Blackberry Walnut Muffins

Blackberry Walnut Muffins

What a whirlwind of a week!

My birthday was on Wednesday (which now feels like a lifetime ago), and it was one of the best of my life. Why, you may wonder? I've already had 32 of them after all, and let's be frank, 32 isn't exactly considered a milestone (unless you're worried about the steady downgrading of your fertility).

Well, firstly, my husband could not have been more lovely--treating me to diamond earrings and an omakase dinner at Asenabo, one of the few Michelin rated restaurants in Los Angeles. For a few hours, I felt like I was back in Tokyo again, even though I was sitting in a strip mall in the Valley. But the giant plate of grilled king crab wasn't even the highlight of the day, if you can believe it!

For the past two years, I've been hard at work on a novel, and on my birthday of all days, an agent contacted me. And not just any agent. An agent that I thought was so storied, so fabulous, with such great taste, that she'd never even read my work.

Even better? She loves the manuscript and wants to work with me! As a first time novelist, this is a major milestone. It's still sinking in...

Now, there's still a long road ahead. Publishing is in turmoil. Minor revisions must be completed this month. But this in and of itself means something important. I should keep writing and writing and writing!

Now you see why this was truly a birthday to remember, and hopefully the start of an exciting birthday year.

OK, off the writing and onto the food!

I made these delicious little Blackberry Walnut Muffins yesterday for breakfast. They're vegan and made with whole grains (cornmel and whole grain spelt flour, an ancient cousin to wheat). They also have lots of nutrients and protein and omega-3's from the walnuts. If you make a batch on Sunday, then you can eat them all week long for breakfast. Enjoy!

Blackberry Walnut Muffins
Makes 8-10 small muffins
Baking time: 20 minutes
Vegan
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup whole grain spelt flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almond or rice milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (vanilla, rice milk, oil) and whisk together. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring to combine, but be careful not to over beat the mixture. 
5. Fold the blackberries and walnuts into the batter.
6. Oil a muffin tin and spoon the mixture into it. 
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are golden brown. Enjoy! 

Source for Ingredients

• organic blackberries, extra virgin olive oil, and walnuts from Trader Joe's
• organic cornmeal, organic whole grain spelt flour, organic vanilla, organic cinnamon, and baking powder from Whole Foods