These gluten-free red velvet muffins are moist and delicious. The beetroot adds a pink hue and plenty of natural, earthy sweetness, which I find so pleasing with the chocolate flavour and sour zing of the dried barberries. Lime-scented cream cheese icing and crunchy pecans complete the picture. If you like, skip roasting the beetroots and buy them pre-cooked in vacuum packs; I wouldn't use tinned beetroot, though.
2 large beetroots, trimmed
80g dried barberries
2 eggs
125ml extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
75g soft brown sugar
75g caster sugar
100g rice flour
100g gluten-free self-raising flour
100g desiccated coconut
40g dark cocoa powder
1 tsp salt flakes
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
200g pure icing sugar, sieved
zest and juice of 1 lime
100g pecans, lightly
toasted and roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a large muffin tin with paper cases.
Wrap the beetroots in foil and roast for about 1 hour until tender, then slip off the skins and puree in a food processor until smooth. Weigh out 280 grams for the recipe.
Add the barberries to a small saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer for 1 minute, then set aside.
Using a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, oil and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and creamy (about 4 minutes). Add the flours, coconut, cocoa, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and xanthan gum, then beat until well combined. Add the 280 grams of beetroot puree and the barberries, taking a teaspoon or so of the liquid with them, then fold through.
Divide the mixture between the muffin moulds. Bake for about 20 minutes until springy to the touch, then cool for 5 minutes in the tray. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool.
Whisk the cream cheese in the stand mixer, then add the icing sugar and lime juice and combine until smooth.
Smear the icing on the cooled muffins, then sprinkle on the lime zest and pecans. Store the muffins in an airtight container.
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