Five-Star Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

I took these muffins today when I went to visit my grandchildren. Nico ate three and Luna had one. They gave them a big thumbs up. No one would ever guess this recipe is naturally sweetened with honey and maple sugar. They are simply delicious. Recipe yields 12 muffins.

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 ¾ cups plus 1 teaspoon unbleached white flour

2. 1 teaspoon baking powder

3. ½ teaspoon baking soda

4. ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

5. ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

6. ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

7. ½ cup honey or maple syrup

8. 3/4 cup maple sugar

9. 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature

10. 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

11. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12. 1 cup (6 ounces) blueberries, fresh or frozen

13. 1 tablespoon maple sugar for sprinkling on top

14. Zest from one whole lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and doesn’t require any grease).

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ¾ cups of the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix them together with a whisk.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, honey or maple syrup, and maple sugar and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the yogurt lemon zest and vanilla. Mix well. (If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30-second bursts.)

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour (this helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom). Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. The mixture will be thick, but don’t worry.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (I used an ice cream scoop with a wire-level, which worked perfectly). Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with maple sugar. Bake the muffins for 16 to 19 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

6. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.