muffins

Josh’s Giant Muffin

In the interest of friendship and my natural curiosity I finally baked a very special muffin for my friend Josh, lover of the giant muffin!  I know some of you folks are fans of huge muffins. It was a gigantic banana nut chocolate chip muffin and it took enough batter for two regular muffins to fill each giant muffin portion: that’s a lot of batter! They were baked them in this oversized muffin tin someone gave me years ago, never used, so no worries on gluten filled crumbs in crevices.

I used my regular recipe with no alterations and baked them a few minutes longer.  Success!  Moist flavorful muffins with perfect texture.  And they were gorgeous, bakery worthy looks. Still, I was only able to eat half at a time.

Not sure I will be always making giant muffins, I tend to like small snacks but for you big muffin lovers; just know that you will get half as many muffins and I suggest you bake it 5 extra minutes, test it with a skinny cake tester and let it cool about 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to finish cooling on a cake rack.

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The giant muffin is on the left; two small ones on the right.  All tasty!

I ate a giant one the day after baking, it was still so fresh and tasty.  I froze Josh’s muffin so it would be fresh for him.  I did tell him that it was frozen a few days and that he should plan to eat it that day.  He misunderstood and waited a day more. It was getting crumbly but he said the flavors were fantastic, especially the chocolate chips.  Gluten free baked goods has a shorter shelf life plus mine have no preservatives.  That’s why I freeze them and defrost the day I am consuming.

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In conclusion, giant muffins are no big deal; no more work, just need that honking big muffin pan and you are set to go.  Bake them 5 to 7 minutes extra; I put in my cake tester and eye balled them just to be sure; they looked done, tester said done. Done.

Tasty.  But, that big muffin was too much food for my normal snack size.  Still, for company; they might be just the ticket for breakfast.  If you love giant muffins; feel free to use any of my multitude of muffin recipes for those big boys.  Test for doneness and let them cool longer in the metal pan as they are so big they will take longer to be ready to safely lift out of the pan. Enjoy!

Easy Cherry Berry Muffins

People may wonder why I post muffin recipes fairly often.  Well, it’s simple: those cute things are so easy to make and so delicious… They are my go to gf snack.  They never turn out heavy or gummy: always tender and delightful not to mention healthy.  Best of all they taste much better and are cheaper than most readi-made store gf snack bars.

Turning to my trusty muffin recipe I decided to try a new variant; cherry and berry because I got a bag of frozen dark cherries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. I was thinking I would get a similar texture to previous berry muffins especially using my basic, easy to dump together, recipe. It’s so easy; I think I can almost do it in my sleep! Plus the frozen berries might actually be of better quality than fresh ones in the produce section at the grocery store right now; it is not berry season yet, hardly seems like spring at the present folks!

I’m emphasizing how simple they are to bake so that you can feel comfortable making your own muffins even if you have never done it before.  Why buy them when you can make your own: tasty and far cheaper than GF muffins you can buy? Seriously simple and a big reward; 14-16 tasty treats for less money.

This batch of muffins did not disappoint: delicate texture yet slightly crunchy outside with zingy cherry, blackberry, raspberry and blueberry flavors and just enough sugar for me.  I used the bag of mixed fruit I got from Giant grocery store straight out of the freezer -don’t defrost them before adding.  I suggest you use a paring knife and chopped up the larger fruits for this recipe. You can buy a bag of what ever berries float your boat or fit your budget. That’s the beauty of this recipe, flexibility.

The streusel topping insures that they look gorgeous and adds an extra layer of flavor.  There are walnuts in them to so you get some really great nutrients from the fruit and nuts.  Not much guilt in eating one of these treats! You can swap the white sugar for coconut palm sugar as I do: it barely raises blood sugar levels, unlike white sugar.  Loving the envious looks people give me whenever I chow down on a berry muffin as they eat some noxious bag of salty/sugary snack full of preservatives and who knows what. People are envying ME and my GF treat…Loving it! Much better than the pity party I can face when there is nothing safe for me to eat at school or at gatherings.

As always I taste tested a muffin from the batch while they were still warm out of the oven: at the moment of perfection.  This version is up there with all the other flavors of muffins I am addicted to.

It is smart to freeze any you won’t eat in two days time; a zip lock freezer bag works great.

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Cherry Berry Muffins

2 cups brown rice flour mix (see below)

2/3 cup granulated sugar or coconut palm sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. xanthan gum

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp. dried ginger

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 large eggs

½ cup milk, 1 or 2 percent

½ cup canola oil

Topping: Mix the following in a bowl, make sure the butter is in tiny pebbles; use your fingertips to blend.

