I may have mentioned this before, but for me, cooking, and especially baking – is like therapy. I’ve given this a lot of thought, trying to figure out why it’s so relaxing and satisfying to create something delicious. My musings have made me realize that one of the most therapeutic things about cooking and baking is that there’s a definite beginning and a definite end; you get a final result every, single time. Absolute completion.
Much of my work week revolves around things that are open-ended; they simply never get finished. When you own a business that comes with the territory, but honestly, sometimes I just like to start and finish something.
So there’s that, and then there’s the fact that I’m actually spending time in my kitchen – which always grounds and centers me. I work a lot, and miss spending time puttering in my “small but mighty” creative workspace.
That’s where muffins come in – sort of “small but mighty” in their own right. They don’t take a lot of time, you typically have the basic ingredients on hand, it’s easy to start up a recipe, ending with a delicious product, you can load them up with nutritious powerhouse ingredients, and last but not least, muffins are multi-purpose, serving as breakfast, a snack or dessert.
What could be better? I know. An easy way to clean muffin tins.
Those Hard-To-Clean (but orderly) Tins
Muffin Batter
Adapted from Veganomicon cookbook. My changes/additions/substitutions are in italics.
1 cup vanilla soy milk (or use plain, and increase vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup (used maple syrup)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond meal almond flour (or omit and use 1/4 cup more quinoa – haven’t done this, but for those with nut allergies it’s worth a try)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (increased to 1 teaspoon)
1/2 tsp cardamom (used 1/2 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teaspoon allspice)
1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots or currants (used golden raisins, no chopping required!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a non-stick 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the soy milk and ground flaxseed. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then whisk in oil, agave nectar and vanilla. In a separate large bowl, stir together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cooked quinoa and the dried fruit and mix until only the large lumps are gone. Pour into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Finished! “Small But Mighty”