Raspberry & Chocolate Muffins

 

I don’t do a huge amount of baking … if I make it, I’ll eat it, so muffins, breads, cakes and cookies are invariably now and again affairs. These heavenly morsels are borderline healthy, however, so they make an appearance more frequently than most – I use the easy batter as my base and add whatever I have to hand; this time it just so happened to be raspberries and chocolate. They also work wonderfully with berries (strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) and nuts (walnuts and pecans are particularly great options) although I really do love this crushed raspberry, chocolate chip mix … lush with a capital ‘L’. Not only are they are a terrific breakfast option, especially if you’re in a hurry first thing, but also act as the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up with only a fraction of the usual ‘muffin induced’ guilt.

 

Refined-sugar free and containing wholesome spelt flour, they are filling without being stodgy – I don’t know about you but baked goods often leave me feeling a tad bloated … not so with these beauties! Sure, there’s a little plain flour in there but if you wanted to round off the spelt flour instead then by all means go ahead. I personally like the lightness the plain flour brings to proceedings but it’s not a crucial addition. My other ‘health’ concession is the fact the mixture will only stretch to six (medium) muffins – I find that portion control is much more effective than abstinence and baked goods are always better fresh anyway, so this way you won’t have any lingering around for days. Obviously if you’re baking for a brood then simply double the ingredients … and don’t forget to get creative with the ‘add-ins’.

 

what you’ll need

100g spelt flour

50g plain flour

25g ground linseed (flaxseed)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

1 ripe banana

120ml plant milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

60ml agave

40ml maple syrup

50g dark chocolate chips

80g raspberries

 

what you’ll do

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a muffin tin with 6 muffin cases.

 

Lightly whisk the flours, flaxseed, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together until combined.

 

Mash the banana to a smooth puree and transfer to a large bowl. Add the plant milk, vanilla extract, agave and maple syrup, and whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined.

 

Make a well in the flour mix and pour in the banana/plant milk mixture. Fold gently until combined. Roughly mash the raspberries and add to batter along with the chocolate chips. Stir through until distributed ensuring not to overwork the mixture.

 

Divide the batter between the muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the muffins to cool completely on a cooling rack.

 

Serve with a cup of hot coffee.