Easy Muffins

 

Finished muffins

  I have been told my recipes are too complicated by a couple of people (you know if you belong in this group) and I've had a request for quick, easy muffins. These fit the bill.  

Dry ingredients

  Dry Ingredients:

 Sift or stir together in a large mixing bowl:

1 C GF flour of your choice

1 C GF oatmeal

1/4 C sugar or more to taste

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp guar or xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients combine well in a medium sized bowl: 

2 large eggs, beaten

1 C milk

1/4 C veg oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, combine thoroughly with a fork.

Divide between 12 regular-sized muffin cups, lined with muffin/cupcake papers.

Note: if you do not add in any of the options below, you will get 12 smaller muffins or nine larger.

Bake in a preheated, 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until done. This will depend on your oven. They should be a golden to dark brown on top.

Variations:                                            

To the dry ingredients add:

1 C raisins or chopped dates, and 1 C chopped nuts. OR

1 C dried cranberries and 1 C chopped walnuts; if you wish, exchange the vanilla extract for lemon or other citrus extract, or 1/2 tsp of Fiore di Sicilia. OR

3/4 C chocolate chips, 3/4 C dried cherries, and 3/4 C chopped walnuts or pecans.

The options are numerous; use your favorites.

If you use buttermilk or yogurt, the leavening changes to: 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda.

Cherry Pecan Scones, Method 2

As I promised, this is the second of three scone recipe/methods. This is the one I divised from my original, gluten-filled recipe. In some ways, it's my favorite. It's also a bit less fussy than the Lemon Scone recipe, easy to knock out quickly for breakfast or afternoon snack. I've made them with dried Michigan cherries and pecans, but they're fine just plain or with your favorite additions. Let me know how you like them!

Ingredients
2 C flour*
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp gum, guar or xanthan
1 tsp psyllium seed husk (optional but optimum)
1/4 C sugar, more if you like a sweet scone
1/2 tsp nutmeg, optional

One large egg
Approximately 3/4 cup whole milk

6 TB cold butter, cut into pieces

Break the egg into a measuring cup. Add whole milk to make one cup of milk combined with the egg. Whisk to break up the egg. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract.

1/2 C finely chopped pecans, toasted if you have time (This does make a difference in taste)
1/2 C dried Michigan cherries, chopped, or dried fruit of your choice

Method
Sift together the first seven ingredients.
With pastry cutter, two knives, or in a food processor, cut butter in to dry ingredients till size of small peas.

Stir nuts and cherries into dry ingredients.

Cutting in the butter

Pour milk/egg mixture into dry ingredients, mix with fork until combined. If there's flour that you can't incorporate, either splash a little milk into it or discard.

Pouring the milk/egg mixture into dry ingredients. We have access to wonderful farm eggs
from araucana chickens that have an orange yolk. 

Dough in bowl

Pull the dough together in the bowl and turn it out onto a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment. (If you don't have parchment, dust the counter top with a bit of flour and turn the dough out onto this.) Pat the dough into an approximately 6-inch square. Cut the square in quarters, then cut each quarter in half. I use a large, sharp, chef's knife.

cutting dough with sharp knife

Scones separated

Separate the pieces with a dough scraper. If you don't have a dough scraper, use the knife or a pancake turner. You just want to get some room between the scones. If you've cut your scones on the counter top, transfer them to a baking sheet. It's a plus if you can line the sheet with parchment or a silpat mat.

(To prevent the bottom of the scones from getting too dark, nestle one cookie sheet inside of a second sheet. I usually put the bottom sheet in the oven while I shape the scones to preheat. This is just my preference. Before baking, slide the second sheet with the scones into the first. It doesn't matter if it's not a perfect fit.)

With your finger tips, dab cream or milk onto each scone and sprinkle with sugar. This step is optional but gives the scones a little bit of crunch, which I like.

Sugar and cream for topping

Some of the cream and sugar will fall onto the cookie sheet and caramelize just a bit. This is wonderful!


Bake the scones in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 17 minutes. Check at 15 or earlier if they smell done. Mine took a bit longer; I'm still getting used to a new oven. This recipe and method yields eight good-size scones.



Cool on a wire rack, serve when nearly cooled but still slightly warm. To reheat, put the scones in a paper lunch sack, sprinkle the bag with water, and put in a 325 degree oven for about eight minutes. They will be just like freshly baked scones!

Ready to eat!

** I always use Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Flour for all of the flour called for in the formula for GF baking flour from America's Test Kitchen.

