Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Brown Butter Frosting

Alrighty. Summer's official end is drawing nigh and it is time to CRANK the rest of my summer recipes out while the gettin' is still good at the farmer's market. (Speaking of, if you live in the DC area and can't get to your farmer's market when you want to, check out Local Market in Falls Church.)

Time for more blueberry magic. Delicious, sweet and tender yellow-blueberry cupcakes. I'm sure they would be delicious plain or with any number of toppings (lemon glaze, whippped cream, cream cheese, etc.) but you do NOT want to miss out on the revelation this Maple Brown Butter Frosting is. Do you see some little flecks in there? Browned butter solids. Making this icing with brown butter lends it a caramel/toffee essence you can't get any other way. And the maple flavor is perfectly balanced. And you are allowed to be impressed with my fancy piping job.

I made these cupcakes for a ladies' lunch of discriminating palates, and received praises all around. I can say that without bragging because like almost everything I post on here it's not my recipe. Got this one from A Bountiful Kitchen, which is worth serious browsing and may require a drool bib. A problem which can be partially remedied by making these cupcakes!Blueberry Cupcakes with Maple Brown Butter Frosting (print recipe)
Blueberry Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix butter and egg lightly. Add buttermilk and milk. Add milk mixture to flour and mix just until blended. Toss blueberries in a tablespoon of flour and fold into batter. Spoon batter into 12 standard muffin cups, greased or lined with paper. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Brown Butter Frosting:
1 stick butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 T maple syrup

In a sauce pan, melt butter at medium temperature until golden brown. In a bowl, add butter to sugar, then add milk and syrup. Beat until smooth. Top with a fresh blueberry immediately after frosting. Recipe from A Bountiful Kitchen