12 August 2009

Intro to Almond Flour (w/ Blueberry Muffin Recipe)

I hope this post finds you all well and I trust you've tried a recipe or two.

Let's talk for a little bit about almond flour.

You might be thinking I've got to give up muffins, cakes, ice cream, cookies, and all that other stuff that makes life so wonderful if I want to be healthy. It's just not worth it.

And you would be exactly right. I'm not telling you to give these pleasures of life up, but I am asking you to consider making them in a little bit different way than you may be used to up to this point. We know that the wheat flour in most of these items is bad for us because it is all carbohydrate, turns almost instantly to sugar, spikes our insulin, and causes all those dreaded "diseases of civilization." Right?

Enter almond flour. It's made from nothing but ground blanched almonds making it a completely natural alternative to processed wheat flour. It also has a few carbohydrates, but plenty of healthy fat to help tame insulin's response. Unfortunately, almond flour can't simply be substituted for wheat flour in each and every instance, but with a little experimenting and research, you can make just about anything. It is becoming more and more widely available and has been a staple in French baking for years. If you're local chain doesn't have it, try a health food store or online.

Here's something to start you off with (in addition to the awesome pancakes). This is a blueberry muffin recipe I took and made my own using a little guidance from elanaspantry.com.

Blueberry Muffins

2 C almond flour
3 large eggs
1/3 C applesauce (unsweetened, no preservatives, etc.)
1/2 C agave (or honey)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 vanilla bean
1 C blueberries (frozen, unsweetened)

Whisk eggs, applesauce, salt, baking powder, and agave until uniform in consistency. Slowly add almond flour and continue to whisk. Slice vanilla bean, scrape out out the pod, and whisk that into the mixture as well. After a batter has formed, fold in blueberries with a spatula. Pour the batter into a muffin tin greased thoroughly with coconut oil. You should get 6 to 8 muffins. Place in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

1 comment:

  1. These look amazing! I have a similar version of yours in the oven now. Next time I may try yours ;)

    ReplyDelete

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