Here is their formula for the ATK flour blend:

24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour

7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour

7 ounces (3/4 cup) potato starch

3/4 ounces (3 TB powdered milk

If you want to understand the science of why this works, please buy the ATK GF cookbook.

Blueberry Almond Loaf Cake

     
     Yes, it's blueberry season and time for another blueberry recipe. Inspired by a recipe posted in the New York Times by Yotam Ottolenghi, this one's quite different from my blueberry bundt cake. Made with more almond flour than regular flour, it adapts quite nicely to Gluten-free and has that distinct, almond flavor. Because of the almond flour, it has a dense, moist texture and stays fresh, stored covered at room temp, for several days. Though, of course, it may not last that long. The recipe calls for a lemon icing which dresses up this loaf quite nicely, but if you want a less-sweet cake, it would be perfectly fine without it. This is great for dessert or afternoon tea, and is a nice choice for breakfast. It comes together quickly.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. butter a 7 or 8 inch loaf pan, line the with parchment paper, then butter the parchment. You will bake the cake for a total of about 50-55 minutes.

Ingredients:

Prepping the pan

Sift together:
2/3 cup or 90 grams of GF flour*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp guar or xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
Stir in 1 cup or 110 grams almond flour

Adding the eggs

Cream together:
1 stick plus 3 TB softened butter
1 scant cup (190 grams) sugar
1 tsp to 1 TB lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
Add, one at a time:
3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (I think frozen would be just fine)

For the icing when cake is completely cooled:
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 TB lemon juice

Add half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter/sugar mixture. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Mix a generous cup of the blueberries into the dry ingredients, then fold that into the batter.

Folding in the berries

Reserve the rest of the berries.

Bake for 15 minutes, then scatter the remainder of the berries over the cake and continue baking. Check the cake after another 15 to 20 minutes and tent with foil if it's browning too quickly. (I am still not used to my new oven and it browns things very quickly, even when at correct temp.)

Cooling in pan

When done, cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then lift cake out of pan and let sit until completely cool.

Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar and ice the top of the cake, allowing some icing to drip down the sides of the cake. Enjoy!


* I always use Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Flour for all of the flour called for in the formula for GF baking flour from America's Test Kitchen.

Here is their formula for the ATK flour blend:

24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour

7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour

7 ounces (3/4 cup) potato starch

3/4 ounces (3 TB powdered milk

If you want to understand the science of why this works, please buy the ATK GF cookbook.

Carrot Cake!

 It's no secret around here that I love cake. Cake and ice cream? Wow! Might be my favorite dessert. Time again for cake, and this time it's carrot cake, bursting with spicy deliciousness, moist, full of texture, and, of course, all the goodness of carrots! Health food.

 This cake is adapted from Joy of Cooking, or Joy-O as it's known around here. Today's cake is full of walnuts, pineapple, and coconut, and filled and frosted with cream cheese frosting. I always increase the spices and did so here by about 25%.

Unless eaten for breakfast, I always add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, preferably home made. But who's to say, adding dairy to breakfast pastry sounds about right, too! You really are covering all the food groups.

All your ingredients should be at room temp, that is if you keep your rooms at 68 to 70 degrees. If you're baking in a cold house in the winter, warm them up a bit in the oven. I measured out and prepared all the ingredients the night before except for the carrots. That way the cake goes together very quickly and the ingredients are at the right temp. It doesn't hurt them to sit out overnight, or all day if you plan to bake in the evening, though on a very warm day, you'd nee to rethink this.

Since a layer cake says celebration, I used two, 8-inch pans and a double batch of cream cheese frosting. And no, I don't indulge like this often! If you like things simple, no frosting is necessary for a delicious snack cake. A 9 x 13 pan is quick, too. Just make sure you get the middle completely baked.

Butter two 8-inch cake pans. Line them with circles of parchment and butter the parchment; dust with flour.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Sift or stir together:
1 1/3 cup GF flour*
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Parchment paper lining.

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 to 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp guar or xanthan gum, or psyllium seed husk powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together, then add the following to the above, dry ingredients:
2/3 cup coconut oil (melted) or vegetable oil
3 large eggs, slightly beaten and
Beat on low in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer (or silicone spatula) until thoroughly combined but not over beaten.

To the batter you've just created, add:
1 1/2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of finely chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, with most of the liquid poured off

Because a GF cake is more fragile than a wheat cake, if the nuts are not chopped finely the cake may break apart when you slice it.

