Hello dear ones, these are difficult times for all of us. What does your current situation look and feel like? Are you trying to set yourself up for remote work? Do you have to take care of the house, job and kids all at once? Are you worried about your job, your store or small business? Or do
you feel even lonely or helpless? Maybe you are one of the many thousands of people who are risking their own health to maintain the basic functioning of public life or taking care of others in the health and social services sector? We are all confronted with an extraordinary situation here. Many are afraid, feel insecure and overstrained. But I would like to invite you to also see positive sides of this worldwide crisis. With all this sudden emptiness and chaos opens up a space for reflection and self-contemplation, for more “we” and less “I”. In many ways the physical distance brings us closer together as human and social beings. We start to support each other more and to use communication via the Internet creatively. Online, more and more activities such as meditation, yoga, sports and training opportunities are offered free of charge and in the port of Venice dolphins have been sighted for the first time in ages. Let us embrace these positive sides. Let us draw strength from this crisis. When negative thoughts started to haunt me some days ago, I went to the woods. No planes were circling in the sky, it was wonderfully quiet. Only the birds were chirping in the trees and the sun was sending its first strong rays through the undergrowth. So, with todays recipe I would like to send YOU now a little bit of pleasure, positivity and light into your world. Perhaps baking these sweet, soft and delicious muffins will help you to distract yourself a little and relax. Maybe you can bring joy to your family with this little delicacy or put a smile on the face of your children. Or maybe you can simply pamper yourself a bit with this fine vegan chocolate treat. Take your mind off things, switch off for a moment. I have therefore intentionally chosen very simple and few ingredients for these muffins. So I hope you’ll have all at hands. And even if we are all tense and million miles out of our comfort zone these days, remain comforting: We are all living through this together and together we will overcome this crisis. Feel free to write me how you are doing and what you feel – here in the comments, on Facebook or Instagram. Stay strong, stay healthy, yours Lea
Ingredients (9 muffins)
- 3 tbsp. (30 g) ground flax seeds
- 120-130 g (4.5 oz) zucchini (grated)
- 200 g (7 oz/ /1.6 cups) (spelt) flour
- 100 g (0.5 cups) cane sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 60 g (2.1 oz) margarine + some margarine for greasing the baking tin
- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 180 ml (0.7 cups/ 6 oz) plantbased milk (such as e.g. oat milk or almond milk)
- 2.5 tbsp cocoa powder (20 g/0.7 oz)
- Optional: 15-20 g (0.5-0.7 oz) vegane Chocolate or couverture (I use vegan Vivani chocolate)
Instructions (15 minutes preparation + 30 minutes baking time)
- Preheat oven to 180 °C/ 356 °F fan. Grease the hollows of the muffin tray with margarine
- Mix the ground flax seeds with 4 tbsp. of water and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Wash and grate the zucchini.
- Mix all the ingredients (except the chocolate couverture) together. Afterwards finely grate the couverture/chocolate with a grater and mix into the dough. Fill the dough into the muffin tray.
- Bake muffins at 180 °C/ 356 °F fan for about 30 minutes (stick test).
- Take the muffins out of the oven, cover them again with some grated vegan chocolate (optional) and enjoy.
Tip: I take the still hot muffins and immediately grate some more vegan chocolate over them. The chocolate then melts on the muffins and spreads wonderfully over the surface. Mmmmmh!
