Gluten free banana muffins with chocolate chips

I made these for my far-away coworker, Kristen, upon the occasion of her visit to learn the new system. Gluten free and "real" sugar, as requested! :-)

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free "Sweet" White Sorgum  Flour
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses or honey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup very mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or line the pan with papers, and grease the papers.

2) Whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside.

3) Beat together the soft butter, sugar, and molasses (and/or honey).

4) Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl between additions.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the mixture in the bowl in three parts, alternately with the mashed bananas, beating well between additions and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl one or two times during this process.

6) After everything is added, scrape the bowl again and beat at medium high speed for 30 seconds

7) Stir in the walnuts.

8) Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, mounding the cups full. The batter will rise above the level of each cup; that's fine.

9) Bake the muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, until the middle springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Best served warm.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.



In this recipe where it called for molasses or honey, I added the required molasses and then dribbled a little honey as well.

 

 

Vegan/ gluten free red velvet cupcakes

It's Rose's birthday today and even though she doesn't usually want anyone to make a fuss, we are having a bday party at work for her. My contributation will be vegan red velvet cupcakes. 

Rose is a vegetarian, not a vegan, but I hope she enjoys these cupcakes. :-)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Non Dairy Milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 cup Oil
• 2 tablespoons Red Food Coloring (make sure that it's vegan)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven at 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and grease it lightly.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar allowing it to curdle. This will take about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar too.
4. Once the milk has curdled, stir in the oil, food color and the extracts. Whisk it well to combine.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet ingredients to it, stirring it until all the ingredients come together. Small lumps are okay. Take care to see that you do not over mix it otherwise you will not get fluffy cupcakes.
6. Fill each muffin tin 3/4ths full of the batter.
7. Bake it for about 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean or with very little crumbs is okay too. Mine were done after 17 minutes.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it remain there for 5 minutes. After that remove the cupcakes from the pan and let it cool completely before you can frost it.

For icing I had used the cream cheese frosting from my last recipe, but if you want a nice vegan icing here's one to whip up:

• 1 cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's Clear Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's No Color Butter Flavor (Optional)
• 4 cups Confectioner's Icing Sugar
• a pinch Salt (optional)
• Approx 2 tablespoons Milk/Water (As Required

Combine wet ingredients until fluffy and then slowly add sugar one cup at a time. Beat after each addition. Blend until creamy.

This recipe us from my fav eggless recipe site, on egglescooking.com

I didn't add the food coloring, because I didn't have vegan food coloring....not because I forgot.... Right, that's why.

It's almost time to leave for work and I don't really have time to make a from scratch icing, so I looked and I found I have left over cream cheese frosting. The great thing about baking so much is that I usually have left over frosting. I know it spoils the whole vegan effect, but I'm in a hurry and if knew any vegans at work.... I'd leave a cupcake unfrosted for them.

:-)

Gluten free banana muffins

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses or honey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup very mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or line the pan with papers, and grease the papers.

2) Whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and flour or flour blend. Set aside.

3) Beat together the soft butter, sugar, and molasses.

4) Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl between additions.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the mixture in the bowl in three parts, alternately with the mashed bananas, beating well between additions and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl one or two times during this process.

6) After everything is added, scrape the bowl again and beat at medium high speed for 30 seconds

7) Stir in the walnuts.

8) Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, mounding the cups full. The batter will rise above the level of each cup; that's fine.

9) Bake the muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, until the middle springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Best served warm.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour.

If you don't have xanthan gum, use a half teaspoon of baking powder and a half teaspoon of baking soda to substitute as the emulsifier.

I leave out the salt in most recipes, either because I forgot, or because its hat not really needed.

In this recipe where it called for molasses or honey, I added the required molasses and then dribbled a little honey as well.

Gluten free vanilla cinnamon muffins

I decided to adapt my last recipe into a gluten free recipe and found a recipe to help guide me in the right direction. Carol from the website of Ditch the Wheat had this nice recipe with some whipped to a peak egg whites. I love making egg whites ....so I decided to try it out, only I didn't have coconut flour or coconut oil, so I just substituted gluten free all purpose flour and vegetable oil instead.


Gluten Free Vanilla Cinnamon Muffins


Ingredients
2 eggs, separated
1tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
2 tbsp sifted gluten free flour
¼ tsp baking powder


Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a bowl combine egg whites and honey ... Whip the egg whites until you form stiff peaks. (Egg white whipped are the key to the puffy top).
In a separate bowl combine egg yolks, oil, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until mixed.
Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the egg yolk mixture.
Mix until smooth.
Slowly add the egg yolk mixture to the whipped egg whites. Mix until well combined.
Fill cupcake liners to the top.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes until the tops are firm to the touch and a tooth pick can be inserted and come out dry.

Make 12 to 18 mini muffins or 3 regular sized muffins.




So this came out a little bland, so I made another batch, but this time added a tablespoon of pure sugar cane sugar to the egg whites as I whipped them.
I also changed my vegetable oil to extra virgin olive oil.