Recipe – Blueberry Quinoa Muffins

Good morning everyone! And happy Saturday to you all.♡

Today I would like to share this delicious muffin recipe. They are moist and fluffy, not overly sweet, with a very pleasant, fruity flavor and a with firm, almost golden crisp top. I used quinoa flour; if you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it. You can’t get any healthier than eating these muffins. I tasted and tried couple of recipes before coming out with something I liked. Since quinoa has a delicate, nutty flavor, it may take some getting used to. After the second bite you’ll probably fall in love with the taste — it’s completely different, especially served warm with a cup of tea or coffee. Learn how to make a dozen, share and enjoy!

This is my treat for your weekend.

Blueberry Quinoa Muffins

Ingredients:
Makes 12 muffins

• ½ cup organic unsalted softened butter (1 stick)
• 2 cups organic quinoa flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill) also it’s gluten free
• ½ cup organic light brown sugar
• 2 large organic brown eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup organic low fat buttermilk at room temperature (shake very well before using)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ or ½ teaspoon salt (according to taste; I used Kosher salt)
• 1½ cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and crushed

How to Prepare:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners. In a separate medium bowl sift quinoa flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, using a wire whisk cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add eggs and beat well adding quinoa flour mixture slowly and the buttermilk, beat until moistened then stir in the blueberries already crushed, mixing just until well combined with rubber spoon.
3. Fill muffins cups ⅔ full with a spoon or ice-cream scoop it’s easier. Place on the center rack of the oven and bake at at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes. Or until the tops turn golden brown by inserting a toothpick in several locations. If the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are finished. If not, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, sprinkle a bit of powdered confectioners sugar.These muffins are best when served warm out of the oven. Especially accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee.

Notes:

• In place of blueberries you can use raspberries, blackberries, banana, figs, apricot, strawberries.
• I like muffins with firm, golden almost crisp tops, fluffy and moist inside. And I don’t like super sweet either, so I prefer the fruity flavor. It’s healthier especially because it’s made with quinoa flour. It is a good source of fiber and contains all eight essential amino acids. Easily digestible and gluten-free, Quinoa has a delicate, nutty flavor and is versatile for baking and friendly to your heart.
• You can make these muffins with low fat milk instead of buttermilk. I went through 4 batches of baking with various ingredients: once with figs, once with dried cranberries and twice with fresh blueberries using just ½ cup buttermilk. That didn’t turn out well. So you definitely needed 1 cup either buttermilk or milk if you want moist muffins especially when using dried fruits.
• I also used vanilla extract in my first muffins; it didn’t make any difference.
• It’s important to allow the butter to rest at room temperature at least 1 hour before combining it with sugar and eggs. It’s the first thing that I do before the preparation.
• Baking tips: All ovens bake differently. Always double check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer before baking. Check your baking goods at minimum baking time by inserting a toothpick in several locations. If the toothpick comes out clean, your baking goods are finished. If not, bake for additional 5 minutes and check again. It’s important to resist opening the oven door to check how it looks.
• I guess that’s the simplest and healthy muffins that I’ve ever eaten without spending too much e.g. in a French bakery.