Mar 10 2014

Beetroot Muffins, a.k.a how to trick kids into eating vegetables!

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Sissi from Withaglass.com made a funny comment on my croquettes recipe the other day about how she felt it was a little worrying if she didn’t see a recipe containing beetroot once in a while. That got me thinking – perhaps I post too many beetroot recipes, especially given the fact that nobody seems to like them. Then I shook that crazy feeling off and figured that no; it’s everyone else who’s wrong, and that beetroot surely is the epitome of good eating (well… almost).

So I had a pack of cooked beetroot left over from my croquettes and needed to find something to do with them. Faced with a son who currently seems obsessed with bread and butter (which he seems to use as a face cream) and not much else I figured it was high time I try and get some more vegetables into his diet. Naturally, giving him a stick of beetroot would have been met with him vigorously shaking his head from side to side and saying “neh, neh” so I had to find another solution.

Beetroot Muffins

It’s no secret that many people already bake in things like courgette, and beetroot too, into cakes and breads to disguise them, so I took my inspiration for my beetroot muffins from this. I’ve no doubt that by the time the beets are boiled and vacuum-sealed and stored on supermarket shelves for… months…(at least in this case – less so if you cook them yourself) and then shredded and baked into a cake, there’s probably not a whole lot of nutrients in them, but at least I can say I tried, and feel better about feeding what is essentially a “cake” to my son.

I used a typical sponge base for these, but halved the sugar, and threw in the beetroot – knowing that they would impart a good amount of background sweetness. My wife said I could probably have gone even lower with the sugar, and I agree – especially if you decide to add in something like chopped apricots, dates, or prunes. I’ve added in some sesame seeds for a bit of texture and apparently they’re a great source of copper, manganese, and calcium. Next time I make beetroot muffins I think I’ll also add sunflower and pumpkin seeds – perhaps poppy seeds too!

And finally…

You may have noticed my redesigned site? It’s fully responsive and will adapt to any screen (even mobile!). I figured since I had a nice new logo, the time had come to go for a more minimal, clean site design. Remember that I was selling some prints of my photos? I used the opportunity of the redesigned site to add a new feature. If you don’t want to buy a print, but would rather print it yourself, you can now buy the image files directly on my site (and support me in the process!). Check out my store which I’ll add more photos to over time, and if you order two or more photos right now you can get a 20% discount using the code 20PERCENT

[button link=”https://homesweetsweden.com/index.php/store/” color=”silver”] Go to store…[/button]

Yields 10

Beetroot Muffins

A moist muffin, with hints of earthy sweetness, hiding shredded beetroot and nutrient-rich sesame seeds.

15Prep Time

25Cook Time

40Total Time

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Ingredients

180g Butter
90g Sugar
3 Eggs
180g Plain Flour
2tsps Baking Powder
5tbsps Sesame Seeds
2 large boiled Beetroot, finely grated

You'll also need10 paper muffin cases

Instructions

Start off by preheating your oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Break in the eggs, one by one, beating the mixture well between each addition.
Sift the flour and baking powder together into the batter and fold in. Gently stir in the sesame seeds and grated beetroot until well combined.
Divide the mixture between 10 large muffin cases and place into the preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Remove and allow to cool before enjoying.

https://homesweetsweden.com/beetroot-muffins/

Comments

Nami | Just One Cookbook says
March 10, 2014 at 20:40

You and Sissi are funny! I'm a big beetroot fan and I want to eat all your beetroot creations. Croquettes are my #1 on list. I'd love to try beetroot in muffins too! I guess I love root veggies and so used to eating "strange"(?) taste? Not sure why a lot of people dislike it but I tend to eat some food that most people refuse to eat. =P Anyway, these muffins and a cup of good coffee sounds good!

