Quarter Cup Muffins

Oatmeal muffins reinvented, using one bowl and two measuring utensils. There are a lot of things you can personalize about these low fat, low sugar muffins. Change up the sweetener or the nuts, add a small apple, finely chopped, or leave out the cinnamon or raisins. Basically, a very nice, hearty muffin that makes a lovely breakfast or snack. If you don't have parchment liners, you might want to either use oil instead of apple sauce, or grease the muffin tins instead of using paper. (the muffins will stick to regular paper liners because they don't have any oil in them.)

1/4 cup sweetener (xylitol, Splenda, white or brown sugar, Stevia)

1/4 cup all purpose Gluten Free flour blend

1/4 cup almond flour

3 x 1/4 cup quick oats

1/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are nice)
1/4 raisins

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 x 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 x 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 x 1/4 cup milk (I use dairy free almond milk)

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or vegetable/ Canola oil)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Measure ingredients into a medium sized bowl in order given, then mix very well. Actually, mix the heck out of it, then let it stand for 1/2 hour to give the flours time to soak up the liquid and thicken up, while the oven preheats to 350* F. 

Using parchment muffin papers, line 9 muffin cups, then divide the batter between them. Bake for 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned, and the top bounces back when pressed, and when a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean.

Cool completely before storing in an airtight bag or container. Can be frozen or stored in the fridge to last longer.

I like these eaten with Becel Vegan margarine and honey or marmalade, or with slices of goat cheddar.

Makes 9 medium sized muffins.

Agave Holiday Cookies

It's holiday time, and with Christmas just around the corner, the baking has begun. We have several ingredient issues in our family; This Sister can't eat sugar, That Son can't eat dairy, This Blogger can't eat gluten, soy, or dairy, and it wouldn't hurt her to avoid sugar as well. SO, when my friend asked if I had a sugar free sugar cookie recipe that she could make with her grandkids, I was more than motivated to see what I could find. 

I scoured all my allergy-friendly cookbooks before turning to my new Almond Flour (by Beverly Lynn Bennett) cookbook. With some tweaking, Cut-Out Sugar Cookies has become "Agave Holiday Cookies". They are good plain, with frosting, with a dusting of sugar sprinkles (that and frosting kind of defeat the purpose... but...) and with a candy cane window. They roll out well, and bake up nicely. If you, or someone you love, has dietary issues, I'd encourage you to try these cut-out cookies. 

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Becel Vegan margarine
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch and salt. With a silicone spatula, mix in margarine, agave nectar and vanilla. Mix well. When all ingredients are well combined, divide into 2 parts and wrap each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate about an hour to chill.

Meanwhile, cover your cutting board over with plastic wrap and preheat the oven to 325*F. When dough is chilled, place half at a time on wrapped cutting board, cover with a second large piece of plastic wrap and roll between the plastic with a rolling pin to 1/4-1/2 inch thickness. Make shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet with a flat silicone lifter. Decorate with coloured sprinkles, raisins or nuts if desired.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness, until light golden brown. Let stand on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing to wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

* To make candy cane windows, cut a smaller shape in the centre of a large cut-out cookie. Fill the smaller shape with crushed candy canes or crushed clear, coloured hard candy. Fill the window generously as the candy shrinks when melted. Bake as directed above.

Coconut Cookies

My Mom made some (apparently) really good coconut cookies that I was supposed to get the recipe for.  When I went to try making them, I decided to go for a gluten-dairy-free version to see if He-Who-Requested-The-Cookies would notice.  They turned out pretty good, but not as good, of course, as the wheat flour/buttery biscuits. The second time around I tried a few things, and came up with a much better cookie than my first attempt.  It's a flaky, rich biscuit with big coconut flavour, and no dairy, no gluten. I'm interested in trying them with agave nectar instead of sugar... I'll let you know how that goes if I get around to it. These are seriously nice cookies. All the taste testers agree that you'd never know they were allergy friendly. If you don't have xanthan gum (or guar gum)on hand, I'd try without it. I feel like they might hold together just fine without the added gum. 

