Blueberry Orange Muffin

Blueberries are in season now and I I love them. I eat them as is, add them to salads and of course use them in a lot of baked goods. If you search my website for blueberries, you will find a lot of recipes with them. These blueberries are little gems packed full of vitamins and antioxidants.

I read somewhere online that “Amaranth” flour is quite nutritious packed with vitamins. So why not use it in baking – it does not alter the taste or texture of the muffins. But raw Amaranth flour has a distinct earthy smell which when used in baking does not show off that smell. But if you don’t have Amaranth flour handy, you can always replace it with all purpose flour.

This recipe is not Vegan, but dairy free. I have used almond milk instead of regular milk. When replacing regular milk with any non dairy alternative, you have to make sure the consistency is same. For example the soy milk I buy is much thicker. I have tried adding a bit water to thin it but no luck. Almond milk works very well especially light almond.

Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup amaranth flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 egg lightly beaten
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
¾ cup milk/almond milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 tablespoon candied orange peel
2 tablespoons crushed slivered almonds

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a muffin tin with 8 paper cases
Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
In a large bowl combine together egg, light brown sugar, oil, milk, and vanilla extract
Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and mix until there are no lumps
Mix in blueberries, orange peel, and almonds until just combined
Spoon into muffin paper cases and bake for about 25 minutes.
Makes 8 medium/regular size muffins

Note: If your muffin tin has more than 8 cups, pour water for about ¼ inch into the empty cups.