v:gourmet

Where I am in Ontar-i-o the wild blueberries are in season. Every year I buy a basket or two and freeze those sweet little babies to use throughout the year. They are tart and tangy and full of anti-oxidants, which we could all use a lot more of. In honour of my mom, who used to always make blueberry muffins with sugary-lemon topping, I pulled out the babycakes cookbook and tried their vegan version. Fab-fab-fab-u-lous. What better way to start the day in mid-July when the blueberry bushes are dripping with nature’s bounty?

2 1/4 cups whole spelt flour

2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

2/3 cup agave nectar

2/3 cup rice milk

2 tsps pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh wild blueberries

4 tsps organic cane sugar

2 tsps organic lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, rice milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth. Gently fold in the blueberries just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Combine the cane sugar and lemon zest. Fill each muffin cup to almost the top. Sprinkle each muffin with a generous helping of the sugar/zest combo. Bake the muffins on the centre rack for 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out cleanly.

Let the muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Serve warm on a mellow Saturday morning with a good cup of java.