Coconut Crumble Apple Muffins

This particular recipe I'm going to dedicate to my oldest daughter......
She is a Fall maniac!
She has been anticipating Fall since last month.  You would think living in the Pacific Northwest we would want Fall to come as late as possible, while we stretch out the Summer!?  But you may be surprised to know that most people living in this state love Fall.  I mean REALLY love Fall! 
But once you have lived here, you understand why.  The beauty of the trees changing color, the drop in the temperatures and the smell of the air is comforting.  You know we are closer to kicking back in the house with a fire,  putting on warm and comfortable clothes and there are so many activities and holidays we are moving towards when Fall comes, it makes it pretty exciting!  
The funny thing is we are desperate for Summer to be here, but then after about a month, we are already looking forward to the next season.  
So I will call these my "pre-fall" muffins!  Just a hint of Fall while we wrap up the Summer.
These muffins are a combination of apples, pumpkin and a touch of coconut.  They are extremely moist and wont last long once you dig into them!  
My daughters love anything with pumpkin in it.  It really is a super food.  Pumpkin has such a slight flavor, but adds so much nutrition and moisture to recipes you can never go wrong adding it in.  And luckily the canned varieties are amazing.  I used Gala apples in this recipe because they are my favorite!  But you could use any variety that you prefer.  I also decided to add in toasted pecans, since my youngest daughters allergy to this is very low and it ended up being a nice addition.  But nuts can be a real problem for most, so don't feel like you can't take them out.  
I hope you enjoy this recipe and celebrate the coming of Fall as we are.  



gf/vegan


Coconut Crumble Apple Muffins:
oven 350 degrees
14 (lined) muffin tin



1 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
1/4 Cup  White Rice Flour (Sweet White Rice or Plain)
1/4 Cup  Potato Starch
1 tsp  Xantham Gum
2 tsp  Baking Powder
1 tsp  Baking Soda
1/4 tsp  Organic Sea Salt (fine)
1 1/2 tsp  Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp  Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp  Egg Replacer (mixed with 2 TB warm water)
1/2 Cup  Organic Unsweetened Applesauce
2 tsp  Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups  Peeled/Chopped Apples ( I used Gala, it took almost 2 whole large apples)
3/4 Cup  Organic Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup  Oil (Canola, Coconut or Olive)
1 Cup  Organic Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup  Toasted Chopped Pecans (optional)

Coconut Crumb Topping:

2 TB  Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup  Organic Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup  Organic Shredded Coconut (sweetened or not)
2 TB  Spectrum Shortening


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 14 cup muffin tin(s), set aside.
Mix together the crumb topping first.  In small bowl mix together with spoon or fingers; coconut flour, brown sugar, coconut and spectrum shortening until a "crumb" is formed.  Set aside.
In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients.  Combine the brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, xantham gum, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt.  Set aside.
In mixing bowl add;   premixed egg replacer mixture, oil and brown sugar and mix on medium low until will combined.  Add in applesauce, pumpkin, vanilla and chopped apples.  Mix on low until combined.
Add dry mixture into wet and mix on low, scraping down when needed.  Once combined add in the pecans last, and mix until just combined.
Fill lined muffin tins to the top and evenly sprinkle on the crumb mixture.  Place in preheated oven and bake for 24 minutes or until a toothpick test comes out clean.  Cool completely and enjoy!

Save image and print!

Save image and print!

