Blackberry & Coconut Muffins

Well hello and thanks for visiting!

Now, I’m sure you’ve had a busy day and deserve a break, so why don’t you kick off your shoes, make yourself a coffee or tea, then let’s sit down and talk Blackberry and Coconut Muffins.I really wish you could have one of these Blackberry and Coconut muffins RIGHT NOW with me, because they’ve just come out of the oven and are soooooo deliciously warm, moist, fluffy and sweet. They have a slight tangy flavour and are oh…so good with a cup of coffee or tea!

My original recipe for these Blackberry and Coconut Muffins used caster sugar, but I replaced it with coconut sugar as part of my sugar challenge and they taste just as good, if not better. The coconut sugar adds a warm caramel flavour to the muffins and, although I’m not a fan of strong caramel flavour, there is only a hint of caramel in these muffins that I quite like.

Although coconut sugar is much less processed than white sugar and (according to the Philippine Coconut Authority) has a GI (glycemic index) of 35, it does contain fructose and should only be consumed as a ‘sometimes food‘. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar levels. Glucose is given a GI of 100 and if a food has a GI of 50, then it raises blood sugar half as much as pure glucose.

If you love blackberries and coconut, then I know you will love these Blackberry and Coconut Muffins. Not only do they taste great, they are also easy to make and are delicious as a morning or afternoon (or as in my household, anytime) treat.What you need

• ¾ cup plain flour
• ¾ cup self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 120g unsalted butter – softened
• ¾ coconut sugar
• 2 free range eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanille bean paste
• ½ cup natural Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ desiccated coconut
• 2 cups fresh blackberries – washed and drained, cut large ones in half. Frozen unthawed blackberries also work well.
• ¼ shredded or flaked coconut for sprinkling on top

What to do

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F)

Grease muffin tray or line with paper muffin cases

Sift the flour and baking soda into a bowl and set aside.

In a seperate bowl, beat the butter until light and creamy, then add the sugar and beat well to combine – this is best done with a stand mixer. Scrap down sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.

Add one egg at a time and beat well to combine.

Add the yoghurt, vanilla and lemon juice and mix through to combine.

Add the flour mix and beat on low speed until just combined (don’t overbeat).

Add the blackberries and fold through gently.

Spoon the mixture equally into the muffing tray, sprinkle shredded or flaked coconut on the top and bake for 18 – 20 minutes – skewer should come out clean when inserted into the centre.

If you make these Blackberry and Coconut Muffins, I’d love to know how you went 🙂