Apple Blueberry Muffins

One of my "yummy memories" from my childhood is of blueberry muffins. They have always been a favorite of mine, and as a child I savored the sweetness of the muffin, the tangy berries, the butter melting down over it all...that is one delicious memory!

This recipe pairs blueberries and apples together, a perfect blend of sweet and tart. It has "snack" in mind rather than "dessert", so I use a little less sugar and add a helping of oatmeal.
The process is simple, so let's get started!

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (Quick-cooking type is fine if it's what you have on hand)

4 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

1/3 cup melted butter            

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 cup milk

3/4 cup water

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into blueberry-sized chunks

**You may use a total 2/3 cup of melted butter if you do not have coconut oil at home.

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees with the rack at center height, and lightly grease your muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups. If you make standard smaller sized muffins one dozen to a pan, this recipe makes about 20-24 muffins. Making larger deli-sized muffins, this recipe makes about 10 muffins. 
• Melt butter and coconut oil together in a small saucepan over very low heat.
• In one bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and spices.
• In a second bowl, mix together the butter, coconut oil, milk, water, eggs, and oatmeal. Soaking the oatmeal in the wet mixture for a few minutes will soften it and produce a lovely texture when baked. When I make these muffins, I chop my apples now while the wet mixture soaks together...just the perfect amount of time.
• Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten. It is just fine if there are a few lumps in the batter, but you don't want to over-stir or your muffins will end up heavy. Add the apples and blueberries.
• Fill muffin cups almost full so they develop a high, rounded top. Everybody likes the top part the best!

Baking time varies depending on the size of muffins:

• Bake smaller muffins for 15-20 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick if you're not sure. It should come out clean.
• Bake larger muffins for 25-30 minutes, and feel free to use that toothpick to be certain they're baked through.
• Remove from pans and cool on a towel with a towel laid over the top as well to hold in moisture.

Now, about that coconut oil/butter combination in the ingredients. I enjoy using a butter/coconut oil combination in my baking, and I explain why here. I encourage you to try it and let me know what you think!

Enjoy your muffins as a warm buttery snack with a cup of tea, or as a handy take-along item for your lunch bag. These muffins are very moist so will hold up well to freezing if you want to bake ahead of time and put some away for later!

As always, I welcome your comments. Happy baking!

~Lorrie