With the first chill in the air I get a hankering for fall spices and foods. The summer fruits are on the way out and the fall fare is coming in. Farmer’s Markets are brimming with the first apples and pears, squash and maybe even pumpkin.
In my house we love squash and many times I cook too much. Here is a good way to use up some extra butternut or buttercup squash — or even pumpkin — in a nutritious, tasty snack. My son loved these for his after school snack laced with butter or ghee, the fragrance of the spices lingering in the house for hours afterwards.
Spiced Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked kabocha (buttercup) squash*
- 4 Tbsp ghee or butter, melted (how to make ghee) (Where to buy ghee)
- 4 Tbsp honey (where to buy)
- 1/2 tsp stevia
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup minced raisins (1/2 if you love raisins)
- 1 cup almond flour (where to buy almond flour)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt (where to buy salt and spices)
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- Dash nutmeg
* By far, the easiest way to cook a winter squash is too place it, whole, in a baking pan lined with parchment paper (for super easy cleanup) and roast at 400 degrees F for one hour and 15 minutes (or longer depending on how large it squash is). It is done when a knife goes in very easily. Carefully slice open and let it cool, remove the seeds and scoop out the meat. There is no fighting with trying to cut a hard squash and it cooks beautifully.
Equipment
- 1 muffin pan and papers (where to buy muffin pans) (where to buy unbleached muffin papers)
- Food processor (where to buy a food processor)
- Large bowl
Instructions
- In a food processor add the eggs, squash, honey, vanilla, stevia and ghee and thoroughly puree
- Add the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and mix
- Add the minced raisins and mix
- The batter should be spoonable
- Pour into a large bowl
- Place 1 – 2 tablespoons of batter in each muffin paper filling each about 3/4 full
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 35 – 40 minutes or until slightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean
- Cool on a rack
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins