Anyone who knows me, knows I loooove muffins. I think they're perfect little hand held excuses to have cake for breakfast or a snack. And it doesn't hurt if they taste good and are reasonably good for you.
These are all of those things. We had picked up a pint of blueberries (along with a bunch of other things) at Tuttle's Red Barn last weekend when we were out at the coast, and they were just begging to be added to some muffins. Tuttles is a family farm that's been around (and on the same land) since 1632. That's 376 years! The store/gift shop/fresh produce market/deli/bakery is huge and a lot of fun. We've been going there for years. I'd have taken pics, but I'm not yet at the point where I'm comfortable whipping out my camera and taking photos at a place that I'm not a tourist at. Silly, I know. But there are some photos on their site you can look at.
I was thinking they'd be good in a gingerbread muffin, but then thought that might be a little too heavy. Wanted something warm and spicy... Pumpkin pie spice? Apple pie spice? Nah... But then taking a look in the cupboard, I found it. Chai spice! Yeessssss!!!! Chai Blueberry Muffins.
And like all muffins, these are a snap to make. Dry ingredients added to wet ingredients, fold in your accessories, and you're ready to go. They're not overly sweet, so you may not want to cut the sugar in these. They're light, fluffy and moist and have a warm, spicy flavor. And they'd be great with apples, too!
Chai-berry Muffins
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chai spice blend
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 pint blueberries
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Heat the oven to 350°. Grease a 12 muffin tin.
In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
To a larger bowl, add the oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla, mix well with a hand mixer or by hand.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine a bit.
Grab a rubber spatula and fold in the berries and nuts.
Fill the muffin tins--an ice cream scoop makes for more evenly sized muffins, and it's much neater than a spoon.
Bake for about 25 minutes and check. They should be golden brown and a tester should come out clean.
Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes or so, then run a knife around the muffins, and turn them out on the
rack to cool.
My chai spice blend is from McCormick's, but if you can't find that, it's pretty common these days, or you can make your own. Here's a recipe by Chockylit for it if you'd like to make your own. And how good do those cupcakes look?
32 comments:
I too love muffins :0) Wow, that Chai/Blueberry combination sounds incredible!! Yum.
Elle - these sound so good. Yum!
These look awesome and its different! I will definitely have to give them a try!
awesome w. chai spice!?!!
the apples look lovely too/reminds me of when we lived in ohio as nearing apple season and late harvest grapes...yum!
Wow! Chai-berry muffins! How special Elle :)
Oh YUM YUM. What a fantastic idea, chai spices in muffins! I've gotta try this :D. I just found your blog and I love it.
What a great idea. I love chai so I imagine these tasted amazing.
Those look like some mighty delicious hand-held snacks there Elle! I find that whenever I whip out my camera I'm either greeted with a "wtf" look or else they think I'm much more important than I really am...lol.
Awesome idea with the chai spice :) I feel the same way about muffins, and try to make them whenever I can. They need no special at all.
Ever notice some people are just afraid of cameras?
what a yummy sounding combination!
I am with you 100%, I love muffins. And blueberry is my all time fav. As much as I love them, I'm always searching for ways to kick them up a notch, whether its the crumb topping or the amount of butter. I never thought to add chai. Genius!! Girl, you are so smart.!!
oh elle, these are terrific! my favorite tea is chai (which involves my favorite spice) and my favorite berries are blueberries, so you know i'm hooked. they look positively perfect. :)
Sometimes the best recipes come from such moments of spontaneity. They look wonderfully moist and delicious.
Those muffins look delicious - they look like they have the right amount of fruit for me to enjoy them. :-)
I would never have thought of the blueberry & chai pairing. I'll have to try this out.
Now this sounds rather interesting. I love chai tea, I love blueberries, I love muffins - I think you need to enter these in some contest somewhere that will pay you $10,000 for your ingenuity.
Girl I've loving your pictures of these little nibblets!
Chai in muffins, ooh yummy.
Oh, wow, Elle! These sound SO good. I wish we had fresh blueberries. I have blueberry envy.
Oh, my gosh, those cupcakes do look delicious. I've never had anything with chai spice, nor have I ever seen it in any store, so thanks for including the link to Chockylit. :)
What an awesome idea these are! Love it, so unique!
I was just telling my hubby today that I never get tired of muffins! Chai spice...wow sounds so delicious and warm!
hehe I had to laugh when you talked about being a little reserved with taking pics at some places, I am the complete opposite :P.
Mmm, Elle! I love muffins myself...these look just perfect!
These looks so good. I love chai and I love blueberries. I have never seen chai spice, but if McCormick makes it, I'm sure I'll find it in the market.
I love the fact that you also use yogurt and canola oil in your muffins, I love the lightness it gives.
My children and I are going to make these Elle. They look delicious! How do you find the time, but glad you did!!
Oh, Elle-
You are on to something here. I love chai, blueberries and muffins. Never would have put them together. Now I will—Can’t wait to try these.
What an intriguing combination you used in cupcakes. They look mouthwatering! i haven't made cupcakes in a long time. now I crave them:)
Ooh, I think I love you. Chai tea is my absolute favorite!
They look yummy, I've never tried Chai spice in cooking, I should give it a go:-)
XX M
I love chai tea! I love blueberry muffins! Great combination. When my grandsons come over for the weekend, we almost always make blueberry muffins. I'll try these next time.
These sound perfectly yummy! I cannot wait to try muffins with chai spice in them...I bet these are perfect with a cup of chai tea!
Mmmmm...chai berry muffins. This sounds like a keeper recipe. Now I need an excuse to bake breakfast (it's normally just a piece of fruit, if anything).
Now I know you can't live that far from me, can you? I love shopping at Tuttle's. It's a five minute drive from my house. Those muffins look yummy!
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