Gluten-free muffins
<p>These muffins are really simple to make and you can easily whip up a batch on a lazy weekend morning. I sometimes prepare all the ingredients the night before and surprise my family on a weekday morning. You can use two eggs instead of the polenta and psyllium husks, but reduce the coconut milk by three tablespoons, and the dried fruit can be substituted with some chopped nuts. Leave the muffins in the tins for about 20 minutes before removing them so that they can become a little firmer. Like all fresh preservative-free, gluten-free baked goods, these muffins are best on the day they are made.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Makes:</span></strong> about 12 muffins</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Coconut oil</li>
<li>1 cup almond or hazelnut meal</li>
<li>1 cup Gluten-free Flour</li>
<li>2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder</li>
<li>1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</li>
<li>1 tablespoon polenta</li>
<li>1 tablespoon psyllium husks</li>
<li>½ cup coconut oil</li>
<li>¼ cup pure maple syrup or coconut nectar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence (vanilla extract)</li>
<li>2 medium bananas</li>
<li>1 cup coconut milk, at room temperature</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p>
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 170°C</li>
<li>Lightly oil a 12-hole muffin tray with coconut oil. In a large mixing bowl, mix the almond or hazelnut meal, flour, baking powder and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, add the polenta, psyllium husks, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, bananas and coconut milk and mix until thoroughly combined.</li>
<li>Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, add any extra ingredients of your choice such as dried fruit or chopped nuts, and stir until well combined. The liquid should be well absorbed but don’t over-stir the mixture as it will get ‘gluggy’ because of the psyllium husks.</li>
<li>Evenly distribute the mixture into the muffin holes filling them up to the rim and bake for about 18–20 minutes until the muffins are lightly golden.</li>
</ol>
<p><img width="180" height="222" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/34408/feed-your-brain-cover_180x222.jpg" alt="Feed Your Brain Cover (2)" style="float: right;"/></p>
<p><em>Extracted from </em>Feed Your Brain<em> by Delia McCabe <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com.au/Feed-Your-Brain.html">(Exisle 2016).</a></strong></span> Photography by Vanessa Russell. Available from <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.exislepublishing.com.au/">www.exislepublishing.com.au</a></strong></span> and wherever great books are sold.</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Have you ordered your copy of the Over60 cookbook, The Way Mum Made It, yet? Featuring 178 delicious tried-and-true recipes from you, the Over60 community, and your favourites that have appeared on the Over60 website, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://shop.abc.net.au/products/way-mum-made-it-pbk" target="_blank">head to the abcshop.com.au to order your copy now</a></span>.</strong></em></p>
