If Monday’s got you down, take an early coffee break! This incredibly easy muffin recipe screams for your inventiveness.  It doesn’t have to be blueberries. You can use any fresh fruit that you like: chopped peaches, apples and bananas are perfect, too.  You can incorporate oats, nuts or chocolate chips; add flavorings like vanilla, instant coffee, peanut butter – it all works!

You may want to serve them with a slather of protein rich almond butter for a long lasting energy boost! Simply make one batch, and enjoy them all week long. That little sprinkle of sugar on top makes the sweet berries even sweeter! It’s kinda like a cobbler for breakfast! What a perfect Christmas treat!!

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Very Berry Muffins

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling

3 large eggs

¾ cup milk

½ orange, juiced, about 3 tablespoons

Zest of ½ orange, about 2 teaspoons

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

Granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 °.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together both flours, the baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, milk, orange juice and zest.

Coarsely chop the berries using a knife or by briefly pulsing in a food processor. Stir the berries into the wet mixture. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thick.

Drop the batter into the muffin tins using a 3-inch ice cream scoop.  Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar. Bake until the muffins are golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then remove the muffins to a rack.