1 cup coconut oil, unmelted; chipped and packed into measuring cup

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 cup coconut

1 cup oatmeal

Mix coconut oil together with sugars, egg and vanilla until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until mixture holds together. It should be a little sticky, but not too sticky, and not too stiff. (*if it feels too sticky, and if a test cookie doesn't hold it's shape/spreads way out, add a little more oatmeal and coconut flour- equal amounts, a Tbsp at a time.) 

Make 1 Tbsp balls of dough, and space them out on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. To be allergy-safe, I use parchment paper. Flatten cookie balls with a fork, and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar. Bake at 350*F for 10 minutes. Let rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool  completely. Store in a sealed bag or container.

Made 3.5 dozen cookies. 

Hot Cross Muffins

A delicious take on Easter's Hot Cross Buns that's adapted from the Company's Coming Mostly Muffins cookbook. If you love hot cross buns but don't have the time or inclination to bake them, you should check out the Mostly Muffins cookbook and bake up a batch of  Spiced Fruit Muffins. If you can't tolerate gluten or dairy, give this adapted recipe a try. If you like hot cross buns you will like these muffins. If you've been missing the joy of hot cross buns because of food intolerance, I promise you will LOVE these muffins. 

1 1/3 cups gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp each nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves
1 large egg
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup dark raisins or currants
1/2 cup chopped mixed glazed fruit

Measure all dry ingredients into a medium/large bowl. Stir together with a wire whisk. Add egg, milk and oil. Whisk together vigorously for several minutes until very well incorporated and smooth. Stir in raisins and glazed fruit. Let stand for 1/2 hour.

Heat oven to 350*F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Divide batter between lined cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Let stand a few minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely before adding icing crosses.

ICING

Mix 1/2 cup icing sugar, 2 tsp non-dairy milk and 1/8 tsp vanilla together to make a smooth paste. Spoon it into a small freezer bag; snip a small hole in one corner and squeeze icing to/through the hole to pipe crosses onto the cooled muffins.

Makes 10-12 muffins.

Toasted Walnut Cake

Apparently I'm not done with my Company's Coming "Baking: Simple to Sensational" cookbook. I've been using it to adapt recipes for gluten and dairy free desserts lately. This Toasted Walnut Cake turned out beautifully! I might add raisins to it next time, since my Other Half doesn't like walnuts and didn't help me eat this. I did a half batch of the original recipe and used my bundt pan for baking. I used the full glaze recipe, but I'll convert it here. (feel free to double the glaze recipe here.) I did find the glaze a bit thick, so I added hot water to make it a little more runny. I think it would work in an 8 or 9 inch square pan; you might have to bake it a little longer, but it should work. Just drizzle the glaze all over the top. Enjoy!


1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup Canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*

Maple Glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp Becel Vegan margarine
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup maple (or maple flavoured) syrup

1-2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted

In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and sugars. Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk together really well, until thoroughly blended and your arm starts to get a little tired. Stir in walnuts. Let stand for 30 minutes.

While batter is standing, grease  a bundt or small angel food tube pan and preheat the oven to 350*F.

After 30 minutes, spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let stand in pan on wire until the pan is cool,  then gently ease cake out of pan onto wire rack to continue to cool.

Mix up all glaze ingredients together until smooth. (If too thick, add a little hot water. ) Drizzle glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drip down sides. Immediately sprinkle with second amount of walnuts. Let stand until glaze is set.

*You can toast the walnuts in the oven, spread evenly in ungreased shallow pan at 350*F for 5-10 minutes, stirring or shaking often, until lightly browned and fragrant, OR you can toast them on the stove in a skillet/frying pan or saucepan, likewise stirring and/or shaking them. Toast all 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp together, reserving out the smaller amount for garnish.

