Spiced Plum and Ricotta Muffins

Sometimes recipes happen due to necessity. The heat we have been having is wrecking havoc on any fruit we forget to put in the fridge! The plums were on the verge and we had some leftover ricotta from pizza night, so boom, muffins it was! We always like baking with plums as the fruit has a complex flavor, both sweet and sour, and here in Los Angeles we have varieties galore. Some plums are more acidic, some more mild, so you can adjust your sugar content after tasting. These were made with some yellow plums with low acidity, and medium sugar content. The combination of spices nudges you towards fall and offer a nice contrast to the fruit. For another delicious plum recipe try out Plum Snack Cake with pecans! 

​Spiced Plum and Ricotta Muffins
Makes 10-12
 
½ cup oats
½ tsp. ground ginger
1 tablespoon honey, warmed
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 tablespoon of ground chia
1 tablespoon flax seeds
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup ricotta
½ cup olive oil
2 eggs, whisked
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup diced plums
 
Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray
 
In a small bowl mix oats, ginger and warmed honey and set aside for topping
 
Stir together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, ground chia and flax seeds.
 
In another bowl mix the sugar, ricotta cheese, olive oil, eggs and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Fold in the diced plums.
 
Fill the muffin tin with the batter and top each muffin with a sprinkle of the oat mixture.
 
Bake about 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool
 
*This muffin can be easily changed up depending on what you have at hand. Whole wheat flour can be a substitute and chia seeds can be used instead of ground chia.