Reply
- Nami | Just One Cookbook says
  March 10, 2014 at 20:42
  
  Ah I hit enter too quickly! I love your new responsive design! Will check from mobile later on. :)
  
  Reply
  - Charles says
    March 14, 2014 at 00:26
    
    Thanks Nami - I'm not entirely pleased with the "home" page... have been playing around with it a lot and going crazy with CSS. Different screen-size rules... grr!
    
    Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:25
  
  I still think my beetroot carpaccio was the best... you should try that, that is just sooo good, but you need to really slice the beet thinly. I recommend a mandoline for that, if you have one!
  
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Sissi says
March 10, 2014 at 21:08

Wow! I love the new design, Charles! Such a big photograph is also an excellent choice. Congratulations for all these changes! Very modern, clean and very user-friendly. I am relieved to see beetroots once more! You should consider a beetroot cookery book. Seriously. These muffins look delicious (I really cannot take my eyes off this huge photograph! Gorgeous!). I also used to hate beetroot as a child... It's funny how children have similar hated food products. Thank you so much for the kind link to my blog.

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:27
  
  Thanks Sissi - I also made a recipe index finally too. It seems to be "the thing" to do these days, so I figured it was high time I made one. It's a good idea... I wonder if it would be the only cookbook in the world dedicated to beetroot, lol! Once I have 20 or so beetroot recipes I might publish my own :D
  
  Reply
Kristy says
March 10, 2014 at 21:26

Well, if William is a fan, I suppose these could be worth a shot. I have gotten the kids to eat sweet potatoes this way and they were none the wiser. What I need is someone to make these for me and not tell me what they are - a blind tasting so-to-speak. :) I hope all is well Charles! Have you aced your high school-level Swedish yet?

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:30
  
  Yeah, he didn't chow them down like he did his chocolate birthday cake, but he definitely didn't dislike them. He's very canny... I tried to sneak in some cheese into a piece of toast today... separated the two toasted sides of the bread where it was still soft inside and pushed some cheese slices in there. He took a bite, swallowed the bread and scraped the cheese out of his mouth :( Got an A in my oral presentation the other day - still some months to go of the Swedish, and it's only part 1 of 3, so still a way to go!
  
  Reply
A_Boleyn says
March 10, 2014 at 22:13

Such a pretty new design for your site, Charles. I thought the beetroot would be more evident in the muffins but you could barely tell they were there. It almost looked like shredded carrots. Since I don't have any kids to 'fool', unless I come down with a case of amnesia between making and eating these muffins, no one is going to be surprised. :) PS: I'm curious whether all these healthy veggie based recipes are "someone's" reaction to being a daddy. At 58, I'm living it up with my mostly meat and potatoes diet though every once in a while I go meatless. Last week I binged on the last of my falafels in tzatziki sauced flour tortilla wraps with salads garnished with feta cheese. Kind of a Mexican/Greek/Middle Eastern fusion meal. No meat in sight. Today, though, I'm making a pot of chili con carne.

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:35
  
  Hi A_, did you mean me? (Presumably). To be honest, these were done for Willy's benefit mainly - I made something that is definitely not healthy today, to be posted here over the weekend. I definitely have no problem loading up on fatty foods, but I am trying to lose weight a bit. As for meat - I couldn't eat it every day. I don't understand how people can. Sometimes of course I yearn for meat. Equally, sometimes I yearn for fish, and other times I feel like I might be physically ill if I have to eat meat or fish again and I desperately want vegetables. My mother is a vegetarian, so growing up we didn't eat meat every day. She cooked it for my father, sister and I, but it's not fun for her if she could never eat what we ate, so we had a good balance... maybe meat for 3 meals out of 7 or something like that. I learned to appreciate and love the other things you can put on a plate instead of a slab of flesh. :)
  
  Reply
  - A_Boleyn says
    March 14, 2014 at 02:38
    
    Yep, you're the "someone". I saw a recipe for a beetroot and potato soup that looked interesting though I'd reduce the beets and add some carrots as a gentler introduction to the vegetable. :) Like in this recipe. http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/19893/beetroot+and+carrot+soup
    
    Reply
    - Charles says
      March 22, 2014 at 01:51
      
      That looks really nice, though I must say, it looks almost like a smoothie... it seems really thick!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
March 11, 2014 at 02:11

Great new design and brilliant store but I'm in love with these muffins. Unless some of your other readers, I love beetroot. :)

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:35
  
  Thanks Maureen!
  
