Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

Let's not lie. We are all struggling to stick to the home workout routine we promised ourselves we would make a habit of for the next three weeks, but it really is just way too easy to keep running back to our snack cupboard and looking for the next best thing to nibble on, that won’t make you feel too guilty for grabbing a snack every 30 minutes. Seeing that we have nothing but time, there is no harm in tapping into your innermost pastry chef and make your own delicious snacks. This recipe is not only super easy to make and so tasty but also low carb. Whether you want to bake a loaf cake, bundt cake or muffins, this recipe is very easy to adjust to what you want and to the ingredients you may have in your pantry. Initially, these Lemon Chia seed Muffins were actually meant to be a Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake, but it seems poppy seeds are a bit difficult to find at the local shops in my area. Poppy seeds can easily be substituted for any other seeds (chia seeds do have that lovely crunch that Poppy’s also have) or even blueberries, or you can leave them out completely. The sour cream can just as well be substituted for some double cream plain yoghurt or buttermilk if that’s what you happen to have in your fridge. Oranges instead of lemons would work beautifully as well. Get your vitamin C! Stay healthy! The trick in this recipe (and most others) is not to overmix the batter once you have added the flour. The best way to do it is to sift in the flour and then use a spoon or silicone spatula to fold in the flour until just combined. Once combined, STOP! It’s not a problem if there are still a few pockets of dry flour in between. These actually also allow more air to get into the batter as it bakes, resulting in a light and fluffy cake. Obviously the flour should be more combined than dry though. Just a heads up, these muffins or cake may not rise much. That does not mean your baking failed. If you do have a bit of a sweet tooth and you want to add some sweetness to your baked goodness, you can easily make a lovely lemony glaze by mixing some icing sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick paste and smearing it on top of your muffins or cake while still warm. Happy baking! INGREDIENTS ½ cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tablespoons Lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon zest ½ cup sour cream 3 tablespoons chia seeds ½ cup sour cream ¾ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt In a medium bowl mix butter and sugar until creamy. Blend in each egg separately. Mix at least 2 minutes. Add Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Sour Cream and Chia Seeds. Mix another 2 minutes. Sift in (very important) flour, baking powder, and salt. And gently fold in with a spoon. Pour into a greased loaf pan or bundt cake pan or muffin pan. If making muffins you can also use muffin paper cups to get them out of the pan easily. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius. Bundt cake: 45 mins Loaf cake: 50-60 mins Muffins: 25-30 mins Check if your treats are ready by sticking a wooden stick/toothpick into the cake/muffins. When the stick comes out clean it is done.

by Jasmin Valcarcel

Instagram: @jasminvalcarcel_photography