We count down the minutes to Moab trips. The BF loves biking there. The little teen boy loves following the BF down red rock trails. The girls love the swimmin' hole. I love the sunshine and steak nights at Kyles. And we all love The Muff.
The sun won't have cracked the mesa before we're pulling on puffy's and flying into town, attempting to be among the firsts in line for Love Muffin Breakfast Muffins.
These tasty little cornbread cakes, filled with bites of bacon and blueberry lace some of our most favorite mornings ever.
So, of course, we had to attempt a version at home. Because it's been too long since we were last in Moab, and we've been pining away for everything we love about that place.
Most especially, these muffins.
The original versions are made with corn meal and white flour. But I wanted to add a few twists for our DIY version, so went with white wheat flour, and stirred in oatmeal to boot. That seemed to make good sense in a breakfast muffin.
Sweetened with raw honey and brown sugar, then topped with a drizzle (the original muffins are icing-free), then made into standard sized muffins (instead of the Texas-sized versions you'd get in Moab), the end result here was pretty darned splendid.
Sweet, but not overly so.
Dense, but moist. (Sorry I said the word moist).
Full of so many blueberries and so much bacon, you be achin'. (Sorry about that weird rhyme).
Our homecooked version is close enough to the original to soothe some of that Moab homesickness, but upgraded enough with whole grains so as to be a proper breakfast.
Give this one a try. Then get yer face to Moab. We'll probably see you there, standing in line at the bakery counter, waiting for Breakfast Muffins, by the early light of dawn.
Moab Bacon-Blueberry Breakfast Muffins
16 muffins | 30 mins
- 20 oz peppered bacon, cooked and diced
- 1 cup butter
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups white wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (or almond milk with 1 Tbsp white vinegar stirred in)
- 2 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries (or 12 oz fresh blueberries)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-4 Tbsp whole milk
- nonstick baking or coconut spray
Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a muffin tin with nonstick.
Dice and cook bacon until crispy.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together butter, eggs, honey and brown sugar until fluffy. Add oats, cornmeal, flour, baking soda, vanilla and salt, mix until combined, then add in buttermilk. Mix until smooth. Fold in 3/4 of the cooked bacon and 2 cups of berries. Spoon into prepared muffin tin, filling each muffin cup until almost full (the muffins do not really spread as they bake)
Bake for 19-24 minutes, or just until the center of the muffins spring back when touched lightly. Allow to cool before removing from muffin tin. (Texture of muffins will be a little bit flaky when warm, so I found it best to let them cool almost to room temperature).
Whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, just enough milk to make a drizzly icing, then fold in 1/2 cup blueberries and remaining bacon. Drizzle icing over muffins. Serve and enjoy!