Thursday, October 19, 2017

Matcha Muffins Recipe by Gigi Pandian

Please welcome guest author Gigi Pandian with a recipe and giveaway for 8 book-themed recipe cards! Gigi’s fifth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery, The Ninja’s Illusion, came out earlier this month. Welcome Gigi!

DON'T FORGET to leave a comment below for a chance to win a set of 8 book-themed recipe cards!

GIGI PANDIAN: One of my favorite things about traveling is that it can be a culinary adventure as much as a cultural one. All of my Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries take historian Jaya Jones from her university in San Francisco to a different foreign destination—so far Scotland, India, France, Italy, and now Japan. I got to visit Japan last year while researching the book, and here’s a recipe inspired by the flavors of Japan.

I began learning how to cook after a cancer diagnosis left me with food restrictions. I didn’t want to give up eating wonderfully, so I took classes to learn how to recreate my favorite dishes, plus plenty of new ones. This is one of my new favorite recipes—









Unfortunately, I’m not the only one in my household who holds this opinion, so the muffins tend to disappear all too quickly!

Matcha Muffins
Green Tea adds a unique flavor to these honey-sweetened muffins.

Dry Ingredients
·      1/2 cup all-purpose flour
·      1/2 cup oat flour (if you don’t have oat flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour instead of the split)
·      1 tsp baking powder
·      2 tsp matcha (powdered green tea)
·      1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
·      3/4 cup coconut milk
·      1/4 cup honey
·      1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
·      1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF, and line a muffin tin with 9 cupcake liners. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Stir dry mixture into wet, careful not to over-mix. Scoop into muffin tin, filling only about halfway since they’ll rise. Bake for approximately 12 minutes.


THE NINJA’S ILLUSION: A Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery

Historian Jaya Jones travels to Japan in hopes of solving the mystery of a trading ship that disappeared over 200 years ago—until she’s blown off course and must sacrifice her quest to save the life of her best friend. A travel-themed cozy that’s perfect for fans of Elizabeth Peters.

“[A] highly entertaining, fast-paced fifth outing for spunky historian Jaya Jones…As usual, Pandian dishes up authentic history and cultural tidbits along with a first-class mystery. She also adds just the right light touch of romance.” 
—Publishers Weekly


ABOUT GIGI PANDIAN

USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. She spent her childhood being dragged around the world on their research trips, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and a gargoyle who watches over the backyard vegetable garden. Gigi's writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery Series and the Accidental Alchemist mysteries. Gigi's fiction has been awarded the Malice Domestic Grant and Lefty Awards, and shortlisted for Agatha and Macavity awards.


Learn more about Gigi at http://gigipandian.com/, sign up for her newsletter at http://gigipandian.com/newsletter/, and find her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GigiPandian

20 comments:

  1. I have everything on the ingredient list except the coconut MILK. What other liquid might I substitute? So good to see you at Bouchercon - anxiously awaiting the next Alchemist book. pjcoldren@tm.net

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    1. Hi P.J.! Yes, it was great to see you. And yup, I'm currently at work on Zoe and Dorian's next adventure.

      You can substitute another milk here. I've tried almond milk with this, but you could probably use a dairy milk as well. The coconut milk makes it extra creamy, which is why it's my first choice.

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  2. Coconut is so healthy; love the recipe :) Thanks for the chance to win.
    jslbrown2009 at aol dot com

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    1. I love cooking with coconut, because it's both healthy AND makes things taste so rich and delicious :)

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  3. A delectable and enticing recipe. So great for fall. Thanks for your wonderful giveaway, your great books and your fabulous writing. Gigi is so talented and creative. ssaubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Oh, thank you! Yes, this is a great recipe for the fall -- I haven't decided if I'm making this or pumpkin muffins this weekend...

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  4. I love your recipe which is special and unique especially since I love tea and this green tea would be so tasty. I have enjoyed your novels which take me to other realms and give me enjoyment. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. So glad you're enjoying the novels! I never would have tried cooking with green tea before visiting Japan, but it's great.

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  5. I love trying foods that have surprise ingredients -- I can't wait to try your Matcha Muffins! Thanks for visiting and sharing with Mystery Lovers' Kitchen ~ bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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    1. Thanks, Celia! I hope the muffins are as big a hit at your house as they are at mine :)

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  6. These muffins sound delicious but I don't have coconut anything or matcha tea. I can't decide what to do here. I still have almond flour floating around from a failed experiment so I'm a bit leery about buying more unique ingredients! Love your books! Ignore my whining; I have a cold and it makes me crabby.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. Almond flour is tricky, so I feel you there. But as for coconut oil, it's my favorite for baking, so you might take a chance on it :). You can use any milk you'd like here, though. And while the matcha adds a lovely flavor, it's not essential to the muffins.

      So glad you're enjoying the books! I'm having a lot of fun with them.

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  7. I really love both series. I'm working on the latest right now.
    I appreciate your alternative recipes.
    And your writing, of course!
    libbydodd@comcast.net

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    1. Thanks, Libby!

      I'm having a great time experimenting with recipes that are both healthy and delicious. Life's too short not to eat scrumptious food :)

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  8. These sound wonderful. I am a newcomer to matcha tea so anything other that drinking it will be a welcomed challenge. Thanks for the opportunity to win. egoehner(at)roadrunner(dot)com.

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    1. One of the reasons I love this recipe is because the green tea flavor is subtle rather than front-and-center. You can detect it, but mostly it's just a yummy muffin :)

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  9. I like trying foods that are local to the area I am visiting. Don't always make them myself, though! Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. This sounds like a great read! Also, love the muffin recipe, it sounds wonderful. We have bees, I love using the honey as a sweetener instead of sugar. Thank you for sharing! konecny7(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. I hope those of you who try the recipe enjoy the muffins!

    Lisa Brown is the winner of the recipe cards -- Lisa, I'll email you directly :)

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