Eggless and Sugar-Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

It's that time of the year that supermarkets are filled with fresh and seasonal dates for the fasting month which is just around the corner.  Besides enjoying the wonderful sweetness these dates offer, I stumbled on a blueberry muffin recipe by cHowDivine that which is gluten-free, egg-free and sugar-free. After glancing through the recipe, my heart started humming a song of joy as this is a super easy, guilt-free recipe.  

I had a quick check at my pantry and kitchen to source for the ingredients which fortunately I had all of them, except the fresh blueberries.  Instead of rushing to the fruit stall to get them, I turned to the frozen blueberries which have been silently sitting in the freezer.

Words can't really describe how easy it is to make this.  All in all, it took me less than 30 minutes to pull things together.  The only thing that may be technical is that you need to use a blender or food processor to make an apple-date puree to replace the sugar in this recipe. The puree tastes so good that you can even spread it on a slice of toast and it's heavenly!

To up the level of wholesomeness, I used whole wheat flour instead of white.  It's definitely more dense but if you make them in small batches and consume them within 2 days, they don't dry up as much.  However, feel free to use regular flour, as you wish.  

Personally, the biggest challenge is to resist the temptation of eating the muffins before they are completely cooled.  It tastes even better on the next day for breakfast and the bonus for me is that my son loves to eat it warmed with butter.  He called it "cake", too cute!  

Here's the recipe, enjoy baking and bon appétit!

Eggless and Sugar-Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Makes 6 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup        flour (I used whole wheat flour)
½ tsp        baking soda
1 tsp         baking powder
¼ tsp        salt
8               dates, de-seeded

½              apple (use the sweet variety like NZ rose or 马蹄苹果), peeled and chopped

1/3 cup     virgin coconut oil
½ cup       milk
1½  tbsps flax seeds, roughly grounded

1 tbsp       lemon juice & 

1-2 tsp      lemon zest
½  cup      fresh/frozen blueberries
¼  cup      sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

1.    Preheat the oven at 200°C, line the muffin pan with cupcake/muffin cups. In a blender or food processor, pulse the dates, chopped apple and virgin coconut oil until they become runny smooth puree (like watery porridge), set aside.

2.    In a mixing bowl, add milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and flax seeds to mix well.

3.    In a different bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients--flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in step 2 and mix until the ingredients are just combined (do not overmix it).

4.    Add the blueberries and almond slices, stir gently. Using a spoon or ice-cream or batter scoop, divide the batter into 6 muffins cups/liners. If you prefer, sprinkle some raw almond slices on top.

Bake at the center rack for 22-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the muffin pan midway to ensure even baking. Remove from oven and allow the muffins to cool in the muffin tin for about 10-15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack and allow the muffins to cool completely.

  

To store the muffins, keep them in air-tight containers outside within 24 hours, after that the muffins must be stored in the refrigerator and steam or bake just before serving.  I wouldn't keep them for more than 3 days.  

Oatmeal and Prune Buttermilk Scones

makes 8 jumbo-sized 3" scones

Hmmmm... scones are perfect for afternoon tea.   

 

I am a purist when it comes to ingredient selection as I want to use the best and freshest ingredients in cooking and baking.  But I am NOT usually a purist when it comes to gadgets/equipment in food preparation.  So when it comes to the debate of making scones either by hand or by food processor, I would choose the latter.  This is also the reason why I hinted my husband for a food processor as my Christmas present few years back... and I got it, hehe.

There's nothing more luxurious and intimate than enjoying a tête-à-tête with a friend or two with freshly-baked scones and a cup of good quality English tea such as earl grey.  So, to take matter into my own hands, I opt for homemade scones instead of store-bought ones.


I have sourced for scone recipes from my good & trusty cookbooks and online recipe sites.  But the recipe that impressed me the most is this one from Epicurious.  I hope you will find the time to bond with your kitchen this weekend by making these scones.  
  

The ingredient list of this recipe is pretty short--buttermilk, oats, flours (baking powder+baking soda & salt), brown sugar, butter, orange zest and prune.

Most people think it's difficult to make scones, but I beg to differ.  Even if you do not have a food processor, you can also rub the cold butter cubes into dry ingredients with your hands or a pastry cutter to form coarse crumbs.

Flatten the dough into a 1" thick disc by hands, cut out the scones with a cutter, brush the top with buttermilk, sprinkle with some brown sugar before shovelling them into the oven.

These scones would be ready under 20 minutes, by then your kitchen will be filled with refreshing aroma of orange and prune.  

 
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar plus additional for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Finely grated zest from an orange
1 cup buttermilk (1 cup regular milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup prunes (about 12 of them), quartered

Special equipment: a food processor and a 3-inch round cookie cutter

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 220ºC. 
2. Sieve together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt into a food processor, then add oats and pulse 15 times. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with small (pea-size) lumps, then transfer to a bowl.
3. Stir together zest and buttermilk. Toss currants with oat mixture, then add buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 6 times. 
4. Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round disc, dusting surface with more flour if necessary. Cut out as many scones as possible with cutter, dipping it in flour before each cut, and transfer scones to a lightly buttered large baking sheet. Gather scraps into a ball, then pat into a round and cut out more scones in same manner until all dough are used. 
5. Brush tops of scones with buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature with cream or cheese.

