Almond-Quinoa Muffins

I originally wasn't going to post them because they were the biggest bomb when I followed the original recipe. I have never used the spice, cardamom, and should have known to omit it when I smelled it for the first time. To me, it smells like road trips as a family growing up because my Dad was always eating black licorice. And while I love black licorice... I do not like it in my muffins! I made them at night so Ava could put them in her lunch the next day. After I made them... I was repulsed...and I gave it to Shayne - my other taste tester. While he was not grossed out, he didn't think they should be a repeat offender. So, maybe Ava would like them. Not so. When I asked her if she liked her muffins, she gave me the same face I had when I first ate them.

Not wanting to give up on them all together, because they had great and healthy bones - I omitted the cardamom and doubled the cinnamon... pure yumminess!

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup applesauce {or oil}

1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour {or all-purpose flour}

1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour {i ground the almonds in my blender}

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

{1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom - or if you like licorice muffins, be my guest}1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots or currants {I haven't tried it with these yet}

Preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease a non-stick 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the soy milk and ground flaxseed. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then whisk in oil, agave nectar and vanilla.

In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cooked quinoa and the apricots and mix until only the large lumps are gone.

Pour into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin tin comes out clean.



Veganomicon
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
& Terry Hope Romero
page 227-8