Better Blueberry Muffins

"You Have It Made", the theme for this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC).  You Have It Made is Ellie Krieger's latest cookbook recently released in January 2016. This latest book is all about making meals ahead of time, which can be refrigerated or freeze to be reheated and serve when needed. This week's theme is to make any make ahead meals from Ellie Krieger's recipes. Now, since I do not have Ellie's latest cookbook (it's on my wishlist!!), I turned to her other books which I already have and found this delightful muffins.

According to the recipe, these muffins can be refrigerated for 3 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Why are these called Better Blueberry Muffins? Because it uses applesauce and a small amount of canola oil instead of butter. The sugar is very much less than other muffin recipes. And it has yoghurt and milk, both low fat. But both my yoghurt and milk that I used are full-cream! oops....!! On top of that, there's whole meal flour with an equal amount of plain flour.

Like most muffin recipes, these are pretty easy and quick to make. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stir to combine, do not overmix. Add the blueberries and stir to combine. Then scoop onto the prepared muffin pans and bake until golden.

These muffins are soft, moist and not too sweet. Perfect for breakfast, tea-time or just something to snack on when you are feeling a little hungry. I freeze a few by individually wrapping them in foil, and I thaw them completely before reheating them in a 375F oven for 12-15 minutes still wrapped for breakfast a few days later. They are just as soft and moist, very nice.

Better Blueberry Muffins
(adapted from "Comfort Food Fix" by Ellie Krieger)
Makes 12 muffins
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup plain low-fat yoghurt
1/4 cup nonfat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen (unsweetened and unthawed) blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, and eggs, until the mixture is light yellow and slightly frothy. Whisk in the applesauce, yoghurt, milk, vanilla and lemon zest. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing just enough to combine them. Do not overmix. Gently stir in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around them to loosen and unmold. Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.

I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week,

You Have It Made