Spiced pumpkin and beetroot muffins

Ingredients

• 4
  
  ounces dates, pitted – recommend medjool
  
• 1
  
  cup all purpose flour
  
• 1 1/2
  
  teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1
  
  teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon ginger
  
• 2
  
  eggs
  
• 2
  
  tablespoons fresh orange juice, or up to 1/2 orange
  
• 1/2
  
  orange’s zest
  
• 1
  
  medium beetroot, grated
  
• 7
  
  ounces pumpkin, peeled weight, grated
  
• 1
  
  banana, mashed
  

Directions

1. Soak the dates in 1/2 cup water, ideally overnight, but at a minimum while you are preparing everything else. If soaked longer, it will be both easier to blend and smoother but it doesn’t really impact taste.
2. Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
3. Prepare muffin tin with either liners or by lightly greasing with oil or butter.
4. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl – flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Easiest way is to use a small whisk.
5. Blend dates and water to a smooth puree (a hand blender works best) then add eggs to the mixture and whisk.
6. Add orange juice and zest, grated beetroot, pumpkin and banana. If it doesn’t all fit in whatever you put the dates in, don’t worry, you can add the rest to the dry ingredients at the next step.
7. Add the date-egg mixture, then the other ingredients if not already mixed in, and stir to combine. Make sure the ingredients are mixed through but try not to over-mix.
8. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins to between three quarters full to near the top of the tin/liner.
9. Place tray into oven and bake for approx 20 mins, until brown and a skewer put in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.