Baking with Chickpea Flour

Howdy crew!

This week I gift you soft, pillowy muffins with a crinkly top and a prebiotic boost. They are also gluten-free and vegan, securing you bragging rights at the next parish bake-off. Do I hear a hell-yeah?!

Full demo above (including variations such as chai spice and dark chocolate, or lavender and white chocolate).

Our gut loves psyllium husk and chickpea as much as Beyoncé loves high heels – something special happens when they join forces.

Chickpeas and psyllium are practically dancing with soluble fibre which excites every millimetre of our gut. That's because our pipes thrive on fibre as a form of movement (think of swift conveyor belts) and as a form of food for our good bacteria (think feeding time at the zoo). Soluble fibre acts as a prebiotic by stimulating the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria in our inner eco system. All of which makes these muffins pretty bootylicious.

Regular readers will already know this, of course. For my new readers (hi! I see you!) , you’ll find lots more details from last week’s post, and practically any post I’ve written about legumes and beans.

We are using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter in baking, because the science is very clear about its health benefits. Regular consumption of EVOO helps to bring down your total cholesterol score. It’s also pumped with heart-healthy polyphenols, and tastes damned delicious.

For kids who are leery about new foods, I recommend trying a little white chocolate in these muffins. You could also give this recipe for chocolate rye muffins a go too, and simply leave out the cardamom spice for little nippers.

And for perimenopausal dames, remember that chickpea flour is pumped with isoflavones. These are groovy phytoestrogens shown to dock to oestrogen receptors in the body. As we age, our production of oestrogen drops. But our oestrogen receptors don’t always get the press release, and keep calling for more! Isoflavones have shown to help, as can Hormone Replacement Therapy (isoflavones being less potent, but no less impressive). You’ll find lots of isoflavone content in soya yoghurt and tempeh too. Let me know in the comments if you want a post on perimenopause and helpful foods. At your service!

Love, light, and bootyberries,

Susan Jane

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Using coconut sugar makes these muffins a little more caramel coloured than vivid yellow. If you fancy a bright yellow colour, as demonstrated in the cookery video, golden caster is best.

// Lemon & Blueberry Muffins//