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I'm excited to share a new recipe I've been working on with all of you! I really enjoy baking and now I've been exploring the world of grain-free baking. I had an idea.. an inspiration... and have been experimenting with it until I got the recipe the way I liked it. These muffins have been a big hit with our family and now I'm happy to share them with you.
These muffins have all wholesome, nourishing ingredients. I made them with our homemade applesauce, which was a beautiful rosy pink color from the red apples we used, and some frozen elderberries that we had harvested in the backyard this past fall. The almond flour and the eggs make these muffins nourishing and filling. With the elderberries, these muffins are a great immune boosting food to eat this time of year.
(Did you know elderberries are one of the most powerful anti-viral remedies known?
More information about why elderberries are so wonderful here.)
With this recipe, it was the first time I had ever put elderberries in baked goods before. They are delicious in baked goods! The berries have tiny seeds in them that give a subtle and satisfying crunch when you eat them.
Jeff's creative arrangement idea in this picture.
Elderberry Applesauce Muffins
Ingredients:
6 Eggs
1 inch Ginger Root (peeled & grated)
3 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon Sea Salt/Himalyan Crystal Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
2 cups Almond Flour
1 cup Applesauce
5 tablespoons Elderberries (fresh, frozen, or dried)
(I like to use a lot, you could use less berries if you prefer)
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Directions:
(A note: one thing that is a little wonky is that this recipe makes 10 - 11 muffins, which doesn't fill the entire muffin tin of 12. I plan on tweaking this recipe in the future to make 12, but I was so excited to share it, I decided to go ahead and do so anyway.)
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About Ingredients:
Eggs: From local pastured hens are most nutritious, of course!
Almond Flour: I used almond flour by Bob's Red Mill. We bought it at the grocery store. When I looked it up online, I noticed it was more expensive than what we pay at the store. Yes, it is spendy flour, but the recipe only calls for two cups. Many people grind their own (our food processor didn't get it to a flour consistency, or else we would.)
Elderberries: If you are using dried elderberries in this recipe, soak them in water overnight the night before and then dry them with a towel before adding them. Dried elderberries are available from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Coconut Oil: We buy organic coconut oil from the grocery store, but if we could afford it we would buy this coconut oil from Tropical Traditions.
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I would prefer not to use muffin liners at all, but use them because we have a muffin pan that is less than ideal and I feel safer having a barrier of sorts between the pan and the muffins. I'd like to order these unbleached muffin liners for the next batch I make.
One thing you'll notice about this recipe is that there are no sweeteners. The reason for this is that the sweetener we use in our home is honey and the many wonderful benefits of honey are lost when it is heated. So we prefer to spread some raw honey on top after we bake the muffins. Yum, these muffins are absolutely delicious paired with some honey! They also taste delicious with a bowl of applesauce on the side (Bracken's wonderful idea.) We've been packing these muffins in Bracken's lunch basket when we go to our Waldorf class. We don't bring honey along (my goodness, that would be messy), but just eat them as is. I like them plain just fine, but those used to sweeter things might require the honey with them. I haven't tried it yet, but I also think they would taste delicious with some homemade nut butter spread on top. Oh yes, and sometimes we spread coconut oil on top and that's good too.
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think- I'd love to hear from you.
Alright, all this writing makes me hungry. Time for a muffin snack, I do believe!