The "Minus 1/3" Gluten Free Baking Solution, or "The 30% Solution"

I've discovered a four-part trick to easily convert regular muffin, quick bread and cake recipes:

1. Remove 1/3 of the required amount of regular all-purpose flour and substitute an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
2. Add 1/4-1/2 tsp xanthan gum, if it's not already in your flour blend (I generally do 1/2 tsp per cup of flour)
3. Beat the batter to death (opposite of normal quick breads and muffins)
4. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes before filling muffin tins/cake pans

Mixing the batter up and letting it stand for half an hour allows the gluten free flours to absorb the liquid. As the flours are absorbing the liquid, the batter gets thicker, so it makes sense to reduce the amount of flour used. I've had success with this formula for numerous muffin recipes, for banana bread, pancakes and waffles. Also a chiffon cake, surprisingly. The baked food is noticeably less "dry/ grainy" than previously, and it doesn't dry out as quickly- lasting several days longer than usual.

These pancakes worked, these Cranberry Orange Muffins, (using 2/3 cup + 1/4 cup GF flour blend) and Blueberry or Chocolate Chip Muffins, (2/3 cup GF flour).

The secret seems to be reducing the flour, really beating the batter and then letting it rest for half an hour.

Gluten and Dairy Free Baking Powder Biscuits

I just tried Baking Powder Biscuits using this formula. Success! They didn't brown very well, but they had a good biscuit texture, didn't taste at all "grainy/dusty" and were delicious with the hamburger soup I made for supper. 

1 1/3 cups Gluten Free flour blend
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup Canola oil*

Measure flour blend, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum into a medium sized bowl. Whisk together until well blended. Add milk and oil. Beat with a whisk or rubber tipped spatula until very smooth and dry ingredients are well incorporated. Batter will seem too runny, but let it stand for 30 minutes, and the flours will absorb the liquid, making it thicker. Set the oven to 350* F. After a 30 minute rest, drop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet into 9 mounds.  Smooth and shape the batter mounds (with a spoon or fingers dipped in cold water) and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the tops are firm and slightly browned. The biscuits didn't get as golden brown as traditional/wheat flour biscuits, but they had a good texture and tasted quite delicious.

To turn these into "scones", add 1/4-1/3 cup sugar to the dry ingredients, brush the tops of the biscuit rounds with almond milk and sprinkle with sugar. The dough can also be formed into one large round, brushed with almond milk, sprinkled with sugar and scored with a knife into 6-8 pie shaped wedges to create more traditional scones. 

*I've also used Becel Vegan Margarine with good results. Biscuits were pretty much the same with the vegan margarine as they were with the oil, so I've been using oil as it's less expensive than the margarine, choosing to save the margarine for eating on the biscuits.

Gluten, Diary, Soy Free Banana Cake With Cream Cheese Icing

This is the Banana Cake recipe from the Purity Cook Book- mine is a lovely copy I found at a second hand bookstore a few years back. I've employed the "normal recipe minus 1/3 of the flour" technique, increased the amount of mashed banana so the oil and sugar can be reduced a bit, and discovered the glories of Daiya non-dairy cheese! It's a delicious cake and it keeps well in the fridge for about a week. No one will know it's gluten and dairy free. Enjoy!

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups gluten-free flour blend
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 well beaten eggs
1/4 cup non-dairy milk soured with 1 tsp vinegar/cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk/beat together the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry, and beat together until completely incorporated and very well mixed. Let stand for 30 minutes, (batter may seem runny, but as it stands the flours will absorb the liquid and it will get thicker).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease or line with parchment paper, one 9" square pan or two 8"round layer pans. (I found the 9" square pan made a very high cake. I preferred the height I got using a 9 x 13" baking pan.).

After 30 minutes, pour/divide batter into pan(s). Bake for 50-55 minutes for a square/rectangle cake, 30-35 minutes for a layer cake. Test for doneness with a toothpick inserted in the middle. Cake is done when the toothpick comes out clean, cake bounces back when lightly touched and is nicely browned.

