Its time forBlog Hop Wednesdays! Paired withVidhya’s blog (sugar n spice),I found her blog very interesting with a lot of baking stuff : My monthly baking schedule had taken quite a backseat, and I was craving to make something. Along with eggs (which I dont use), herrecipe contained strawberry (which is quite out of season now) and banana (already beaten to death earlier with my recipes –Eggless wholewheat Walnut banana Muffinsand Eggless Oats Banana Muffins). So banana also was out of question !
In keeping with my recent health spree, I was also determined to make this fat free and sugar free.. Then chanced to see a packet of dates lying in the pantry. I used dates as a sugar substitute , and used olive oil instead of butter or any fat . the nutty flavour of the olive oil combined with the coarse almonds and date puree worked like magic 🙂
I kept my fingers crossed till it came out of the oven , as I hadnt used any egg substitute either (like flax seed / condensed milk) . But this dessert – Eggless Dates and Almond Muffins- was wonderfully flaky on the top, and soft and moist at the bottom and everyone at home gave a thumbs up to this recipe. The aroma of cardamom-cinnamon flavoured cupcakes wafted through my entire house , and kiddo smelt it up with a wide grin as she rushed back from school 🙂
Now, off to the recipe, shall we ?
Do check out other eggless baking treatshere
Wikipedia tells me
A muffin is an American English name for a type of bread that is baked in small portions. Many forms are somewhat like small cakes or cupcakes in shape, although they usually are not as sweet as cupcakes and generally lack frosting. Savory varieties, such as cornbread muffins, also exist. They generally fit in the palm of an adult hand, and are intended to be consumed by an individual in a single sitting.
Sending this to :
- Blog Hop Wednesdays
- Event hosted @ my space –A 100-day Global Food festival
- HLI Dateshosted by Aarthi
- Almonds event hostedby Anu, originally by Raven
- Fastfood not Fat food – event by Priya, hosted by Archana
- B/w Wednesdays by Susan
Prep time : 20 mins. Baking time : 15 mins. Makes : a dozen medium sized cupcakes.
Ingredients:
- APF / Maida – 1 1/4 cup
- Dates (pitted) – 15 – 20 (adjust suiting your palate)
- Milk – 1/3 cup (needed more)
- Baking Soda – 1/4 tsp
- baking powder – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Almonds – 50 gms
- Meal maker / Soya granules (opt.) – a handful
- Olive oil (EVOO) – 1/3 cup
- Cinnamon powder – a dash
- Almond essence – a dash
- Elaichi (cardamom) – 1 no
- Raisins – a handful (opt. but recommended)
Method:
1) Sieve the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder thrice over in a large bowl.
2) Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175 deg C and warm the milk. Soak the dates for 10 mins till extra soft.
3) Grind the soaked dates, milk, cardamom to a smooth paste without any additional water.
4) In another pan, dry roast the almonds and powder coarsely. mix this almond meal thoroughly with the flour mixture.
5) Add the ground dates paste to the flour – almond mix. Add olive oil, essence, raisins and mix with a spatula till the mixture coagulates to a semi runny texture (do not beat with electric beater).
6) Grease tart cups lightly (I used tart cups – 9 nos + 3 large muffin moulds) and spoon in this mixture.
7) Bake @ 175 deg C for 12 mins. Then reduce and bake for 4 – 6 mins more @ 155 Deg C till they are done and a toothpick comes out clean
8) Cool on a wire rack. Frost with whipped cream if required ( I didnt as I was cutting down sugar and fat) .
9) Serve as finger food / school break snacks or even as a kiddo’s party snack !
Healthy and yummy Muffins!!!Will soon try this
Good when substitutions and small experiments turn out nice! You don't even want to know how my experiments turn out :)) Great looking muffins!
rajani
Great result of a healthy experiment..once we leave the fear behind, it's amazing the to see the outcome.
Delicious and healthy muffins,luks yum…
I always like addition of dates in anything …this is no exception …looks yum
Fantastic muffins, lovely combo..highly addictive and inviting..
Healthy and yummy looking muffins…
That's a nice substitute you have for sugar. It has come out sol well too.
nice n healthy ones..looks delicious..
Eggless muffins look so good and delicious.
Spongy healthy dates Muffins.All set to pair up with Tea.Yummmo.
Lovely healthy muffins, very delicious.
what an interesting and healthy combo- am loving this !
Ummm.. looks great and eggless too!!
Super muffins…Looks very delicious…
Muffins look great.I loved this healthier version even more than the original recipe.If its healthy and still tasty what more can a person ask for.
muffins look so soft n moist
wow, that sounds great, like your substitutes 🙂
a recipe after my own heart = super like
😉
Delicious healthy muffins…
wonderful recipe kalyani …….. delicious muffins ……..
Good job on those fluffy and nicely flavored muffins!
wow u managed to make the recipe guilt free and yet so flavorful and tasty, good job 🙂
Interesting addition of soya granules!!
They look gorgeous, they are healthy too.
these look super Kayani..n the best is…guilt free:)
brilliant what can be better than guilt free pleasure 😉
Looks perfect, love those lovely colored cups too.
There something extra sweet and old-fashioned about muffins in sepia.
Thank you, Kalyani, for you BWW photo.
First time on your blog and love it..
-privish
Ongoing events: Microwave Easy Cooking
superb combination..i just luved it..wud be trying it soon..:)