Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

So what's a mom to do when her 3-year-old comes to her at 3:30 in the afternoon and says, "Mom, I want to make something," and you've already made cookies and pancakes that morning and every bowl and measuring cup is dirty in the sink? Wash some dishes and make muffins. Duh.

And guess what I discovered. If you use frozen blueberries that you have to thaw and then they're in some juice and you add that into the batter, the muffins turn a bluish green color while cooking - a perfect naturally colored treat for St. Patrick's Day! That's what you get when you cross a lemon and a blueberry.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1 large egg

1 T grated lemon rind (from 1 lemon)

1 cup blueberries (from 1 cup blueberries)

Cooking spray

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400. Generously coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients through nutmeg in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Combine buttermilk, egg and rind; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

4. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pan immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

5. Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze over cooled muffins.

Per muffin: 187 cal, 4.8g fat, 3.7g protein, 1g fiber, 30mg chol, 264mg sod

from Cooking Light, April 2003