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Greetings beautiful Hive souls. The other day was our 12th anniversary and we have been together for 22 years. OMG, time flies. Though we had nothing special planned, except spending time with our little family, I felt like making a small celebration of our love. And as always one of the many ways to show my love is through food.

Yes, even the cat got something special as it was her 5th birthday the other day!

This is us now.....

And this one is from 12 years ago... Pic was taken one hour before we got married... just the two of us in Curacao. No family, no friends... but oh so special! Gosh, we look young!

Though I didn’t have time to spend an entire day in the kitchen to prepare a whole menu as it was a working day for us, I still felt like making a quick appetizer, main and small dessert.

Appetizer was a simple guacamole with quick and easy homemade crackers. The main was marinated peanut tofu tacos and the dessert was the banana muffins I am sharing today. I promise that very soon I will share the how-to-make-peanut-tofu-at-home post. After making many batches I now feel like I have THE recipe that doesn’t need changing anymore!

We love the peanut tofu so much. Not only because I can’t eat regular tofu because I am allergic to soy, but we also think it tastes so much better. So pinky promise, instructions on how to make your own are coming very soon. I just need to make a new batch to take some missing pics of the whole process.

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BANANA COCONUT FLOUR MUFFINS WITH ESPRESSO FROSTING (VEGAN - GLUTEN-FREE)

I have never used much coconut flour before because it is not the easiest flour to work with.

Although coconut flour can be used as a substitute for wheat flour, many recipes must be adjusted. Coconut flour is much thicker than wheat flour and it retains more liquid.

Compared to wheat flour, coconut flour has more fat, protein, fiber, and iron. Plus, it is gluten-free! As mentioned in previous posts, due to my hubby’s autoimmune disease we try to avoid gluten as much as possible. These coconut flour muffins came out great and were the perfect sweet treat after our not-so-fancy anniversary meal.

Plus it was a good way to use the overripe bananas we had left. We had some from our garden and the neighbor also gave me some of her plants... banana overload! The freezer is full of bananas too and I couldn't fit anymore.

RECIPE (MAKES 6 MUFFINS)

For the frosting

2 Tbsos maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsps strong espresso coffee
¾ cup raw cashew nuts, soaked

FYI: it is best to make the frosting one day ahead. If, however, you don’t have the patience to wait, letting it sit a few hours in the fridge will do the trick.

For the banana muffins

1⅓ cup mashed banana (about 320g)
1 cup coconut flour (100g)
¼ cup maple syrup (60ml)
¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk (60ml)
1 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon powder
½-1 tsp vanilla extract
1 chia egg (= 1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsps water)

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DIRECTIONS

For the frosting

Soak cashew nuts for at least 4 to 6 hours or soak in boiling water for 30 minutes to one hour. Drain well.

Brew a strong pot of espresso coffee.

Blend maple syrup, vanilla, coffee, and ¼ of the cashews until smooth-ish. Then add the remaining cashews but the quarter cup and blend until smooth, creamy texture. Add a splash of plant milk if needed. Let set in the fridge for a few hours. Overnight is best.

For the muffins

Mash the bananas with a fork.

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Preheat oven to 180C (360F)

Combine chia seeds with water to make a chia egg. Mix and let sit for a few minutes until thickened.

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Combine the mashed banana, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and coconut milk in a mixing bowl. Mix well and add the chia egg. Mix again and set aside.

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In another mixing bowl, add the coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon powder. Stir to combine before adding the wet ingredient mix. Mix well using a fork or your hands.

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FYI: not all coconut flours are created equally. Some will take up liquid more than others. You are looking for a batter that is not too dry or too wet. It is best compared with wet sand dough. So it’s not pourable like a cake mix and not crumbly like sand dough. If the mixture is too dry add a little more coconut milk by the spoon. If too wet add a little more coconut flour.

Add the mixture into the muffin molds and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

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