BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (with MAPLE SYRUP)

Whilst I am loving the way I feel on this 12 week challenge, my mind cannot help by wander to past baking experiences. Just before I started this healthy eating quest, I baked some truly delightful blueberry muffins. Whilst not technically too bad for you (the recipe calls for no butter and a very small amount of sugar) the vegetable oil and maple syrup are not currently allowed during the challenge. As I dreamt about baking sweet treats today (Day 10), I decided that if I could not consume them I could at least write about them. Not quite as satisfying but it did make me feel like I had baked when I had not. Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook gave me the idea of adding maple syrup to muffins, which actually changes the entire taste.

INGREDIENTS

• 100ml maple syrup
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 125ml skim milk
• 225g blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, thawed)
• 250g plain flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• a generous dash of vanilla essence 

COOKING 

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius fan-forced. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with circular paper cases. 

2. Mix the maple syrup, oil, milk and vanilla essence together, then stir in the flour, baking powder and brown sugar. Gently fold in the blueberries until just combined. 

3. Divide the batter between the 12 paper cases and bake in the oven for around 25-30 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and cooked through (A good test for this is to place a skewer or blade of a knife into the middle of muffin; if it comes out clean the muffin is cooked). 

Makes / 12 muffins 

Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Cooking time / 25-30 minutes