Kitchen Sink Muffins -- or should I say, everything but the? Gluten free!

These muffins were inspired by the idea of variety.  They have something of the breakfast muffin about them. They put me in mind of a bran muffin or a morning glory muffin. But unlike their donut store counter-parts, they will fuel you up and keep you in fighting form (or loving form, if you're a lover, not a fighter) for hours.


ingredients:

1 cup water, warmed
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground vanilla
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flax
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp raw cacao
1 tbsp carob powder

1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup pecan meal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut flour

2 tbsp chopped goji berries (you don't have to chop 'em if you don't want to. I thought it would be more appealing to the littlies if the goji-bits were small)
2 tbsp diced dried apricots (use unsulphured)
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp raisins

(and next time?
add 2 tbsp chopped walnuts
and 2 tbsp callebaut bittersweet morsels
for something ... even punchier)




directions:

1. preheat oven to 345
2. combine warm water and coconut oil to melt the oil
3. stir in the vinegar and coconut sugar
4. add the salt, vanilla, and cinnamon
5. beat in the eggs
6. add the flax and chia
7. add the cacao and carob
8. add the pecan meal and almond meal
9. add the baking soda
10. add the coconut flour
11. add the assorted additional ingredients ... you can pretty much go wild here, sticking with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts for the most part. If you add fresh or frozen fruit, the extra moisture will cause issues ...
12. scoop your batter into 12 prepared muffin cups, and bake at 345 for 30 minutes
13. cool in the cups and then remove to a cooling rack
14. store in an airtight container. They will remain moist and fresh tasting for days.

My Favourite Power Bar -- SsssssssssuperFoods SuperPower SuperBar

I feel like I'm eating big chunks of candy when I eat this. It's kind of spicy and fragrant, redolent of vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, with the taste of chocolate and berries tying it together. Not that it would float your boat if what you really want is some Callebaut or a corner store chocolate bar. But for me this is it. It satisfies, is a big chewy mouthful, and tastes great. This is chewier than the other power bars I've posted, and certainly will appeal to a different audience because of this.


ingredients:

2 cups pitted dates (or 1 cup unsulphured apricots and 1 cup dates or 1 cup apricots, 1/2 cup dates and 1/2 cup organic raisins ... etc. You get the picture. Any dried fruit you have (organic and unsulphured) that has dried out a bit too much to be enjoyable to eat can be salvaged in this recipe, too.)
1 cup raw almonds
4 tbsp coconut butter
1/4 cup flax meal

1 tbsp acai
2 tbsp pure green barley powder
2 tbsp maca powder
1 tbsp mesquite
2 tbsp hemp protein powder
2 tbsp raw cacao (or 4 tbsp raw cacao for true chocolate lovers)

1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp ginger for more zing)
1/2 tsp ground vanilla

1/2 cup raw pistachios
1/4 cup raw goji berries


directions:

1. in a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are finely milled
2. add the dates, and pulse until all is pureed together
3. add the coconut butter and pulse
4. add the flax, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla, and pulse
5. add the acai, barley, maca, cacao, mesquite, and hemp, and pulse until thoroughly combined
6. add pistachios, and pulse until finely chopped
7. add the goji berries, and pulse until finely chopped
8. when the mixture is combined well and sticking together well, press it into a square glass pan, smooth the top with your hands, and put it into the refrigerator.
9. when it is thoroughly chilled and firm, cut into bars, squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, stars, rhomboids, trapezoids, hexagons, or octogons. Do not attempt a dodecahedron. Leave that to the professionals.
10. share with your friends, especially Zoe and Su. They really like them.

**note: if your mixture seems too crumbly, you can try adding a little extra coconut butter, or a tbsp or 2 of coconut oil. Or both ;)

update: Just for fun, I added a quarter cup of finely ground chia seeds and a quarter cup of extra virgin coconut oil


variation february 11: 1/4 cup hemp powder instead of 2 tbsp, 1/4 cup ground chia, 1/4 cup coconut oil, a little extra coconut butter, 1/2 cup goji berries instead of 1/4 cup, and 1/4 cup pistachios instead of 1/2 cup. :) (and 1/4 cup raw cacao instead of 2 tbsp, as usual)

Apricot and Pistachio Power Bars

Unlike the previous power bars I have posted about, these ones do not have a homogeneous, melt-in-your mouth texture. The pistachios and cashews are coarsely chopped instead of finely ground, and the goji berries are chopped as well. There are no chocolate undertones in this one. It's more of a berry burst, like a mouthful of sunshine on a chewy apricot afternoon. I like 'em.


ingredients:


1 cup pistachios
1 cup raw cashews


1 1/2 cup organic unsulphured apricots -- update to 2 cups
2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil -- update to 4 tbsp
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 cup goji berries


1 tbsp acai powder
1 tbsp pure green barley powder
2 tbsp maca powder


1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder




directions:


1. coarsely chop the pistachios and cashews (by pulsing in your food processor). Set aside
2. puree the apricots in your food processor
3. add coconut oil, flax seeds, and goji berries and chop
4. add acai, barley powder, and maca, and combine
5. add salt, cinnamon, and ginger, and combine
6. add pistachios and cashews, and pulse to combine, but try not to puree
7. press very firmly into a square baking pan
8. chill for several hours or overnight
9. cut into squares. I usually make 32.
10. share with your friends
11. oops on second thought -- keep them to yourself until further notice. They are too crumbly! Update soon ...


Update:
by returning the crumbly bars to the food processor with an extra 1/2 cup of apricots and 2 more tbsp of coconut oil, they decided to cling together properly, and have become chewy bars with good integrity.