Experimenting with Saffron and Pumpkin - mmmm... good!



There are a lot going on in these muffins! A lot of flavors and normally, that's a no-no. I try to follow the rule: less is more. But in the case of these muffins - the saffron and pumpkin work together and the chocolate and carob chips also work together... add to that a little frosting on top - and they totally rock... or leave it off if you are trying to cut out the sugars. So, yeah, generally speaking I wouldn't have put so many flavors together - but these worked for me really well - I'd definitely bake them again - might just use whole wheat flour next time.

Want to know how I made them? Yes... It was easy because I used my Saffron Master Mix - yeah, the same stuff I used to make Saffron & Chocolate Chip Ice cream and Saffron-infused Carrot Cake. It turns out that saffron goes well with many things :)

Oh yeah, did I mention... these are low in fat (if you leave out the chocolate even more so) and eggless!

Saffron - Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12-14

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
smidgen ground cloves
1 cup pureed canned pumpkin
1/2 cup Saffron Master Mix
1/2 cup chia gel
2 tablespoons molasses (or appelstroop)

First, preheat oven to 200-C degrees (400-F).
Second, prepare 12 muffin pan, line with cupcake liners or lightly grease.
Third, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
Fourth, in a separate bowl whisk together, pumpkin, Saffron Master Mix, chia gel and molasses.
Fifth, pour wet ingredients into dry and mix.
Sixth, fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.

Variation: fold in a cup of chopped dark chocolate or carob chips or a mixture of the two. Top with Honey-buttercream Frosting if desired.

Note: to make chia gel, simply add 1 tablespoon chia seeds to 250 ml water and set aside till resembles gel consistency. Use as egg replacer or to add extra protein to baked goods.



Personally, I liked them with the frosting - turns a muffin into a cupcake - a darn good one, too!


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