These scones are amazing!  They are so best eaten fresh or can be stored in a freezer for up to 2 weeks!

Fluffy Organic “Buttermilk” Pancakes

Serves 4

When I came home from work last night, I just felt like having some real comfort food that can be whipped up in minutes.

So the next thing I did was looking into the pantry for some inspiration, I could be pretty sure that the organic flours and flaxseeds literally shouting “Pancakes! Pancakes!” with excitement. Then I saw some lonely-looking kampung chicken eggs sitting on the kitchen counter; milk, baking powder, baking soda, salt vinegar, butter and honey in the fridge, so I was like “Pancakes it is, BUT not just any pancake, organic “buttermilk” pancakes served with butter and honey.”

These pancake ingredients are readily available in the pantry.

The good thing I love about pancakes is that they can be made from basic ingredients readily available in the kitchen/pantry. To prepare the batter, one just needs a few minutes of mixing and whisking with a fork. The variety of this comfort food is, however, limitless--you could make it with buckwheat, whole wheat flour, oatmeal, berries, chocolate chips etc.

The secret behind fluffy pancakes is the sieved flour. I sieved the flour, not once, or twice, but THREE times to ensure that there’s no lumpy business in the batter; while the baking soda aids the rising of batter to give an airy texture.

Sieved flour and buttermilk are some of he keys ingredients of fluffy pancakes.

I also love to make pancakes with buttermilk (instead of regular milk) because it gives a good tangy flavor. Instead of going to the store to grab buttermilk, I make the “buttermilk” by mixing fresh milk with vinegar or lemon juice and let it set for a few minutes until it turns to curd-like consistency. Then I will balance the sourness by adding some sugar in the batter.

Some people feel that there is a difference in the pancake texture between griddle-making and pan-making pancakes. But until I get my hands on a much-coveted Le Creuset griddle, I make do with my 8-year-old and still works like a stallion Tefal non-stick pan, which is way way way way lighter than the former.

Another wonderful thing about making pancakes from scratch is that you get to involve your little helpers (children) to be part of the preparation--sieving flour, breaking and beating an egg and measuring the ingredients. Chances are, they would love to eat the food that they partake in cooking/ preparing. I hope you enjoy the fun of making these pancakes with your cutie pie, Lee Shiang!

This recipe yields 12 medium-sized pancakes which is a perfect portion for a family of four. Bon appétit!

Serve the pancakes while they are still warm. For healthier alternative, use plain yoghurt instead of whipped cream and then top with fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

1 cup	milk, preferably at room temperature
¼ cup	white vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup	organic unbleached flour, or all-purpose flour
2 tbsp	granulated sugar
1 tsp	baking powder
½ tsp	baking soda
½ tsp	Salt
1	egg, at room temperature and lightly beaten
2 tbsp	butter, melted plus more for greasing the pan
	butter, honey, maple syrup (for a luxe pancake-eating experience), ice-cream or sundae

Directions

1.	In a non-plastic bowl, mix the milk with vinegar and let it set at room temperature for a few minutes, until the mixture set to curd-like consistency.
2.	Combine all the dry ingredients—flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bigger mixing bowl.
3.	Sieve the flour mixture at least three times until there’s no lump.
4.	Add egg and butter in the “buttermilk”, mix well.
5.	Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients slowly, whisk slow with a fork until all the ingredients are well-incorporated.
6.	At medium heat, pour the batter into a greased pan, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the pancake when the batter bubbles, and cook the other side until it’s browned.
7.	Serve warm pancakes with butter and honey, or ice-cream/sundae.

Note:

To sneak in healthy ingredients for children, consider adding grounded oatmeal or flaxseeds into the batter to make the pancake more nutritious and wholesome. They wouldn’t notice the existence!

Bon appetit!

Ultra-Moist Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

I always feel that my weekend is not complete without any form of baking. And fortunately, I found this unique pumpkin zucchini bread recipe which I modified and turned into a wholesome muffin recipe.

They are perfect breakfast muffins to feast the hungry tummy in the morning. It yields 18 medium size ultra-moist muffins! This is also a perfect way of sneaking veggies into the diet of picky-eating toddlers and adults.


Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup organic pumpkin, mashed
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1/2 cup bran
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dried black currants
1 cup fresh zucchini, shredded
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven at 170 degrees C.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar.
3. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla extract.
4. Combine dry ingredients and spices, then add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
5. Fold in zucchini, dried black currants and nuts.
6. Fill the batter into souffle cups and bake for 25-30 minutes or until test done.
7. Let cool and remove the muffins to a wire rack.


When you try this recipe, be sure to sit back and enjoy the tantalizing aroma of the freshly-baked muffins. Frankly, it's quite addictive!

I baked these muffins yesterday, and 2/3 of them are already GONE...