Almond Muffins With Goeey Fig Center. Keeper.

These might also be called "Congrats" Muffins, "Just Because You Look Hungry" Muffins, or "Breakfast" Muffins, Because once the warm, figgy, "jelly-like", concoction hits your tongue --like it did mine--you will probably want to make these for everything you can think of. So far these have been used as a 'quick breakfast', a thank-you gift, and dessert. These are healthy and wholesome but delicious and decadent all at once. Plus... they look so darn pretty.

Image: SELF Magazine

AlmondMuffins

withGooeyFigCenters

Zest of 1 small lemon
1 1/2 cups almond meal (I pureed almonds in a food processor)
1 cup all-purpose flour or half whole wheat/half white
1/2 cup oat flour (or ground oats)
1/4 cup sugar (or date sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
12 small figs, stemmed
1 small egg
1/4 cup clover honey
1 1/4 cups almond milk
1/8 cup almond (or toasted almond) oil
6 tbsp sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Puree figs in a food processor until smooth and scrape into a small saucepan. Place over low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until puree gently boils, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate. Whisk egg, honey, milk and oil in a bowl. Incorporate into flour mixture and blend on low with a hand mixer. Line a muffin tin with paper cups; fill each halfway with batter. Add 1 tbsp fig puree to center of each cup, then cover with a small spoonful of batter. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

291 calories per muffin, 13.7 g fat (1.3 g saturated), 38 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 8 g protein

________________________________________