Gluten free no flour zesty muffins
Because life is all about balance and enjoying real good food, I decided to give the classic muffin a little Health Boost twist. The kids requested two different flavours – Lemon and poppyseed and choc-orange. I accepted the challenge and this recipe is for 12 light and fluffy muffins – 6 of each flavour. I have used ground almonds instead of flour and raw honey as the sweetener.
ingredients
makes 12
240g ground almonds
6 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons coconut oil melted
150ml raw honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
Lemon & Poppyseed (quantity is for 6 muffins)
3 unwaxed lemons, grated ( we use the zest only)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Orange & Choc chips (quantity is for 6 muffins)
2 large oranges, grated ( we use the zest only)
50g dark chocolate chips
method
Prep time: 30mins
Cook time: 30mins
Preheat oven to 160°C
Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tin and line with tulip paper cases
In a large bowl beat together the honey, egg yolks and coconut oil
Add the ground almonds and baking powder and stir to combine
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form
Gently add and fold the egg whites into the almond mixture
If you are opting for 2 flavours, now is the time to divide the mixture into two bowls
In one bowl, add the orange zest and chocolate chips and stir
In another bowl add the lemon zest and poppy seeds and stir
Spoon the mixtures into the prepared muffin tin
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until muffins are golden brown and spring back to the touch
Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes
Set on a wire rack to cool completely
the health boost tip
The secret to a light and fluffy muffin is the beaten egg whites. It makes the world of difference. As the days get shorter and darker these are a perfect Sunday treat with a quiet cuppa and the newspapers! They are of course a treat but a vastly improved adaptation of a shop bought sugar and calorie loaded version.
My recent research on the high street showed that a standard fruity muffin ranges from 380 to 450 calories and a single one of those contained more sugar than the WHO recommended maximum daily intake of 25g!
There's nothing like a home baked treat!
