Ryanne Molinari

It seems that every year around the beginning of summer I reread or at least skim parts of Gone with the Wind. I even venture to take the 959-page tome into the pool, to the horror of bookworm friends who doubt my ability to keep from dropping it into the water. (Seriously, people, I am an expert. Any girl who can ride a bike or swim laps while reading can easily sit still on a floaty without turning Gone with the Wind into Drowned in the Water.)

Anyways, because of this annual revisit to Georgia through the words of Margaret Mitchell, I have come to associate GWtW with the start of summer. You know what else I associate with summer? Baking. Having been away at college where the closest thing to baking was microwaving a cookie in the caf, I have a lot of recipes to catch up on. That said, upon finishing GWtW, it seemed fitting to mourn Scarlett’s fate and to celebrate the beginning of summer with a yummy treat. Plus, I had a ginormous carton of strawberries that were going to go bad. So, I found a recipe and – as usual- did not follow it,  instead creating a delicious and actually rather healthy summer snack. In the interest of relating this recipe to literature, I shall call them “Melanie’s Lemon-Berry Muffins.” They are as sweet as Melanie with their strawberry savor and as sassy as Scarlett with their lemon twang, making them perfect for afternoon tea or a neighborhood barbecue. (Boom. I can relate anything to a book if I try hard enough. Convincing, right? ;) )

So here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Melanie’s Lemon-Berry Muffins

1. Gather your ingredients: 
   • 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
   • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
   • 1/2 cup cane sugar
   • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
   • 2 tsp. baking powder
   • 1/2 tsp. salt
   • 1 egg
   • 3/4 cup milk
   • 1 cup pureed bananas (about 2 bananas)
   • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
   • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
   • 1 tsp. lemon zest (I just guessed- I have no idea how much made it into the bowl but it does not matter that much)
   • 5-7 drops lemon essential oil (I use Young Living, but any is fine)
   • 2 cups chopped strawberries
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line cupcake pans
3. Combine flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and mix.
4. Whisk egg, milk, bananas, lemon juice, and vanilla together in a smaller bowl.
5. Pour liquid ingredients into flour mix and stir thoroughly
6. Fold in lemon zest and strawberries
7. Spoon into baking cups and bake for 19-21 minutes
8. Enjoy while reading Gone with the Wind ;)

*This yields approximately 20-24 muffins depending on how full you want them.