"Everything-Free" Lemon Blueberry Muffins

For a while now, I've been tinkering with my muffin recipes. Since realizing that the butter-substitute that I've used is causing me some problems, I've had to reconsider my whole approach to making muffins. Switching to oil, rather than a solid fat, requires an entirely different balance of ingredients. The first few attempts were tasty, but came out with deep dips in the middles. I soldiered on, trying for the right balance of delicacy and strength.

The batch that I made this morning turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share it with you all.

These are sturdy enough to not sink in the middle, but still tender and moist. The flavor is good, and the balance of sweetness, to the tartness of the lemon, is about right.

"Everything-free" Lemon Blueberry Muffins
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nightshade-free
 
Makes 12 standard-sized muffins
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes 
 
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon flaxmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
   *if you are corn-sensitive, there are recipes online for corn-free substitutes for baking powder.
     I have done this at times, as our daughter is sensitive to corn, and it seemed to work fine.
1 teaspoon coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
     *xanthan gum can be derived from corn. If you are corn-sensitive, it may be safer to use guar gum.
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup light agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1/3 cup sugar
     (I use organic granulated, which is similar to turbinado or raw sugar. I like the flavor it gives)
1/4 cup neutral oil (I used grapeseed oil)
2 teaspoons liquid coconut oil
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
        Lemons vary wildly in size, which could give greatly different results. Next time, I'll measure
        so I know just how much I use. I would guess that I used about 2 teaspoons of zest this time.

        These were quite lemony, almost on the edge of being too tart for me. Next time, I think I'll use
        slightly less zest, and see if that gives a little better balance.

Add-in:
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)

Topping:
A bit of granulated sugar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with baking cups (I grew up calling them cupcake papers or muffin cups) . I like using the "If You Care" brand of unbleached baking cups, because it seems a healthier choice, but also because the muffins release from the cups so neatly.


Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients and begin to stir together. Add in blueberries, and stir until just barely combined. Scoop or spoon into prepared muffin tin. I use a cookie/ice-cream scoop that holds about 2 Tablespoons of batter. This makes the scooping part quicker and less messy.

Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of sugar. Gluten-free muffins can develop a gooey, sticky top once they cool. The little sprinkle of sugar helps to prevent this.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until the top of a muffin no longer squishes when gently pressed.

Remove from the pan and let sit on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Blueberries hold heat very efficiently. I have burned my mouth more than once from diving into a fresh blueberry muffin too quickly. :) If you leave them in the baking pan, the bottoms and sides keep baking, becoming dark and leathery. Dark and leathery are words that do not fit the sweet delightfulness of muffins. :) 

Enjoy!