6 tablespoons quinoa, preferably white quinoa
1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup quinoa flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the muffin tin
3⁄4 cup cashew butter
2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk (whole, 2%, 1%, or fat-free)
1. Place the quinoa in a small saucepan, submerge in lots of water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until the grains are tender and have sprouted their characteristic halos, about 10 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve or a lined colander set in the sink. Refresh with cool water to bring the quinoa back to room temperature. Drain thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Grease the cups of a muffin tin with a little butter on a wadded-up paper towel or piece of wax paper. The recipe will make 18 muffins; you can make this in one batch with two 12-cup muffin tins or in multiple batches with the same tin, provided you regrease it after the first baking.
3. Mix the whole wheat pastry flour, quinoa flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the inside of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula to make sure the sugar is slowly being dissolved in the fat. Beat in the cashew butter, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
5. Beat in half the milk, then add half the flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined. Beat in the remaining milk until smooth, then scrape down and remove the beaters. Add the remaining flour mixture and the cooked quinoa. Stir with a rubber spatula just until there are no pockets of dry flour in the bowl.
6. Clean and dry the beaters. Put the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl. Beat at high speed until soft, foamy peaks form when you turn off the beaters and dip them back into the egg whites. Use a rubber spatula to fold these into the batter, taking care not to deflate them but working in wide, steady arcs. Don’t worry if there are white streaks left in the batter.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until puffed and brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in the tin a couple of minutes before turning the muffins out onto a rack to cool completely. Once cool, they can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for a day or two—or wrapped individually to store in the freezer for several months.
SERVES 18
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: Once cooled, wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap and freeze, then set as many as you need on the counter overnight to thaw for the morning.
Save time: Use 3⁄4 cup cooked quinoa and omit cooking the raw grains.
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