Light and Tender Saskatoon Muffins

These light, fruit-studded saskatoon muffins are a most delicious snack. Delicate almond flour and a whisper of lemon zest bring out the subtle and complex flavour of the unique and flavourful saskatoon berry. If you've got some berries in your bucket or freezer, save a few handfuls for these fantastic muffins. (Skip to recipe.)

I love this time of year when the berry bushes offer up their bounty! Purple hands and stained lips are the fashion accessory of choice around here as we spend hours picking berries and fruits. First come the haskaps, usually - this year the birds beat us to them! Then the saskatoon berries, and after that the raspberries and sour cherries. A couple weeks ago we did a first harvest of the saskatoons. Friends Nicoletta and Loreto (of the lovely blog 'SugarLoveSpices') spent an afternoon picking with us, and we had a lot of fun and a lot of snacking, picking 50 pounds of the sweet purple fruits.

Picking saskatoons in our yard is a whole lot different than the way I remember picking them as kids. We picked the wild berries that grew along fence lines and along the back country roads, often way back in the bush. You headed out each year to the secret spots you'd scouted out and you told no soul where they were. You might have to drive a few miles to get to those spots, sometimes down some pretty sketchy country 'roads'. you packed a lunch, some bug spray, and a whole lot of pails and cartons. Berry picking was an all day affair. Mom didn't let you off to play - it was work.

The element of danger is missing now. We don't have to constantly look over our shoulders to see if there are greedy bears who want our berries; no looking at that pile of bear poop and wondering how fresh it is or coming upon a flattened grass area where a bear was having a nap and wondering if he was coming back soon for another. In our yard, the only greedy animal we have is Pippa, who'll eat any berry we drop, and the wildest critters we fight are the mosquitoes we're constantly swatting. We still love stuffing our faces with the sweet purple berries, and we're still tired but satisfied after a day of picking. But the snack wagon and shady chair are only a few steps away. It's the height of luxury . . . but somehow a little less exciting.

Once we have our pails full, it's time to pick them over (for traveling critters and mushy berries), give them a rinse, and freeze them, process them, or jam them. But first, a few of them go into these delectable muffins.

The almond flour helps amp up the natural almond flavour of saskatoon berries, and the whiff of lemon zest helps give them a shot of brightness. These little muffins are tender and light and just bursting with saskatoon berry goodness.

Light, Bright, Saskatoon Muffins

Stir up the batter - it's quick and easy with almond flour and your favourite gluten free flour blend or regular all-purpose flour (for non-gluten-free).

Plop it in the pans.

And bake to golden saskatoon glory.

Check out these other tasty saskatoon berry recipes:

• Saskatoon Juice (And How to Easily Clean Your Saskatoon Berries)
• Saskatoon Roll or Saskatoon Cobbler (And How to Freeze Your Saskatoon Berries)
• Canned Saskatoons and Saskatoon-Peach Preserve
• Saskatoon Jelly
• Old-Fashioned Saskatoon Pie
• Prairie Mess (Eton Mess with Saskatoons and Rhubarb)
• Gluten Free Saskatoon Scones
• Saskatoon Slump
• Saskatoon Pickle
• Saskatoon Ice Cream Made with Homemade Saskatoon Jelly
• Pork Chops with Saskatoon and Green Apple Chutney

* * * * *

Kitchen Frau Notes: These saskatoon muffins are equally delicious with fresh or frozen saskatoon berries. Use the berries straight from the freezer.

Saskatoons are sweeter and less juicy than blueberries. If you want to sub the saskatoons with blueberries, just use 1 cup of berries, as too many blueberries could make the muffins soggy. Make up the extra half cup of volume by adding a half cup of white chocolate chips.

Saskatoon Muffins

• 1 cup (100gms) almond flour
• 1 cup (125gms) gluten free flour blend (or all purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup (70gms) natural evaporated cane sugar
• ¼ cup oil (like grapeseed oil)
• ⅔ cup (160ml) unflavoured natural yogurt (if using Greek yogurt, thin it out with water )
• zest of one lemon (preferably organic)
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon natural almond extract
• 1½ cups (225gms) saskatoon berries
• 2 - 3 teaspoons coarse sanding sugar - optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-well muffin tin with paper muffin liners or grease them well.

Stir together the almond flour, gluten free (or regular) flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, and oil until creamy and light. Beat in the yogurt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined; there may still be small lumps in the batter and that's okay.

Stir the saskatoon berries gently into the batter with a spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin tin wells. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of sanding sugar if desired.

Bake for 18 to 23 minutes, until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

Makes 12 scrumptious saskatoon muffins.

Guten Appetit!

 

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