Blueberry Muffins

These are the sort of old-fashioned, straightforward blueberry muffins that one would like to find in the kitchen upon arising, nestled cozily in a wicker basket atop a gingham-draped table. This is particularly true right now, in the bleak midwinter. When the wind is whistling around the house, and the snow is piled up to unprecedented heights, a little taste of summer can go a long way towards reassuring us that the ice will melt, the grass will reappear, and summer will come again. (Right?)


Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
~ 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
~ 1 cup plain rice milk
~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
~ 1 tsp. vanilla
~  The zest of 1 lemon (or 1/2 tsp. lemon extract, if you prefer)
~ 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
~ 2.5 cups flour
~ 4 tsp. baking powder
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, cinnamon
~ Pinch of nutmeg
~ 2 cups blueberries

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
~ In a large beaker, combine the first 7 ingredients (sugar through vinegar), and mix thoroughly.
~ In a separate bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients, then add the blueberries and give them a good stir around to give them some grip in the batter.
~ Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix with a rubber spatula until combined; don't overmix or your muffins will be tough!
~ Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins; you want each cup to be nearly full (I got 15 muffins from this recipe, but your mileage may vary).
~ Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
~ Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. Eat warm or at room temperature, with jam, margarine, or all by themselves.