Let cool completely before removing from pans and frosting.

Faux Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 oz (which is 125g/@1/2 cup)  Daiya Plain Cream Cheese Style Spread
1/4 cup  Becel Vegan Margarine (or other non-dairy butter-like spread)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups icing sugar

Beat together until smooth, creamy and of spreadable consistency. Spread evenly over cake, or between layers and on top.

Gluten-Dairy-Soy Free Raisin Bran Muffins

This is a recipe that I've adapted from my adaptation of the Company's Coming Muffins and More cookbook. These muffins have been a favourite, and I've missed them since going gluten and dairy free. They freeze well, and mix up quickly, and since they work for the new diet- I've been in heaven again. My FAVOURITE thing is coffee or tea and a raisin bran muffin with Becel Vegan Margarine and honey. This has become my "go-to" bring along muffin for travelling. A double batch makes 18 muffins that really travel well. I bring them in a freezer-type storage bag and  borrow fridge space along the way. With peanut butter, (I bring Kraft Extra-Smooth or a natural PB- the only ones I've found without soy oil) one of these muffins is a good breakfast when the hotel is serving up a "continental". Also a good lunch option, snack or supper supplement. So far the record is tasty for 2 weeks on the road.

150 ml (2/3 cup) Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour* 
250 ml (1 cup) ground flax (or 125 ml/1/2 cup ground flax+ 125 ml/1/2 cup oat bran)

3 ml (1/2 tsp) Xanthan Gum
5 ml (1 tsp.) baking soda
5 ml (1 tsp.) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp.) cinnamon (optional)
175 ml (3/4 cup) raisins
250 ml (1 cup) non-dairy milk
5 ml (1 tsp) vinegar
50 ml (1/4 cup) canola or olive oil
50 ml (1/4 cup) molasses
1 egg
5 ml (1 tsp.) vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour, flax/oat bran, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and raisins. Mix well with a whisk. Push up around sides of bowl, making a well in the center.

In med. sized bowl, stir milk, vinegar, oil, molasses, egg and vanilla together. Whisk together until well blended.

Pour milk mixture into well in dry ingredients. Stir vigorously to combine well. You can't beat this too much.*

Let better stand 30 minutes.

Divide into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 * F., for about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes 8 large muffins.
 

Note: To make the Husband's Favourite "Raspberry Bran Muffins", use 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (un-thawed) instead of raisins, and add 25 ml., (1/8 cup) Splenda sweetener or 1/4 cup brown sugar to the flour mixture.

 Another Note: I made a batch (without cinnamon), divided the batter, added raisins to half for me, some brown sugar and raspberries to the other half for him, and he thought they were just fine. In spite of a slight prejudice against "gluten-free" things. 

Sunny Girl Porridge

I like porridge. Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, Red River Cereal or Sunny Boy... love 'em all. The problem with being off gluten, is that Cream of Wheat is out. Regular oatmeal, which seems to give me a reaction, is also out. The nutty brilliance of Red River Cereal or Sunny Boy, because of the added wheat germ, likewise nixed. What then?! I gave Oat Bran a try, and found that it didn't affect me the way mealed oats did, and it was nice and very reminiscent of Cream of Wheat. First hot cereal victory! Then I thought of adding flax to it, and after perfecting the formula, I have a delicious porridge that reminds me of both Cream of Wheat and the hot flax cereals. Thought this snowy spring morning would be a good time to finally share the recipe here. A lovely hot breakfast cereal that is guaranteed to keep you warm and happy inside until lunch. 

1/3 cup oat bran
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) ground flax
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) whole flaxseed
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) raisins (or dried cranberries) optional
1 1/3 cups water

Put all ingredients into a small saucepan. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stirring frequently, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Doctor it up with a bit of milk and sugar. Equally delicious with almond milk and a sprinkle of Splenda.

Serves 1.

Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Brownie Bites

I am still in love with the Babycakes cookbooks. They have brought some joy back to this diabetic, gluten, dairy and soy-free woman's life. One of my favourite recipes has been adapted from "Brownies", in Erin McKenna's first cookbook. This is a smaller version of the original, with a few modifications. They are completely delicious, and as they are very quick to mix up and only take about 15 minutes to bake, it's super easy to whip up a batch while Brownies for everyone else are baking. Bonus: they freeze well, and even taste good before they thaw... 

1/3 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour

4 teaspoons potato starch

2 teaspoons arrowroot or tapioca starch

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar (*A combination of 3 Tbsp sugar + 2 Tbsp Splenda works)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum

3 Tablespoons Canola oil

3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons hot water

1/3 cup vegan* mini chocolate chips (I used "Enjoy Life Mini Chips" that I purchased at Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods) OPTIONAL

Preheat oven to 350* F. Lightly grease a 12-cup mini muffin tin. (have a second tin ready to grease and fill as needed)

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, potato starch, arrowroot, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum (or guar gum) and coffee granules. Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and hot water, and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips, just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. 

Divide the batter into prepared muffin cups. Fill to the top of each cup; grease additional cups as needed. I generally get 14-16 brownies per batch. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center brownie comes out clean, and the tops have a firm edge with a softer center. Let stand in pans 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Fabulously, decadently delicious when served warm. Equally delicious any time. Store in airtight container in the fridge, or freeze. 

Serve iced (making a dairy-free frosting with Becel Vegan Margarine), dusted with confectioner's sugar or plain. The chocolate chips give them a "frosted" taste. 

Have I mentioned that these are delicious?

Makes 14-16 brownie bites.

Pineapple, Upside Down Oatmeal Cake

It's MOPS time again, and for our Tropical Beach Party theme we thought an upside-down pineapple cake might be fun. I had a vision of a kind of pineapple-oatmeal cake, and so I went looking. In one of my favourite cookbooks (Cooking From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams) I found both an upside-down pineapple cake and an oatmeal cake. I envisioned a mash-up of sorts and so putting them together, came up with this. The first trial was pretty good, but deemed a little too sweet, and since I had added ground flax I thought I might be able to leave out the egg. The second trial turned out nicely; with a few maraschino cherries sprinkled in for a festive colour and the egg replaced with a flaxseed substitute, either regular or gluten-free it's a delightful breakfast or dessert treat. In place of crushed pineapple I used pineapple tidbits the second time around, breaking up the chunks with the sharp edge of a plastic spatula. It worked just fine.

Pineapple Upside-Down Oatmeal Cake

1 -14oz can crushed pineapple

5 maraschino cherries, finely chopped (optional)

1 cup Gluten-Free Oatmeal  (or regular, but not instant, rolled oats)

2 Tablespoons ground flax* (or 1 egg/egg substitute)

pineapple juice + water to make 1 cup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Canola oil

1 cup all-purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (if using gluten-free flour)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg

1/3 cup Canola oil

1/2 cup Agave nectar OR 1/4 cup brown sugar+1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a 9inch square pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with spray oil.

Drain pineapple through a sieve into a microwave safe bowl or glass measure.

Add water to pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Microwave 2-3 minutes on high heat. Stir in oatmeal and flax, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix first amount of brown sugar and canola oil together and spread over bottom of prepared pan. Spread drained pineapple over brown sugar mixture, sprinkle maraschino cherry pieces (if used) over pineapple, and set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, xanthan gum (if used), salt and mace. When pineapple juice is cooled to lukewarm, add second amount of oil, agave nectar or sugars, and vanilla. *Mix in egg or egg substitute if ground flax wasn't added to the oatmeal.  Stir together until well blended. Add to flour mixture, and fold together until fairly smooth and well blended. Pour over pineapple in pan and bake for 25-40 minutes until cake is browned, springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Let stand for 15 minutes, then invert onto large serving plate. Peel off parchment. 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

