By: Susan Joy
You don’t have to miss out on Easter traditions just because you choose to eat healthily. I’ve got an awesome gluten/grain free Hot Cross Muffin recipe for you, it can be made traditionally with sultanas or chocolatey using healthy dark chocolate.
Serves: 12 | Prep Time: 00:25 | Cooking Time: 00:20
Ingredients
3 lge egg(s)
1 med banana(s), ripe
1/4 cup macadamia nut oil, or oil of choice
2 Tbsp honey (unprocessed)
1 cup arrowroot flour, or tapioca
2 1/4 cups almond meal/flour
1 Tbsp orange zest, fine, firmly packed
4 Medjool date(s), pitted
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
1 tsp baking soda (bicarb)
1/4 tsp fine pink Himalayan salt
1/2 cup sultanas (organic)
CROSSES:
3 Tbsp arrowroot flour
2 Tbsp almond meal/flour
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 Tbsp filtered water
GLAZE (optional):
1 Tbsp honey (unprocessed)
1 Tbsp filtered water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 170c (fan-forced). Line a large 12 hole muffin tray with paper cup liners (patty pans) or use a good quality silicone tray.
Add the eggs, banana, macadamia oil and honey to a food processor. Process for 10 seconds to mix well.
Add the arrowroot flour, almond meal, zest, dates, spices, baking powder, soda and salt, to the wet ingredients. Process for 5 seconds, scrape down sides of bowl, then process for a further 15 seconds.
Remove the blade and use a spatula to mix the sultanas through by hand.
Spoon mixture into the 12 lined muffin holes making sure to fill evenly and smooth the top.
To make the crosses: You need to make a thick paste. Add the arrowroot and almond meal to a cup or small bowl and stir. Add 1 tablespoon of water, mix well, then add the remaining water 1 teaspoon at a time. If you need more water just add 1 drop at a time, it can go from a thick paste to a runny mess very quickly. (If the mixture is too runny it will mix into the dough while cooking). Spoon into a piping bag or use a snack bag and snip a little hole in the corner. Pipe a cross on top of each muffin-bun.
Bake for 20 minutes or until just starting to brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow the hot cross muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, remove from paper liners and place on a wire cooling rack. Place some paper or a tray under the rack to catch drips. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops.
Glazing (optional): Heat the honey, water and cinnamon together. Once the buns have cooled slightly, use a pastry brush to add a thin coat of syrup.
Serve warm or at room temperature, delicious with some ghee or organic butter. Suitable to freeze.
CHOCOLATE HOT CROSS BUN VERSION:
Remove the nutmeg and replace sultanas with 80gms of 70 – 85% dark chocolate chopped into small pieces. Add chocolate pieces at the end and mix through by hand. Prepare and cook as above.
Article supplied with thanks to The JOYful Table.
About the Author: Susan Joy is author of The JOYful Table cookbook containing gluten & grain free, and Paleo inspired recipes for good health and well being.