Dairy/Soya/Egg-free Fruit and Veg' Muffins

Dairy-free, Soya-free, Egg-free

Makes: 9 muffins

Calories per muffin: 315

 

I'm back. I had a lovely Christmas and New Year, and hope everyone else did too. And now the kitchen is finally almost devoid of baked-goods I've started experimenting and baking again...

So as part of some Christmas hampers I made for friends and family, I made some delicious carrot and brandy jam. But apparently I made far too much carrot puree, so froze it to use at some later date. Then when I was trying to think up recipes, I figured I'd make something that could use up a substantial amount of this puree. Muffins! I thought. Carrot muffins. In my attempt to make these egg-free I inadvertantly made them super-healthy, and as I was on that path I tried to make them as super-duper healthy as possible, using as little oil as I could get away with and using agave nectar in place of sugar. What I've ended up with are some delicious muffins that include four different kinds of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. And did I mention they're delicious?

If you don't have carrot puree, that's fine. Grated carrots will work just as well. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 70g seedless raisins
• zest of 1 orange
• juice of 1 orange (plus any pulp that ends up in the bowl)
• 1 cup carrot puree (or about 200g grated carrots)
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ground linseeds
• 1 banana
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 85g walnuts (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 5 tbsp agave nectar

Method:

• Place the raisins into a bowl with the orange juice and zest and leave to soak whilst you make the rest of the mixture.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/Gas Mark 4. Place 9 muffin cases into a muffin tin.
• In a large bowl place the carrot puree/grated carrots, vegetable oil, ground linseeds and banana, then blend using a hand-blender (or place into a food processor and do it that way).
• Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into another bowl. Add the spices. Fold this mixture into the wet mixture. Add the walnuts and agave nectar and mix gently, then fold in the raisins and any leftover juice.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 30-40 minutes. (You might find the centre is still a bit sticky. If that's the case bake for another 5-10 minutes.)
• Cool on a wire rack.