Variations on a theme—that’s how I see my gluten-free muffins. And when I think I’ve exhausted the possibilities (which would be mathematically impossible), I find new combinations that are not only delicious, but taste nothing like the previous incarnations.
Yesterday, a frigid day in the Midwest, I needed to catch up on breakfast baking, so I chose to make two batches of muffins that were both similar and different. I used two bowls, simultaneously measuring the major ingredients (flour, starch, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt) into each bowl. For one, I made Banana Macadamia Muffins (though I omitted the chocolate), using the very ripe bananas that I’d been meaning to bake with all week.
But for the second batch, I let my imagination guide me. I pulled semi-sweet chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts from the cabinet, deciding to use the only juice I had on hand (cran-raspberry), rather than the typical orange juice. With a variation also in the type of sugar, the two batches of muffins bore little resemblance to one another.
Chocolate Chip Raisin Muffins
1 and 1/3 cups sorghum flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup cran-raspberry juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (use hands to break apart to retain the oil)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like “Enjoy Life®, which are milk-free)
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Then, using a fork, mix in oil, juice, and vanilla, just to moisten. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into muffin tins; batter will not rise enough to worry about the tin being full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes (convection oven: bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean (other than the melted chocolate). Yield: 12 muffins. Freezes well.
***
When the muffins came out of the oven, there was no doubt that I would try the new recipe with my afternoon coffee. You can decide if you want (or need) chocolate to start your day or if you’d rather savor this delicious muffin as dessert. Either way, I’m sure you’ll add this recipe to your list of favorites.
Yesterday, a frigid day in the Midwest, I needed to catch up on breakfast baking, so I chose to make two batches of muffins that were both similar and different. I used two bowls, simultaneously measuring the major ingredients (flour, starch, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt) into each bowl. For one, I made Banana Macadamia Muffins (though I omitted the chocolate), using the very ripe bananas that I’d been meaning to bake with all week.
But for the second batch, I let my imagination guide me. I pulled semi-sweet chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts from the cabinet, deciding to use the only juice I had on hand (cran-raspberry), rather than the typical orange juice. With a variation also in the type of sugar, the two batches of muffins bore little resemblance to one another.
Chocolate Chip Raisin Muffins
1 and 1/3 cups sorghum flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup cran-raspberry juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (use hands to break apart to retain the oil)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like “Enjoy Life®, which are milk-free)
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Then, using a fork, mix in oil, juice, and vanilla, just to moisten. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into muffin tins; batter will not rise enough to worry about the tin being full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes (convection oven: bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean (other than the melted chocolate). Yield: 12 muffins. Freezes well.
***
When the muffins came out of the oven, there was no doubt that I would try the new recipe with my afternoon coffee. You can decide if you want (or need) chocolate to start your day or if you’d rather savor this delicious muffin as dessert. Either way, I’m sure you’ll add this recipe to your list of favorites.
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