Dairy Free: Apple Almond Muffins

The good thing about blustery weather is that it sometimes does your work for you. Was that pile of dead garden rubbish bothering you? Well now it's your neighbour's problem. Needed to bring the washing in from the line? Not any more! Your pants are now decorating the park across the road in a very pretty fashion. Also, did we mention windfalls?

There should be hundreds of windfall apples lying around right now, so grab a basket, sneak out in your wellies and scrump yourself a few for this recipe. It's dairy free and low sugar, (and can easily be made gluten free with our ingenious GF flour mix) but moist and moreish enough to feel like a substantial breakfast or elevenses treat. It should also give you enough energy to leg it from annoyed apple-farmers...

Dairy Free Apple Almond Muffins (Makes 10)
You will need:

• 160g self-raising flour (or GF self-raising flour mix)
• 40g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder (Check to see whether it's GF if you're adapting to gluten free)
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp hazelnut butter
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
• 100ml unsweetened soya or almond milk
• 1 large or 2 medium sized cooking apples, half grated and half chopped
• Handful raisins or other dried fruit
• Handful chopped hazelnuts, plus extra to decorate

Make it!

• Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F/ Gas mark 4. Grease your muffin cases with a little coconut oil.
• Place the flour, almonds, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir together. 
• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together with the honey, hazelnut butter, coconut oil and soy or almond milk. 
• Pour into the flour mix and stir together until combined. 
• Fold in the grated apple, the chopped apple, raisins and hazelnuts, adding a little more soya / almond milk if the mixture is too stiff.
• Spoon into the prepared cases and sprinkle with a few hazelnuts. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm.
• Cool on a wire rack. Whilst still warm, poke a few holes into the cakes, drizzle with honey and allow to soak in.