Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Ninety Two (Father's Day Spelt Orange Crumb Cake Muffins)

FATHER’S DAY SPELT ORANGE CRUMB CAKE MUFFINS

I have allowed my self-imposed chaos to interfere with the ritual I created over the past few years of sharing personal recipes and the moments that inspired them.  Months have passed since I have posted a recipe, though I have a backlog waiting to be shared when I steal that moment of time. Father’s Day is too important of a day to let the meal and the men who inspired this recipe to go unnoticed.

I slowed down today, to honor my father, a great soul who I have missed every day since his passing in 2002, a man with a gruff outer self and the gentlest of souls, who provided the profound the lesson that being kind to the world is the best we can do in this complex web we call life; my husband, who is one of those one in a million dads, taking the time to listen, teach, guide, and simply have fun with his children as he joins them daily in their journey from infancy through adulthood; and for my many father friends both near and far, who have found both great joy and sorrow as they meander their way through the labyrinth of parenthood.

Here is a recipe that, similar to parenthood, is seemingly complicated, but if taken step by step, is not too daunting.  Though unlike parenthood, the rewards from this recipe come without any talking back.

Prepare 12 large cupcake/muffin pans with cooking spray or papers (I used coconut oil spray from Trader Joe’s)

Preheat Oven to 350F

STEP ONE – Mix Dry Ingredients in Step One in A Large Mixing Bowl

3 cups Vita Spelt flour

1 cup and 2 tablespoons organic sugar (I substituted with half coconut palm sugar)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

       

                        STEP TWO – Mix Wet Ingredients in Step Two in A Separate Bowl (put eggs in last so the warm butter does not cook them)

1/2 cup melted butter (skimmed – meaning, I boiled the butter on low and skimmed off the foam on top and left the settlement on bottom to make rendered butter)
1 cup orange juice

3/4 cup buttermilk  (I used whole milk, plus squeezed in 1/2 fresh lemon)

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

STEP THREE – Make an indentation in the dry mix and pour in wet mix.  Mix ingredients together until well blended.  It is o.k. if it is lumpy.

STEP FOUR – In a separate bowl, mix the following.

       

1/4 cup and 1 teaspoon brown sugar (I used organic white sugar)

2-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

chopped walnuts (about 1/4 cup)

       

STEP FIVE – In yet another bowl, crumble together the following ingredients.

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of vita spelt flour

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons organic sugar sugar

2-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons softened butter

1/4 to 1/2 cup oats

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Once you have the steps done, create an assembly line for yourself:

• First, scoop batter into muffin pans until about half full. 
• Second, after you have the twelve cups half full, sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon/nut mix in the batter and swirl slightly.
• Third, scoop the remaining batter to cover the swirl.
• Fourth, top with struessel (crumble)
• Fifth, place pan in oven and bake for 22-25 minutes
• Sixth, let cool to touch
• Seventh, enjoy with the fathers in your life!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Ninety (On Learning to Slow Down and Relax with the Help of a Spelt Banana Muffin)

WHOLE GRAIN SPELT BANANA MUFFINS - The Slow Food Solution

Here is a really moist, completely lovely, spelt banana bread that comes with clear instructions on how to make and how to eat. Certain of the instructions are mandatory, others offer some flexibility.

1) Make Muffins as set forth below.
2) Eat only when sitting at your nicely lit table (no eating on the run)
3) Enjoy with a glass of milk (cow’s, goat’s, soy, almond - your preference), or cup of coffee (or cup of chai)
4) with the newspaper open (sounds so antiquated),
5) No electronic media allowed near or on the table or in your hand
6) savor each bite, sip your drink, relax for a moment.

Ingredients
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup organic sugar
2TBL organic black strap molasses (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole grain VITA SPELT flour
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
1/4 cup orange juice
2-3 ripe bananas

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs.  Add dry ingredients, and then mix in mashed bananas and orange juice.   Mix well.  Bake in 12 muffin pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

OK, did it work?  Did you slow down for at least 20 minutes?  I hope the answer is yes.