Winter temptation…

Every now and then I feel like I need a sweet afternoon treat. Funny though, I only feel that way in winter as it is getting colder. I am perfectly fine to go all summer without “sinning”, but as soon as temperatures drop I cannot help but wanting to enduldge in some sweet baked goods.Pastries are pretty much off the menu since becoming plant-based, at least when I’m ‘out and about’. They’re mostly sugar-laden anyway so I prefer to come up with something more wholesome. 

Seasonal & Healthy 

I sometimes wonder if I am a control freak because it gives me an immense sense of satisfaction to prepare my food from scratch back home. I have full control over what goes in and what stays out. 

This muffin recipe intrigued my directly: mandarines and chia seeds! Mandarines are seasonal, now that the temperature drops and we’re heading towards the festive season. I catch myself so many times these days closing my eyes and allow my olfactory sense to take in the sweet yet tangy aroma when somebody next to me on the tube or bus peels a mandarine.

Well, and chia seeds? They are my every day glorious omega-3 fatty acids essential, and whenever I see a recipe with them, they attract my immediate attention. Especially, but not only, in winter. Why? Do these symptoms sound familiar to you as the colder weather and shorter days set in? Fatigue, dry skin, mood swings, depression and poor circulation? These symptoms generally worsen during the long cold winter months but can as well be caused by deficiencies in these essential fatty acids. So I’d rather eat some muffins to prevent that 😉

Enough said, let’s get started: ready, steady, mix and bake!

Ingredients

• 50gr flour (Type 1050)
• 75gr flour (Type 550)
• 25gr spelt flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 5gr chia seeds
• 75gr cane sugar
• 125gr dairy-free yoghurt
• 30ml dairy-free milk
• 25gr agave nectar
• 30ml oil
• 1/2 ml mandarin oil / orange oil 
• some grated peel and juice from 2 mandarines

Preparation

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175C.
2. Grease a muffin form or place paper muffin moulds into the muffin form for 6 muffins.
3. Dry ingredients: Mix the flours, baking soda, baking powder, chia seeds and sugar in a mixing bowl.
4. Wet ingredients: In a seperate mixing bowl, mix the yoghurt, milk, agave nectar, mandarin oil, and oil. Then slowly add the mandarin juice and the peel.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold them in with a spoon, and mix until you get a smooth dough.
6. Add the dough to the muffin moulds, filling them only to 3/4.
7. Place the muffin form into the oven for appr. 25 minutes, and check with a wooden stick if ready. The muffins are ready if the wooden stick comes out dry (there’s no wet dough sticking to it). 
8. When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool down before serving

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