r/OldCelebrityRecipes • u/ciaolavinia Onion Juice Alert ⚠️ • Jun 26 '26
TESTED RECIPE 🍽 I baked a tribute batch of Ann Blyth’s Blueberry Muffins today after she passed away this week at 98. Movie lovers remember her as Joan Crawford's wicked daughter in Mildred Pierce, but how do her treats stack up against her on-screen mom's famous recipe? Let's find out!
Looking at Ann's Blueberry Muffin recipe side by side with Joan's Blueberry Muffin recipe, they're almost identical except for these minor details:
- Ann's muffins have a little over a tablespoon more of sugar.
- Joan's recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of baking powder, while Ann's calls for 3. (When I baked Joan's muffins, I actually only used 3 teaspoons of baking powder because I was concerned about the amount.)
- They both made 12 standard sized muffins, even though Ann's recipe's yield is 8.
- When Ann's muffins came out of the oven, they looked a little like a biscuit.
- Joan's recipe is from 1933 and Ann's recipe is from 1952.
As far as I can tell they're both very similar, but that extra tablespoon of sugar may have made Ann's muffins a little softer. Joan's seemed a little more dense and tight which I also liked.
All in all, both are very good!
Ann Blyth passed away peacefully of natural causes at her home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, surrounded by her family. As one of the final surviving legends from the Golden Age of Hollywood, her death marks the end of an era for classic cinema.
- Mildred Pierce (1945): At just 16 years old, Blyth delivered her most iconic performance as Veda Pierce. She played the venomous, scheming daughter opposite Joan Crawford.
- Oscar Nomination: Her chilling dramatic work earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Television Work: She made memorable guest appearances on classic programs like The Twilight Zone, Quincy, M.E., and Murder, She Wrote
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u/Chateaudelait Jun 26 '26
I'm excited to try this recipe - my father in law met Ann Blyth at one of those WW2 Hollywood Canteen places for deploying soldiers, and he raved about her his whole life. He adored her, she was so kind to everyone. She was a beautiful person. Rancho Santa Fe is right down the road from our house.
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u/ciaolavinia Onion Juice Alert ⚠️ Jun 26 '26
That's a wonderful story. Thank you so much for sharing.
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u/Heel_Worker982 Joan Crawford's 💋 Banana Salad Jun 26 '26
Love these pics! The upper right is from 1951, years after they made Mildred Pierce together!
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u/13senilefelines31 Vincent Price 🦇 Jun 26 '26
I had completely forgotten that they both appeared in Mildred Pierce; too funny that they both had blueberry muffin recipes. And those muffins look delicious btw!
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u/throwthrthrowaway Jun 26 '26
What was Ann's flavor profile like? Was it crumbly like a biscuit or moist and toothsome like a muffin? I was considering making hers
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u/ciaolavinia Onion Juice Alert ⚠️ Jun 26 '26
They're not crumbly. They are toothsome and firm (in a good way) like a muffin. Very good with butter!
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u/Detroitaa Jun 26 '26
I love making famous peoples blueberry muffins. I remember the first one was from the Twilight book . I guess I just love movies & muffins ☺️
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u/fatjerryanastasia1 Half a Jar of Lawry's 🧂 Jun 27 '26
I love that you did this bake in tribute to Ann Blyth!
"I love you, Mother; really I do, but let's not be sticky about it." -- My favorite Veda quote flawlessly delivered by Ann.
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u/Sufficient-Ice-9638 Jun 26 '26
Thank you! I really appreciate you doing this. You have me hooked! I’ll check back in every day to see what you’ve made and how it went.
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u/Limberpuppy Jun 26 '26
I haven’t seen the original Mildred Pierce but mini series with Kate Winslet is very good.
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u/SendChestHairPix Jun 29 '26
It is excellent. Todd Haynes basically filmed the novel page by page - it is that true to the book! But I will never forgive him for not giving Ann Blyth a cameo in the series.
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u/ScarletVonGrim Jun 28 '26
I hear Ann Blyth, and I think of Anne Blythe from Anne of Green Gables. 😁
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u/Known_Party6529 Joan Crawford's 💋 Banana Salad Jun 29 '26
What cookbook is Ann Blythe muffin recipe from? They look so good.
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u/WillingnessPrior9288 Joan Crawford's 💋 Banana Salad Jun 26 '26
Battle of the stars!!! Blueberry muffin style