Best Ever Blueberry Muffins

There are blueberry muffins, and then there are blueberry muffins. I have tried so many blueberry muffin recipes where the result has never quite hit the mark.. and then I gave up for a while. Then I saw Donna Hay making these on Tuesday night's episode of Fast, Fresh, Simple that airs on Lifestyle Food on Tuesday nights at 8:30pm. I tried them yesterday evening and they most certainly did not disappoint - perfectly fluffy on the inside and deliciously crunchy on top.

Apart from the taste factor, these are so quick and easy to make. What's best of all is that this is a great basic recipe that you can get creative with. Enjoy the recipe as it is, or mix it up however you please! Here are just a few ideas of additions that could be made to the recipe:

• chopped almonds on top for extra flavour and crunch
• lemon zest - I love love love blueberries paired with lemon
• chopped apple in the mixture - apple and blueberry are lovely together
• pieces of mango or peach along with a little coconut on top during summer months

With punnets of blueberries fetching $12 a punnet at the moment in most supermarkets these days, I opted for frozen rather than fresh. By the way, is that what they mean on those supermarket commercials when they say prices are firm..? i.e. that they are exorbitantly expensive? At any rate, not only are frozen ones cheaper but you can keep a stash of them in the freezer and whip up muffins like these whenever you want, making availablity in your home firm - that's this week's kitchen update!

Blueberry Muffins
Recipe by Donna Hay
(makes 12)

Ingredients

2½ cups (375g) self-raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (220g) caster sugar

½ cup (125ml) vegetable oil

1 egg

½ cup (125ml) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g fresh or frozen blueberries

granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Place the oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the blueberries and mix to combine.

4. Spoon mixture into a 12-hole ½-cup capacity (125ml) muffin tin lined with paper patty cases. Sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake for 30–35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

Tell me, my dear readers, how would you would put your own stamp on this recipe?

Ladybird x