Fit Fare

Slowly nearing the end of the alternative flour alphabet, we arrived this week at Spelt. A member of the same grain family as wheat and oats, spelt is actually a different species. Spelt originated about 9000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent and over time made its way to Europe where it continues to be a staple of the diet there. It can be found whole, sometimes called “spelt berries” or “farro” (its Italian name).

While many wheat sensitive folks can include spelt-based foods into their diet, spelt is not wheat-free and it does contain small amounts of gluten. However, it is incredibly water soluble which makes it easier to digest and means its nutrients are more easily absorbed into the system. Spelt is an excellent source of vitamin B2, manganese, and a decent source of niacin, thiamin, and copper, a combination of vitamins and minerals especially helpful to people dealing with migraine headaches and diabetes. It’s another great source of insoluble fiber, helping to prevent heart-disease and lower bad cholesterol.

Spelt berries can be cooked like rice and eaten as such. Spelt flour -simply the whole grain all ground up - can be used almost everywhere traditional wheat flour would be, from breads and pasta to cookies and treats. Spelt has a “fragile” gluten content, which means it probably won’t rise as well as wheat flour if you use it in traditional bread recipes. A better bet is to use it in recipes with another leavener i.e. eggs, baking powder, etc.

So, I nixed the bread idea and tried some muffins.

Date-Spelt Muffins

Nutty, light and just slightly sweet, these muffins rose to a perky golden brown in 12 minutes flat. If you don’t have any dates, or if you prefer raisins, use those. Next time I’ll fold in some nuts.

2-1/4 cups spelt flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup chopped medjool dates
1-1/4 cups milk or soymilk
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425F. In a medium bowl combine all the dry ingredients and stir well. Toss the dates into the dry ingredients now to get them coated in the flour (this will help prevent the dates from sinking to the bottom of the muffins). In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet, stirring with a fork until just combined. Spoon batter into 12 greased muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake 12-15 minutes until risen and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes then gently loosen each muffin by running a thin knife around the edge. Serve warm or at room temp. Makes about 16 muffins.