A bit of blue like the painted wooden doors
and tiled floors in Essaouira last week; like my dress and the boats and the
sea; then the same subtle scent of spice as the tea we drank sitting in the
Persian café on Peckham High Street before I left.
And if the above counts as dwelling on the
past again (someone did tell me once that I do that a lot), then let these
sweet summery muffins also speak of the blue of the water in swimming pools in
back gardens, and of river valleys in far away places I want to visit; and of
every cup of cardamom tea we will drink, at the café or our desk or my old flat
or the new one or yours that I’ve yet to see; and of more new colours and more
new smells and of new beginnings.
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons water
150g (1 ¼ cups) plain flour
100g (1 cup) wholemeal flour
150g (3/4 cup) unrefined caster sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon salt
240ml (1 cup) vanilla flavoured soya milk
or other non-dairy milk
60ml (1/4 cup) sunflower oil or other
flavourless oil
120g (1 cup) frozen blueberries
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F and lightly
grease two muffin tins or line them with cases. In a small bowl, mix together
ground flaxseed and water and leave aside to set. In a separate bowl, combine
flours, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Add soya milk, oil and the flaxseed mixture and mix
until just combined, then fold in the blueberries. Spoon equal amounts of the
batter into the prepared muffin tins then bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer
inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin
for about 5 minutes, then place on a rack to cool completely. Devour and be all
happy and smiley and hopeful.