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. almond meal

1½ tbsp. butter

¼ tsp. cinnamon

——-

Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees, placing the rack in middle of oven.  Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.  One batch makes 14-16 muffins.  I got 16 when I made them but if you make them really full I am guessing it will make a dozen.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer or big bowl Add fruits and walnuts; stir to coat them with dry mix.  Combine milk and oil in a a small bowl.  Beat in eggs, add vanilla.  Add liquids to big bowl; stir just until blended.  It is a very thick batter. If you used the coconut palm sugar be sure to add ¼ cup extra milk.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full.  I use a big serving spoon and fill it about half way to dump in each muffin space. Sprinkle the top with the topping. Press it in a bit so it won’t all flake off after baking. Bake 21-23 min until golden brown. Do not over bake or they will taste dry.  Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack.  They freeze well for a few weeks, if they last that long.  Keeps in fridge (well wrapped) or an airtight cookie jar for two days.

Brown Rice Flour Mix base mix 

(This mix is the same as King Arthur’s basic gf blend)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

This recipe is a variant of the muffins you will find in Annalise Roberts’ Gluten-Free Baking Classics cookbook.

Kitchen Sink Muffins for Breakfast

This fun and healthy muffin recipe is my own mixture of muffin recipes from Annalise Roberts’s wonderful cookbook: Gluten Free Baking Classics and some morning glory muffins I saw somewhere, maybe King Arthur Flours.  They are breakfast muffins so not that sweet, great texture and totally yummy.  I also love them for snacks. They are healthy; less sugar, more fruit and no sugary topping.  If you want to add extra sweetening use my oatmeal topping from my chocolate chip banana muffin recipe.

Because they lose moisture if they sit around I freeze any I won’t eat in 2 days; I love using a Ziplock freezer bag for this but cool them first.  Eat within a month.kitchen sink muffins and spring flowers 001

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Kitchen Sink Muffins

2 cups brown rice flour mix (see below)

1/2 c granulated sugar or coconut palm sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1 cup finely shredded carrots

1 c finely chopped fresh apples

½ c flaked coconut (I used sweetened)

½ c raisins

½ c walnuts, chopped

2 large eggs beaten

½ c milk, 1 or 2 percent

½ c canola oil

Directions:

Heat oven to 375, placing the rack in middle of oven.  Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.  One batch makes 14-17 muffins.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer or big bowl

Add fruits and nuts; stir to coat them with dry mix

Combine milk and oil, beat in eggs.  Add liquids to big bowl; stir until blended.  Note: If you used coconut palm sugar you will need to add an extra 2-3 tbsp. of milk.

Fill muffin pans 3/4 full.  Bake 20-24 min until golden brown. Do not overbake or they will be dry.  Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack.   Freezes well for up to 3-4 weeks and keeps in fridge (well wrapped) a few days.

Brown Rice Flour Mix base mix
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

 

Cranberry Orange Muffins for Beginners

Gluten free baking can be fraught.  You put all your energy and a lot of expensive ingredients into a baked good that can turn out like a lead brick. I just did that with a lemon pound cake.  Yeap; it was very bricklike.  So I wanted to share a new recipe that I feel is pretty fool proof.   Cranberry nut muffins….muffin mania strike again!

I won’t go far from my best recipes to make these treats. This is a riff on a 2015 blueberry muffin post which was my riff on a muffin recipe out of Annalise Roberts’ cookbook; Gluten-Free Baking Classics. Her gf quick breads are delicious and we enjoy them often. I love that they seem foolproof if you follow the basic format carefully.  I have made many variations and they all turn out great.  So I recommend them to those just learning to bake gluten free. You can do these muffins, I promise, even if you are totally new to baking gluten free.

Never been a big fan of cranberries until last winter when I decided to experiment with them and found that they work very well with a variety of fruits/nuts for muffins, tarts, pies and crisps.  The cranberries brighten the flavor and add a lovely rosy color.  Do look beyond your prejudices to their sharp flavor and give them a try.  I am so glad I did.

These muffins did not disappoint: delicate texture yet slightly crunchy outside with a great cranberry orange flavor and just enough sugar for me.  The streusel topping adds a cinnamon flavor and insures that they look straight from the bakery. I made a 3×5 mini loaf as well as muffins and it was delightful sliced thick and served with a cup of tea.  I baked it a bit longer; 35-40 minutes should do it.

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There are walnuts in there to so you get some really great nutrients from the fruit and nuts. I swap the white sugar I used to use for coconut palm sugar which is very low as far as raising blood sugar.  Not much guilt in eating one of these treats! Note: You need a little extra milk if you use the coconut palm sugar; at least two extra tbsp. maybe three.

