I'm a Sweet Tooth; Chai and Date Muffins

I have really been digging chai lately. Everyday when I have had my daily chai in work I have thought to myself that it could be such a lovely touch so some muffins or even cookies (recipe to come). 

So while hubby went to coach today I did my wife duties. 

I give you Chai and Date Muffins (for once a recipe without peanut butter ;). 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup flax (instead of butter)

1 1/2 cup oats (instead of flour)

11/2 cup almond

1/2 cup hazelnuts

1/3 cup agave

3 chai tea bags

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup soy milk 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp baking powder

1 egg white

1 1/2 cup dates

banana chips

for an added treat icing:

one egg white 1 cup icing sugar 1 tbsp buttermilk

Pre-heat the oven to 175C.

Put one tea bag in the cup of milk and let soak. The longer the more flavoursome. 

Place the oats in a food processor and process until you have a very fine flour like texture then move in a bowl to one side and do the same in food processor with hazelnuts and almonds. 

Mix all the dry ingredients together. 

Take the tea bag out, I squeezed all the milk out of the tea bag to get every last bit of the flavouring. 

Whisk the wet ingredients together. (egg white, milk, oil) 

Let the dry and wet combine. 

Add the dates. (I did big and small pieces) 

Fill the muffin tray (unlike normal muffins/cupcakes these will not rise so the amount that you put in will be the size that they come out. They will expand a small bit but not much so fill that muffin tray to the brim baby).

 Leave in oven for 15 and some change. I just kept my eye on them after they started browning. Every oven's power is going to be different. The centre is nice and gooey so you want the outside to be a little more brown with a slight crisp to keep them all together.  

Place on a cooling rack.

I put half a banana chip in each of the muffins. 

These would be perfect for a morning pick me up on the way to work. 

No extra added sugar. Flax instead of butter. No Flour. 

For an added sweetness Icing:

Now this is really hard. Lots of steps. 

MIX ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND DRIZZLE ON MUFFINS. 

Phew, hope you can manage that ;). 

The finished product kind of reminded me of a cinnamon roll but much much lighter. I am not a big cinnamon roll fan. I know crazy right? They are just so overwhelming and powerful. I like a bite and than that's me done which is quite the surprise because usually once I start with my sweet tooth it's hard to stop. I like this version because the muffins are so light and the icing isn't too over powering. I literally did like a 1/2 tbsp each just for a small bit of sweet. 

Enjoy!