Lactose-free pomegranate muffins are soft, small-sized treats made without butter, milk, or dairy. They are easy to prepare and can be enjoyed even by those without this type of intolerance; however, we can replace the lactose-free ingredients with traditional ones. They are suitable for breakfast and school or leisure time snacks for our kids, thanks to their single-serving format, which makes them perfect for transport. Lactose-free pomegranate muffins can also be decorated and served in a dessert buffet. Their softness does not diminish over time, so we can make them well in advance; remember to store them in a food bag or freezer, in the appropriate containers.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 14
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Potato starch
- 1 packet Baking powder
- 1 pinch Fine salt
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1/3 cup Light vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup Pomegranate juice
- 3 Medium whole eggs
- to taste Lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste
- 14 oz Lactose-free cream cheese
- 4 tablespoons Vanilla powdered sugar
- to taste Lemon zest
Preparation
Sift together the flour, potato starch (if you don’t have potato starch, which gives more softness to the dough, you can use potato flour or use 300 grams of all-purpose flour only) and the baking powder into a bowl of dry ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 340°F.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, add the whole eggs, fine salt, vanilla, sugar, grated lemon zest, oil, and pomegranate juice (obtained with a juicer or, if unavailable, by placing the seeds in a potato masher, as I did).
Mix the ingredients well and then gradually add the perfectly sifted flour and baking powder mix until completely incorporated, obtaining a smooth, lump-free batter.
If using electric beaters, remember that cake batters should only be mixed for as long as necessary for the ingredients to combine perfectly, to avoid them becoming rubbery from overheating.
Prepare a baking tray on which we will place the empty muffin cups; this step is necessary to transport our treats to and from the oven easily and safely.
Pour a little batter into the muffin cups, filling them halfway (or 3/4 if you want them taller).
Bake them in the hot oven, at mid-height, for about 20/25 minutes at most. Check the baking with a long toothpick, which should come out perfectly dry.
Remove them immediately from the oven (do not leave them in the hot oven, even if turned off, as they would become drier) and let them cool before enjoying or decorating them.
For the frosting.
Put the cream cheese (both classic cream cheese like Philadelphia and Robiola are perfect) in a large bowl, add the powdered sugar, grated lemon zest and mix with a fork, until you get a creamy but thick mixture.
Transfer the cheese mixture into a pastry bag with a star nozzle and decorate our lactose-free pomegranate muffins with a dollop of this delicious cream.
Finish the decoration with pomegranate seeds. Store the decorated muffins in the fridge, in a well-sealed container or cake box, until ready to serve.
Bon appetit
Potato starch can be replaced with potato flour in the same doses.
