WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT THEM
Brown rice flour is a wonderfully delicious gluten-free flour that is rich in protein, high in fibre and hypoallergic – wonderful for those with inflammatory or digestive issues. The addition of almond meal pumps up the protein and helps keep these muffins moist. If you’re using spelt flour – it has a lower gluten and higher amino acid content than regular wheat flours, so it’s kinder to the digestive system. Olive oil is anti-inflammatory to the body and marries perfectly with the Mediterranean-style flavours of vanilla and cinnamon. Cinnamon improves insulin’s efficiency, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels.
+ ingredients & methods +
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 12 MUFFINS)
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION
180 g (1 1/2 cups) brown rice flour
100 g (1 cup) almond meal (ground almonds)
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60 ml (1/4 cup) organic maple syrup
80 ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil or macadamia nut oil
2 organic eggs
80 ml (1/3 cup) almond milk or rice milk
180 g blueberries or finely diced apple
Chocolate Tahini or melted chocolate to drizzle (see notes)
ORGANIC SPELT FLOUR VERSION
100 g (3 1/2 oz) raisins
500 ml (17 fl oz / 2 cups) freshly brewed Ginger Snap Chai Tea
240 g (8 1/2 oz / 2 cups) wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
125 ml (4 fl oz / 1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
90 g (3 oz / 1/4 cup) raw honey or organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 organic eggs
1 orange, zest and juice
2 red apples, finely diced, skin on
melted dark chocolate for drizzling or my Chocolate Tahini (see notes) from the new Healthy Baking Cookbook
METHOD
FOR THE SPELT FLOUR VERSION:
Preheat your oven to 160 C fan forced /320 F
Soak raisins in the Chai tea for 30 minutes then drain.
Combine flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder into a large bowl.
Add olive oil, vanilla, honey, eggs, raisins, orange zest and juice then mix through until combined.
Fold in apples.
Spoon into 12 large prepared muffins tins.
Bake for 45 minutes or until firm to touch.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Melt chocolate then drizzle over the top before serving – otherwise make my Chocolate Tahini (see notes)
Enjoy.
FOR THE GLUTEN-FREE VERSION:
Follow instructions for spelt flour version, folding in the blueberries at the very end before baking.
+ notes & inspiration +
To make my Raw Chocolate Tahini from my new Healthy Baking Book, combine 1/4 cup tahini, 1 tablespoon cold-pressed coconut oil, 1 tablespoon organic maple syrup and 2 tablespoons Naked Chocolate. Mix well and pipe or drizzle over the muffins.
Recipe Courtesy of www.thehealthychef.com