Crocus Sativus |
My own saffron threads from plants grown in a pot on the veranda. |
I found a clinical trial published in 2004 showing the effectiveness of using saffron (Crocus Sativus) in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.
The patients were given 30 mg of saffron/day. This is when I started experimenting with making Happy Buns. My first trials were not fantastic but now I have been making adjustments over a few years (buns turned into friands/muffins) and think the recipe is ready to be shared. Most important is to try and make sure every bun/muffin contains 30 mg of saffron. I have to apologize to all vegans as the recipe contains eggs.
24 saffron muffins/friands
oven 200 degrees Celcius
Ingredients:
50 g coconut oil
1.5 cup almonds (1 cup =250 ml)
3 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
0.8 g saffron threads
1.5 cup almonds (1 cup =250 ml)
3 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
0.8 g saffron threads
- Grind the saffron threads with mortar and pestle (easier if you add a few grains of salt or sugar
- Melt coconut oil in microwave
- Put almonds in mixer and mix to a fine flour
- Add all ingredients to the mixer and mix thoroughly
Fill a 24 muffin tin using spoons. Bake for about 10 minutes.
800 mg divided by 24 is 33.33 mg; close enough to 30!
Enjoy one a day with your morning coffee.
Now for some facts about the chemistry.
First a comprehensive review from 2010 where you can find a lot of information about the use and history of saffron. Here you can read about a lot of other benefits of saffron like antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, antitussive, antigenotoxic and cytotoxic effects, anxiolytic aphrodisiac, antioxidant, antidepressant, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and relaxant activity.
Then a few pictures of compounds in saffron:
Picrocrocin is one of the chemical components of saffron most responsible for its distinctive taste. |
Safranal is another component of saffron that contributes to its flavour. |
The problem now is the cost of saffron; here in the supermarket a packet of 0.1 g is $13.80. I buy a packet of 3.0 g at a local Iranian supermarket for about $20. You can of course try to grow it yourself as I tried to. The bulbs are very sensitive to getting too wet in the off-season (they rot!). I have lost many bulbs to rot but have not given up yet. I dig the bulbs up and keep them dry and divide them before planting them again.