2008-06-17

Blueberry Muffins

A friend of mine tried these and said, "You'd never guess these didn't come from a store...I mean they taste normal...I'm trying to say that these are really good!" That's the stealth aspect of allergy baking. It's always nice to stand out by creating something amazing, but often my goal is to make something that looks like what everyone else is eating, just a little tastier and healthier, and lacking the foods my son is allergic to.
Dry Ingredients:
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:

1 C soy yogurt, plain or vanilla

1/2 C vegetable oil, preferably canola

1/2 C granulated sugar

2 Tbs orange juice
Additional:

1-2 C fresh or frozen blueberries (completely thawed and well drained)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a standard muffing tin, either by greasing it or by using paper liners. Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl until completely combined. Toss blueberries in dry ingredients. Carefully stir wet ingredients into dry. Do not over mix.
Divide batter equally between the twelve muffins. The muffins only have a modest rise, so filling the individual cups all the way to the top is perfectly safe. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Give the pan a whack to allow trapped gases to escape, then allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes in the tin. Allow to finish cooling on a baking rack. Or don't. They're very nice still warm.
One note on the blueberries: they are the star of the show in this recipe. Although this is a very nice batter, the taste of the muffins will be directly linked to the quality of the blueberries, especially if you use the full two cups. It's much better to use a frozen berry that was picked when ripe, than a tasteless berry that's been shipped too far and sat on the shelf too long.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The soil that the berries are grown in has a direct impact on the taste. After getting totally tasteless ones grown in Texas, I wait for ones grown in Michigan or other northern states.

Nicole said...

These look so yummy! I think I'll try them this week, especially since blueberry muffins are my favorite! It shouldn't be a problem using rice yogurt instead of soy right? I found some at the whole foods store this week. I'll let you know how it goes!

Libby said...

Nicole, I can't wait to hear how yours turn out!