Orange Blackberry Muffins

I had been trying to figure out what to do with some blackberries I had in my freezer (fresh ones that I had frozen). Once again I turned to muffins... they are my ultimate comfort food. Google search led me to this recipe, which was accompanied by the most stunning photographs of a muffin I've ever seen. (Mine are so weak in comparison!) But even if my muffins won't win me a photography award, they were absolutely scrumptious! Dustin and I were smiling and nodding over mouthfuls of still steaming-warm blackberry bliss, bursting with the bright citrus flavor of a juiced and zested orange! Now I'll never be able to resist scooping up cartfuls of fresh blackberries at the market, knowing the possibilities that await them!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 orange, zested and juiced
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. honey
1 cup blackberries, fresh (I chopped mine up a bit- they were HUGE!)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease or line a 12 hole muffin tin.

2. Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

3. In a large bowl, rub sugar and orange zest together with fingertips until the sugar is moist and you can smell the orange. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently but quickly stir to blend. Stir in the blackberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin.

Makes 12 muffins.

(Adapted from A Sweet Fantasy)