oatmeal fig muffins

Unlike their dried counterpart, fresh figs are sweet and soft, making them the perfect add-in to any baked good.

Yield: 12 muffins
190 calories per muffin
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole flour

1/2 cup instant oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1½ cups almond milk

1¼ cups fresh figs, chopped

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the figs.

3. Stir well to combine.

4. Fold in the figs.

5. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. The batter is pretty thick, so I like to use the two spoon method wherein I use one spoon to scoop out the batter and the other to scrape it off the first spoon into the liner.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Original recipe found here.

blueberry lavender chocolate chip olive oil cake

While hot dogs and hamburgers are standard 4th of July cook-out fare, this delectable cake is a welcome alternative to the typical strawberry shortcake. With olive oil as the fat, not only is the cake's crumb is soft and the perfect canvas for fruit, but it bakes up to a beautiful golden brown.

Yield: 16 pieces
160 calories per piece
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

ingredients

2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons dried lavender

1 cup blueberries, rinsed

1/2 cup chocolate chips

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line a 8 by 8 inch pan with parchment paper.

3. With your hand mixer, cream the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar on high until foamy, about 2 minutes.

4. Add in the olive oil and beat until combined, about 1 minute.

5. Add in the flour, salt, lavender  and baking powder, beating just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Do not overbeat the batter, as this will lead to sunken or chewy cake.

6. Scrape down the bowl and fold in the blueberries and chocolate chips.

7. Pour the batter into the parchment lined pan.

8. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

9. Let the cake cook for 10 minutes and then remove it from the pan, using long sides of the parchment paper as handles.

Original recipe found here.

chocolate cupcakes with mango buttercream frosting

In my continuing quest to creatively use sourdough starter, I discovered this recipe which leaves you with a deliciously fudgy cake.

Yield: 12 cupcakes
340 calories per cupcake
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 5 1/2 hours

ingredients
for the cake
1/2 cup fed sourdough starter
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5/8 cup cocoa powder (this is equivalent to 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons)
1 egg

for the frosting
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup diced mango

preparation
1. Prepare your sourdough starter, by stirring it down, feeding it, and setting it aside for 2 hours.

2. Combine all the cake ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to mix.

3. Cover the bowl and set aside for 3 hours.

4. Uncover the bowl, stir, and scoop into lined muffin tins. The batter is very thick, so you may want to use the two spoon method, by scooping the batter out with one spoon and using the second to drop into the lined muffin tin.

5. Bake at 350 degrees until cake springs back when lightly pressed in the middle, about 20 minutes. (See step 11 of  "roasted strawberry coffee cake" for more resources on testing for cake doneness. Set aside to cool.

6. While the cupcakes are cooling, roast the mango. See "roasted strawberry coffee cake" for more on roasting fruit. Set aside to cool. Alternatively, you could roast the fruit while the cake batter is fermenting. 

7. Using your hand mixer, cream the butter. See step 9 of "oreo cupcakes" for more on creaming butter.

8. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and continue to mix until well blended, about 3 minutes.

9. Add the almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time and mix, on high speed, until a consistency of you liking forms. You may need to add more powdered sugar if you want more fluff.

10. Fold in the roasted mango and chill for 10 minutes in your fridge.

11. Scoop the frosting into a pastry or Ziplock bag.

12. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

Original recipes found here and here.