Babycakes

While I was visiting New York my aunt Ginny (who lived in NYC for a bit) gave me some recommendations on some awesome bakeries and desert stations to hit up. My bestie JKB and I visited Momofuku which was amah-zing and we purchased a plethora of goodies that provided multiple sugar highs. One place we did not make it to was Babycakes, a bakery opened in NYC before the gluten free hype really began. The bakery features all vegan, mostly gluten free and mostly sugar free baked goods.

Since I didn't make it to the bakery myself my aunt and uncle were thoughtful enough to get me the cookbook for one of my Christmas presents (along with a Beibs notepad :) )! I was so excited to get this baking book because all of the recipes have healthy ingredients, low glycemic indexes and would be easily digestible. All of these qualities lead to foods perfect for pre-workout fuel!

The first recipe was so good I am putting it up here. I made some zucchini muffins and they have been perfect to eat before workouts; especially as something to look forward to at 5am when rolling out of bed for swim practice.

Recipe:

2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 cup flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup agave nectar
3/4 cup rice milk
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups shredded zucchini

A few things about some of these ingredients:

• Spelt flour: make sure to get the whole spelt flour because the germ and bran have not been removed, so the muffins will be a bit heartier and more healthful 
• Flax Meal: this will boost the fiber in the muffins and add good omega 3s
• Agave: this is a wonderful alternative to sugar because it has a lower glycemic index (provides more sustainable energy instead of a white sugar energy spike) and it is sweeter so you can use less than you would with white sugar, resulting in fewer calories
• Coconut oil: this comes in a jar and will be rock solid so you will need to melt it in the microwave to measure it and use it. The lady at Whole Foods told me that she uses it to remove her eye make up....I haven't tried this yet...

The instructions are simple from here. Preheat the oven to 325 and line 12 muffin cups. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Next stir the coconut oil, agave, rice milk and vanilla into the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Using a plastic spatula, fold the zucchini into the mixture till evenly distributed. Fill each cup with 1/3 of mix and bake for 22 min, turning the tins 180 degrees 15 minutes through the baking.

I think I added a bit too much zucchini because I ended up with 14 muffins and they sort of overflowed the cups but they are wonderful and keep for awhile in an air tight container.

Enjoy!