Grain free, Refined Sugar Free
These muffins are a lovely way to get the flavours of Easter, as we knew it before cutting out grains and sugar, back into our lives.
We made a test batch yesterday, and they are BEAYOOTIFUL! I decided to make a chocolate cross, because the only ‘white’ I could come up with was using coconut oil, and that means you have to chill the buns first, and I want them HOT OUT OF THE OVEN! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK??!! The answer is no. So chocolate crosses it is! Mkay? Good. Ingredients: 3 cups almond flour 3 organic eggs 1/4 cup butter or ghee or coconut oil 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder ½ teaspoon ginger powder ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder 1 cup kefir yoghurt or regular organic greek yoghurt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda ½ cup organic sultanas 2 T organic cocoa 4 drops orange oil* (optional: I know it’s not something everyone has in the cupboard, and the recipe is still lovely without it) Instructions: Set the oven to 165C/ 330F
Add all the ingredients EXCEPT the sultanas, cocoa and orange oil together into a blender and blend until well mixed (Thermomix speed 5, 20 seconds). NOTE: I always add the baking soda directly after the yoghurt, making sure to sprinkle it onto the yoghurt, because the yoghurt activates the baking soda causing it to rise, in the same way that tartaric acid would in baking powder (which is not GAPS legal). Remove 1 cup of the batter and set aside (this will be used for the crosses). Add the sultanas into the blender batter and mix on a low speed (Thermomix speed 2, 10 seconds) Pour the batter into muffin moulds lined with muffin cups until they are ¾ full. Return the mixture you set aside to the blender, and add the cocoa and orange oil. If you like, you can add a teaspoon of honey to this mix to sweeten it. It makes a nice contrast. Blend on high speed until it’s as smooth as its going to get (Thermomix speed 7, 20 seconds). Pour or spoon the mixture into a piping bag (or a sandwich bag, and snip the end off). Pipe your chocolate crosses onto your muffins. If you have any leftover chocolate mixture, you can pipe it into mini muffin cups, bake them and then freeze them, they make GREAT bite-sized lunch box treats! Bake the muffins for 20 – 22 minutes (the mini muffins only need 12 minutes) Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Don’t be that person who eats them too soon and burns the roof of their mouth, and can’t taste food for a few days. Just wait. And if you like, you could slice them in half and spread sour cream or ghee on them. SO GOOD…
