Gluten-free Blueberry Orange Muffin Recipe

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I was totally stumped with what to do with the coconut flour Bob's Red Mill sent in the trio of ingredients to review... We don't have any major gluten intolerance in my house, and there usually isn't anything fabulously-tasting about gluten-free foods. But, in a burst of creativity one night last week, Little Bear and I ventured into the world of gluten-free baking.

My expectations were low, but, I dare say that these little gems are so amazingly moist and flavorful, that no one will suspect that they are gluten free at all!

For an extra treat, we topped with whipped cream!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon coconut flour, sifted or whisked to remove lumps
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 extra large eggs
• 1/2 cup unrefined honey melted
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon orange extract 
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup fresh orange segments, finely chopped

Directions

1.  In a small bowl, mix together the coconut flour, salt and baking soda.

2.  In a large bowl, combine eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and orange extract. Mix on high until the mixture is even.

3.  Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mixing on high until all of the lumps are removed (you aren't developing the gluten like you do with wheat flour, so you won't make the muffins tough by over mixing).

4.  Gently fold in blueberries & orange pieces.

5.  Fill baking cups about 3/4 full (about one level ice cream scoop per cup). I used the nut & party cups or the Martha Steward papers with foil on the inside, because they keep their color and shape beautifully after baking!

*someone* may have dipped into the batter before the muffins made it to the oven...

6.  Bake at 350° for about 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 small muffins.

Forget everything you know about gluten-free baking, because you will be amazed by these muffins. I served them at a Stella & Dot trunk show I hosted this weekend, and everyone asked for the recipe!

Happy baking, y'all!

The Best {Whole Wheat} Waffles Ever!

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I've been tinkering with this recipe for months and months now, and I think I've finally got it down just darn near perfect (at least for our palates)! The greek yogurt and the eggs add a nice amount of protein (10 grams per waffle!), and the flax/chia add fiber (7 grams per waffle!) and omegas.

Our Sunday morning tradition has been to make a batch of these and then freeze the extras for toaster waffles through the week. Because we usually end up eating these in the car after hustling out the door (have I mentioned that neither Little Bear nor I are morning people??), I put the syrup in the batter and the coconut oil keeps them so moist that you don't need butter.

I finally broke down and traded my ancient waffle maker in for a fancy Waring Pro from Costco, so my recipe has been perfected on an Belgian waffler maker. You may need to adjust the consistency (more milk, probably) if your waffles are not quite right on your machine.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups greek yogurt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (the real thing, not flavored HFCS!)
• 2 1/2 cups milk (doesn't have to be dairy, I use coconut or rice milk)
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups whole wheat flour (I like WW pastry flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (aluminum & GMO free!)
• 5 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum & GMO free!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup chia seeds or roughly milled flax seed

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, oil, syrup, milk, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients. Mix until just blended, but do not overmix.

3.  Scoop the mixture into a preheated, oiled waffle maker. I spray my waffle maker with unrefined olive oil with my Misto. The extra oil gives it a nice crisp outside while keeping the inside soft and moist. I put between 3/4 cup and 1 cup batter per waffle, but this will vary between waffle makers.

4.  Serve hot! Butter and dipping syrup are optional :)  I always let my extras cool and then cut them into toaster-sized pieces (quarters) and freeze. They are actually tastier out of the toaster than fresh!

For some added fun, try mixing in a handful of De Ruijter sprinkles - they melt better than the American waxed-fake-chocolate-flavored things, and they don't make the same huge mess that chocolate chips do. YUM-OLA! {If you haven't tried De Ruijter sprinkles, they are a MUST! You will never eat the fake mass-produced crap again.}

Whole Wheat Bread Machine Burger Buns

The only thing I had thawed out for dinner was ground beef, but the thought of standing in the kitchen and cooking a meal made me scowl...  What to do, what to do?  Burgers!  We didn't have any buns, I really didn't want to grab a bag of preservative and refined-flour-laden buns from the grocery store, and there isn't a health food store in "running to the store" distance...  What to do, what to do?

Google + Bread Machine = Burger Buns!

These are only half whole-grain, so I intend to tinker with the recipe to get it all whole grain.  I just didn't want to take a chance of a recipe disaster with no back-up tonight.  I'll update the recipe after I get it worked out... 

These are soft and yeasty, but still dense enough to hold a burger patty - seriously the best burger buns I've ever eaten!

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon bread machine yeast
• 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten

Directions

1.  Place the ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order listed.
2.  Put the bread machine in "dough" mode and press start.
3.  When the cycle is over, turn the dough out on a floured surface.  Shape the dough into a log.

4.  Use a sharp knife to divide into eight equal pieces (half, half again, half again).

5.  Roll into balls (ball-ish pieces are ok) and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I only put 4 balls per sheet to make room for them to rise.

6.  Place the dough in a 170 degree oven for 10 minutes.  They should about double in size.

7.  Brush the tops of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and garlic powder.  This step is optional.
8.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

9.  Let the buns cool for at least 5 minutes before  you cut them.

You can freeze these for several weeks or store at  room temperature in a zipper bag for a few days.

Real Cornbread

I grabbed this recipe from 100 Days of Real Food, but made a few changes.  Husband and my momma said it was amazing and couldn't believe that it was whole grain!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 whole grain corn meal (organic, or it's almost guaranteed to be a GMO)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1 cup frozen corn (same GMO issue)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (freshly grated, because the powder they put on the bagged stuff is terrible!)

Directions

1.  Combine flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2.  In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in 1 tablespoon flour, and keep whisking until the flour is browned and smells nutty. 
3.  Add the corn and onions.  Let the corn thaw for a few minutes.  Add half and half.  Whisk until the mixture thickens (just a couple of minutes).
4.  Mix in honey and remove from the heat.
5.  Add corn mixture, eggs, sour cream and cheese to the flour mixture.  Mix well, but just until combined (avoid over-mixing or your cornbread will be tough).
6.  Pour batter into a square or round glass dish. 

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.  Test doneness with a toothpick.

Save the Bread! (Homemade Breadcrumbs)

Last week we repurposed over-ripe bananas.  This week we're saving your bread!

Instead of throwing out over-toasted bread (I seriously stink at making toast...), stale bread, or the heels of a loaf, save them for breadcrumbs.  Just throw the unusable pieces in a gallon zipper bag and store them in the freezer. 

When you get a couple of bags saved up, lay the pieces in single layers on a cookie sheet.

Toast them in the oven at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the pieces are completely dried out, but not darkened.

Break the slices of bread into small pieces, and leave them out in a bowl on the counter overnight.

Place the pieces in a food processor and pulse until they are completely ground-up.

Store the crumbs in a zipper bag in the freezer and use them as needed.

I started with 3 mostly full gallon bags of bread slices, and ended up with about 9 cups of organic bread crumbs.

Organic store-bought bread crumbs run around $6 for about 2 or 3 cups, but this is totally free! I haven't bought bread crumbs in years!