Blueberry-Lemon Muffins

Whenever I see fresh blueberries I'm reminded of a visit to my friend Heather's home in Oregon several years ago. We ate fresh blueberries daily that were purchased from a produce stand near her house. I don't think I've ever eaten blueberries that tasted that sweet and delicious. Living in Nebraska, we don't have the same blueberry opportunities but with summer does come better blueberries in the stores.

This summer has seen blueberries selling at an excellent price so we have been eating them often. My favorite way to eat blueberries is in a simple fruit salad with strawberries and cantaloupe. A more popular way to get my kids to eat them is this Blueberry-Lemon Muffin recipe from Carol Fenster's 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes. I love the burst of flavor the lemon zest adds and the boys love the sugar topping. The modified tapioca starch helps create the perfect density and they puff up beautifully. They also freeze well. I wrap them individually in saran wrap and then into a ziplock freezer bag before freezing. Perfect for grabbing one on those mornings when you need breakfast to go -almost every morning I work.

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins with Lemon-Sugar Crust

Liquid Ingredients
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients
2 cups Carol Fenster's Sorghum Blend*
1/4 cup Expandex modified tapioca starch, or 1/4 cup Sorghum Blend
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry

Topping
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 375º. Spray the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the eggs until light yellow and frothy. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients and beat until just blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients except the blueberries. Set the mixer to low speed and gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth and thickens slightly. Gently stir in the blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly in the muffin cups and bake for 25 to 3o minutes. Muffin tops should be firm and the edges pulling away from the pan. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Make the topping by combing the sugar and lemon zest. Spray muffin tops with cooking spray and then dip them into the sugar mixture. Let stand on cooling rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

*Carol Fenster's Sorghum Blend*
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour

Whisk together and store in airtight container.