Curried Pumpkin & Bacon Muffins
I recommend making two batches of these muffins because they don’t last long. Tangy and moist, they honestly do melt in your mouth. And here’s the best thing: teenagers love them! You can also tweak the recipe to make it dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan.
INGREDIENTS
1 egg (use egg replacer for a vegan alternative – follow the box instructions)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1¼ cup cold mashed pumpkin 2 Tbsp red curry paste
½ cup plain yoghurt (you can use dairy-free yoghurt or thick coconut cream if preferred)
½ cup milk (or dairy-free milk) 2 cups self-raising flour (or use gluten-free self-raising flour)
1 cup wholemeal flour (or switch for ¾ cup buckwheat flour) 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp caster sugar 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp salt 2 rashers bacon (for a vegan alternative, fry a large, chopped red onion until slightly caramelised or use ½ cup vegan bacon bits)
¼ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Beat together the wet ingredients (the egg, oil, pumpkin, curry paste, yoghurt and milk).
3. Sift together the dry ingredients (the flours, baking soda, sugar, spices and salt).
4. Combine the wet mix and the dry mix.
5. Finely chop the bacon and fry until crispy. Add to the mix and combine until just mixed.
6. Spoon into a well-greased 12-hole muffin pan.
7. Lightly toast the seeds in a pan and then sprinkle over the muffins.
8. Bake for 25–30 minutes. A skewer will come out clean when they are ready.