Fresh Fig and Almond Muffins

Figs are utterly and completely my favourite fruit. They remind me of Easter family holidays at the farm, racing around in the sun as a kid and clambering up the fruit trees in the orchard. We'd sort through hundreds of figs at a time, frustrated at the dozens already sampled by pesky birds and thrilled to find those perfect purple teardrops hidden under the larger leaves.

So for me, figs have a real romance about them. They're rare, have a dramatically short life span, and taste euphoric. With their unique, refined flavour, elegant sweetness and luscious texture, it's unbelievable that something completely natural and organic can taste so decadent. Pair them up with rich, nutty almonds and the combination is divine. My family devoured this batch within a day!

It's a total bonus that they're fantastic for you.

Health Benefits

Figs are full of fibre. In fact, two figs provide you with 30% of your recommended daily fibre intake. Those crunchy little seeds that burst when you chomp into the pink flesh are loaded with roughage which helps maintain a clean digestive tract. You'll find that the more fibre you eat, the fuller you'll feel for longer, meaning that you won't feel so inclined to snack on processed, rubbishy carbohydrates.

Like bananas, they too are a great source of potassium - the essential mineral that helps to control blood pressure and prevent hypertension. They're also packed with vitamin A - necessary for healthy eye function, and are a great vegetal source of calcium.

Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been proven to help lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease. Almonds also decrease the after-meal rises in blood sugar associated with diabetes, so help protect against the disease.

Finally, eating almonds regularly has been proven to promote weight loss! A study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders suggests that an almond-enriched diet, high in monounsaturated fats, can help overweight individuals shed pounds more effectively than a low calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup slivered almonds (1/2 for the muffin mixture, half for the garnish)
pinch of salt
3/4 cup brown sugar (1/2 for the muffin mixture, 1/4 for the garnish)
2 tspns cinnamon
1 tspn ground ginger (optional)
1 1/2 tspns bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tspns baking powder
3 large figs
2 eggs
1 cup low fat vanilla yoghurt (choose a tub-set yoghurt with natural probiotics)
1 tspn lemon juice
1 tspn vanilla essence
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 tbspn treacle


Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl, making sure to only add 1/2 a cup of the brown sugar. In a separate dish, whisk eggs, oil, treacle, yoghurt, vanilla essence and lemon juice. You'll notice that we're using less oil than usual because the almond meal will naturally make the muffins richer.

When choosing figs, always go for the heaviest ones - they'll be the sweetest and most dense. Dice figs into small pieces then pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Remember that overmixing will result in yucky rubbery muffins, so be careful!

Divide mixture into patty-pans or make-shift baking paper cups, until it reaches the rims of each. Sprinkle with remaining slivered almonds and brown sugar.

Bake in a fan forced oven at 190º C for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 150º and bake until tops are golden and the mixture has a slight spring to the touch. I find these muffins take longer than usual because the figs have such a high water content and tend to keep the mixture moist. Don't expect them to rise as high as the caremelised banana muffins - they will naturally be a little flatter.

Wait until they have completely cooled and indulge away!
Or... if you're feeling a bit naughty, try them hot with a scoop of vanilla bean icecream for dessert...


(Thanks for the inspiration Will!)