PEAR GINGER MACADAMIA MUFFINS (VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE)

There is something special about muffins. Its versatility can turn them into an indulgent cake-like food, but they can also be a healthy snack with wholesome ingredients. Today, we bring you a recipe that can be both: decadent and nutritive; these are our pear ginger macadamia muffins. They are vegan AND gluten-free. 

This recipe is a combination of Amy Chaplins gluten-free muffin base recipe from her new book ‘Whole Food Cooking Every Day’ combined with these other two recipes: Peach Ginger Muffins and Pear Ginger Cornmeal Cake.

PEAR GINGER MACADAMIA MUFFINS

To make the different flours place separately whole millet, almond and oats in your high-speed blender and grind to a flour. Make in bigger amounts and store in the freezer.

Preparation – 20 minutes.

Baking – 35 minutes.

Makes 10 muffins.

ingredients

¼ cup/22g ground flax seeds

1 cup/225g almond milk

⅓ cup/70g melted extra-virgin coconut oil

¼ cup/75g pure maple syrup (can replace with coconut sugar)

¼ cup/75g orange juice, freshly squeezed

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

½ tsp fine rock salt

1 small/80g pear, grated (skin and all)

2 heaped Tbsp/25g crystallized ginger, finely chopped 

2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

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1 cup/130g millet flour

½ cup/45g oat flour (gluten-free)

½ cup/45g almond flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

pear topping

2 small/165g pears (the smaller fit nicely on top)

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp maple syrup/coconut sugar

1 heaped tsp grated ginger

macadamia crumb

½ cup/70g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp coconut sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Line a standard muffin pan with 10 paper liners and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl combine the flax seeds, almond milk, whisk to combine and set aside for 10 – 15 minutes for the flax to thicken. Then add the coconut oil, maple syrup, orange juice, vanilla, salt, grated pear, ginger and crystallized ginger.

3. In another bowl, combine the millet flour, oat flour, almond flour and baking powder, breaking up any clumps of almond flour – set aside.

prepare the pear topping

4.  Halve the pears, remove the seeds, cut into quarters and then each quarter into three slices about ¼-inch thick. Set aside.

5. In a skillet over medium heat, add the oil, sugar and ginger, melt the mixture, stirring gently to combine. Cook until the mixture begins to bubble, about 2 minutes, then add the pears, toss the pears to coat them with syrup, cover and allow to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

prepare the macadamia crumb

6. In a small bowl, place the macadamias nuts, sugar and maple syrup, stir to combine – set aside.

assemble the muffins

7.  Using a spatula stir the wet ingredients into the dry until combined, then spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling them almost full.

8. Toss the pears to coat them with the pear juices and lay 2 – 3 slices over each of the muffins. Spoon any extra juices over the muffins.

9. Spoon a full teaspoon of the macadamia crumb on top of each muffin.

10. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow the muffins to sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Note:

• If melted coconut oil is added to cold ingredients, it will clump and harden. If wet ingredients are cold, not at room temperature, don’t add the coconut oil until right before combining the wet and dry ingredients.