Sunshine Muffins With Blueberries And Walnuts

I have about a thousand muffin recipes, give or take. I can’t help myself. Muffins are lovely, versatile and perfectly portioned treats that work for breakfast on the go, afternoon snacks and even healthy desserts. You can put just about anything into muffin batter and come out with a successful treat, and I have. This time, I’ve gone back to a simple breakfast muffin made with fresh orange juice, blueberries and hearty walnuts.

If you’re anti-oil, simply replace the canola oil in this recipe with an additional 1/4 cup of applesauce for a virtually fat-free muffin recipe.

Sunshine Muffins with Blueberries and Walnuts
Yield: 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup orange juice (NOT from concentrate!)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
zest of 1 orange
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly spray a muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Make a well in the center and add orange juice, oil, applesauce, zest and extracts.
4. Mix with a fork just until ingredients are combined.
5. Stir in nuts and blueberries (quickly, so the berries don’t defrost!).
6. Fill muffin tins and bake 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.