Amazake!
This was a product I’d never heard of before but it’s been a great discovery. I introduced it in my review of Clearspring products but if you missed that post or are new to the blog here’s a little intro, in case you’re unfamiliar with it. 
Amazake is a Japanese ingredient made from just 3 ingredients- whole grains, water and salt. The traditional Japanese process uses a koji culture to convert the carbohydrates in the grains into simple sugars and magically transform them into these wonderfully thick and creamy dessert.
Traditionally it’s turned into a hot drink combining approx 1/4C with 3/4C hot water. I prefer to make a more creamy, comforting drink simply adding a spoonful into a mug of warm almond milk. I happen to love it straight out of the jar too. You can also blend in fruits, cocoa, extracts and make puddings or smoothies in all kinds of flavours and Clearpring have a whole host of other recipes using amazake on their site. I decided it would be great to use as a sweetener in baked goods and love slightly sweet muffins for breakfast so the decision was made!
I had picked up even more strawberries than I could eat fresh a few weeks ago and frozen them, a very good decision it turned out as strawberry season’s over here now but I’ve already been missing them. I love the flavour of almonds with fruit so added ground almonds to the mix for flavour and moisture, and a little almond extract to amp up the taste.
Aren’t they pretty?! A wonderfully soft, tender crumb, a puffy top and little jammy bites of sweetness. Just how I like them.
Strawberry-Almond Amazake Muffins:
These are only mildly sweet so perfect for breakfast in my eyes. If you do like your muffins sweet then replace 2-3T of the almond milk with liquid sweetener i.e. agave nectar, brown rice or maple syrup. You can also just serve drizzled with a little agave instead.
1C Light spelt flour
1/2C Ground almonds (These might have a different name outside the UK but here are blanched, finely ground almonds)
2t Baking powder
1/8t Salt
3 1/2T Oil
I 380g/13.5oz Jar Amazake
1/4C Almond milk
1/2t Almond extract
1/2t Vanilla extract
1C Chopped strawberries + 1T Flour
8 Blanched almonds (optional)
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a muffin tray with 8 paper cases.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk together amazake, oil, almond milk and extracts. Add wet to dry and stir to combine. Don’t over-mix or you’ll end up with tough muffins. Toss strawberries with 1T flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins and gently fold them into the mixture.
Divide mixture evenly between the paper cases and top with an almond if you like.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly brown and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Makes 8
Hannah of Bittersweet even made her own amazake! If you can’t find amazake in grocery stores near you or are just feeling ambitious in the kitchen, why not give it a go?
Is amazake new to you? If not tell me how you like to use it!
Hope everyone’s enjoying the start of MoFo! So happy to be participating this year. I’ll be back with the letter B tomorrow!
I’ve never heard of amazake before, but it sounds good, I’ll definitely try and hunt this ingredient down, you could use it so many times. Thanks for sharing. Loving the muffins, I’m hungry all of a sudden, looking forward to B already
Thanks Jasmine. Amazake is a great ingredient. You should definitely try and get your hands on a jar or 2.
Awesome, I’d never heard of Amazake until now and those muffins are gorgeous.
Thanks Jojo. Amazake is a really new find for me too but I’m excited about all the possibilities with it
Amazake! Never heard of it! Sounds interesting though…I think I’m going to learn a lot in your A-Z MoFo!
Hehe. Not all the ingredients will be quite so “exotic”!
eat it from the jar with berries. do it. do it now.
Or try the Amazake puddings on their website! I wanna try the smoothies too, it’s traditional in Japan to warm it with water and ginger for a creamy wintertime drink
Hope to see you soon xxxx
My previous jar I ate mostly from the jar and stirred into warm almond milk
Definitely want to try the smoothies on the Clearspring site too.
Such an interesting ingredient. I would have never to have thought to have used it in baking.
You should try it Jemma, it’s really delicious stuff. I want to try it in smoothies next!
Amazake is new to me! Alas, it seems pretty expensive in the US, even from Amazon. But I’ll keep an eye out for it…
I’ve never heard of it but am intrigued - sounds amazing and your muffins look scrumptious - strawberry season is just beginning here so I’d love to make these if we would just stop eating them fresh
Now am really looking forward to the rest of the alphabet 
mmmm, I love amazake. Didn’t try the clearspring one yet, but there’s this little company in Belgium that makes their own and sells it locally. I usually eat it like a pudding, out of the jar. Those muffins look amazing as well!
Hey,
After you comment about the banana bread, i thought id share this one with you. All Angela’s recipies are vegan and alot gluten free. If you give it a go, let me know how it goes!!
Also follow her on instargam
http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6002071
I didn’t know you could actually cook with amazake; I thought it was a drink on its own! I buy it sometimes and it is sold in a single serving bottle… I think I’m gonna have to buy some this week. It is quite delicious.
Your muffins look amazing… I love strawberries in muffins.
I had no idea you could buy it mixed up in bottles! Certainly haven’t seen it round here. I’m definitely buying a few more jars. It’s so darn tasty, even straight from the jar.
Amazake is definitely new to me! Sounds like it would be pretty tasty.
Those muffins look perfect, and so does the flavor combo, yum!
I’m a little crazy for almond extract :S
i havent heard of Amazake before too. sounds like a pretty delicious addition to the pantry
Highly recommend it if you can find yourself a jar.
I’m a bit behind and now catching up with your A-Z! I’m disappointed that I totally missed the boat on Vegan Mofo this year- it crept up and I was too late! These muffins look great, I’ve never heard of Amazake but now i’m curious
Amazake’s been a great discovery. I really love it straight out of the jar but it worked fantastically in muffins too.
It was a pretty last minute decision to take part in Vegan MoFo this year but it’s proving a lot of fun. You’ll have to join in the party next year