Beetroot and apple muffins

The June 2014 issue of Runner's World (UK edition) included a recipe for Go-longer muffins containing beetroot; which can reputedly enhance endurance. Here's my vegan version; I can't vouch for their performance outcome but they are good with tea.

Muffin

Ingredients

• 275 g of white flour
• 1.5 tbsp of baking powder
• 2 tsp of mixed spice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 120ml sunflower oil
• 60g unrefined sugar
• 100 ml soya milk
• 250g precooked beetroot
• 2 medium apples
• 2 tsp egg replacer (I used Ener-G)

Process

1. Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases
2. Warm up oven to around 180 degrees celsius
3. Shred the beetroot and apple in medium bowl of food processor with Julienne blade
4. Mix all the dry ingredients except egg replacer in large bowl of food processor until homogenous
5. Add milk and oil and process until mixture is uniformly wetted
6. Add egg replacer and pulse mix briefly
7. Put cake mix and shredded fruit in a large bowl and mix, avoiding breaking up fruit
8. Spoon into muffin cases - they'll be almost full!

Crumble topping

Ingredients

• 70g rolled oats
• 1 tsp ground mixed spice
• 40g sunflower margarine
• 75g unrefined sugar
• 75g nuts (I used almond and brazil nuts)

Process

1. In small bowl of food processor reduce oats to coarse meal
2. Add sugar and mix well
3. Add nuts and oil and mix on pulse to form breadcrumb-like texture without chopping nuts too much
4. Sprinkle over the muffins, there should be enough to give a substantial layer

Finishing

1. Bake for around 20 minutes
2. Check that a knife pushed into cakes withdraws fairly cleanly
3. Allow to cool on wire tray

Cooling...