dry ingredients and the milk in turns, beginning and ending with flour, and stop as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixed muffin batter bakes into tunnels and a tough crumb.
• BerriesBlueberries, huckleberries or raspberries all suit this batter. Frozen berries work if added still frozen and straight from the bag, which limits streaking.
• YieldEnough for 12 standard muffins, or about 9 if you fill the cups generously.