Almond Coconut Mini Muffins with Raw Cacao

Almond flour is perfect for pastries, desserts and crusts. I've posted about using it numerous times and I pretty much always have it on hand from making almond milk. It's available in most grocery stores, and certainly in all health food stores but it's always cheaper and fresher to make it yourself. This was originally a recipe for cookies but I put them into these silicone mini cups instead because they were snacks for my son's classroom and these looked more fun. If you want to make the cookies, just drop the dough onto a non - stick sheet pan or one lined with parchment paper.

I collect vintage tea towels, tablecloths and dinner napkins. I love this fifties cake pattern. Doing something really simple when you serve your family and guests makes all the difference. We really do eat with our eyes first. Make your daily food rituals a thing of beauty.

You can find silicone muffin cups at kitchen stores, gourmet or specialty stores, some department stores, Bed Bath + Beyond etc. They come in sets of 12 and do not require non - stick spray. After baking, they just peel off and are really easy to clean by hand.

INGREDIENTS
1 1|4 cups almond meal
1|4 cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips
1|2 cup shredded coconut
1|2 teaspoon baking powder
1|4 teaspoon sea salt
1|3 cup coconut sugar (turbinado, brown and muscovado also work)
1 egg
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1|2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375. In large mixing bowl, stir together the almond meal, cacao nibs, coconut, baking powder, salt + sugar. In another bowl, beat the egg until it has doubled in size. Whisk in the warm coconut oil and the vanilla. Add this to the dry mixture and bring it together until just combined. Pop the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes or cover and leave it overnight. Using clean hands, roll the chilled dough into balls about an inch in diameter and place on a baking sheet to make cookies. Give them a gentle press on top to flatten slightly. If you're making the muffins, drop the dough into non-stick cups or a tin lined with paper sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 7 to 10 minutes until the edges begin to brown or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin cups comes out clean. Let them cool slightly before serving with a warm coffee, tea or an ice cold glass of homemade almond milk!

ENJOY!