Blueberries!

Recently when we were visiting our friends in the Northern Province of Zambia our host made us some blueberry muffins.  I couldn't believe she had blueberries so I asked her where she had gotten them.  She had gotten them in the freezer section at Shop Rite in Lusaka!  Funny, someone who lives a two days drive from Lusaka had to tell me about where to find blueberries!  I don't usually buy things in that section because in the past when I did you could tell that the things had thawed and had been refrozen again and tasted funny so I usually steer clear of that area.  So anyway, I bought some frozen blueberries and made these wonderful blueberry muffins last night so I thought I would share the recipe here.  At the bottom I put a recipe for lemon blueberry pancakes.  I have not tried that one yet but in the next couple of days you can be assured we will be trying that one too.  Happy cooking!

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

"Big blueberry flavor warrants big muffins, so fill the cups right up for oversized muffins that will please everyone. The cinnamon-sugar streusel is the crowning glory."

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg

1/3 cup milk 1 cup fresh blueberries 1/2 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup butter, cubed 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2.	Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3.	To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4.	Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done. Lemon Blueberry Pancakes Ingredients 1-1/2 cup Cake Flour 1 Tablespoon (additional) Cake Flour 1/4 teaspoon Salt 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder 3 Tablespoons Sugar 1-1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (more If Needed) 1 whole Lemon (more If Needed) 1 whole Large Egg 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted Zest From 1 Lemon 1 cup Heaping Blueberries Extra Butter Maple Or Pancake Syrup Preparation Instructions Heat heavy skillet or grill over medium low heat. In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix evaporated milk, juice of 1 lemon (more if lemon isn't very juicy), and lemon zest. Allow to sit for five minutes, then add egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix to combine. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine. Splash in more evaporated milk if mixture is overly thick. Stir in blueberries. Again, check to make sure mixture isn't overly thick. Melt butter in heated skillet. Drop batter by 1/4 cup measures and fry pancakes on both sides until golden. Serve with softened butter and warm syrup.