My little sister, who is not so little anymore, is going to become a mama. For the first time, I am going to become an aunt. I am a mom of two young girls so I’ve been through the drill of pregnancy and early motherhood but becoming an aunt is so special.

Growing up in a large South Asian family, I was surrounded by extended relatives; aunties and uncles, who are funny, loud and gregarious. All are amazing self-taught cooks. Family gatherings always included a table stockpiled with enough food to feed what seemed like fifty people. All of it was homemade, nothing store bought.

These days, my aunties are still cooking and gathering our families together around their tables. There is a great deal of noise, a lot of eating, and loads of laughter.  Now, my cousins and I are also cooking, contributing modern day twists mixed with the more traditional dishes of our elders. Cooking together has become a way of trying to recapture joyful moments from our childhood but also as a means of recreating these moments for our children.  One of my aunties would exclaim, “If you cook the food, they will always come” and boy was she right!

My youngest daughter, Aleena nick-named the baby in my sister’s belly, “Blueberry”. The name stuck and now we ask, “when is Blueberry coming?, is Blueberry a boy or a girl?, where is Blueberry?”

Blueberry is due any day now. Blueberry will be born in blueberry season. And what better way to celebrate than with these Blueberry Almond Muffins. These are made with part-almond flour and whole wheat pastry flour. They are dairy-free and so deliciously moist. Lightly sweetened with the natural flavor of almonds and turbinado sugar make these muffins a nice healthy whole grain addition to your breakfast routine or snack time.

Mix all ingredients( except for blueberries) the night before so that in the morning all you have to do is stir in the blueberries and scoop into your muffin tin to bake. Keep in a covered bowl or container  in the refrigerator. Someone told me that if you let the batter sit overnight, the dough has time to set and the flavors really sink in, resulting in a more flavorful, moist muffin. I’m not sure if there is real truth in this process but boy, is it a time saver! In about 20 minutes you will have captured the beauty of blueberry season in your mouth.

In the meantime, I will patiently await my role as an aunt. And I promise to always set a place for you at the table, my sweetest “Blueberry”. Please come over soon.

Happy Wednesday Everyone 💙

Blueberry-Almond Muffins

Free from: dairy, soy, sesame, peanut

Makes 12 muffins

• 1 cup spelt, whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/3 cup turbinado sugar + extra for sprinkling on top
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed, slightly wet & tossed in 1 tablespoon flour plus 2 tablespoon extra blueberries for sprinkling on top
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• crushed slivered almonds, for sprinkling on top, about 1 tablespoon or to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten one at a time
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy alternative). *See Notes 
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with twelve paper liners. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and shredded coconut. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine lemon zest and turbinado sugar with your fingers. Evenly distribute zest into sugar. This releases natural oils in the zest, resulting in a more pronounced lemon flavored sugar. Set aside.

In a separate, medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together wet ingredients: olive oil, eggs, vanilla, coconut milk and apple cider vinegar. Add sugar & zest combination.

Stir wet ingredients into dry (do not over-mix). Gently stir in blueberries. Use an ice cream scooper to fill muffin tin. Fill to top, using a silicone spatula to get every bit in your bowl. Batter will be wet.

Sprinkle tops with turbinado sugar, crushed slivered almonds (or seeds of choice) and blueberries. Do not skip the turbinado sugar-it helps to create a crackly, golden brown top. If using slivered almonds, crush lightly. This will create a nicer looking muffin top.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotate pan halfway to ensure even browning and check early since every oven is different.

Let cool in tin for 10 minutes. Transfer to baking rack to cool for another 5 minutes. Serve with yogurt, crème fraiche, peach jam or lemon curd on the side.

*Notes:

• Use coconut milk for drinking not canned coconut milk used for cooking.
• If preparing the night before, mix everything except blueberries and slivered almonds.
• Muffins freeze well- store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.