Cranberry Nut Muffins

2 cups brown rice flour mix (see below)

2/3 cup granulated sugar or coconut palm sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. xanthan gum

¼ tsp. salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

grated zest of one orange

1 1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

2 large eggs

½ cup (plus 2 tbsp. milk if you use coconut palm sugar,) 1 or 2 percent

½ cup canola oil

———

Topping: Mix the following in a bowl, make sure the butter is in tiny pebbles; use your fingertips to blend.

½ cup rolled oats                    1½ tbsp. butter

¼ cup brown sugar                 ¼ tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. almond meal

——-

Directions: Heat your oven to 375 degrees, placing the rack in middle of oven.  Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.  One batch makes 12-16 muffins.  I got 16 when I made them yesterday.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer or big bowl Add fruit and walnuts; stir to coat them with dry mix.  Combine milk and oil.  Beat in eggs, add vanilla.  Add liquids to big bowl; stir just until blended.  It is a very thick batter.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full.  I use a big serving spoon and fill it about half way to dump in each muffin space. Sprinkle the top with the topping. Press it in a bit so it won’t flake off after baking. Bake 21-23 min until golden brown. Do not over bake or they will taste dry.  Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack.  Keeps in fridge (well wrapped) or an airtight cookie jar for 2-3 days. It is smart to freeze any you won’t eat in two days time; a zip lock freezer bag works great.

Brown Rice Flour Mix base mix 

(This mix is the same as King Arthur’s basic gf blend)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

 

 

Apple Streusel Muffins: Absolutely Sensational!

Fall is the best time for fresh apples and I have a peck of apples right from Bechdolt’s orchards so I figure it is time for a tasty batch of apple muffins. Yes. Muffins. I especially love them because they save me money and I avoid processed foods like the snack bars I used to eat every day. Plus muffins are dead easy to make; no shaping, no tricky steps; dump, mix and spoon into the muffin tin.  Couldn’t be easier…. But, most of all they taste fantastic compared to all those commercial snack bars.

This is another great recipe out of Annalise Robert’s cookbook; Gluten-Free Baking Classics.  It is very similar to her blueberry nut muffins. If I had to have just one GF cookbook hers would be the one for me. I use so many of the recipes and her quick breads are particularly outstanding! The apple streusel muffins did not disappoint: light, crunchy top with a delicate cinnamon apple flavor inside.  I put some golden raisins in my muffins but if you are not a fan; leave them out.  They are my favorite addition to this easy to make treat.

apples

Do use a baking apple; not red delicious which are solely an eating apple and don’t use a extra firm one like the tasty Granny Smith; they won’t get soft enough during the rapid baking of these tasty little treats.  Most any other baking apple will work perfect for these muffins. I like to get a peck of mixed baking apples from Bechdolt’s Orchard: can use them in lots of recipes.

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I always enjoy eating a muffin still warm out of the oven. It is smart to freeze any you won’t eat in 2 days; ziplock freezer bag works great.   These apple muffins are kinda delicate; if you want to take them on a hike or car ride put them in a plastic bin – rigid sides will keep them safe from crushing.

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One fat apple muffin…streusel closeup!

Apple Streusel Muffins

2 cups brown rice flour mix (see below)

2/3 c granulated sugar (I love using coconut palm sugar)

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 c chopped apple; peel and core the apple!

½ c chopped walnuts

¼ cup golden raisins (optional)

2 large eggs beaten

½ c milk, 1 or 2 percent

½ c canola oil

Topping: Mix the following in a bowl, make sure the butter is in tiny pebbles; use your fingertips to blend. Do this before you mix up the muffins.

½ cup rolled oats

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. almond meal

1½ tbsp. butter

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Directions: Heat oven to 375, placing the rack in middle of oven.  Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.  One batch makes 12-16 muffins.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer or big bowl

Add apple, raisins and walnuts; stir to coat them with dry mix

Combine milk and oil, remove 1 tbsp of combined liquid and ditch it unless you are using the coconut palm sugar; no need to then.  You might need an extra tablespoon of milk actually.  Beat in eggs.  Add liquids to big bowl; stir until blended.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full.  I use a big serving spoon filled about half way to dump in each muffin space. Sprinkle the top with streusel mix or cinnamon sugar. Bake 20-22 min until golden brown. Do not over bake or they will taste dry.  Remove in 4-5 minutes from the pans and cool on a rack.  I use a fork and pry them out one at a time to keep any of the yummy streusel from falling off. Freezes well for up to 3 weeks.  Keeps in fridge (well wrapped) two or three days.

Brown Rice Flour Mix base mix (same as King Arthur gf flour)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour