I'm Tasting Blue

Blueberries that is. I've been refining this blueberry muffin recipe for a couple of years now. It's taken so long, because I haven't been baking like I used to and I prefer to use fresh blueberries. During the summer, I'll buy some blueberries, but it's too hot to bake. So I'll use them in cereal, in yogurt, or just nibble on them here and there without any adornment whatsoever. Just true blue.

This summer, fresh blueberries that were priced right only seemed to happen for a few weeks. I finally gave up on the price being right and started searching for any fresh blueberries that I could find. But it was too late. The season was over. Luckily I had frozen some. I just used the last of these precious blues for these muffins. Now, it's back to frozen blueberries from the supermarket.

I think I might have reached a turning point with this recipe. These are good! My recipes always seem to be a work in progress, but I feel pretty confident sharing this recipe with you now. They truly are something old and something new. Since I'm sharing them, for you they are something borrowed, but mostly, they are something blue...

Anali's Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins

Yield (12 regular size muffins or 6 mega muffins)

2 T maple syrup
¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
2 T melted butter
2 eggs
1/3 cup vanilla rice milk (or regular milk)

2/3 cup Splenda
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ cups uncooked oatmeal
1 ¼ cups flour

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine wet ingredients and then stir in dry ingredients. If blueberries are frozen, (especially if you froze them fresh and unwashed) rinse in cold water. Smash half of blueberries with potato masher.

Stir blueberries into muffin batter until combined. Place paper muffin cups into muffin pan. Spoon out mixture into muffin pan. Bake for 35 minutes. After removing from oven, use knife to tilt up muffins to the side in pan. Let cool for 30 minutes.