I have been working on my muffin recipes recently, trying to solve a problem. Since realizing that the butter substitute that I use has been bothering me, I have had to switch from a creamed solid fat method to using oil in muffins. The first result was that they all have a deep dip in the center. This is not a deal-breaker for eating them, but it does make them less attractive. To put a recipe out, without solving this issue, didn't feel right.
This specific recipe was born through a totally different experiment. I was making something else, and used coconut nectar as the sweetener. With the first bite, I thought, "This almost tastes like banana." The creative part of my brain perked up at that and started humming busily. I have missed banana bread so much. Yes, bananas are part of the long list of foods that bother me in one way or another.
After a couple of batches and a little tinkering, I have come up with something that I like.
They do not taste like banana, but they have the texture and moistness of a banana muffin, and the coconut sugar and nectar give it a similar fruity sweetness. I made the final version this morning, and we like them!
Of course, a person could easily substitute honey and granulated sugar for the coconut sweeteners. They would still be quite tasty, but would lose the resemblance to banana. Molasses would also work well, and would probably make them reminiscent of bran muffins. In fact, that is an experiment that I will probably make myself, in the near future. I also miss bran muffins. :)
The other reason that I chose to use coconut sweeteners is that I'm trying to reduce the glycemic impact of my baked goods. Sugar is a deeply important part of the chemistry of baking. A person can't just yank out the sugar and expect the same results of texture and flavor. Coconut sweeteners do still impact blood sugar, but less severely than regular granulated sugar.
Muffins, in my world, fall into the same "happy comfort food" family that includes pancakes and cupcakes. There is just something about these foods that makes me happy. :)
"Everything-free" Not-banana Muffins
wheat-free, gluten-free, oat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, banana-free, soy-free, almond-free
350 degrees - 18-20 minutes
12 muffins
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1/4 cup flaxmeal
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Wet ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/3 cup light neutral oil (I used a light avocado oil)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
Add in:
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups. *
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk together well.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
~to melt the coconut oil, I scoop some into a small dish and heat it in the microwave.
In our microwave, it only takes twenty or thirty seconds to melt this little bit of oil
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. When about halfway combined, add the walnuts. Stir until the ingredients just come together, with no more clumps of flour. Spoon or scoop into the prepared tin. I like to use a ice cream/cookie dough scoop for this.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. I have found that in our oven, 20 minutes is just a little too long.
Turn the muffins out onto a cooling rack. If they stay in the hot tin, the outside will continue to brown and will get tough. Enjoy!
*I like to use the If You Care brand of baking cups. They're made from unbleached paper. I like knowing that they're free of chemicals, and they have a great added bonus. With regular muffin papers, the muffins often stuck to the paper and got torn apart when we tried to peel the paper off. With the If You Care brand, the papers come off neatly!
No comments:
Post a Comment