Almond Spice Muffins

Hi folks! 

Happy Holidays! :-)

This is my latest gluten-free, vegan and Ekadasi-friendly muffin recipe, specially posted for my friend Loka as a thanksgiving gift. :-)  She loved these so much it made my day! Makes approx 20 delicious moist fluffy muffins.

Ingredients:

3 cups ground almonds

1 cup buckwheat flour (not considered a true grain)

1 heaped TBSP baking soda

4 TBSP cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup chopped candied ginger (Trader Joe's)

1 cup orange flavor cranberries (Trader Joe's)

Mix all dry ingredients. Add in cranberries and candied ginger. 

Blend together the following til smooth:

2 banana's

1 TBSP vanilla essence (optional)

1 1/2 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup safflower/sunflower oil

 Approx 1 cup of water

Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix evenly. Fill into paper muffin cases in a muffin tray. Sprinkle tops with a dash of brown sugar.

Make sure you lightly oil the muffin tray to avoid burning the muffin cases and muffins while baking. Bake for approx 35 mins in a pre-heated oven at 380 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Offer with love and serve with tea, or however you desire. Very more-ish!! :-)

Blueberry Ginger Choc 'n' Lemon Muffins

OK, I just invented my own favorite muffin recipe of all time! :-) The decadent combination of juicy blueberries with melting chocolate, candied ginger and tart fresh lemon zest is dangerously addictive! Oh yummmmmmmmmmy!! 

This a perfect consolation dessert in the cold wet weather, when you just want to snuggle up with a book in a cosy corner somewhere. And the rich welcome aroma of warm cinnamon and chocolate fills the house while these are baking - good for chasing away the pre-winter blues methinks! :-)

Makes 14 medium sized muffins. Vegan.

Moist, fluffy and bursting with goodies and sweet spice flavors. . .

Ingredients:

Approx 2 1/4 cups sprouted wheat pancake and waffle mix (Arrowhead Mills)

Approx 1 cup sprouted wheat flour (Arrowhead Mills)

1 heaped tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

A pinch of clove powder

A pinch of sea salt

2 TBSP lemon zest

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped candied ginger (Trader Joe's)

1 cup frozen organic blueberries

Mix all dry ingredients. Add lemon zest, choc chips and candied ginger. Mix, then add frozen blueberries and mix again.

Blend together the following til smooth:

I banana

1 1/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup safflower oil

1 TBSP vanilla essence

 Approx 1/2 cup of water

Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix evenly. Fill into paper muffin cases in a muffin tray. Allow to sit for 20 mins or more before baking. 

Make sure you lightly oil the muffin tray to avoid burning the muffin cases and muffins while baking. Bake for approx 35 mins in a pre-heated oven at 380 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove from oven and allow to cool. Peel off paper cases from the muffins before completely cooled. Offer with love and serve with tea, or however you desire. Very more-ish!! :-)

Fluffy Choc Chip Muffins

If you know anything about my odyssey of attempts at baking with sprouted wheat flour - ahem - well, lets just say these are awesome fluffy muffins!! :-) Now I have to remember how I made them!

Makes 18 muffins. Vegan! :-)

Mix the below dry ingredients evenly in a big bowl:

Approx 3 cups sprouted wheat pancake and waffle mix (Arrowhead Mills)
Approx 3/4 cup sprouted wheat flour (Arrowhead Mills)
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
3-4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup vegan choc chips
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger pieces
3/4 cup orange flavor cranberries (Trader Joe's)

Blend these ingredients til smooth:

3/4 cup safflower oil
2 ripe banana's
1 1/4 cup maple syrup
2 TBSP vanilla essence
Approx 3/4-1 cup water

Pour the blended mix into the dry ingredients and mix. Dough should be kind of dense sticky but it will drop off a spoon.

Scoop generously into muffin cases in a muffin tray. Bake for approx 25 mins in a pre-heated oven at 385 degrees Fahrenheit.

To test done-ness gently press top of muffin with finger tip - it should spring back up. Remove from oven and allow to cool in trays. When cool peel off the muffin cases and arrange on a serving dish.

Serve cool as they are, or with a dollop of cream or pudding. :-)

Banana Walnut Muffins

Hey Folks!

Its a raining outside and I have a day to myself, so here comes a new muffin recipe which I made for Urmila and Jahnu Best's breakfast yesterday. These muffins are delightfully soft and fluffy especially considering that they are made with sprouted wholewheat flours. :-) Dhanvantari gave these a rave review, and since he is a picky eater I take that as the highest compliment! :-)

Ingredients:
Approx 2 cups almond meal (Trader Joe's)
Approx 3 1/2 cups sprouted wheat pancake and waffle mix (Arrowhead Mills)
2 heaped tsp baking powder
A pinch of sea salt
Approx 1 cup walnut pieces
Approx 1/2 cup orange flavored cranberries (Trader Joe's)
Zest of 1 big lemon

Mix all the above ingredients and set aside.

Juice of 1 big lemon
3/4 cup safflower oil
1 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 TBSP double cream
1 TBSP vanilla essence
2 banana's

Blend the above ingredients til smooth and mix with dry ingredients. Add approx 1/4 cup water to make a thick foamy batter. Spoon generously into lightly oil muffin trays, sprinkle with a dash of raw turbinado sugar and bake in a pre-heated oven at at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for approx 30 mins, or til dark golden and the indent springs back when you press muffin top lightly with your finger.

