I wonder if I’m the only one who has been DYING to use that as a post title since fig season started?
Na na na na na na-na, na na na na na-naaaaaaa!
Have you ever thrown some random ingredients together and then ended up with something so surprisingly delicious that you had no choice but to pat yourself on the back for your stroke of culinary genius?
Well, this was NOT one of those times…
At least not the first time…
Or the second time…
But hey, you know what they say! 😉
Since I decided to give fresh figs another shot after over a year of just thinking they were “meh”, I think I have finally developed an appreciation for them.
So obviously, I couldn’t pass up the chance to share in the figgy love with some of my favorite bloggers for Heather’s Meatless Monday linkup this week!
One thing I’ve learned about fresh figs (in stark contrast to their candy-like dried brothers) is that they are best when paired with something that has a sharp flavor…certain spices enhance their natural sweetness, and in turn the figs will mellow out any tartness or spice.
With that in mind, I came up with these Coconut Fig Muffins!
They are subtly sweet, with hints of cinnamon and ginger, filled with warm bits of fresh fig and chewy coconut…
You know, because EVERYTHING is better with coconut! 😉
Fig Coconut Muffins
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 24-28 minutes
Ingredients (4 Muffins)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sodium-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water (or 1 egg, whisked)
- 1/4 cup mashed banana
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 20-25 drops liquid vanilla stevia (or other preferred sweetener)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh figs (3 small ones) + 1 small fig, sliced for topping.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a regular-sized muffin pan by spraying it with non-stick spray or use cupcake liners for easy clean up!
2. Prepare flax egg (if using) by mixing flax and water, allow at least 5 minutes to set.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and spices.
4. In a separate bowl, combine mashed banana, coconut oil, almond milk, flax (or regular) egg, and stevia.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until flour is incorporated.
6. Fold in coconut and figs.
7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling the cups to the top.
8. Bake for 24-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Allow muffins to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.
10. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition facts per muffin:
Pair one of these with a bowl of cool Greek yogurt, and you’ve got yourself a perfectly balanced AND delicious breakfast!
And just because I hope that my baking nightmare adventure might help others learn from my mistakes…a few things I learned:
1. Don’t fear the fat! Unless you’re curious about how to formulate your own foodie version of superglue…cupcake liner wins EVERY time!
2. Too much baking powder makes really salty muffins.
3. Don’t forget to add the sweetener…oops?
Now go make these and enjoy some perfectly sweetened, not over-salted, figgy muffins that you can actually get OUT of the liner!
PS, for a gluten-free version from a lady who actually KNOWS her way around muffin or two, check out Lindsay’s Fig Coconut Muffins…great minds think alike? 😀
Any exciting things happen this weekend?
Besides a meet up with a good friend at the local walking trail, I spent most of my time cursing in my kitchen baking these delicious treats…so please, allow me to live vicariously!
