Blueberry Muffins

I love summer, when the fruit and berries are a reasonable price. I got a big container of blueberries the other day, but realized today I can't eat them fast enough, so I'm making muffins. This recipe is not overly sweet, nor cake-like as many bought muffins are. It makes a dozen regular size, or 2 dozen mini muffins.

1 3/4 cups flour (I use half whole wheat and half white)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (canola or corn)
1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients separately, then add all at once to dry. Mix just until combined (never over-mix quick bread batters, they get tough). Stir in blueberries. Fill muffin cups (greased or lined with paper baking cups) 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes for full size or 10-12 for mini.

This is easily doubled, which I did today, and they freeze well.

Sugar Doughnut Muffins

A friend from work saw this recipe in the newspaper and said I had to make it. I think she wanted me to make them and bring them to work for her, but I made them on a weekend. These are supposed to taste a lot like the mini donuts you can get at the Stampede. I found the taste pretty close, but the texture is off. I guess you need to deep-fry to get that puffiness.

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

topping:
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat the egg and sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. And in a measuring cup, combine the oil, milk and vanilla. Add the dry and wet ingredients to the egg mixture in two batches. Divide between 24 mini-muffin cups and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes.

After allowing to cool for 5 minutes, remove from cups and brush top with melted butter and dip in sugar/cinnamon. They taste really great covered all over in the cinnamon sugar, but are very messy (just like mini donuts).

I found I had enough batter for 36 muffins, but I used small muffin cups. Just fill the cups about 3/4 full.

Hope you enjoy!

PS- See, Rhona, no chocolate today!