BLUEBERRY & CARDAMOM MUFFINS

A bit of blue like the painted wooden doors and tiled floors in Essaouira last week; like my dress and the boats and the sea; then the same subtle scent of spice as the tea we drank sitting in the Persian café on Peckham High Street before I left.

And if the above counts as dwelling on the past again (someone did tell me once that I do that a lot), then let these sweet summery muffins also speak of the blue of the water in swimming pools in back gardens, and of river valleys in far away places I want to visit; and of every cup of cardamom tea we will drink, at the café or our desk or my old flat or the new one or yours that I’ve yet to see; and of more new colours and more new smells and of new beginnings.

BLUEBERRY & CARDAMOM MUFFINS

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

3 tablespoons water

150g (1 ¼ cups) plain flour

100g (1 cup) wholemeal flour

150g (3/4 cup) unrefined caster sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

240ml (1 cup) vanilla flavoured soya milk or other non-dairy milk

60ml (1/4 cup) sunflower oil or other flavourless oil

120g (1 cup) frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F and lightly grease two muffin tins or line them with cases. In a small bowl, mix together ground flaxseed and water and leave aside to set. In a separate bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Add soya milk, oil and the flaxseed mixture and mix until just combined, then fold in the blueberries. Spoon equal amounts of the batter into the prepared muffin tins then bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then place on a rack to cool completely. Devour and be all happy and smiley and hopeful.