Pour the batter into the pans, dividing evenly. If you have the time and inclination, you could use a kitchen scale. Smooth out the top with a silicone or offset spatula.
Bake for 25 minutes and then test for doneness by using the time proven method of a tooth pick to the middle and seeing if it springs back from the press of a finger. The cake should be pulling away from the sides of the pan. Bake five minutes more, if necessary.

When done, cool on a wire rack for ten minutes. To remove from pan, loosen the edges with a knife, turn the cake out onto your hand, quickly peel off the parchment, and then sit upright back on the wire rack. When completely cool, frost with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting! I would double this amount, or you could simply frost the top and between the layers. I often decorate the top and sides of the cake with shredded coconut. And lemon curd between layers is really delicious, too.

* I always use Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Flour for all of the flour called for in the formula for GF baking flour from America's Test Kitchen.
Here is their formula for the ATK flour blend:
24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour
7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour
7 ounces (3/4 cup) potato starch
3/4 ounces (3 TB powdered milk
If you want to understand the science of why this works, please buy the ATK GF cookbook.

Cranberry Upside-down Cake. A real jewel!

Just look at the color! This cake is really beautiful. It's adapted from a recipe by Mario Batali and is on my list of regular winter bakes. I'm offering the recipe in time for Christmas and other winter holidays. It's a treat without being overly sweet, and the perfect ending to a family dinner or for guests who drop in for coffee. Serve it with whipped cream, rum added or not, or a rich, vanilla ice cream.

For the topping:
4 TB unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 bag of cranberries (3/4 pound)

berries, butter, and brown sugar
on stove top

For the cake:
1 cup GF flour*
1/2 c corn flour or quick cooking polenta or corn grits
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp guar or xanthan gum, or 1 tsp psyllium seed husk powder
1/2 tsp salt

8 TB room temp unsalted butter (Needs to be softened but not melted.)
1 cup sugar

2 eggs, separated, whites whipped (with pinch of cream of tartar) to stiff peaks with an electric hand-held mixer, yolks reserved. If you're short on time, skip the separating and whipping of whites and add whole eggs.

whipping the egg whites

1 cup of whole milk
1 tsp vanilla

Process:
Butter bottom and sides of an 9 inch metal cake pan.
Over medium low heat in this same pan, melt the 4 TB butter together with the 3/4 cup of brown sugar and the (cleaned and picked-over) berries. Heat until bubbly and the brown sugar and butter are combined and hot. There may be some sugar granules. Set aside.

If you haven't yet beaten the egg whites, do it now unless you're taking the time-saving approach.

Sift or stir together the first five (dry) ingredients.

combining flour mixture and butter

Cream together the 8 TB butter with the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the yolks (or whole eggs if now separating) one at a time.
Alternate adding the milk and flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture in two or three additions.

With a silicone spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter, but do not over mix. Skip if using whole eggs.

folding whites into dough

Turn this mixture out into the cake pan into which you've melted the topping. Spread out and smooth to cover entire top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, checking at 50. When done, cool on rack for five minutes, run a sharp knife around the edge, then invert on a pretty serving plate.

Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, flavored with rum or an orange liquor, or vanilla ice cream.

* ATK flour blend, this is what I always use:
24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup white rice flour
7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour
7 ounces (3/4 cup) potato starch
3/4 ounce (3 TB) nonfat milk powder
If you want to understand the science behind why this works, please buy the ATK cookbook.

out of the oven

It was delicious!

Banana Muffins

Sweet, moist, banana muffins! Always a treat and so many ways to make them. I don't worry too much about how many bananas I have to use and I don't go out and buy bananas with muffins in mind. The muffins are usually a result of having bananas on hand that need to be used. Try to come close to the measurement called for, but don't give up the idea is you don't have enough. You can always add some apple sauce, grated apple, a little yogurt, or milk instead. And a little more banana than called for is OK, too.

Please see the notes near the end of the post.

Preheat oven to 375
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers

Sift, whisk, or stir together:
1 1/2 Cups GF flour mix (or sorghum, rice, or mixture)
1/2 C sorghum flour (or more of your favorite GF flour mix)
2 tsp baking powder
1 TB psyllium seed husk powder (or 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Chopped walnuts

1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts, stirred into the dry ingredients

Mashing the bananas

Beat together:
2 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/3 C mashed bananas (2 - 3 bananas)
1/4 C veg oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mix thoroughly. Cover (to allow the flour to absorb the liquid) and let stand for 30 minutes. Divide among 12 muffin cups lined with muffin papers. Bake at 375 18 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven.

