Chocolate + beetroot muffins
I wanted to share this recipe, adjusted only minimally from the original by beauties Jasmine and Melissa of Hemsley + Hemsley, because it is one I come back to time and time again and it saved me from depleted hunger traps during pregnancy and in those early weeks of parenthood, where dense snacks and grounding foods are called for in a abundance.
In fact, as I spontaneously recalled to Melissa recently, I ate a couple the night before I went into labour. Just saying 🙂
Full of cacao and earthy, grounding beet, the muffins are super rich, naturally sweet and beautifully balanced by salty tamari. Beetroot is a wonderful liver aid, particularly helpful when we are experiencing periods of intense stress, energetic demand or hormonal fluctuation and need to keep our detoxification pathways strong and well supported. I always use fresh organic beets and steam them to preserve as many nutrients as possible. They also contain a good amount of fats, present as coconut oil (butter in the original), which can withstand the baking temperature and keep the nervous system, brain, cell function and cell signalling healthy at a time when they can fall under high levels of demand. And while post partum surely has its energetic challenges, it seems most of us are fighting heightened stress and energy diffusion wherever we are at… making these the perfect hearty ally at home or out and about.
The muffins are based on a cake recipe that also comes with icing but I have never used it, as they are perfectly moist on their own. I have added a little sweet orange essential oil as it works wonderfully with the cacao and tamari to lift the flavour up with a little light fragrance, and while the original calls for butter, I have used coconut oil instead.
Meanwhile, we are busy at home exploring the world of weaning, first foods and moving house to the countryside. This falls at a time where I feel many transitions on the horizon, and while writing comes a little less easily during these oh so full days, I am excited to share new offerings with you in this space (and on the ground) in the autumn. Bringing sisters together, diving deep, supported by nourishing plants, ancient traditions and reclaiming forgotten wisdom… new work is slowly but surely unfolding and I am honoured to be a vessel for it as a womb-an and a mama. So stay tuned. And in the meantime enjoy this earthy deliciousness.
x
Makes about 12 muffins
Ingredients:
300g beetroot, chopped and steamed
110g coconut oil
230g dates
1 tbsp tamari
2 drops sweet orange essential oil
2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
85g cacao powder
3 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
In a blender or food processor, blitz the beetroot, dates, coconut oil and tamari until smooth.
Add the essential oil, vanilla, cacao and eggs and pulse until thoroughly mixed.
Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray (greased with a little coconut oil) and bake for around 15 minutes until firm on top but still gooey in the middle. They moisten after a few hours once fully cooled and can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
