One of the primary reasons for including whole wheat kernels in a robust food storage program is because the whole grain has a much longer shelf life. Another is that whole wheat is a bit more versatile than all-purpose flour. It can be substituted for rice, used in salads, made into malt vinegar, cracked for cereal, and so on, in addition to being ground into flour. And finally, whole grains are much more nutritious.
The downside, of course, is that baked goods aren’t always as light as their white flour counterparts. Some whole wheat baked goods can be downright dense. Enough to make a budding grain enthusiast immediately rethink his life choices, or at least the one about eating healthier.
So when I came across a recipe for whole wheat blueberry muffins claiming to taste so much better than other “healthy” muffins, I decided to give it a try. Maybe the recipe writer was telling the truth this time.
Because we’re all about food storage here, I made a few minor adjustments to the recipe. Here’s what we have:
Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
2 cups white whole-wheat flour, divided
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup honey
½ cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, optional
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (or lightly coat with oil).
Take 1 tablespoon of the flour and sprinkle it over the blueberries, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour.
In another bowl, add wet ingredients, stirring well to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the blueberries.
Spoon batter into cupcake liners. Sprinkle the top of each with 1/4 teaspoon of turbinado sugar, if using. Bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean. Let cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm, or let cool completely.
Servings: 12 (muffins)
Notes: The original recipe recommended grapeseed or canola oil; I substituted used peanut oil and it worked just fine, but I will probably use coconut oil next time. I used home-canned blueberries which, unfortunately, discolor the batter a bit and lend a less appetizing color to the muffins.
Family reviews: While the darker color was a little off-putting for most, everybody was quite satisfied with the flavor. I had two right out of the oven and then another for lunch. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to have any for breakfast this morning.
References:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/blueberry-muffins-but-make-them-whole-wheat-and-swoon-worthy?utm_source=pocket-newtab
Links to related posts:
Blueberries: What Are the Best Preservation Methods?
Tips for Better Baking with Whole Wheat
Wonder what dried blueberries would do? Or reconstituted? (probably bleed into the batter also)
ReplyDeleteI would think dried blueberries would work about the same as raisins in muffins. I think reconstituted blueberries would bleed just as well as canned.
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