Blueberry Citrus Spelt Muffins

There is no secret about my love affair with Whole Foods muffins. Or Whole Foods for that matter...if I won the lottery, I'd only shop here. A girl can dream....

Maybe you're not thinking, 'what is spelt?'--but I certainly was when I eyed another strange flour in the Whole Foods bulk department. What, indeed, is spelt?! It is wheat. Used more commonly in Europe and apparently has found its place on the shelf  in health food markets along with other whole grain flours. And instead of boring you with science talk about it, here's a link you can use to learn more about it.

These muffins are definitely different than what I'm normally used to and I can't put my finger on it. I liked the texture. And aren't they pretty? We enjoyed them. If you are interested in trying something with spelt flour, give these a whirl. If you are interested in comparison baking between spelt flour and whole wheat flour, check out this really awesome blog post on it.

 

 

BLUEBERRY CITRUS SPELT MUFFINS

 

 

Makes 1 dozen muffins

The classic blueberry muffin gets an update with spelt flour and a flavor boost from orange juice and zest.

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) softened butter or canola oil (I used canola oil)
• 2/3 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup honey & 1/3 cup raw sugar)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, cream together butter or oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

 

In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, zest and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter-egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes (but check to see a few minutes earlier).

 

 

(I had to bust out the Mexican pottery in anticipation for our next Mexican vacation. Also, sorry if I'm driving you crazy with too many muffin posts. I think I'm obsessed with trying a new muffin recipe every 6-8 weeks. They're the perfect vehicles for whole grain flour experiments and baked fruit/nuts PLUS breakfast on the go or afternoon snack with tea. Surely I can't be alone in muffin-love?!....)