Allow to cool to room temperature or so. These muffins are soft and crumbly so removing them from the tray intact is a little challenging - and since I intended to open them up and fill them with a whipped cream cheese anyway - after a few unsuccessful attempts I didn't bother fighting the muffin tray anymore. I just carefully cut the muffin tops off level with the tray top - but be gentle to avoid breaking them - and set aside. Use a knife to loosen the edges and ease the muffin bases out of the tray.

Arrange muffin bases on a plate and dab a generous TBSP of whipped cream cheese on top. (See below. If you want them sweeter you can add a tsp of strawberry jelly on top of the cream cheese). Gently place muffin tops back over the filled the bases.

Voila! Your royal muffins are ready! :-) Delicious served with a side of fresh fruit and hot barley cup or herbal tea.

BTW, these muffins are also great plain if you don't want to use cream cheese! :-)

Filling:
1/2 pkg cream cheese
Approx 3-4 TBSP sour cream

I blended the above with a magic stick til smooth.

Optional additional ingredient: Strawberry jelly (jam) mixed til runny

Cream and Jelly Muffins

Here's a much enjoyed dessert (which I originally made with left-over pancake batter), created on Saturday for Madhva's return from India dinner. Light and delicious and very more-ish!

Ingredients:
Approx 1 cup sprouted grain pancake and waffle mix (Arrowhead Mills)
2 cups almond meal (Trader Joe's)
1 tsp baking powder
3 TBSP cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp pumpkin spice mix
Pinch of clove powder
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup orange flavored cranberries (Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup carob chips
Approx 1/4 cup safflower oil
Approx 1/2 cup maple syrup
1 TBSP vanilla essence
water as needed

Filling:
Strawberry jelly (jam)
1 cup double cream whipped

Method:
Mix dry ingredients.
Add in the wet ingredients and use enough water to create a thick porridge like consistency, and mix well.

Spoon into a lightly oiled muffin tray and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for approx 40 minutes.
Texture when cooled should be soft and easy to cut or break.

When cool remove form tray and cut into halves - they are crumbly so be careful when cutting to avoid breaking them.

Spread a thin layer of strawberry jelly on the inside of the bottom half . Then drop a big TBSP of whipped cream on top. Cover lightly with the top half.

Makes scrumdelicious 12 muffins. :-)

Mini Muffins

I made mini muffins today using reusable silicone baking molds from the world market.
Im not sure how healthy it is to use these, but they make the cutest pop in your mouth muffins ever!

Mix:
Approx 1 1/2 cup almond meal
Approx 3/4 cup tapioca flour
Approx 1/4 cup Red Mill buttermilk pancake and waffle mix
2 TBS cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 TBSP baking powder
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Blend together:
1 banana
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup to taste
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

Mix wet and dry ingredients, and spoon into baking molds.
Bake at 385 degrees Fahrenheit for approx 20 minutes or til deep golden brown.
Serve cool. Makes approx 36 mini's.

Banana and Lime Muffins

Today the sky is blue with a few soft clouds, the wind is blustering, swirling yellow and orange Autumn leaves around, and the air is fresh - full of life. Multi-colored fallen leaves carpet the ground outside, and it was such a lovely morning, I was inspired to experiment in the kitchen. The result is these zesty delicious muffins, and I'm happy to say I think they turned out perfect! :-) Makes 14-18 muffins, depending on the size of your muffin trays.

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour

3/4 cup pancake waffle mix

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP fresh lime zest n lemon zest

1/2 cup cranberries

1/2 cup carob chips (optional)

1/2 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1 banana

3/4 cup safflower oil

1 cup maple syrup

water as needed to make a medium runny dough

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Blend the banana, oil and maple syrup til smooth, and add to the dry ingredients. Mix with water til you get a good consistency. Add into oiled muffin trays, and bake for approx 30 mins or til dark golden. To test if its done, press your finger tip lightly on the top and if it springs back when you release then its ready. Serve cool.

Carob Chip Spice Muffins

I made these tasty muffins for our lunch dessert today. Makes approx 14 muffins. To make them vegan simply use banana instead of yogurt as the "egg re-placer". Check 'em out! :-)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 Tbsp baking soda
3 Tbsp cinnamon powder
1 1/2 Tbsp nutmeg powder
1 cup carob chips
1 cup raisins
1 cup crystallized ginger small pieces
2 Tbsp vanilla natural essence
1 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt or 1 banana mashed into a puree (I like using banana because it gives flavor)
Approx 4 cups water - use as needed to make a medium runny batter that drops from spatula slowly but easily.

Method

Mix all dry ingredients. Mix all wet ingredients separately. Then mix everything together. Oil the muffin trays, sprinkle with oat flakes, wheat bran or something else to help prevent sticking. Fill batter into muffin tray and bake in a preheated oven (385 degrees) for approx 25 mins or until golden brown. To test if down simply press your finger tip to the surface lightly, it will spring back when done.

Serve warm or cooled, straight or with apple sauce, custard, cream etc. You can glaze them if you like.