Strawberry Sundae Beet Mini Muffins

Makes about 60 mini muffins.

Ingredients:

1¾ cup organic unbleached white flour
⅓ cup organic cane sugar
2 teaspoons slightly rounded baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon finely ground sea salt
2 medium fresh beets*
2 tablespoons organic honey
½ teaspoon organic cinnamon
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup walnut oil
2 small ripe bananas
2 large organic free-range eggs
⅔ cup organic whole milk
1 cup whole dried sweetened strawberries
1 cup dried sweetened pineapple tidbits
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup semi-sweet mini-chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Prepare the beets in advance: cut off the leaves about 3” from the beets, put the beets in a pot and fill it with cool water, bring the water to a boil and cook for about 45 minutes or until they are tender. Make sure to replenish the water as they boil so that the beets are always covered with water. Under cold running water, remove the skin of the beets with a knife, slice the beets, and chop them into 1” chunks. You can wear gloves to keep your hands from turning pink when handling the beets. Set the beet chunks aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Grease mini muffin pan.
4. Sift the dry ingredients together: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Put the beets into a food processor and purée them with the honey, cinnamon, vanilla, oil and bananas until it’s the consistency of a smoothie.
6. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together with the beet-banana purée.
7. Add the milk to the wet ingredients and whisk together.
8. Dice the dried strawberries and the dried pineapple and set aside.
9. Make a well in the flour mixture.
10. Pour the liquid mixture into the well of the flour mixture. Stir it together gently just until the batter is moist and a little lumpy. Don’t over stir the batter.
11. Gently fold in the strawberries, pineapple, almonds and chocolate chips (one ingredient at a time). Make sure to separate the dried fruit bits with your fingers before adding to the batter so they don’t clump up.
12. Fill the muffin tin holes ¾ full. Try to evenly distribute the dried fruit and chocolate chips into each hole.
13. Bake for 14 minutes (or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean).
14. Cool the muffins on a wire rack and serve plain or topped with Strawberry Whipped Cream. These muffins are best when still slightly warm.

*Shortcut: use canned beets, rinsed well to remove BPA residue.

Strawberry Whipped Cream

Tops about 60 mini muffins.

Ingredients:

1 pint organic heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure organic vanilla extract
2 cups fresh organic strawberries
⅓ cup organic strawberry preserves

Instructions:

1. Chill a metal mixing bowl in the freezer with the beaters.
2. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks.
3. Add the powdered sugar and extract and whip until it forms stiffer peaks.
4. Purée the fresh strawberries.
5. Add the strawberry purée to the whipped cream, whipping briefly to combine.
6. Add the strawberry jam to the whipped cream, whipping briefly to combine.
7. Don’t over whip the cream.