A few blueberries: Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
My Clonmel Cousin has been getting into the gardening gifts lately – and I’ve been the lucky recipient, getting a cheerful pink petunia and fuschia pot for my birthday and a Christmas present of a hazel tree with a pair of blueberry bushes. We had tried blueberries in the garden previously but they’re big fans of acidic soil and I don’t think we added enough peat moss into the spot where we planted them. This time round, when I was planting the bushes, I landed plenty of peat moss into the hole – with good results.
Our soft fruit area is near the clothesline so most of the fruit – that’s also where our gooseberries, blackcurrants, raspberries and rhubarb are planted – bypasses the kitchen, going straight into my mouth as I hang out the (mostly pink) clothes. Having been down in Ladysbridge for a week, enough blueberries survived on the bush to cook with last weekend.
While the Husband took his cousin and her husband for a walk up the Canon Sheehan Trail in the Ballyhouras, Little Missy and I minded the house (and tent: short of space, the Husband, LM and I were camping in the garden for the weekend). We also took the opportunity to pick the ripe blueberries and stir them into the batter for Oatmeal Muffins. Warm out of the oven when the walkers returned, they didn’t last for long and the mixture of oats and berries made us feel very virtuous, even when we were having thirds! Must try some blackberries next time I’m making those muffins.
Update 28 August: Forgot to give the link to the original muffin recipe! Here you go – Val’s Oatmeal Muffins. Just add a large handful of freshly picked (approximately 100g) blueberries – or more! – to the batter before dividing it between the muffin cases.
That muffin looks yummy! Making me hungy…Where is the recipe??
Blueberries are my absolute favorite fruit. I miss them terribly from my summers in the States! Maybe I’ll have to grow some of my own next year. These muffins look great!
Sorry about that – entry now updated with the recipe I use. Even plain, those Oatmeal Muffins are a perfect for weekend mornings, especially when we have guests staying. They only take a few minutes to throw together, even with Little Missy tucked under my arm!You should definitely get a blueberry bush, Amanda. It’s so nice to be able to go out and pick your own! Because they like acidic soil so much, they’re the perfect soft fruit for growing in pots as well. Makes it easy for city living.
I’ve just made these, but with frozen raspberries because I had no blueberries. They are utterly delcious, what a yummy recipe! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Just made these today with raspberries and, just cause it was there, white chocolate. It is a keeper. They did not rise too much but they are tasty. And got 12 muffins + 5 fairy cakes outta the mixture 🙂
It’s good to hear about the raspberry experiments! I really like the idea of adding white chocolate too – how to make something very naughty out of a rather virtuous recipe.Seeing as the fruit addition was so successful, I think I might try chopped up rhubarb the next time I make them. We just need more weekend guests to give me the excuse!