Instructions: Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.

Mixing the dry ingredients: Blend together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder) as long and vigorously as you want. Continue until all dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add the berries and nuts, and stir them until they are evenly coated with dry ingredients.

Mixing the liquid ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the liquid ingredients together until they are light.

Mixing the liquid and the dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.

Heres where you have to restrain yourself. Take a fork or wire whisk and blend the two for 20 seconds and no more. The secret to light and tender muffins lies in this final blending. Its okay if youve left some lumps that look as if they want more stirring. They really dont. So, no matter how hard it is, resist the impulse.

Baking: Fill the cups of a lightly greased, 12 cup muffin tin three-quarters full. As soon as the muffins are in the oven, DROP the temperature to 400 degrees (this is important). Bake for about 20 minutes or until theyre a lovely, golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Best served warm.

When you put muffins in a very hot oven initially, and then drop the temperature, you help create the peaks that make them so appealing.

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