We have an old couch in our living room that both Luise and I loathe. Once upon a time it was all white and pretty, but now the fabric has more of a grey nuance and the design feels just simply boring. You might think that it at least is comfortable. But believe me, it is not. It’s too wide for two people and too narrow for three. The cushions have never ever been soft and the armrests have always been too high. And therefore it is painfully uncomfortable to lay down in. We talk about buying a new couch every time we sit in it. Actually, every time we see it. But we have been living together for four years now, and the couch is still there. One person in our family loves the couch though. She plays in it every day. She jumps from the armrest down into the couch so you can hear the feathers squeaking. She rips out the pillows and build slides and castles and trains with them. And she does this while she balances a glass of blueberry smoothie in one hand and some rye bread in the other. It feels fantastic being able to watch her play, drink and eat without constantly having to tell her to be careful with the couch. Her blackberry dipped fingers, raspberry smudged cheeks and toothpaste covered mouth have all left stains on the couch. And we don’t care a bit about it. It is definitely soon time to get a new couch, but not today.
Yesterday we baked gluten free and dairy free pumpkin muffins that Elsa gladly shattered over the couch as she jumped from one of the armrests while shouting “Jag är busiiiiig!”, which basically means “I am unrulyyyy!”. She really loved the muffins. They were such an unexpected treat on a regular wednesday, so she couldn’t stop giggling while eating. We made a few batches of them to get the quantities right. We like that they are not overly sweet, so you could have them for breakfast as well as dessert. The coconut milk made them filling yet light, and the orange and all the spices gave them a wonderful warm flavor. If you want to add some glazing to them you can use the recipe from our zucchini cupcakes (skip the zucchini).
We used the leftover pumpkin puree and coconut milk in a soup, together with some lemon and rosemary. Super good and simple. You should try that as well.
Warm Pumpkin & Coconut Muffins
Makes 12
Dry ingredients
1/2 cup (60 g) almond flour
1/2 cup (65 g) fine coconut flour
1/2 cup (70 g) buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or ground vanilla
1 pinch sea salt
Wet ingredients
1 Hokkaido pumpkin OR 1/2 cup (140 g) pumpkin puree
2 organic eggs
5 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
1/2 organic orange, juice and zest
1/2 cup raw pecan nuts (or walnuts), coarsely chopped (reserve a little for garnish)
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Divide the pumpkin with a sharp knife and place both halves on a baking tray, covered with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 20-40 minutes (depending on the size of the pumpkin). The pumpkin halves are ready when the skin is bubbly and slightly browned. Remove from oven to cool a bit. Spoon out the flesh and puree in a food processor or blender. Measure out 1/2 cup puree and set aside. Store the leftover puree in the fridge for up to a week. Use it in hummus, soups and smoothies.
Lower the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Sift togehter all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs, in another mixing bowl, for about a minute. Then add the rest of the wet ingredients while constantly stirring. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, using a spatula. Add pecan nuts and gently fold until combined combined. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Divide the batter into them, it should be about 2 large spoonfuls in each. Smoothen out the batter with the backside of a wet spoon. Sprinkle with few pecan nuts. Bake for about 22-25 minutes, or until golden on the outside and baked through.
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