  Reply
lisa marie says
March 11, 2014 at 02:46

I will have to try your beet muffin recipe. I think this will go well with my beet pear cherry vinaigrette salad! I also see a beet dip you posted too, I need to go check that out! Your new blog design looks fantastic!

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:36
  
  Your vinaigrette and salad sounds really good! The beet dip you saw was nice but I definitely recommend my beetroot carpaccio (not linked above, but you can find it by searching in the search box above for "carpaccio"... that was a real winner in my opinion!
  
  Reply
Coffee and Crumpets says
March 11, 2014 at 02:52

First of all, love the new sleek and sophisticated design! Looks great. I too was getting worried that we hadn't seen beetroot in a while ;) but I'm glad you're here with a muffin recipe no less. Mmmmm, beetroot cake. These look perfect to sneak in beetroot to my kids who don't seem to like them as much as I do. However, they'll eat a muffin no problem!

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 00:37
  
  Thanks Nazneen - I'm surprised that it didn't colour the cake more... isn't it beetroot that's in red velvet cupcakes or something? Was expecting the cake to be super red... oh well :p
  
  Reply
Barb Bamber says
March 11, 2014 at 04:41

I love the idea of adding beetroot to a baked treat, the natural sugar has to be better for us for sure, along with the nutritional benefit of a veggie! I love your new website! I must say, I almost love playing around with the design of my website as much as baking so when I see a new design like this it's a thrill for me!

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:00
  
  Thanks Barb, I've always thought beetroot has a gorgeous earthy sweetness... a very complex flavour to add into something! :)
  
  Reply
Eva Taylor says
March 11, 2014 at 14:37

I had meant to make a comment about your new logo Charles, it's quite lovely in its simplicity. And your site is wonderful, adapting to my iPhone perfectly. Is there anyway you can give an option to add it to my wordpress Reader? It means that I can access it through the wordpress app and I don't have to fill in me mumbojumbo to comment. I'm surprised the beet root hadn't coloured this muffin a bit more, I would have thought it would be bright red. I adore beet root any way so this recipe would be a lovely change. Weather is warming up over here, it'll be 8C today but sadly it won't put a dent into the massive snow piles for a while. Rain would help but then there is flooding risk. Oh how I long for summer.

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:14
  
  Thanks Eva - I think it may be possible to make it WordPress reader "add-able" by using a plugin called JetPack, but that adds a whole load of other junk. You can turn it off but I don't want to install a huge plugin just for one small feature. I wonder if there's another way - will look. I'm surprised you don't use something like Feedly? Oh, just realised though - you'd still have to fill in the "mumbojumbo", as my blog is a self-hosted (wordpress.org) blog. Account authentication is done on my own database, not WordPress.com's. You have an account on my site though, from when you did a guest post! You could log in and then set your phone to remember your credentials and then never have to fill that stuff in again!
  
  Reply
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
March 11, 2014 at 16:40

Lurrrve the new blog design! And I agree " beetroot surely is the epitome of good eating "!!! and I lurrrve tricking kids into eating vegetables by hiding them in muffins or ... pancakes! I really need to try these muffins they sound totally BRILLIANT! :)

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:14
  
  Thanks Shashi - pancakes... that's a good idea... will trick my son into eating some apple on the weekend that way!
  
