Gwyneth's Blueberry Muffins

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  Mine was pretty relaxing--it was a bit too hot to do any house projects, so we mostly stayed in the airconditioning and I got some baking done.  I made Gwyneth's brownies again as well as her healthy blueberry muffins.  She has two blueberry muffin recipes in her cookbook: her mother's recipe (which is DELICIOUS) and the "healthy" version of her mother's recipe, which has spelt flour, and maple syrup and agave nectar instead of refined white sugar.  Whether or not this makes them "healthier" seems debatable to me, but both recipes are good, albeit a little different.  The regular version makes muffins that are light and fluffy and decadent and the "healthy" version have that bran muffin nuttiness that I quite love.

Enjoy!

The "Healthy" Version

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup light agave nectar
1 cup white spelt flour
1 cup whole spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 375°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk oil, soymilk, syrup and nectar in a bowl. Combine flours, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients; fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown and a knife comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

The Regular Version

(wish I had taken photos of these because they look dramatically different)

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 organic large eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powdeer

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

 

PREPARATION

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers.  Whisk the butter, eggs, and milk together in a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, the 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold in the blueberries.  Divide among the muffin cups and sprinkle the muffins with the remaining teaspoon of sugar.  Bake until a toothpick tests clean and the muffins are golden brown, 25-30 minutes.