Gluten Free Blueberry & Hazelnut Muffins

Now here's something healthy, naughty and tasty which can be eaten at breakfast, lunch or tea! I love muffins, they're the ideal (or should that be idle) way to bake for a lazy, messy cook like myself. I've added some hazelnuts to your traditional soft and juicy blueberry muffin to give it an earthy crunchiness, and made the recipe gluten free by using special flours. Simple and scrumptious.

Recipe
Makes 12 muffins

Recipe adapted from The Bake-A-Boo Bakery Cookbook by Zoe Berkeley
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50g hazelnuts
150ml milk
2 large eggs
200g blueberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g caster sugar
200g gluten free self raising flour (Dove's Farm or M&S recommended)
75g butter

1. Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan oven), and line a 12 hold muffin tray with paper cases,

2. Line a baking tray with baking paper and lay the hazelnuts on it, then toast them in the oven for approx 10 mins. Leave them to cool for a few minutes before rubbing them with a paper towel or just your clean hands to get rid of the skins, before chopping them into three with a sharp knife. Put them to one side on a plate.

3. In a small bowl beat the eggs until frothy. Then heat the butter over a low hob until melted.

3. Once melted, pour the butter into another bowl and add the vanilla extract and milk, mix well before whisking in the beaten eggs.

4. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour, pinch of salt and the sugar. Add the butter mixture gradually in 3 stages, before throwing in the blueberries and chopped roasted hazelnuts. Gently stir the batter to make sure that it is combined.

5. Using a tablespoon, spoon the batter evenly into the 12 cases and cook in the preheated oven for 25 mins, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Once cooked, leave to cool in the tray for 5 mins before turning out onto a wire rack or plate. Serve warm or cold, ideally with a warming cuppa of your choice.

These muffins were idly baked to the sounds of Cinematic Orchestra's album Ma Fleur