More Muffins.

Mid afternoon on a Sunday, and all I can think about is my Netflix queue and ordering pizza. Unfortunately, I've got cleaning to do. What better way to procrastinate on cleaning than to bake (and I still feel productive :) )

We're lean on groceries today, so I was running out of things to pack into Joel's lunch for work. I remembered all the blueberries I had in my fridge and I knew exactly what I wanted to make: blueberry muffins. Now, I am a muffin lover. Chocolate chip, blueberry, raspberry, carrot, nutty... doesn't matter, I love them all. As a kid, my parents would bring us to Tim Horton's every week and after I outgrew my jelly donut phase, blueberry muffins have been my love ever since. Something about fresh fruit, yummy carbs, and being able to throw together a recipe in under an hour makes me happy. 

I quickly perused Pinterest and found an easy recipe from Mess for Less. When a blogger says " I made these with my kids," I interpret that as "SARAH YOU CAN MAKE THESE QUICKLY AND EASILY".  I'm not lazy, but it's already 4:00pm on Sunday afternoon and I haven't actually done any of the things I was supposed to do today - so I'm on a time crunch.  

Half the batter I used for mini muffins (because who doesn't love those) and the other half I made regular sized ones. No regrets here. Warm, moist muffins straight from the oven that you can just pop in your mouth? Yes please. The normal sized muffins will be perfect for Joel's lunch. 

Ingredients 

(adapted from Mess for Less)

2 c. of flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. of brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1 large egg

1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

1 c. milk

1 c. fresh blueberries

(Mess for Less said the recipe serves 12. But

I made 24 mini-muffins and 12 regular muffins. Just sayin'.)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, & salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, beat the egg. Then add sugars and milk. Combine. Add melted (& cooled) butter and mix.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just combined.

5. Fold in the blueberries and spoon into lined muffin pan. Fill each until 3/4 full.

6. Bake for 15-20 mins at 400 degrees.

*Note: the mini-muffins baked more quickly, so if you're going to try it, keep an eye on them while they bake. 

Raspberry Lemon Muffins.

It's been a little crazy around our house for the last couple weeks. Joel's gone back to work after being laid off for the winter, and with March Break upon us, I've had extra shifts at the restaurant. We've given in a few times this week and ordered take out but no more! I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up some stuff for Joel's lunches and some fresh fruit for baking. 

This recipe is great for breakfast on the go, lunch hour snack, or nighttime indulgence. The lemon zest and raspberries give them the perfect tart flavour. I've made them a few times over the last couple weeks because they do not last! 

As most of my recipes, this is a pinterest find. After a cursory look at my cupboards, I browse pinterest for a recipe based on ingredients I already have. Thanks to Crumb Blog for this great find! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

2 cups frozen raspberries (unthawed)

*I've used both fresh and frozen raspberries. Both turned out great!

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.In a large mixing bowl, stir together the buttermilk, sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth. Zest and juice the lemon into the buttermilk mixture; stir again until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and fold until almost combined. Gently fold in the still-frozen raspberries, being careful not to break them up. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of each muffin comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

(I baked mine for approximately 15-18 minutes and they came out a perfect golden colour).

Enjoy :) !