Notes: I've made these with a combination of a regular flour mix (resembling a "regular" white flour) and sorghum. If you prefer baking with different, high-protein, high-fiber flour, feel free to substitute sorghum or your favorite mixture. This batter will be thick and airy after the rest time. It's OK. If it feels dry, stir in some whole milk or water, even yogurt or extra oil. The walnuts are optional; I like to add raisins or coconut or both to my banana muffins, the ones here just have walnuts. As usual, I use the America's Test Kitchen formula* (I recommend buying their GF cookbook!) for my flour blend using Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Flour. These have 1/2 cup of sugar. My usual amount of sugar is 1/4 to 1/3. Lately I've been using 1/4 to 1/3 cup of maple syrup. Go with what you like. I don't happen to like overly-sweet muffins; I don't want them to be cupcakes.

*ATK flour blend:

Hot out of the oven

24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup) white rice flour
7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour
7 ounces (3/4 cup) potato starch
3/4 ounce (3 TB) nonfat milk powder
If you want to understand the science behind why this works, please buy the ATK cookbook!

Lemon Cake

I really believe this cake may be the best I've ever made. Co-diners have varying opinions, but this is my favorite. It has a moist crumb, a dense lemon flavor, holds up well, and keeps a couple of days, too. The recipe I used calls for a cup and a half of blueberries, which are a wonderful addition in season, but the lemon holds it own in this cake. Serve it with or without the glaze; I like to add the glaze for a bit of dressing up. Today the occasion is a celebration of a friend's new job, so it's complete with blueberries and glaze.


In our eagerness to get the celebration under way, I forgot to take a photo of the cake, ready for slicing. So this photo is from another occasion for celebration; it fits right in! This time I added a tablespoon of poppy seeds. Still delicious!

Here's the recipe!

Whisking dry ingredients

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cups butter, softened but not melted
4 large eggs

3 cups (13 3/4 ounces) GF flour, my favorite is at the end*
1 TB baking powder
1 1/2 tsp guar or xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup of sour cream
milk, enough to bring the measurement in the measuring cup with sour cream to measure 3/4 cup
1/3 cup lemon juice (this varies by the size and juiciness of the lemons, from 1 1/2 to 3 lemons). Reserve 1 TB for the glaze.
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract or my preference, Fiori di Sicilia

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (optional but delicious)

Optional glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 TB half and half, cream, or whole milk
1 TB fresh lemon juice

Method:
Heat your oven to 350 degrees
Butter and flour a bundt pan, set aside

Juice the lemons and set aside

Folding in dry ingredients

In a large bowl, cream, but do not beat, the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs, one or two at a time.
Set aside

Sift or stir together the GF flour, baking powder, guar or xanthan gum, soda, and salt together to completely mix. If you're using the blueberries, stir them into these dry ingredients now. Set aside.

Combine the sour cream/milk mixture, lemon juice, and extracts, and whisk.

Alternating the flour mixture with the wet ingredients, begin mixing them into the butter/sugar mixture. If you're using the blueberries, do not use an electric mixer. Instead, fold the ingredients together using a silicone spatula or the cake will be purple-ish with bits of berry juice. On the other hand, you may like the lavender look!
 Please do not over beat.

Turn the batter, which will be very thick, into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a silicone spatula.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, checking for doneness at the 50 minute point.
When done:
Cool on a wire rack for about ten minutes, then loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a sharp knife. Put the wire rack on top of the bundt pan and flip, so the cake comes to rest right side up to finish cooling.
When cool, glaze with the lemon juice, powdered sugar mixture.

Cooling

Glaze:
Sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl
Stir in 1 TB cream, half and half, or whole milk and 1 TB of lemon juice
Stir until completely combined, adding more liquid if it's too stiff to drizzle or more sifted powdered sugar of the glace is too thin.

I think you could use whole-milk yogurt for this cake, but I would not recommend Greek style. The batter tends to be quite thick and the Greek yogurt would make it too thick and dry.

Thank you, I'd love a slice!

* I always use Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Flour for all of the flour in the formula for GF baking flour from America's Test Kitchen.
Here is their formula for the ATK flour blend:
24 ounces (4 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup)
7 1/2 ounces (1 2/3 cups) brown rice flour
7 ounces (3/4 cup) potato starch
3/4 ounces (3 TB powdered milk
If you want to understand the science of why this works, please buy the ATK GF cookbook.

Ready to flip

Flipped!

Cooling

They say half a cake is better than none!