Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Blackberry Glaze

These muffins are moist, delicious, full of nutrients, and the blackberry glaze is just gorgeous. It's a perfect bite for breakfast or even an afternoon snack.

Since making raw foods is still new to me, I sometimes anticipate doing a new recipe and this one is no exception. I wonder how each will turn out and I am always curious about the creation process as I head into it. Once again it was fast and easy. The only real work is waiting for the dehydrator to do its business which in this case was 7 hours of drying time. However, while you are waiting, the dehydrator is busily warming the muffins and blowing out the gentle warm scent of blueberries into your home, which was both welcoming and delightful to the senses.

If you like traditional muffins made with flours and sugar of some description, you may pause at the thought of a raw muffin. I challenge that this muffin is as good, if not better than, a traditional healthy muffin, and that you will not be disappointed! Especially if you have a healthy streak in you, then there is no denying that you can benefit from this as an addition or replacement to other muffins. Even the oat bran muffins at grocery stores or bakeries have flour or refined sugar added. This is an all natural way to get equally good taste without the heavier added ingredients that our bodies have to work through. And as usual, because it's not baked, all the nutrients are still viable and ready to do their good work for you.

RECIPE

Muffins

1 2/3 cups almond meal

1 cup golden flax meal ( about 3/4 cup whole seeds ground into powder)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract, or the seeds from one vanilla bean

1 tablespoon liquid coconut oil

1/3 cup cup filtered water, as needed

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Glaze

1/2 cup cashews, ground into a fine powder

2 tablespoons blackberry juice ( from 1/3 cup blackberries pushed through a wire sieve)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)

2 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon filtered water, as needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the muffins, mix together the almond meal, flax meal, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the agave syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil and mix well. Add the water and mix to a batter like consistency. Gently fold in the blueberries ( I did this by hand).

Place your choice of small or large cupcake liners into a muffin pan and spoon dough into each. I suggest gently pressing the dough into the shape of the liner. This is not traditional baking where the dough cooks up and out. It will not take shape unless you make it. Fill cups to your personal liking. Place the pan into the dehydrator and dehydrate for 4 - 7 hours, until the batter is dry to your desired consistency.

To make the glaze, combine the cashew powder, blackberry juice, lemon juice, agave syrup, and water, in a personal blender and blend until smooth.

To serve, frost each muffin with the glaze.

These will keep for several days refrigerated. Can be frozen for several weeks and thawed. Warm muffins in the dehydrator at 104 (optional) for an hour or two before serving.

CRYSTAL'S NOTES

•  I added chopped walnuts to this recipe for a textural element. I like my breakfast muffins to have soft and crunchy elements in them, and I personally love nuts anyway. You can modify this recipe in all kinds of different ways and still keep it raw.
•  I did not puree my glaze enough, you really want a smooth silky glaze. The cashews take a little extra time to blend through. Don't hesitate to add more blackberry juice than what is recommended. I did so after the fact and it was more delicious and the color amazing.
• Author Ani Phyo recommended a yield of 6 muffins/cupcakes for this recipe which would have been too big in my opinion (large liners). For the amount of flax in these muffins, I don't think you would want more unless your digestive system is really used to it. I used the standard size cupcake liners and filled them to the top and they were perfect. One of these satisfied my sugar craving and I felt full for hours.
• This muffin is rich is Omega 3 and 6, antioxidants, and vitamins.

 Recipe: Ani's Raw Food Desserts, by Ani Phyo


Enjoy!