Moist Banana, Cacao, Coconut Muffins

These muffins would have to be one of my absolute favourites.  They are soooo easy to make.  Using coconut flour makes them gluten free goodness, and they are still quite moist.  You only need a small amount of coconut flour, so don't be tempted to add extra or they may turn out a little dry. 

I use maple syrup for my sweetener, but honey or rice malt syrup would also work.  If your bananas are super ripe, extra sweetness comes from them, so no need for any refined sugar.

I have a friend who has been advised to avoid coconut flour and coconut oil.   So I have substituted ⅔ cup buckwheat flour instead of coconut flour and used ½ cup organic olive oil instead of coconut oil to be able to share with her and they work well. They are the ones picture on the right.  Not as moist as the original fave.

Ingredients:

2 medium ripe bananas

3 lge. free range eggs

¼ cup coconut oil 
¼ cup maple syrup

3 tbsps. coconut flour

¼ cup raw cacao powder

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp himalayan salt

Method:  

Preheat oven to 180°c.  Line muffin trays with paper patties/lightly grease with coconut oil and set aside.

Mash the bananas in a medium sized bowl, adding the eggs, coconut oil and maple syrup, and mixing until combined.  Then, using a wooden spoon, gently fold through the coconut flour, raw cacao, baking soda and salt.

Place mixture into your prepared muffin trays, filling ¾ of the way to the top.  (Mini muffins trays work really well too and the mini ones are a great size for sharing.)

Bake in the oven for approximately 15-20 mins.  They are cooked when they spring back when lightly touched in the centre.  Allow them to cool for 10 minutes or so before serving.  Store in an airtight container after they have completely cooled on a wire rack, keep in the fridge if you're not eating them in the first day or so after making them. I'm sure they won't last that long though.

Enjoy  ❤  Shaz

Regina's Carrot Cake

 

'Raw carrot cake...super easy, fast and yummoolishes'

Regi's words on this one! 

I had the pleasure of making my own carrot cake for Regina as my yoga teacher a few years ago.
I find myself sharing my little experiments in the kitchen with my teachers as they share their wisdom and knowledge with me.  Just my way of saying thank you I guess :)

Looking forward to making Regi's raw version of Carrot cake very soon!
I'm certain this will taste Amazing!
Thank you  💗

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 3-4 large carrots)
1 cup raw walnuts
1 vegan. gluten-free. grain-free. refined sugar-free
cup pitted dates
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt
Cashew Cream Frosting
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp raw agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
walnuts and extra cinnamon for finish

Method:
Line a 9” springform pan, 8×8 square pan, or equivalent sized loaf pan with parchment paper so that the edges hang over the sides of the pan.
By hand or in a food processor with the grating attachment, shred carrots. Place in large bowl and set aside. With the blade attachment, blend together walnuts and dates until mostly smooth, with a few smaller chunks. Add coconut, spices, and salt and blend together. Add carrots and blend until well combined, scraping down the sides often.
Scoop cake into prepared pan, smooth top, and chill.
To make cashew cream, drain and rinse soaked cashews in clean water. In a food processor or blender combine cashews, water, agave nectar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Blend VERY WELL, scraping down the sides often, until VERY SMOOTH. Depending on the strength of your blender this make take up to 10 minutes. Add melted coconut oil and blend to combine. Spoon onto chilled cake and smooth the top. Freeze for 2 hours.
Pull from freezer and remove cake from pan by pulling up the sides of the parchment paper. Let thaw 10 minutes. With a hot, sharp knife cut cake into (approximately) 1 x 2 inch pieces. Decorate with walnuts and dust with cinnamon. Let thaw an additional 15 minutes before serving or return to freezer, thawing 25 minutes before eating.

Enjoy 
❤

Regina 

Carrot, Walnut & L.S.A Muffins

Baking and creating tasty food is definitely a big part of me! When it's cold and windy outside, there is something special about the warmth from my heart and soul that shines when the oven goes on.  Even if it's an experiment gone wrong?  And they do happen sometimes :) .

One of my first well used cook books was 'Classic Country Collection' by Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen.   It's quite interesting to flick through the book to see those pages a little more used, or the ones with the butter stains and splashes of vanilla here and there and I think, well this one must have been a good one.  The carrot cake is one of those for sure. I have changed how I cook quite a bit today, and have tweaked the carrot cake to suit.  You could make it as a cake in a 20cm round tin, which I have also done.  This quantity of mixture makes about 10 large muffins.

Ingredients:
2 lge free range eggs
½ cup honey
¼ tsp. vanilla extract concentrate
½ cup olive oil
1 cup gluten free plain flour
¼ cup L.S.A mix*
1 tsp. bi-carbonate of soda
½ tsp. mixed spice
¼ tsp. himalayan salt
1 ½ cups finely grated carrots
½ cup chopped walnuts*

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180º c.  Grease or line your muffin tins and set them aside.

Place the eggs, honey, vanilla extract and oil in a medium sized mixing bowl and beat well with a wooden spoon.  Add the flour, L.S.A mix, bi-carb soda, mixed spice and salt, folding gently until just combined.  Lastly fold through the finely grated carrots and chopped walnuts.  Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins and cook for approx. 30-35 minutes, or until they spring up when pressed gently in the centre.

*L.S.A mix can be found in most supermarkets and health food stores.  It's a mix of ground linseeds, sesame and almonds.  Adding this to these muffins, combined with the use of walnuts, and the eggs, make these muffins perfect for calming your mind and helping your nervous system. 

Enjoy ❤ Shaz