I'm
not quite certain what it is about springtime that reminds me of coconut, but a
few days of warm weather, sunshine and melting snow and I find myself
gravitating towards the gentle sweetness of this beautiful, white fleshy fruit.
Happily,
I've had an opportunity to contemplate the changing seasons and radiant sunshine this
past week during our spring skiing adventure through the Eastern Townships and
Vermont. Now I like a tropical vacation as much as the next gal, but there’s
just something about skiing under the
brilliant March sun - hatless, gloveless, coatless, heart pumping and legs burning - that's... well, unbeatable.
Something else I love about spring are the running
streams that return to life after the long, deep winter. The melting snow adds
volume and momentum to their flow and it creates the most peaceful, comforting
sound. Here's a short
video of the stream that ran just outside our chalet; it was a pretty wonderful way to begin and end each day. Be sure to play the clip
repeatedly for your sleepless children.
Strawberry
Coconut Spelt Muffins
1 + 1/4 cup
whole grain spelt flour
1 cup
whole grain oatmeal
1 tsp
baking soda
1 tsp
baking powder
1/3 cup
Demerara sugar
1 egg,
lightly whisked
3 Tbsp
olive oil
1 tsp
vanilla
1 cup
chopped strawberries + 12 slices for topping
1/4 cup
dilute orange juice
1/4 cup
natural, unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup
unsweetened desiccated coconut shavings + 2 Tbsp
-------------------
Heat oven to 400 F.
In a
large bowl, combine spelt flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and 2 Tbsp of coconut shavings together in a bowl, mixing well to
combine.
In a
separate smaller bowl, whisk together egg, olive oil, vanilla, orange juice and
coconut milk. Add chopped strawberries, gently mixing to combine.
Add wet
ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing only until combined.
Divide
batter among 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Top each muffin with a slice of
strawberry in the center and a sprinkling of coconut shavings all around.
Cook muffins for approximately 15 minutes or until browned and just firm to the touch.
Remove tray to cooling rack and allow muffins to set for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
