Thursday Morning Snack

Although I don't eat sweet stuff very often, every now and then I get a hankering for some sort of deliciousness. Today was one of those days. I spent the morning in the woods taking pictures of the beautiful fall colours. It was nice to come home and warm up with a hot cup of tea and a relatively healthy treat.

Beautiful Ontario on a cool fall morning.

I've made this muffin recipe a few times now and it's pretty much disaster-proof. You can use the base of the recipe, omit the carrots, add whatever else you may like (lemon and poppyseed is yummy) and voila! It's a grain-free, refined sugar-free, lower carb treat that still manages to be delicious, moist, and nutritionally dense. I don't consider this paleo because, come on, how many cavemen ate muffins, regardless of their ingredients, but I do consider it the best I can come up with when my neolithic mind wants a little something on that rare occasion.

What I ate:

• Grain-free carrot muffin
• Organic, real Earl Grey tea with raw, organic cream and a teensy bit of raw, organic honey

Why it's good:

• The muffins are made without grains, just a very small amount of coconut flour.
• The muffins also have all sorts of healthy fats from the organic, extra virgin coconut oil, the ghee, the soaked and dehydrated, organic walnuts (the soaking removes anti-nutrients that interfere with digestion of the raw nut), and the pastured eggs.
• The 'cream cheese' topping is made with homemade yoghurt which is high in beneficial, probiotic bacteria.
• The organic Earl Grey tea is high in antioxidants and studies have shown that it's actually good for the our lub-dub hearts, but more importantly, it tastes divine. The raw cream is just my way of saying "I love you". Make sure to check your Earl Grey tea for real Bergamot oil. Cheaper teas offer 'flavouring' instead of the real deal.
• A cup of tea and a little muffin after a fall walk in the woods fills my soul with gratitude for the abundance in my life.

Carrot Ginger Muffin Goodness

(adapted from Elana's Pantry)

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon dry or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 cup ghee (or softened butter)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 -3/4 cup soaked and dehydrated walnuts
• 1/4 cup raisins or dates, cut into small bits

1. Sift the coconut flour into a large bowl. Stir in all of the other dry ingredients.
2. Blend the eggs, oil, ghee, maple syrup, and vanilla in a blender until well mixed.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stir until mixed.
4. Stir in carrots, nuts, and dried fruit.
5. I prefer to use unbleached, parchment paper type muffin papers, but if you are placing your muffins directly in the muffin tin, grease first with ghee or coconut oil.
6. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of your tin. Makes 2 dozen muffins.
7. You can easily split this recipe in half if you would like to make less. These muffins freeze very well in case, like me, you relish the ability to just grab a few out of the freezer whenever company may show up (or you just decide you deserve one).

For the 'cream cheese' style topping, simply drain plain yoghurt for a few hours in cheese cloth. Directions can be found here. To the drained yoghurt, blend in some butter, a spot of honey, and some lemon rind. Spread the topping on the muffins once they're good and cool. That's all there is to it!

Update October 2010: I've made these muffins a couple of times over the last year. We will have one and then freeze the others for whenever the kids have a birthday party celebration at school and we don't want them participating in the Duncan Hines madness. I don't use a topping on them and they're just as good. I also now leave out the maple syrup, sometimes throw in a banana instead for some sweetness and they're just as good and even more moist. These are pretty forgiving so feel free to tweak away.