Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Muffins

I just pulled these out of the oven this afternoon, and half are gone already (not me!). My daughter and I are on wheat-free diets, so it is wonderful to bite into any sort of bread from time to time. I make these muffins with spelt flour, but you can substitute a mixture of rice flour, garbanzo (or fava) bean flour, potato flour, and other grains (like amaranth, quinoa, etc.) to make a gluten-free recipe. Use 1 1/2 cups of mixed gluten-free flours for this recipe.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. spelt flour (white or whole-grain)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 - 1/2 c. organic sugar (think of regular sugar as poison)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 egg
1/3 c. canola or other light oil
3/4 c. soy milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Mix dry ingredients together in one bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl, then stir dry and wet together until just mixed. Spoon batter into lined muffin tin and sprinkle tops with a little organic sugar, if a crispy top is desired. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

I have to admit it, being off wheat has been a very positive choice for the good in my middle age. It saves me from all kinds of evils that would have made me a two-ton Tolly if I had consumed them over the past four years: brownies, cookies, cakes, pies, all sitting around in break rooms and church narthexes and friends' homes. It gives me a good excuse to refuse without hurting anyone's feelings. Do I miss that stuff? Not any more. Especially when I can bite into a warm blueberry lemon muffin every so often.