Vegan and Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Muffins

The last time I tried to bake something, a series of unfortunate events unfolded. My goal that day was to make bruschetta. I bounced back and forth between experimenting with the various flours in my cupboard or using a pre-mixed package, and finally chose the option with the smallest margin of error: Pam's Wonderful Bread Mix. Pam is a very trusting name, the directions were easy and I didn't think she would let me down.

The kind of bread I was going for here was your basic baguette. I remembered that after pouring the mixture into bread loaf pans. I returned the mixture to the bowl. No big deal. I formed baguettes on a baking pan, and wondered why they wouldn't hold their shape. Then I remembered that I was trying to halve the recipe, and had done so with the flour, but not the liquid ingredients. For the second time, I returned the ingredients to the mixing bowl. After adding the rest of the flour, shaping them into baguettes, and putting them in the convection oven in exasperation- I did not think to check the oven's setting. Which- as I discovered much too late- was set to broil.

Our dinner guest that night was very polite about eating half over-cooked, half under-cooked bruschetta, but I have not touched flour since.

So, this morning, I decided to successfully tackle muffins. It's raining, it's Sunday and I have blueberries.

Vegan and Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Muffins 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 cup gluten-free oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coarse-ground sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey (if you're a strict vegan, substitute agave nectar or maple syrup)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 flax "eggs" (1 tbsp ground flax, 3 tbsp warm water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 overflowing cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 6 tbsp warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until an egg-like texture is formed.

Mix together dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the soy milk and lemon zest and let sit for a few minutes. Add the remaining wet ingredients, including the flax mixture. Slowly stir into the dry ingredients until well blended.

Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin tins, filling the cup about 3/4 full.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm. Yields 12-16 muffins.