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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

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When asking people what I should bring to an office potluck, the only request I had was from a friend who wanted something with pumpkin in it. I am not a fan of the texture of pumpkin pie, so I had to think about what else I could do. There has to be more to pumpkin than jack-o-lanterns, seeds, pie and seasonal beer…

That being said, I made up a muffin recipe on the fly, based on my apple cake recipe.

As mentioned in my 17 March post, my flour mix was suggested by Gluten Free Girl and the Chef:

  • 6 parts white rice flour
  • 2 parts potato starch
  • 1 part tapioca flour

Muffin Ingredients:

  • 1 can of pumpkin puree (15oz pure pumpkin, no spice)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 cup dark molasses (the darker the better)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3 cups gluten-free flour mix
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 cups dark brown sugar (separated)
  • 1 cup cinnamon applesauce (no sugar added)
  • 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 tsp xanthan gun

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Use cupcake tin with paper inserts (makes ~30 cupcakes)

In a bowl, mix together the pumpkin, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt

Beat the remaining sugar, applesauce, butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the pumpkin mixture. Add in the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined.

Pour the batter into the cups (1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean. Makes approximately 30 cupcakes.

Ice with cinnamon buttercream frosting.

Coconut-Lime Cornmeal Cookies

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This recipe was adapted to be wheat-free from an allrecipes.com submission by Millie Suazo. While technically gluten-free, some people with celiac disease cannot process corn…and not all cornmeal is gluten-free because of issues with cross-contamination.

These cookies are a great alternative to cornbread…they are sweet and slightly salty. I’m told they were great for breakfast. They were the perfect dessert for a BBQ pulled pork dinner.

  • 1 1/4 cups butter, softened not melted
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups finely-ground cornmeal
  • 1 cup gluten-free flour mix
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon coconut-flavored rum (I used Malibu™)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease several baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is soft and creamy. Beat in the egg until well blended. Stir in the cornmeal about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to blend well after each addition, then stir in the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, lime zest, coconut, salt, and rum until the mixture forms a soft dough. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges just turn golden, 8 to 12 minutes, and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets before removing.

Wheat-Free Oatmeal Cookies

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Oats and gluten seem to be a huge debate. Technically, oats do not contain gluten; however, because of cross-contamination, people with celiac disease need to be careful about where they get their oats.

The recipe!

  • 1 cup butter (soft, not melted)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
  • 2 cups gluten-free flour mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • pinch of ginger
  • 3 cups quick-oats
  • 1 cup craisins, raisins, nuts…(pick your poison)
  1. Mix butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in molasses.
  2. Combine flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in another bowl, then stir into the creamy butter/sugar/egg/molasses mixture.
  3. Mix in oats, followed by nuts, craisins or whatever.
  4. Cover and chill for at least one hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets (or use parchment paper or non-stick sheets).
  6. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each ball with a large fork dipped in brown sugar.
  7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until done. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 75 cookies.

Gluten-Free Apple Cake Muffins!

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Gluten-Free Apple Cake Muffins!

This is a gluten-free variation on the recipe in this post.

As mentioned in my 17 March post, my flour mix was suggested by Gluten Free Girl and the Chef:

  • 6 parts white rice flour
  • 2 parts potato starch
  • 1 part tapioca flour

Muffin Ingredients:

  • 3-4 diced/minced Granny Smith apples
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoon maple syrup (you can substitute honey or molasses)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups gluten-free flour mix
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup cinnamon applesauce (no sugar added)
  • 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 tsp xanthan gun

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Use cupcake tin with paper inserts (makes ~26 cupcakes)

In a bowl, mix together the apples, vanilla, syrup, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt

Beat the sugar, applesauce, butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the dry ingredients and the xanthan gum and beat until completely combined. Fold in the apple mixture.

Pour the batter into the cups (1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean. Makes approximately 26 cupcakes.

about 167 calories/muffin

Chocolate Truffle Cake

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Chocolate Truffle Cake

Another gluten-free recipe, this one from my friend Dawn over at Con*Verse.

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened butter

Preheat the oven to 350F.

On the stove top, heat 1 cup of whipping cream with 3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of unsweetened butter, stirring constantly. After it’s fully blended, remove from the heat (don’t let it boil).

In a stand mixer, beat 6 eggs with 1 cup of light brown sugar until light and fluffy looking (sort of bubbly, about 5 minutes). When it’s ready, blend in chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.

Cover the bottom of a 9” springform pan with a layer of parchment paper.

Pour in mixture and pop in the oven for 50 minutes. The center will look loose, but the texture inside will be silky and smooth like a truffle. Let it set for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge. I took all precautions possible, but it seems like cracking on the top of the cake is inevitable because it will deflate after it comes out of the oven.

Before serving I dusted mine with some cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon. I also made whipped cream to go with it. Some fresh berries would be amazing with this!

Also: this cake is VERY rich. Serve small slices!

