Ingredients
Units
Muffins:
- 6 eggs, separated
- 320g blanched almond meal
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- zest of 1 orange
- 2 Tbsp Quirky Cooking Hot Cross Bun Spice Blend or Quirky Cooking Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend (add vanilla if using pumpkin pie blend), OR make your own blend:
- 1/4 tsp Wild Vanilla Powder or 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
- 100g honey or pure maple syrup (or less, to taste)
- 60g coconut milk (or preferred milk)
- 60g coconut oil (or macadamia oil)
- 100g sultanas
- 100g currants
Marshmallow Crosses:
Glaze (optional):
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Thermomix method:
- Preheat oven to 180C and place muffin papers into muffin tins. (I use If You Care baking cups, as they don’t stick.)
- Prepare all your ingredients first, so that the egg whites are not sitting for too long after being whipped, or they will begin to separate.
- Place egg whites into clean Thermomix bowl, insert butterfly whisk, and mix for 4 mins/speed 4. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Place almond meal (or blanched almonds/nuts) into bowl and add salt, orange zest, spices, vanilla and baking soda. Blend 20 sec/speed 9. Scrape down sides and lid of bowl.
- Add egg yolks, honey or syrup, milk and oil, and mix 30 sec/speed 6.
- Add sultanas and currants and a third of the beaten egg whites, and mix 30 sec/reverse/speed 3.
- Remove to a large mixing bowl. (Spin blades on bowl 2 sec/speed 9 to get all the batter off.)
- Carefully fold the remaining egg whites into the batter using a silicone spatula. Be very gentle, take your time, until all the egg white is mixed in. (If you mix instead of folding, the muffins won’t be as light and fluffy.)
- Three-quarters fill the muffin cases with batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
- If making the glaze, combine honey, water and cinnamon in Thermomix bowl and cook 2 mins/100C/speed 2, then brush over the warm muffins. Set aside to cool.
- If adding crosses, make the marshmallow mixture, then pipe crosses onto the cooled muffins. Place in a single layer in airtight containers and transfer to the fridge or freezer so the marshmallow sets firm. [Pour remaining marshmallow mixture into a lined dish and freeze or refrigerate to set.]
Conventional Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C. Place muffin cases in the muffin tins and set aside.
- Place almond meal, salt, orange zest, spices, vanilla and bicarb soda into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Add egg yolks, honey, milk and coconut or macadamia oil and mix on medium speed for 30 seconds, or until batter is smooth.
- Place egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and whisk on medium speed with the electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Add one-third of the whisked egg white to the batter with the sultanas and currants and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
- Remove bowl from the mixer and carefully fold in the remaining whisked egg white using a silicone spatula until combined.
- Three-quarters fill the muffin cases with batter. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
- If making the glaze, combine honey, water and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until honey melts, then brush over the warm muffins. Set aside to cool.
- If adding crosses, make the marshmallow mixture, then pipe crosses onto the cooled muffins. Place in a single layer in airtight containers and transfer to the fridge or freezer so the marshmallow sets firm. [Pour remaining marshmallow mixture into a lined dish and freeze or refrigerate to set.]
Notes
Serving Suggestion:
Bake the day before to serve for breakfast on Good Friday, or just bake them anytime because they’re so yummy!
Storage:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Variations:
Nut Free: Swap nut meal for pepita meal, use coconut oil or butter rather than macadamia oil.
Fruit Free: Sultanas and currants can be omitted or swapped for natural, dark chocolate chips. Orange zest can also be omitted, if desired.