If you like to bake, or to eat baking, and you have food sensitivities, you must-must-MUST get yourself one of the Babycakes cookbooks by Erin McKenna. "Babycakes" and "Babycakes Does The Classics" are both awesome vegan cookbooks. This Pumpkin Spice Muffin recipe is in the first book, but I've replaced 1/4 of the flour with ground flax and quinoa flour. I also added pumpkin seeds and raisins because I like raisins in spice cake and muffins, and because I thought the texture of the seeds would be nice. These muffins freeze well and travel well. They are equally fabulous with  Becel Vegan margarine or Kraft No-Sugar-No-Salt-Added Peanut Butter. Easy to mix up and satisfying for breakfast, lunch or snacks on the go.

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour*
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup quinoa flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum*
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 cup Canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar*
2/3 cup rice milk
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1-398 ml (about 13 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
*readily available at Nutter's Bulk and Natural Foods

Preheat the oven to 325*F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Add oil, agave nectar, rice milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Stir with the whisk until batter is smooth and thick. Using a plastic/silicone spatula, fold in the pumpkin, hot water, raisins and pumpkin seeds until batter is smooth and everything is evenly distributed throughout.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Muffins won't rise much during baking. Bake on center rack for 22-30 minutes, switching the pans and rotating them 180* after 12 minutes. Finished muffins will be soft to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Let muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer. Pop a frozen muffin in the microwave for 15-20 seconds or so to heat it up, or throw it in a bag or reusable container and take it along to eat at your next Starbucks coffee date.

Makes 18-22 delicious muffins

Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes

As if being diabetic wasn't bad enough, I had to go and decide to give gluten and dairy free eating a try. The good news? I feel 100% better. The bad news? I feel 100% better. At least, after two months without the gluten and dairy, I have the energy and imagination to feel like baking again. I discovered Erin McKenna's cookbooks, "Babycakes" and "Babycakes Covers The Classics". If you're living in a gluten-dairy-egg free world you MUST investigate these cookbooks. Life changing. At least you'll be able to make some pretty awesome snacks and goodies. This recipe is half of the Vanilla Cupcakes recipe in the first Babycakes cookbook. I've added a little strawberry jam goodness. These were a delightful Canada Day treat (strawberries = red + vanilla cupcakes for the white) but they'd be good any time and I guarantee they'll turn any day into a celebration. All the "strange" ingredients (agave nectar, coconut oil, xanthan gum) and the flours can be found at Nutters. In a pinch you can try Canola oil instead of coconut oil.

1 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup arrowroot

2 teaspoons + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted before measuring, and measured in dry ingredient measures not liquid)

2/3 cup agave nectar (again, use dry ingredient measuring cups to measure the liquid ingredients)

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup (or so) Strawberry jam

Strawberry-vanilla frosting: (Mix together 2 cups icing sugar+2 Tablespoons Becel Vegan margarine + 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam+ boiling water to make spreadable.)

Preheat oven to 325*F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (I got 14 cupcakes out of my batch)

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce and vanilla to the dry ingredients and combine. Stir in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth.

Spoon 2 Tablespoons of batter into each prepared cup. Drop a generous teaspoon of jam into the centre of each cup on top of the batter. Cover with another spoonful of batter.

Bake on the centre rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tins 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The finished cupcakes will be golden brown and will bounce back when pressure is applied gently to the centre.

Let the cupcakes stand in the the tins for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with the strawberry-vanilla frosting. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Makes 12-14 cupcakes.

Easy Gluten & Dairy Free Mushroom-Chicken-Rice Casserole

This was very tasty and went together quickly. While it baked in the oven I cleaned up the kitchen, so the after supper tidy was minimal. I actually used some "Coconut Dream" that I'd thrown in the freezer, and it worked really well. I think that Almond milk would work nicely too, especially if you toasted some slivered almonds to sprinkle on the top before serving. If it's a little too saucy after 45 minutes in the oven, let it bake a little longer. We were three for supper; if you're serving four big eaters you might want to add an extra 1/4 cup of rice and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Other vegetables to add might be thinly sliced carrots and peas. I'd add carrots with the bulk of the vegetables and peas (fresh or frozen) with the pepper just before it goes in the oven.

