This valued gluten free, dairy free and grain free muffin recipe is a staple in the Green Foot home…
One of our favourite times of year (food-wise) is Pink Lady apple season. They are delicious whether served straight up, gently roasted and served with pork, slowly dehydrated and savoured as chips, or sweetly encased and baked in cakes.
Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, these rosy-hued treasures certainly do contribute to good health (an apple a day keeps the doctor away!) and bring a burst of joy and vitality to our kitchen.
Equally favoured is the humble pecan.
Containing vitamins E and A, magnesium and calcium, phosphorus and zinc – pecans promote good heart health, protect and soothe the nervous system as well as assisting in lowering cholesterol.
As a child, I used to climb my grandad’s pecan trees and eat these sweetly flavoured nuts straight from their shells.
To this day I source my bulk pecans from a farm just 2 hours away from where I now live, just down the road from my grandad’s old farm. These particular nuts have the same sweet flavour as the ones from my childhood – taken fresh from their shells and dried.
Not many nut processors do this, but it makes all the difference in flavour!
How to activate nuts
Usually, I tend to activate nuts and seeds to make them more digestible.
For this recipe, I soaked 300g pecans overnight in some water and a tablespoon of sea salt on my bench top. Then I dried them in a warm oven (100-120 degrees) for 12 hrs.
Following this method will give you a crispy pecan to grind for this recipe.
I also used cold pressed macadamia oil. This gives a lovely moist texture and light flavour to baking and as well as being great for promoting wellness, does not tend to overpower recipes.
Pink Lady Apple and Pecan Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 x cups pecan flour (crispy pecans processed to a flour consistency, or store-bought)
- 1 x teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 x teaspoons aluminium/gluten free baking powder
- pinch sea salt
- 2 x organic pink lady apples – skin on, chopped into small chunks
- 3 x large organic eggs – lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup cold pressed macadamia oil
- 2-3 tablespoons raw honey (if mix feels a little dry pop in the extra one)
- Extra flour for dusting, oil for greasing and a handful of whole pecans for decoration
Method
- Combine pecan flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt into a bowl and combine.
- Mix in the raw honey, eggs and macadamia oil.
- Then add apple chunks and fold to distribute through the muffin mixture.
- Grease a stainless steel muffin tin and lightly flour each hole to create a waste-free natural liner (or use paper ones if you prefer).
- Spoon the mix into each section, placing a pecan on top of each one.
- Bake on 160 degrees (C) for approximately 30-40 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through (test with a skewer).
- Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins and then cool on a wire rack.
Makes approximately 16 cupcake size muffins.
Waste notes: Egg Shells
1. For a dairy-free superpowered calcium boost soak shells overnight in water, strain and drink the liquid.
2. Use as a pot to germinate seeds for planting
3. Crush and sprinkle on your gardens to deter slugs, snails or any other garden pest with a soft underbelly
