We've had some wild weather here recently at Struan Farm. Definitely not outside-in-the-garden-weeding weather, so time for more baking experiments: Chocolate Beetroot Muffins from Donna Hay's "Fresh & Light" magazine, issue #4. We've got heaps of beets in the veggie garden right now, so why not?
Ingredients include eggs, brown sugar, grated beetroot, raw cacao powder, buckwheat flour, buttermilk, baking powder, and almond meal. The syrup poured on top after the muffins are cooled is made with raw cacao powder, maple syrup, vanilla and water. Aside from the mess of grating beets and dealing with purple hands, everything else is quick and easy.
As I was making these I worried just a tad that this gluten free "trend du jour" is being taken to an extreme, and these might taste rather like damp wood chips. I was heartened by the brown sugar and buttermilk, hoping they might save the day. (BTW, did you know that buckwheat is related to rhubarb?)
The good news is that the muffins definitely taste "normal." The bad news, if there is any, is that you can taste that earthy, beet flavour. The chocolate syrup topping goes a long way to offset that, so the beets aren't overpowering or dominant.
The verdict: these are interesting--probably more for the chocoholics in the house-- they're a bit rich and not early morning fare!
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