Two large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced
10 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/3 of a green, red, yellow or orange pepper (if you like), finely chopped
1/2 cup of raw (uncooked) rice (not instant)
2 cups coconut milk
Bouillon cube/powder to flavour 2 cups liquid
Canola or olive oil

Cut chicken breasts into 1- 2 inch sized pieces. In a large, oven-safe skillet, fry chicken in oil (start with a couple of tablespoons and add a drizzle more as needed to keep the chicken and vegetables from sticking to the pan). Add onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside, and vegetables are cooked/clear/browned.

Add coconut milk, rice, pepper and bouillon. Stir to dissolve bouillon. Put the covered skillet in the oven at 350*F, and bake for 30- 45 minutes, until rice is cooked and soft.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 3-4

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pancakes For One

I'm really liking Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix. As I'm just cooking gluten free for myself, it seemed prudent to downsize the recipe on the package, and so I have. One serving size (37g of dry mix) is 1/6 of the package's pancake recipe. This gluten free pancake has become a breakfast, lunch and, in a pinch, a supper staple for me. When I'm going to be away from home for the day, I've made the two pancakes into a peanut butter and jam sandwich in case I need a snack or an option at lunch. The pancake sandwich travels well. I've also forgotten to add the oil to the batter on occasion, and the pancakes were no less delicious or light and fluffy.(you can subtract 120 calories and 14 g of fat if you leave out the oil) Enjoy.

1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit and Baking Mix
1 egg
1 Tablespoon vegetable/Canola oil
1/4 cup water

Whisk all ingredients together until just mixed. Cook on lightly greased hot griddle or frying pan until bubbles form and surface puffs up. Flip to cook other side until lightly golden brown.

Makes 1 large pancake, or two 4 1/2 inch pancakes.

Nutritional Analysis: (pancakes alone, without butter, syrup, or other toppings)

Calories: 320
Total fat: 20 g
Cholesterol: 190 mg
Sodium: 455 mg
Carbohydrates: 25 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sugars: 2 g
Protein: 10 g

Peanut Butter-Butterscotch Squares

Everybody's old Auntie has a recipe for peanut butter-butterscotch squares, and this is mine. Company's Coming 150 Delicious Squares has a "Butterscotch Confetti" recipe that I've sort of sharpened up; this is basically doubled, but I've "rounded up" some of the ingredients too. These squares are SO easy, they freeze well, and are always the first thing to disappear from a tray of sweets. Give them a try. 

1/2 cup hard margarine

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1- 300g package butterscotch chips

1-250 g package mini marshmallows (4 1/2 cups)

Melt margarine and peanut butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in butterscotch chips. Cool until you can hold your hand on the bottom of the pot. 

Add marshmallows and stir until all are well coated. Pack into a 9 x 13 inch (ish) plastic container or a 9 x 13 inch foil lined pan. Refrigerate/chill. 

The size of the container you use will determine how fat/tall the squares are. Cut them into the size of square you desire. My recipe uses about half of the marshmallows that the original recipe called for, because my guys seem to like it less marshmallowy, and more "fudge"-like. You can add more marshmallows- up to twice as many if you like.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Cranberry Orange Buns

This was my first attempt at gluten-free bread, but it seems to have worked out alright. Comments and suggestions are welcome, especially if you have gluten-free bread making expertise and advice!

I made some Company's Coming Breads "Orange Rolls" for our local MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group, and some in the group have issues with gluten and dairy. Instead of making a rolled-up bun with margarine, sugar and orange rind as a filling, I made them like little buns, with orange rind mixed in. I thought dried cranberries might go well with the orange theme, and so they do. I used flours that were readily available at our local Nutter's store. The Xanthan Gum was also purchased at Nutter's.

