Read Gluten-Free Makeovers Online
Authors: Beth Hillson
Gluten-Free Makeovers (21 page)
Set the muffin tin in the middle of the oven and lower the temperature to 400°F. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with a slight crumb. Set on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely. These freeze well.
Reducing Fat?
Replace half the butter with ¼ cup applesauce.
MAKES 16 MUFFINS
Gluten-free muffins
benefit from the addition of a little acid to help the baking soda do its job. In this case, orange juice fuels that reaction and produces nicely domed muffins with great texture and crumb.
1¾ cups Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup orange juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained, or frozen (unthawed) blueberries
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Oil sixteen muffin cups or line with papers and spray the insides with vegetable spray.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and xanthan gum in a large bowl and whisk together. In a second bowl, combine the brown sugar, orange juice, butter, eggs, and vanilla and blend. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just to blend. Fold in the blueberries.
Fill the prepared muffin tins two-thirds full with batter. Place in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 400°F. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are light brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn the muffins out onto the rack to cool completely.
Dairy-free
This moist muffin
is low in sugar and high in taste. It evolved when a neighbor was looking for a gluten-free recipe that was not sweet and used pumpkin (something she had on hand). Not only did she love the taste, but she particularly liked the fact that these were healthy enough to serve her family for breakfast.
1½ cups Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
¾ cup cornmeal
⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pumpkin purée
½ cup mango juice, orange juice, or other fruit juice
½ cup honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, or flax gel
¾ cup dried apricots, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a twelve-cup muffin pan with aluminum liners.
Combine the flour blend, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, juice, honey, oil, and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until blended. Fold in the apricots.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each to the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Dairy-free
One day, a
gluten-filled version of these muffins appeared on the breakfast buffet at a vacation getaway. My husband devoured one and all I could do was drool. As the fragrance of cinnamon floated across the table, I asked him to describe the taste, the texture, the spices. For this reason, he has earned the nickname, “seeing eye pig,” which, in this case, led me to cookbooks, zucchini breads, and then to these delightful muffins.
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup grated zucchini (about 1 small zucchini)
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups Cake and Pastry Flour (page 16)
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup dark raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line eighteen muffin cups with papers.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the oil and beat again until light. Add the zucchini, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold into the egg mixture. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.