Blueberry & Courgette Muffins
Soft, moist and bursting with blueberries!
RECIPE NOTES: I love using vegetables in baking (it’s probably the mother in me) for added moisture as well as increasing the nutritional content. You honestly cannot taste the courgette (zucchini/baby marrow) in this recipe. However, if you prefer not to use it (or if it is out of season), feel free to leave it out, just add another 1/4 cup (60g) of Greek yoghurt. Caster sugar gives a fine texture to the baked muffin, but you can use granulated white sugar instead. If you are short on time, omit the crumble top (or sprinkle each muffin with a little granulated sugar before baking.
See the how-to video here: Alana Smith (@alanasmithsweetphotography) (instagram.com)
Makes 10-12 muffins
COURGETTE & BLUEBERRY MUFFIN BATTER
courgette/zucchini, 1 (medium) - about 100g or 3/4 cup finely grated
eggs, 2
yoghurt (unsweetened Greek), 125g (125ml or 1/2 cup) - a Greek style yoghurt works well
oil, 50g (60ml or 1/4 cup) - I like using olive or grapeseed oil
butter (unsalted), 100g
sugar (caster), 100g (125ml or 1/2 cup)
flour (plain/all-purpose), 225g (375ml or 1 + 1/2 cup) - cake wheat flour in South Africa
baking powder, 10ml (2 teaspoons)
fine salt, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)
blueberries (fresh or frozen), 125g (about 1 cup)
CRUMBLE TOPPING - OPTIONAL
butter (unsalted), 25g (just under 2 tablespoons)
sugar (caster), 25g (about 2 tablespoons)
flour (plain/all-purpose), 25g (about 2 tablespoons) - cake wheat flour in South Africa
1. To start, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a standard size muffin tin with baking cups (or grease well with butter).
2. Grate the courgette/zucchini (100g/1 medium - ends trimmed off) using the fine side of a box grater or microplane before placing it in a large mixing bowl (about ¾ cup).
3. Add the wet ingredients (2 eggs, 125g/½ cup unsweetened Greek yoghurt, 50g/¼ cup oil) including the butter (100g - melted in a small bowl in the microwave) and caster sugar (100g/½ cup). Mix until uniform.
4. Add the dry ingredients (225g/ 1 + ½ cup plain/all-purpose flour, 10ml/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1.25ml/¼ teaspoon salt) and gently mix together until almost combined.
5. Add the fresh or frozen blueberries (125g/about 1 cup) and fold them in until just combined.
6. Divide the mixture among the baking cups (about 2/3 full).
7. For the crumble topping (if using), if your butter (25g) is hard out of the fridge, soften it for a couple of seconds in a medium heat-proof bowl (short bursts in the microwave) until soft (but preferably not melted).
8. Add the remaining ingredients (25g/2 tablespoons caster sugar, 25g/2 tablespoons plain/all-purpose flour) and mix together until clumpy.
9. Divide the crumble mixture among the baking cups, topping each muffin batter amount with a bit of the crumble mixture.
10. Bake the muffins for approximately 20 - 25 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean).
Delicious warm out of the oven but will keep for a couple of days stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or freezer for up to three months).