Pro-tip: springform pans tend to leak. put a cookie sheet with a lip under your cake (I put mine on the shelf below the cake) to keep from making a mess in your oven.

Gluten-Free Pancakes for the WIN!!!I

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Gluten-Free Pancakes for the WIN!!!

I was challenged by a friend to go gluten-free for the month of February. Given my love of beer, I went gluten-light, and I have no regrets. I have an allergy to wheat (it makes me sneeze) and a gluten intolerance…and I have never felt as good as I did when I cut back.

I’ve made substitutions for a lot of things…rice and corn pasta for wheat pasta, baked potato under my eggs rather than toast…I’ve even tried (and enjoyed!) some gluten-free beer. I am, however, someone who loves to bake. Cutting out the gluten means learning how to bake without wheat flour. My first attempt at a recipe substituting gluten-free four for wheat flour was a complete success.

My flour mix, suggested by Gluten Free Girl and the Chef:

  • 6 parts white rice flour
  • 2 parts potato starch
  • 1 part tapioca flour

My recipe, altered from one I got from my friend Bill:

  • 1.75 cups flour
  • 3.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 heaping tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 0.25 cups of Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Talk about a win! The pancakes weren’t as puffy as the wheat variation, but taste, color, and texture were right on. I wouldn’t have known they were gluten-free if I hadn’t made them myself.

For those of you familiar with gluten-free cooking, you may wonder about the missing thickening agent. I decided to skip adding the xanthan gum because I didn’t think I’d need it for something the size of a pancake. I was right. It’s totally not necessary, though if I had used it I suspect my pancakes would have been puffier. If I had opted for it, I would have used about 1 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon for each cup of flour, rounded up seems to be the common conversion).

You can also skip the Bailey’s and use milk instead; I just happen to like Bailey’s in my pancakes (and it IS St. Patrick’s Day, after all!).

Next on my list of recipes to attempt de-glutening: gingerbread!

Sweet Cornbread

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Sweet Cornbread

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk (I use soured milk when I have it)
  • 5 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch cast iron skillet
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and butter until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

The flavor is dead on what I was aiming for, sweet and ever-so-slightly salty, but it’s a bit too crumbly to serve to company…I’ll likely add a bit more milk next time and put a bowl of water in the oven while it bakes. I’ll also consider vanilla, but that kind of feels like cheating on the flavor.

Apple Cake Muffins

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Apple Cake Muffins

This recipe is based on Uncle Bob’s Fresh Apple Cake recipe. I prefer to cook without vegetable oil. I feel that it doesn’t add anything to the flavor, and there are perfectly good substitutes that do.

Happy Fall!!!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups diced Granny Smith apples, about 2 apples
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup cinnamon applesauce (no sugar added)
  • 1/4 cup of butter (1/2 a stick)
  • 3 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Use cupcake tin with paper inserts (makes ~24 cupcakes)

In a bowl, mix together the apples, vanilla, honey, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt

Beat the sugar, applesauce, butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Add in the dry ingredients and beat until completely combined. Fold in the apple mixture.

Pour the batter into the cups (1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean. Makes approximately 24 cupcakes.

Each cake contains ~135 calories.

This recipe does not particularly need icing; it’s sweet and moist and it has plenty of flavor. That being said, a cinnamon buttercream icing would probably be lovely with it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

Helga Viking Lens, Cano Cafenol Film, No Flash, Taken with Hipstamatic

You need:

2 sticks of butter (softish, NOT melted)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 cups (1 1/2 bags) milk chocolate chips

•preheat oven to 350F
•grease cookie sheets (or use non-stick or parchment paper)

•mix sugar (both brown & white) and butter in large bowl til creamy
•add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and beat til fluffy
•gradually add flour, baking soda, and salt
•fold in chips

•Drop rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets, bake for 8-10 minutes

Let stand on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks…eat & enjoy!

hints: use real vanilla, not imitation…and don’t use margarine-with the extra vanilla they’ll be too oily.

for white chocolate chip cookies, use 2 cups white chocolate chips and a tablespoon of molasses.

Makes about 100 cookies.  Using milk chocolate chips, each cookie is about 60 calories.

Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Hot Sauce

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Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Hot Sauce

there are a couple of ways to make the sauce…this is the down and dirty way:

  • 1 jar of apricot preserves (if I’m doing it this way, I prefer an all fruit variety…peach works well, too)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup of Frank’s Red Hot (adjust to taste)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

-mix all ingredients, adding lemon juice slowly until sauce is the consistency of a medium-thick barbeque sauce…adjust ratio of fruit-hot sauce to taste.

-cover tenderloin with the sauce and refrigerate for 6-8 hours

cooking the pork:

-heat oven to 450F

-drain sauce into bowl, place tenderloin on roasting rack or broiling pan and cook for 10-15 minutes

-let oven cool to 200F and continue cooking tenderloin until inside temp of meat is 160-170F (2-3 hours, depending on weight), basting meat with remaining sauce.

ENJOY!