Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Vegan Corn Blueberry Muffins

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I have never mixed fresh corn and blueberry before. But I can tell you… I missed a lot. Imagine little sweet indigo-coloured berries and little sweetish yellow corn kernels in soft, moist muffins with a bit of crispness from the cornmeal.
You got it?

I bet you say “wow”! I said the same when I first tasted these muffins. We enjoyed the first batch as an afternoon and evening treat (all 12 of them!). They are also great for breakfast too.

The next morning I woke up at 6 am just to bake another batch to take it for a 2 years old birthday party. Needless to say, everybody loved it.

I found the recipe on Emily’s blog. Don’t miss it!

Vegan Corn Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)

– 1 tablespoons ground flax seed
– 3 tablespoons water
– 1 cup cornmeal
– 1 cup white spelt flour
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1 cup oatmilk (you can use rice- or soymilk too)
– 1 tablespoon apple vinegar
– 1/3 cup raw cane sugar
– 1/4 cup coconut oil (you can use sunflower oil too)
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 1 cup blueberries
– 1 cup fresh corn

Method

In a small bowl mix together the ground flax seed with the water to make a “flax egg” – let the mixture sit for a 6-8 minutes until thickened. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F). Remove the husks from the corn. Stand the cob upright on its base and use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels into a bowl. Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, white spelt flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix the wet ingredients: oatmilk, apple vinegar (this makes vegan buttermilk), cane sugar, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour in the flax egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry one and stir until everything combined. Fold fresh corn and blueberries into the batter.

Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about two thirds full, dividing the batter evenly. Bake at 180C (356F) for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the muffins cleanly.

Yum!

Millet, Oat And Apple Muffins And Meeting Béatrice Peltre

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These gorgeous, yum and moist muffins were baked for a picnic to Szentendre. This riverside town close to Budapest is known for its museums, galleries and artists. Due to its picturesque appearance and easy rail and river access, it has become a popular destination for tourists staying in the capital of Hungary.

This was the first time I used millet flour in baking. It has a subtle flavor, lots of vitamins and minerals, and adds a lovely creamy color to baked goods. I had a good experience with using it so I’ll give it a try next time too. Have you tried millet flour before?

Image is copyright of Béatrice Peltre and is used with author’s permission

This muffin recipe comes from my latest favorite cookbook of Béatrice Peltre “La Tartine Gourmande – Recipes for an Inspired Life. I’ve been a big fan of Béa’s award-winning blog for a while. The first time I found it I couldn’t stop reading her stories and admiring her photos. In a couple of days I went through all her posts! I think it was love at first sight.She is an icon in the food blogging sphere. I think everyone knows her name and wonderful blog. If somehow you don’t, hurry up and check it out, after reading this post. She is a friendly and chatty person, a great cook, a talented baker and knows her way around her camera. Béa’s styling is stunning and the mouthwatering photos she takes, make you jump and run into the kitchen.

I feel lucky because I had the chance to meet and see her at work last August at the Food Blogger Connect in London. I learnt so much from Béa and other speakers of the event. The biggest highlight of attending the conference was to meet my fellow food blogger friends in person. I came away with so much inspriation, idea, a whole group of new friends and ready for action attitude.

Béa at work

Béa’s book transports you to a word of bright colours, flavors and delectable, easy to make recipes. Although she is not vegetarian I hardly found meat or fish recipes in the book so I was happy that I could cook & bake all the recipes only with small changes. Like I did with these muffins. No quinoa flour is available in Hungary so I used millet flour instead. I changed the butter into coconut oil and Muscovado sugar into coconut flower sugar.

Millet, Oat and Apple Muffins

Ingredients (makes 10-12)

– 60 g millet flour
– 30 g oat flour
– 50 g rolled oats, plus more for topping
– 50 g coconut flower sugar (you can substitute with cane or Muscovado sugar)
– 1 teaspoon alkaline free baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
– 175 g apple (2 apples), peeled, cored and grated
– 2 organic eggs
– 50 g coconut oil (you can substitute with butter)
– 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame cream)
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded (you can substitute with 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
– pinch of sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and line 10-12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl beat the eggs with the cane sugar until creamy and light, then add tahini, coconut oil, vanilla and mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and with a wooden spoon mix until smooth (don’t overwork the batter!). Stir in the grated apple.

Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about two thirds full, dividing the batter evenly and topping each muffin with rolled oats. Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes on 180C (350F). Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the muffins cleanly. Leave them to cool on a wire rack.

Rhubarb Walnut Chia Seed Muffins

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When I found this recipe on Maria’s blog I didn’t know what chia seed was. “OK, whatever it is it can be bought in Hungary” – this was my first reaction. “If I bake these muffins I will leave out the chia seed” – I thought. Then I went to my favourite wholesale store and as I was walking between the shelves looking for spelt flour I found chia seed. I was surprised. I bought a packet, went home and surfed on the Internet to find information about chia seed.

Chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Chia seeds are one of the most powerful, functional, and nutritious superfoods in the world. The chia seed is an excellent source of fiber, packed with antioxidants, full of protein, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and the richest known plant source of omega-3.

And if we can believe all the facts that are on the internet… not only do chia seeds give you a boost of energy that lasts, they also provide stamina and endurance. A single tablespoon could sustain Aztec warriors for an entire day. 🙂

I changed some of the ingredients in the recipe and I added the same rhubarb compote to it that I also used in the rhubarb redcurrant muffins.

Rhubarb Walnut Chia Seed Muffins

Ingredients

For rhubarb compote
– 1,5 cups finely diced rhubarb
– 3 tablespoon honey
– 2 tablespoons water

For muffins
– 100 g whole wheat spelt flour
– 200 g white spelt flour
– 100 g natural cane sugar
– 250 ml oat milk
– 50 ml olive oil
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 organic egg
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 2 tablespoons chia seeds
– 1/2 cup walnut, roughly chopped
– rhubarb compote
– cinnamon

Method

Place the rhubarb in a pot with honey and water. Stir and stew on low heat until soft. Purée with a blender and set aside.Preheat the oven to 175C (350F) and line 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases. (From this quantity of ingredients you might have 16 muffins.)

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl beat the egg with the cane sugar until light, then add oatmilk, olive oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until smooth. Fold in rhubarb compote, chopped walnut and chia seeds. Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about two thirds full, dividing the batter evenly. Bake the muffins about 20-25 minutes on 175C (350F). Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the muffins cleanly. Leave them to cool on a wire rack and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon.

Rhubarb Redcurrant Muffins

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Meeting Béa (the writer of the beautiful blog, La Tartine Gourmande) last weekend at Food Blogger Connect in London was a dream come true experience for me. She is my role model in food photography and styling. I love her colourful kitchen props and I hope one day I will have as many cutleries, plates, napkins, glasses and bowls to choose from as she has.

I know… everything goes step by step. And to be honest, I like my small steps. I can see the development on my work. I also hope I will be able to attend next year’s Food Blogger Connect because I’m ready to learn more and meet again my new found food blogger friends from all over the world. If you read this, I miss you guys! 🙂

I found this redcurrant rhubarb muffins recipe on Béa’s blog. I love rhubarb so much. The base of the muffins is rhubarb compote that would be also great dribbled on vanilla ice-cream. Yum! I changed some of the ingredients and I didn’t have raspberry at home so I used redcurrant instead of them. The muffins turned out to be absolutely moist, not too sweet and delicious!

Rhubarb Redcurrant Muffins

Ingredients 

For the rhubarb compote
– 1,5 cups finely diced rhubarb
– 3 tablespoon honey
– 2 tablespoons water

For the muffins
– 100 g whole wheat spelt flour
– 70 g white spelt flour
– 60 g almond meal
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
– 2 organic eggs
– 7 tablespoons coconut oil
– 1/2 cup oatmilk
– 70 g natural cane sugar
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– 1/2 cup finely diced rhubarb
– 1/2 cup red currant
– rhubarb compote

Method

Place the rhubarb in a pot with honey and water. Stir and stew on low heat until soft. Purée with a blender and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 170C (350F) and line 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases.

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flours, almond, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl beat the eggs with the cane sugar until light, then add oatmilk, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix until smooth. Add rhubarb compote, then fold in the diced rhubarb and red currants.

Spoon the mixture into the cases, filling them about two thirds full, dividing the batter evenly. Bake the muffins about 20-25 minutes on 170-180C (350F). Remove from the oven when a cocktail stick just comes out of the muffins cleanly. Leave them to cool on a wire rack.