HMR Blueberry Muffins

Slowly, but surely, I am trying to create the perfect HMR muffin. It has been a bit difficult getting the moistness correct because I keep changing the fruit that I include, but I think I am figuring it out. This is my take on this recipe from an HMR site. It includes fake sugar which I did enjoy, but the sugar can be skipped and the recipe is still good.

Ingredients (makes 6 full size muffins):
1 packet HMR 500 Vanilla Shake Mix

1 packet HMR 500 Chocolate Shake Mix
2 packets HMR Multigrain Cereal
3 packets artificial sweetener
½ Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Tablespoon Vanilla extract
¾ Cup of water

1/2 Cup fresh blueberries
Non-stick cooking spray

1 packet of artificial sweetener to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine all of the dry ingredients well, and then add the vanilla and water. Mix until fully combined and then fold in the blueberries.

Spray the muffin tin to coat, and then scoop the batter into the tin. Muffin cups would probably work great, but I hate them so I don't use them. I put a couple of extra blueberries on the top of each, and then sprinkled the extra packet of sweetener on top. I used aspartame and it worked out well.

Place in the oven. For me it pretty consistently takes 25 minutes with a gas oven, but your mileage may vary.

Looks pretty much like a normal, human muffin, right? And it totally tastes like one as well! The blueberries were so incredibly good in this! The muffins came out a little too moist (like I had to let them fully cool before coming out of the tin and then I let them sit upside-down to dry for a while) so I might cut the water by an 1/8th cup or more, but otherwise, they were amazing.

I prefer not to frost them, but I don't enjoy any frosting recipes that I have found with the shakes. I also prefer to do one chocolate shake and one vanilla in the recipe, as opposed to 2 of either kind. It seems to make a milder flavor that tastes less like something being forced into a muffin because it is good for you.

I have heard differing accounts as to whether muffins like this are supposed to be a part of the regular HMR program. Either they don't count as a shake or they are supposed to be an "every once in a while treat." Blah, blah, blah, the whole is better, and more edible, than the parts in this case.