(Lactosefree) Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Sunday night means the perfect bake night, particularly at this time a year with X-factor and Downton Abbey back on TV (yes... still... I know). With the winter darkness settling earlier with each passing week, and a noticeable chill in the air, one of my favourite weekend evening activities is curling up on the sofa with a cuppa and something scrumptious to nibble on.

This weekend I decided to tackle a batch of Blueberry Crumble Muffins, all with a lactose-free twist. 


Now I have always been a desserts kind of girl. There was an ongoing joke about this addiction every time I went out for a meal, I had trouble passing by a cupcake stand without oogling the options and ben & jerry's was on my top list of summer activities.  

Then something happened, and my body just didn't seem up to the task anymore. It took far longer then necessary (make your doctors take you seriously whichever way you can - if they don't, insist on referrals! Oh and keep a food diary to track symptoms), but eventually I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance and for a horrible moment it seemed as if my cupcake eating days were gone forever. 

But food science has come a long way, and in 2001 Finish company Valio kicked off a little revolution by launching the very first lactose free milk to be available in supermarkets (thank you!). Initially this seemed to remain a Nordic option (and problem, in fact lactose intolerance was most common in Finland), but the free-from ranges have expanded over the years and these days there is a fairly impressive selection available in most supermarkets.

(If you live in London there's also the fabulous Miss Cupcake in Brixton - lactosefree cakes galore! But that's another post altogether)

Personally I use a mix of Arla's lactofree range and the Pure range of dairy-free Butter (made from sunflower oil or soya). Great not just for cooking but everyday life, as it's meant I've been able to re-build and maintain my usual diet (including the calcium intake) while at home. Restaurants are sadly still a bit of a pickle, so I've learnt to appreciate the starters menu instead (but even here you can get away with a bit of cheating if you arm yourself with some Pro Lactase Pills from Planet Organic - reactions vary by individual). 



So moving onto the actual muffins! To replicate, you'll need:

Base

• 100 g Pure sunflower or soya butter (or if you prefer Arla's lactofree version)
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 1/2 dl caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar
• 2 dl milk (Arla's lactofree skimmed should do the trick)
• Peel of 1 Lemon
• 4 dl Flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt

Crumble

• 75 g cold butter
• 2 dl oats
• 1 dl flour
• 1 dl caster sugar

Filling

5 dl fresh blueberries

Turn the oven to 175 degrees. 

Mix up the egg, sugar and vanilla sugar in a bowl. 

Add the butter (melted), milk and Lemon peel. 

Mix up the flour, salt and baking powder and then add into the main mixture bowl. 

Mix it all up nicely, and then add the mixture and the blueberries into your muffin forms (fill each one up to 2/3rds). 

Throw together all the ingredients for the crumble mixture, and sprinkle on top of the muffins (with a few blueberries). 

Pop the tray into the oven for around twenty minutes (or until the muffins look golden and come out dry). 

Then boil the kettle and make a cuppa, get comfy on the sofa and enjoy! 

xo