Almond Muffin Mania

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 1/4 cup organic milk, almond milk, rice milk, or soy milk
• 2 organic eggs
• 1/4 cup unrefined virgin coconut oil, almond oil, or a neutral-flavored extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Prepare a mini muffin tin by generously oiling each cup.
3. Combine the almond meal, spelt flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir with a whisk until very well combined.
4. Separately, combine the agave nectar, mashed banana, milk, eggs, oil, almond extract, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix well with a rubber spatula.
6. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
7. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until a muffin springs back when touched in the center.
8. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then gently run a knife or small offset spatula around the sides of the muffins to loosen them before turning them out.
9. To make chocolate orange muffins, replace 1/4 cup of the flour with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
10. Omit the extracts and instead add 1 tablespoon of orange zest or 1 teaspoon of orange oil (not orange extract) to the wet ingredients.
11. Fold 1/3 cup chopped chocolate or mini chocolate chips into the batter once its mixed.
12. For ginger lemon muffins, add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger to the dry ingredients.
13. Omit the extracts, and instead add 3 tablespoons of finely chopped peeled fresh ginger, 2 to 3 tablespoons of lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the wet ingredients.
14. For gluten-free muffins, replace spelt flour with brown rice flour.
15. Mini muffin tins come in a variety of sizes.
16. I prefer using tins with a wide base, around 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
17. Dont despair if you can find that exact size, as most anything will work.
18. To prevent muffins from sticking to the bottom of the pan, make sure you grease the pan really, really, really well.
19. Then, after baking you must exercise patience and allow the muffins to cool completely before removing them from the tin.
20. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
21. (per serving)
22. Calories: 100
23. Total Fat: 6.4g (2.4g saturated, 0.4g monounsaturated)
24. Carbohydrates: 8g
25. Protein: 3g
26. Fiber: 1g
27. Sodium: 75mg

almond meal, spelt flour, baking powder, salt, nectar, mashed banana, milk, eggs, unrefined virgin coconut oil, almond, vanilla

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/almond-muffin-mania-379297 (may not work)