Paleo 'Zuffins'

We just made that word up, but it's way more fun than the original recipe title!* These little lovelies are a satisfying lunch or snack, and are a great way to use up all those zucchini threatening to overtake your vege patch!
*paleo zucchini and bacon muffins.

Coconut oil to grease pan
40g unsalted macadamia or cashew nuts
3 large eggs
1/2 cup avocado oil
3/4 cup butter milk
1 cup quinoa flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
3 small zucchini, grated
Ground black pepper
100g just-cooked bacon, cut into small pieces

Start by preheating the oven to 200oC, then prepare a 12-hole muffin tray with coconut oil or some paper liners so the batter doesn't stick.

Place 30g of the nuts on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Reserve the rest.

Put the tray in the oven and toast the nuts, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn. Once they are cool enough, crush them up into smaller chunky pieces.

While the nuts are baking, whisk the eggs in a bowl and add the avocado oil and butter milk then set the mixture aside.

In another bowl combine the quinoa and amaranth flours, the bicarb soda, baking powder and sea salt. Once the dry ingredients are combined add in the wet ingredients, along with the zucchini, the crushed, toasted nuts, a little pepper and 75g of the bacon. Reserve the rest of the bacon to sprinkle on top.

Mix very gently with a fork until just combined — the mixture should still look lumpy. (if you over-mix it, the muffins will be too dense.)

Divide the mixture among the 12 muffin holes and top with the reserved bacon and reserved finely chopped nuts.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You will know they are ready when you can pierce them with a skewer and it comes out clean.

These freeze beautifully so you can make lots!