Ingredients
Method
The Dry Foundation
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup metal muffin pan with high-quality paper liners.
- In a large ceramic mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. (The inclusion of pastry flour lowers the overall protein content, yielding a profoundly tender crumb).
The Wet Emulsion
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, whole milk, fresh orange juice, and orange zest until completely unified and smooth.
The Architectural Integration
- Pour the wet emulsion directly into the dry flour mixture. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together strictly until just combined. The batter will be very thick; do not overmix, or the gluten will overdevelop and create a tough muffin.
- Coarsely chop the raspberries (and large blueberries if necessary). Gently fold the berries into the thick batter by hand, ensuring they do not crush and bleed into the dough.
Portioning & The Thermal Bake
- Use a heavy-duty 3-inch ice cream scoop to portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup nearly to the top to encourage a high, dramatic dome.
- Aggressively sprinkle the absolute tops of the raw batter with an even, heavy layer of granulated sugar to create a shattered, crystallized crust.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins are deeply golden brown and a wooden tester inserted into the center comes out perfectly clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for exactly 5 minutes to set their structure before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.