Spelt Muffins

Courtesy of Purity Foods

In baking, spelt behaves like whole wheat flour and has a wonderful nutty flavor. It can be used just as you would whole wheat flour and substituted for the same in any of your favorite recipes. It can also be used in combination with other flours or, like the recipe below, it can be used on its own. See "tips," below, for more information on spelt.

Prep
25 mins
Bake
15 to 18 mins
Total
50 mins
Yield
12 muffins
Spelt Muffins

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.
  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with papers.

  2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

  3. Mix together the milk, eggs and oil and combine with the dry ingredients, stirring for 20 seconds and no more.

  4. To add variety, add 1/2 cup chopped almonds or 2/3 cup chopped dates or raisins (or a combination) to the batter.

  5. Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.

  6. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for 3 days, or freeze for up to a month.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Spelt (Triticum spelta) is a grass, one of the ancestors of modern wheat (Triticum aestivum). It originated in southeast Asia and is probably the "wheat" that was used around the Mediterranean 9,000 years ago. It came to Europe with traders from the Middle East and remained a favorite grain there until the 19th century and the development of modern strains of wheat.

    Europeans have had a long love affair with spelt because of its easy digestibility and reputation for helping people recover from ill health as well as maintain a state of glowing, good health. It contains more protein, fat and crude fiber than wheat but it is very soluble (i.e. will dissolve easily), and thus is easy to digest. Because of its greater amounts of protein and fat, it is known as a high-quality energy source for athletes or anyone needing long periods of stamina.