You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘muffins’ tag.
On the last full moon, I hosted an enormous brunch for my Ashtangi friends Petar and Callie and our teacher Scot. There are a lot of changes in the air with respect to the Ashtanga scene at Back Bay. The studio is moving (in fact, just moved) to a completely new space down toward the Park AND Scot is leaving his position as co-director of the Ashtanga program (and we will miss him dearly!). So, this brunch was something of a commemorative event. We gorged ourselves on many things that I intend to remake and post eventually, but this was the only one I found a chance to photograph that particular morning.
The mini-muffin is a nice format for a smorgasboard kind of meal because it’s not so intimidating and filling as a full-sized muffin, allowing room to enjoy the rest of the treats. Of course, this batter can be used for full-sized muffins too, though you might need to bake them a bit longer.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 3-4 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 c shredded unsweetened coconut, plus more for topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
To make:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease a muffin sheet (or line with muffin liners).
2. Combine flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas, coconut milk, coconut oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
4. Fold in the shredded coconut. Pour into muffin tins, filling 3/4 to all the way full (I like to fill them up because I like a big billowy muffin top, but it’s the baker’s call, of course). Sprinkle the tops with additional coconut.
5. Bake 375 for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins pass the toothpick test. Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes, then remove to a plate or wire rack to cool further.
I sort of have a thing for muffins. I whipped these up the other day when I was jonesing some baked goods but wanted to feel like I was eating something at least sort of healthy (hence the bran and carrots). I think the end result was a success — my friend Marissa and I ate the whole batch! These muffins are great with a cool glass of soy milk…
This recipe will make about 8 muffins.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 C whole wheat flour
- 1/2 C all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 C what bran
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 C brown sugar
- 4 inch chunk of fresh ginger root, minced (or, 1 T ground ginger)
- 1/2 C soy or other non-dairy milk
- 3 T canola oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 C raisins, soaked in hot water for ten minutes to plump
- 1 C shredded carrots (throwing them in the food processor works marvelously)
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 1/2 T cinnamon
- 1/2 T ground clove
- 1/2 T cardamom
To make:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray or oil. (Alternatively, you can use muffin papers if desired).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, bran, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and dry spices.
- In a separate bowl, combine soy milk, oil, ginger (if using fresh), sugar, and banana and stir until well combined. This may take a little more effort due to the banana (a wire whisk may be of help).
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. Then fold in carrots and raisins.
- Pour into muffin pans (you can fill them almost all the way) and cook for about 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean
Note: if you don’t have some of some of the spices, say cardamom or clove, you can just use more cinnamon and/or ginger, or substitute Jamaican allspice or ground nutmeg instead.
Note also: I always throw ginger root in a food processor for the purpose of mincing. It’s just one of those things that makes life easier — especially if you’re already using the processor to chop up the carrots and will have to clean it anyway.
These tasty muffins are a perfect fall treat. I threw in quite a few ingredients, so don’t be afraid to get creative if you don’t have everything on hand.
Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 TB ground flax seed
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (white flour is okay)
- 1 1/3 cups sugar (can use half brown, half white)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. ground clove
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/4 cup vegan carob chips
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins, plumped for a few minutes in water
- 5-6 baby carrots, chopped finely (like in a food processor)
- 2 T molasses
- 4 inch chunk ginger root
- 1 ripe banana
- 2-3 T rolled oats
- cinnamon-sugar mix, for garnishing muffin tops
- pumpkin seeds, for garnishing muffin tops
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a nonstick muffin tin sprayed well with nonstick spray and set aside
- Put the pumpkin, water, canola oil, ground flax seed, banana, ginger root, molasses and vanilla in a blender and process on high for at least one minute, until well-blended. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. Add the pumpkin mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon or large spatula until well-blended. Fold in the carob chips, raisins, carrots, oats and pecans.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, distributing evenly to make 12 muffins. Sprinkle the top of each muffin the pumpkin seeds and cinnamon & sugar mix.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife tested inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then use a knife to gently lift each muffin from the muffin tin. Finish cooling on a wire rack.
Recent Comments