Zucchini Chocolate Prune Muffins

A recipe from Maria-Carin’s cookbook, Lick Your Plate!

One of my first creations that I am mighty proud of: A healthy and delicious chocolate muffin! My friend Verna and I tested hundreds of these and came up with this totally lush sweet treat. An iron-rich, chocolate-cravings-satisfying and fool-proof muffin recipe from us, to you.

Makes 12 muffins

Dry ingredients

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/3-1/2 cup cacao powder, amount depending on your desired darkness
1/2-1 cup rapadura sugar, depends on how sweet you like it, try 3/4 of a cup for starters
Pinch salt
1 tsp bicarb
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet ingredients

1 tbsp finely ground flaxmeal, mixed with 2 tbsp milk or water, let sit a few minutes
1/2 cup rice bran oil, or other mild tasting oil
1 cup soy or rice milk and some prune soaking water (all up 1 cup)
1/2 tsp lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar

More ingredients

1 zucchini, grated coarsely 150g
1 cup prunes, sliced 200-250g soaked overnight in 1/2 cup water
Keep a few prunes to slice for the garnish

ACTION!

Slice your prunes and soak them best overnight but a couple of hours should do it too. You want them to get all goey and release their caramel-like goodness.

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Line a muffin tray with muffin papers.

Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.

Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.

Combine the two well, then add the zucchini and prunes (keeping a few prunes for garnishing).

Mix lightly but well and pour into your baking tray by placing a muffin paper in your hand and scooping about two tablespoons of the batter on to the paper and then placing it in the muffin tray.

Garnish with the soaked slices of prunes.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean-ish.

Take them out of the tin and place them onto a wire rack to cool.

They taste wonderful on their own, or accompanied by almond butter and definitely a Rooibos Chai Tea (recipe also in my book), oh yes!

These sexy muffins freeze well or keep in the fridge for daaays and out of the fridge for maybe 2-3 days, depending on the temperature where you live.

Tip: My mum once sent me these amazing silicone muffin moulds, which don’t need any oil and are totally non-stick, they are great. However, you can either oil and flour your muffin tin, cut baking paper into individual pieces, or use ready-made muffin papers.

Lick Your Plate!
by Maria-Carin Gala
Cookbook from Gala’s plant-based, gluten-free and refined sugar-free Organic Kitchen
Hardback (with ebook) available through the author:
www.mcgala.com