  Reply
mjskit says
March 12, 2014 at 04:24

You know that I'm one of those non-beetroot fans HOWEVER, my SIL made a beetroot cake the other day and it was the best cake I had ever eaten! Therefore, I know that I would love these muffins! I love incorporating vegetables into baked goods and you've don't a fabulous job here Charles! BTW - That does sounds like something Sissi would say. :)

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:16
  
  Hehe, thanks MJ - it's true - sometimes something just needs to be baked or cooked the right way and suddenly you see it in a whole new light!
  
  Reply
Hotly Spiced says
March 12, 2014 at 05:45

I love the look of your new site and the commenting section is really good - the print comes up so large I don't need my glasses! I love how you halved the sugar and added the beetroot - great idea for young mouths. How is Wee William? I bet he's growing up fast xx

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:17
  
  Thanks Charlie! Willy is good... we're all still getting over our colds but he seems mostly fine. He wasn't eating really for a few days, lost a bit of weight... good thing he had plenty of weight to lose around his fat little belly :D.
  
  Reply
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
March 12, 2014 at 21:37

I love the clean look of your new design and the ease of using it. I'm a beet lover and think it is a great idea to add it to the muffins so that William is getting some vegetables in his diet. I bet he loved them. I think we would all love to see another photo or two of him to see how he is growing. :)

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:17
  
  Thanks Karen - it's been a while since I posted some pics of him isn't it! I'll try and get some photos on the weekend!
  
  Reply
nipponnin says
March 13, 2014 at 07:57

Sesame seeds and beetroot... interesting combination, I have to try it. You're really a good dad. I will forward this recipe to my daughter, she has a child who is really finicky eater. I like this new look, logo and everything.

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:19
  
  Thanks Nipponnin - if she has some tips on how to make toddlers eat... well, anything that isn't toast and butter then I'm all ears because we're having some real problems these days! He will occasionally try other things, and really enjoy them... couscous salads, salmon, but the next day he forgot that he enjoyed them and refuses everything except bread again :(.
  
  Reply
Anneli Faiers says
March 13, 2014 at 10:56

I like beetroot so carry on posting the recipes! Great idea to pop it in muffins. And I love the new look on the blog - very sleek and well designed. Great job Charles xx

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:19
  
  Thanks a lot Anneli! Hope you're well!
  
  Reply
[email protected] says
March 14, 2014 at 00:18

I love the new clean design! Congratulations on the store, great idea! And i am in love with your logo too...awesome! And of course, the muffins...hungry!

Reply
- Charles says
  March 14, 2014 at 01:19
  
  Thanks Minnie!
  
  Reply
Gourmet Getaways says
March 15, 2014 at 04:21

First of all, I LOVE the new look of your website! Just gorgeous, secondly what a great recipe for getting children to eat vegetables. These look delicious. One of my little monkeys likes beetroot but I would have to try these muffins if I wanted the other to eat beet.

Reply
- Charles says
  March 22, 2014 at 01:53
  
  Thanks GG - I tried something else recently but my son immediately "discovered" what I was doing, lol. He refused to eat it after that :(
  
  Reply
[email protected] Chef in disguise says
March 16, 2014 at 10:28

I love everything about the new design Charles! the logo, the clean look and how elegant and professional everything looks . Congratulations on a job beautifully done I actually tell my kids that the cake contains beets or zucchini and they don't mind! It is my husband who has trouble accepting these "healthified" desserts :)

Reply
- Charles says
  March 22, 2014 at 01:54
  
  Thank you Sawsan! I actually think having a bit of veg in the cake gives it a lovely variation in flavour and consistency!
  
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Bam's Kitchen says
March 23, 2014 at 06:21

Hi there Charles, I love your new website design and its smart layout. You are very sneaky to get your kids to eat their vegetables. I know the usual carrots but beet root it a great idea and makes them look so vibrant and pretty. I love eating healthy can taste good too concept. Sorry Charles, just making my rounds and catching up...

Reply
- Charles says
  April 3, 2014 at 22:51
  
  Yeah, and luckily beetroot and carrot are quite sweet which helps out in the baking a lot!
  
  Reply

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