Lemon Verbena Blueberry Muffins for the Summer!

Seems like this time of year no matter the heat, I'm in the kitchen making muffins.  We don't grow our own blueberries, but we always seems to have an overabundance of them.  I also decided that before the summer ends, I'm going to find more recipes with lemon verbena and use and share them with you.  So I found a very good recipe from one of my favorite herbal cookbook authors, Marge Clark in her The Best of Thymes for Lemon Verbena Blueberry Muffins.  These were the first attempt and I decided that they were a bit over baked.  So here with my notations in parenthesis is the recipe.

LEMON VERBENA BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins

8 fresh lemon verbena leaves
1 cup of super-fine sugar
3 tablespoons of fresh lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
1 cup of walnuts or black walnuts, finely chopped
2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup of safflower oil
1 egg

One day before making muffins, bury the 8 lemon verbena leaves in the 1 cup sugar.  Place in a closed container.  ( I didn't do this step.)

Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, with cups about 2-1/2 inches across.  In a medium bowl, combine the chopped lemon verbena leaves, blueberries and nuts.  (I put the lemon verbena leaves and nuts in the food processor and pulsed them to the consistency I wanted.)  In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar.  In another bowl, beat together the milk, safflower oil and egg.  Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir just until blended.  Add the blueberry mixture and fold in gently.  Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle each muffin with 1 teaspoon of the lemon verbena sugar. (I didn't do this step.)  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (I baked a second batch for 20 minutes and they came out better not as over baked.), or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool a few minutes, then remove muffins. 

Use remaining lemon verbena sugar to flavor other desserts or to sweeten your tea.

Hope you enjoy these.  They are a new favorite of The Herbal Husband.  Hope you enjoyed your 4th of July holiday if you are in the USA.  The rain has stopped here, but we still have the ickies and stickies.  More Chelsea Flower Show next post.