Blueberries Oat Muffins

Cookbook Challenge Week 29 - Blue

Interesting FACTS:

There are 2 types of muffins in the world. English muffins and American muffins. So whats the difference? Well, English muffins contain yeast dough while American muffins don't; and American muffins contains baking powder or baking soda while English muffins don't.

American muffins can be divided into bread-like and cake-like. The following recipe is bread-like muffin. The batter can be assemble and bake quickly (40 minutes max till the muffins go into your mouth). You only need two bowls for this method. 1 bowl for dry ingredient and another for wet/ liquid ingredient. 

Here's the recipe. To make your life easier i separate the ingredients here:

(a) Wet / liquid ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup quick oat or rolled oat (i know its dry but you will know why if you continue reading)
• 1 egg, lighly beaten
• 1/4 cup (equiv 60ml or 60g) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

(b) Dry ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup self raising flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lemon zest (optional)

• 1 cup frozen Blueberries

Make : 12 muffins

Here we go:-

1. Preheat oven to 160 - 170 degree Celsius (fan forced oven). Butter or line 12 muffin cups.
2. Wet ingredient: In a large mixing bowl or cup; Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Set aside for about 5 minutes. Add oats into the milk and lemon juice mixture. Stir and mix the mixture well. Add beaten egg, melted butter and vanilla essence into the mixture too. Stir it well to cover your goopy oatmeal mixture and set aside.
3. Dry ingredient: In another large mixing bowl;  mix flour, brown sugar, baking soda, lemon zest and salt. Stir it up, use the underside of spoon to press the brown sugar clumps against the side of the bowl. It's ok to have some clumps left. 
4. Now, fold the liquid/ wet ingredient into dry ingredient. Stirring as you go. Stir until just blended.
5. Gently stir in the frozen blueberries until just incorporated. 
6. Evenly filled the muffin cups with batter (3/4 full). Place in the oven and baked for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and let cool before removing. 

This muffin is so delicious. I can't get enough of it.

TIPS:

• General rule of thumb: If you do not have self raising flour, you can use plain flour and mix with baking powder. Eg: 1 cup plain flour mix with 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
• Do not overmix the batter or tough muffins will result due to gluten from flour. Only 10-15 strokes are needed.
• Don't worry about the lumpy batter because the batter will continue to blend as it bake and the lumps will dissappear. 
• Do not thaw the frozen blueberries before use because the liquid will make your muffin turns purple.
• What is the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla essence? Vanilla extract is thicker. Therefore, if your are using vanilla extract just put 1 tsp. 
• Have this with butter... it is yummy-licious