Top of the muffin to you…
It’s the top of the morning, but I must admit that I’m not exactly at the top of my game.
Left with remnants from the weekend: a house full of leftovers, a to-do list a mile long, and a week that is quickly slipping away, my body and brain are bailing… and failing
In an effort to makeup for time lost indulging in holiday fare this weekend, I planned to strictly adhere to my Vegan 75 roadmap this week. Re-calibration quickly turned into a craving crisis: after just 1 day on track, my body was screaming for something completely off course.
But rather than off-road it completely, I settled on a compromise…. and what a compromise!
Vegan Blueberry Crunch Muffins that may just be too good to be true!
Pillows of moisture, perfectly sweet, and delightfully crunchy and entirely and painstakingly Vegan!
Loaded with antioxidants from blueberries, Vitamin E and Folic Acid from wheat germ, and omega-3 from flax seeds, they have it all: from nutrients to fiber to protein you’ll never have to settle for boring old oatmeal again.
I can assure you that there’s no more muffin top where this came from…
True Blue Muffins (Vegan)
Muffin Recipe adapted from My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
Vegan Blueberry Muffins
1 cup white spelt flour
1 cup whole spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup grade A pure maple
syrup
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup almond milk
(you can also use hemp milk) *
2 1/2 cups blueberries
A More Sensible Streusel Topping
2 1/2 tbsp rolled oats
2 tbsp blanched sliced almonds
2 tbsp Vegan cane sugar *
2 tbsp white rice flour
1/4 tsp wheat germ
1 tsp whole flax seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vegetable shortening
Orange Laced Icing
1/2 cup Hain Organic Powdered Sugar * (see Vegan 75 Living bellow)
about 2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
Method
Preheat oven to 375 F
For the muffins:
1. Mix all dry ingredient in a large bowl, and combine with a whisk. In a separate bowl mix all wet ingredients. Combine the two, and whisk to form the batter.
2. Make the Streusel Topping by combining all ingredients in a bowl and crumb-in the vegetable shortening to make sure it coats everything. Set aside.
3. Fold the blueberries into the muffin batter in 2-3 delicate inclusions.
4. Line a muffin pan with paper foil cups and pour batter into cups filling about 3/4’s of the way. Sprinkle streusel topping on top of each and press down gently. Bake for 25-35 minutes, rotating the pan at 15 minutes 180 degrees to insure even cooking.
5. Let cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes and gently remove the warm muffins to cool on a wirerack.
Optional
1. To make the icing: gradually add the orange juice to the powdered sugar, slowly whisking until a thick glossy but spreadable icing has formed. When the muffins have cooled, drizzle the icing over the top and serve.
Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, of course if they last that long…
Vegan 75
*Notes on Vegan Living and Vegan Products
Sugar
In this recipe I use Vegan cane sugar which can be found at Whole Foods. Sugar is a hot topic for Vegans due to the processing techniques that are involved in most sugar production. Hain Organic Powdered Sugar is a Vegan friendly product, but if you cannot find it you can easily make your own powdered sugar by placing your granule vegan sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process the sugar until you reach a confectionary sugar consistency.
Spelt
There are two forms of Spelt Flour. Whole spelt flour and white spelt flour (in which the germ and the endosperm are removed to create smoother textured flour). Spelt has a very small amount of gluten in it that is in fact tolerable for most people with gluten allergies. Because it has this small amount of “friendly” gluten it is a great substitute for white flour in baking. The mix of whole and white spelt is key however if you want to maximize the nutritional value of spelt. The germ and bran that coats the germ and endosperm are packed with nutrients and so the addition of whole spelt flour to the flour base in the muffin recipe is a wholesome essential.
Almond (and/or Hemp Milk)
I cannot say enough how these two Mylks have changed my life. (I recently discovered that have a lactose sensitivity) Both almond and hemp milk are loaded with protein, calcium, and nutrients. They are low in calorie and just so delicious I have a hard time missing good old milk. I love the result of using almond milk in this recipe as it gives the muffins a nutty depth.
Agave Nectar
What a dream. It is a natural sweetener that is used to essential substitute sugar and the excessive uses of artificial sweeteners we find in many of our everyday foods and drinks. Agave nectar comes from the core of the agave plant (also the plant used to produce Tequilla). Because it is processed at low temperatures it can be considered as a raw produce and also Vegan. It is similar to a light runny honey in texture but more mild and less floral in taste.
BUT, if you cannot find any of these Vegan 75 staples and substitutes (or if you simply want to use what you may have on hand) this recipe can hold up quite well to generic old school products:
White Spelt Flour- all purpose white flour
Whole Spelt Flour- whole wheat flour
Vegan Sugar- caster sugar
Almond/ Hemp Milk- soy milk, regular lowfat or even whole milk
Vegetable Shortening- butter
More questions?
Submit a comment bellow or send me an email at: thesuppermodel@gmail.com
Darcy Jones
These muffins look amazing! I love that crunchy top.
Your vegan plan sounds a good idea. Have been living it up a bit too much so a spot of veganism might do me good for a week! These look really good