Give them a try and let me know how they turned out!

NOTE: If your kitchen is not predominately a gluten-free place, be very thorough as you prepare to bake. Make sure all pans, cooling racks, measuring and cooking utensils are clean and free of any flour or flour dust. Wash off your standing mixer and counters. Make sure the surfaces your dough will come in contact with are free of any traces of flour. Also check the ingredients in your spray oil. Some brands contain wheat. Don't grease the pans with margarine or butter if the person you're baking for is lactose intolerant. If your spray oil is not free of wheat/gluten, you may need to oil the pans with Canola or vegetable oil. Always, when planning a gluten-free baking treat, always check the labels and read the ingredients of everything you consider using.

1 cup rice milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup Canola oil
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour (*on the advice of the Living Without Magazine, I ran the rice flour through a well cleaned coffee grinder to make the flour finer and less grainy)
1 cup sweet white sorghum flour (I used Bob's Red Mill's Sweet White Sorghum Flour)
3/4 cup tapioca starch flour
3/4 cup potato starch
4 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
grated rind of one orange
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped quite small
3 eggs

GLAZE:
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup prepared orange juice (sometimes I just squeeze the juice from the rind-less orange)

Heat milk to boiling point in small saucepan. Add oil. Let cool to lukewarm while you measure the flours, sugar, salt, Xanthan gum, yeast, orange rind and cranberries into large standing mixer bowl.* Add warm milk/oil, and eggs. Mix on lowest speed of stand mixer with dough hook, for about 10 minutes, until flour is incorporated. Add up to 1/4 cup more sorghum or fine rice flour, if dough seems too sticky.

(*I used my Kitchen Aid mixer. If you're going it alone, follow these directions mixing everything together with a wooden spoon until you have to start kneading with your hands.**)

Take dough off dough hook, and form into a ball with your hand. Remove from bowl, (either hold in one hand or rest on clean breadboard) and add oil to bottom of bowl. Put dough in bowl, swishing it around to cover the bottom with oil, then flip the dough to cover the other side. My dough was quite soft, but it didn't stick terribly to my fingers.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2- 2 hours.

When bread dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and divide into 24 pieces. Roll/ shape each portion into a ball, and place on lightly greased baking sheet. My dough was still very soft after rising. It had a different texture than I'm used to with yeast breads. Less "bread-y", more "batter-y". Set in warm place to rise again until the buns are about doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350*F, then bake the buns for 15-20 minutes until browned.

Drizzle with glaze when cooled.

**To knead: Gather the dough into a ball. With the heel of your hands, push the dough away from you. Now with your fingers pull the dough back towards you into the ball. Repeat with pushing away and pulling it back 4 or 5 times. The dough should start to get longer, side to side. Rotate the dough, (1/4 turn), so it is long-wise to you; gather the longer end up into a ball with your fingers, then push it back out in the kneading motion as before. Continue kneading and turning the dough for at least 10 minutes. The longer you knead, the better your bread will be.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tried my regular chocolate chip cookie recipe, and then substituted the gluten-free flour blend. It took 2 tries to get it right, and they are not as "fat" as the regular ones, but they have a good flavour, and after I increased the flour blend they only spread a little, and not all over the pan. A pretty good cookie that got the thumbs up from the Junior High Boys.


1/2 cup hard margarine, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup rice flour*
1/2 cup tapioca starch*/flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon guar gum*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together margarine and the sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Mix in rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, guar gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add chocolate chips.

Divide dough into 24 balls, and place about 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. NOTE: use margarine to grease pans; or make sure your cooking oil spray has no flour added to it.

Bake at 325*F for about 10 minutes. Let stand/cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks.

*rice flour is readily available at most grocery stores. Tapioca starch and guar gum were available at Nutter's Bulk Foods for a very reasonable price. A large bag of tapioca starch was about $3, and the guar gum was about $6 for 250 g.