Blueberry Polenta Cupcakes

Can’t believe we’re half way through National Cupcake Week already! Where does the time go?

Actually, don’t get me started on that, I can’t believe it’s the 19th September today. Whaaaaaaatttt?!

I have to go to Uni tomorrow 🙁 Real life starts back up again, I suppose, I’ve had such a lovely time spending my days playing around with cakes and treats in my kitchen and writing recipes. Surprisingly, even though you may think it sounds like I haven’t had a structured few months as in routine at Uni, I have a strict routine every day.

I mean, I love having my boyfriend home and everything at the weekends, but it plays havoc with my routine. Every weekday I’m up at 7am to take my medication so that I can eat breakfast at a normal time. By 9:30 I’ve done my first workout of the day, showered, brushed my teeth, moisturised, got dressed and the first load of washing is on.

This means I can then sit and watch Jeremy Kyle and This Morning until 12:30… OK so Jezza is part of my normal morning routine, but come on who doesn’t love watching people screaming at each other and saying “You’re the Dad” when actually they’re not? It makes me feel like any problems in my life are insignificant 🙂

It’s fantastic, where do they find these people?! When I’m walking round Sainsbury’s I certainly don’t see them. Most of the time I have to have subtitles as they can barely string a sentence together.

Speaking of not being able to string a sentence together. Another thing I don’t understand – “text speak” – what the heck?! Why bother putting “lyk” when you could just put and ‘e’ on the end and not bother changing the ‘i’ to ‘y’. Makes much more sense to me. I’m quite glad I don’t have any friends who send me texts like that because it would take me an hour, and Google to decipher what they were actually trying to tell me. “R U cumin 2nite?” “I fink ure kl”……

SPEAK PROPERLY PEOPLE!! It’s really not difficult. Listen to your teachers, do your homework then normal people might be able to understand you.

Sheesh… OK, rant over. Back to National Cupcake week 🙂 This is the first time I’ve ever used Polenta in a cupcake recipe. As I mixed the batter together, I was a bit skeptical as I tasted a bit and the texture was… odd.

However, 18 minutes in the oven turns them into beautifully juicy, light blueberry polenta cupcakes. These literally just came out of my oven, my boyfriend hasn’t even tried them yet, I have, of course… I had to check they weren’t poison, but nobody else has and I’m sharing them with you already because they are yummy and I want you to have the recipe 🙂 No need to thank me…

Print

Makes 12

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Ingredients:

> 1/2 cup + 2tbsp plain flour
> 1/2 cup Polenta
> 1tsp baking powder
> 1/2 cup + 1tbsp caster sugar
> 1/4 cup buttermilk
> 1 egg
> 4tbsp melted butter (1/2 stick, 56g), cooled slightly (I just did it in the microwave for about 30 seconds)
> 6oz blueberries, fresh or frozen. (I used frozen)
> Extra sugar to sprinkle on top

Method:

> Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C/375F and line a cupcake tray.
>If your blueberries are frozen get them out and place them in a bowl about 20 minutes before you want to use them so they semi-thaw.
> Place the flour, polenta, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl.
> Add in the buttermilk, egg and melted butter.
> I didn’t bother using my stand mixer for this and you could probably get away with just using a spoon, I used my hand mixer and mixed until everything was combined, took less than a minute.
> Tip in the blueberries.

> Mix them in by hand until evenly distributed.
> Split the batter between the cupcake cases. About 3/4 full. Sprinkle some sugar on top of the cupcakes.
> Place in the oven for 18-20 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
> As soon as possible remove them from the cupcake tray and place them on a wire rack so the cases don’t peel away from the cupcakes.