Spiced sweet potato muffins (gluten free)

1 C ground almond                               (I get them as fine as my blender/food processor will allow, but calling it flour would be a stretch)

1 C ground oats                                   (again, blended myself)

1 C sweet potato puree

1/4 C coconut oil

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Lots and lots of love

3/4 C loosely piled dark brown sugar (original recipe calls for 3/4 packed I am guessing I probably end up with about 1/2 - 2/3 packed depending on my mood, who I am serving, etc)

3 TBS molasses

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 C yogurt or buttermilk

pumpkin/sunflower/any seeds or nuts for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease muffin pans or use cup liners.  (I am having the best luck with If You Care liners.  As I was writing this I looked them up and am not thrilled to find they are treated with silicone, but wow! they make GF muffin baking a lot easier for me!)

Grind/process almonds.  Grind/process oats.  Dump both into large bowl. Steam sweet potato. Blend/process with coconut oil.  Blend in vanilla, molasses, and (when cool enough) eggs.  Set aside.

Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda to flours.  Mix well.

Add the blended wet ingredients to dry, mix in yogurt/buttermilk and love.

Scoop into muffin cups, sprinkle with seeds/nuts.  Bake 15 - 20 minutes (I tend to have to let mine go a bit longer even sometimes, so they aren't mushy.)

This is adapted from Ellie Krieger's pumpkin muffins found here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pumpkin-muffins-recipe/index.html

Variations that work:  pureed carrots, acorn/butternut squash, or the original pumpkin

Add ins: chopped frozen cranberries, bits of chocolate, seeds/nuts (have not tried dried fruit yet, but would be yummy I think.  Oooo ~ and shredded coconut).

I think adding cardamom, or mixing it up with bergamot would be fun, too.