Blueberry Bliss Muffins with Crumble Topping

After dealing with a house full of illness for a week, nothing has sounded better than french fries, which I have not indulged in, and blueberry muffins with crumble topping. I promised my lovely friend Krista, one of the sweetest gals I have met in my lifetime, to give you another article of baking content. I promise I will have another savory dish soon.

The recipe I share with you today can certainly be altered to fit your preference of berries. I have made it with a berry medley that turned out absolutely wonderful.

Native to North America, blueberries come out on top as being rated the highest to destroy free radicals. A cup of blueberries is equal to 14% of your daily fiber intake. Besides them being a wonderful source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; berries as most of us know, are high in vitamin C. Eating delicious, plump, and sweet blueberries is a great way to stock our bodies up on "the good stuff" to recoup from illness or protect us from getting ill. I know I need it!


INGREDIENTS- MUFFINS:
6 Tbsp. of softened earth balance
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
2 "egg" ener-g replacer eggs (follow box directions)- if you eat real eggs.....use them
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup almond or soy milk
**2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (see below note)

**note: I have found that using fresh berries as opposed to frozen alleviate that blue Smurf look for the final product, if you don't over-mix. This recipe was adapted from "Mad about Muffins"

INGREDIENTS- CRUMBLE TOPPING
2 Tbsp. earth balance
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the earth balance and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the "eggs". Add the vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt. Mix in half of the flour and almond milk alternately, mixing gently. Then add the remaining flour and milk. Stir in the blueberries. Fill non-stick muffin tins or foil baking cups.

To make the crumble topping, cut the earth balance into small pieces and mix with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Sprinkle the topping over batter. Bake 25-30 minutes until muffins are lightly browned. Makes one dozen muffins