Also shared at:
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday ,Tasteful Tuesday Party,Fat Tuesday,Tips and Tricks Tuesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Healthy 2Day Wednesday
, ,Gluten Free Fridays,Wellness Weekend

Baked Potato Wedges

Simple and delicious.  
Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!
You will enjoy this simple recipe over and over again.  Without the hassle of deep frying, it can't get any better than that!



gf/vegan



Baked Potato Wedges:
Oven: 450 degrees
Large baking sheet: lined with parchment paper

6 - 7   Russet Potatoes- scrubbed clean and dry

4 TB  Brown Rice Flour
2 TB  Tapioca Starch
1/8 tsp.  Xantham Gum
2 tsp.  Garlic Powder
2 tsp.  Onion Powder or Bits
2 tsp.  Paprika
1 tsp.  Sea Salt
1 tsp.  Black Pepper

4 TB  Olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and add the 4 TB of olive oil, spread around.  Set aside.
Cut each potato into 8 even wedges.
In a food processor or mini chopper, combine brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xantham gum, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt and pepper.  Blend until well incorporated and pour into a large zip lock bag.  Adding a few potatoes at a time to the bag, seal and shake until wedges are completely coated with the dry mixture.  Shake off excess coating and place the coated wedges onto the baking sheet cut side down.  Place into oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Turn each wedge over and bake a additional 20 minutes until done.  Sprinkle with extra sea salt.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Save image and print!

Also shared at:Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Healthy 2Day Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Wellness Weekend,Simple Meals Friday

Allergy Free Bread

This is a big one.

When it comes to allergy free bread, there are little to no choices to eat.  If the only obstacle for making and eating bread for my sweet daughter was just to be gluten free......(I dream).....life would be easier!

She has so many "main ingredient" food allergies it has been basically impossible to make something that was edible.  For years she only ate that one brand (don't want to name names) and suffered through.  It was basically cardboard shaped like a loaf of bread.  But without being able to eat eggs, dairy, soy, nuts etc. we were out of luck choice wise.

I started trying to make bread years and years ago that would fit her needs.  However, all the recipes I tried or tried to create were WORSE than that "cardboard loaf" we were buying!  I had never been a bread maker (the yeast variety) so it was a roller coaster of learning for me.  I couldn't even tell you how many loaves ended up in the garbage.  

This recipe has gone through a variety of changes.  Not just through changing ingredients and amounts, but also with water and oven temperatures and bake times.  Putting this recipe together has basically been a compilation of many recipes ending into one.  I wish I could claim this as my very own recipe, but I would be lying if I did.  It is a result of taking notes from every recipe I tried off of the Internet and out of recipe books, throwing out what I didn't like and keeping what I did.

Right now this is the bread we are sticking with.  It is easy to make, even with the yeast in it.  If you are a allergy free baker, you probably have all the ingredients on hand.  It really is delicious and makes a beautiful sandwich and toast.  A bread you can actually pack in a lunch and not have to heat in the microwave in order to eat!  I will be honest in telling you it last about a week before drying out. (It is homemade after all)  I have also doubled the batch several times and froze one of the loaves for future use, but it does come out pretty dry once defrosted.  I only do this when we are travelling and still would choose to eat this over the "cardboard loaf".  At home when it starts to dry out, I make bread crumbs out of in and throw them in the freezer for future recipes.  It works perfectly.  

I hope you enjoy this bread recipe as much as we do!  It is a staple in my recipe box.  I make at least one loaf a week since my daughter loves her sandwiches and I end up eating it as well.  And I would openly like to thank all those bakers before me who's recipes led me down the path of bread baking and helped me "create" a allergy bread that is worth eating!

gf/vegan

Allergy Free Bread:
Glass Pyrex loaf pan 8.5 X 4.5 X 2.5 inches

1 Cup plus 2 TB  Rice Milk
1/2 Cup  Water
1 TB  Olive Oil
3/4 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
3/4 Cup  White Rice Flour
1 Cup  Potato Starch
1/2 Cup  Tapioca Starch
2 tsp.  Xantham Gum
4 TB  Organic Sugar
1/2 TB  Sea Salt
1/2 TB  Active Rise Yeast

Grease one bread loaf pan, set aside.  Turn oven on and preheat to 200 degrees.
Warm rice milk and water to 120 degrees.  ( I use a microwave safe glass bowl and instant thermometer to do this quickly)  Add olive oil to warmed rice milk and water mixture, set aside.  In mixing bowl with paddle attachment, add brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xantham gum, sugar, salt and yeast.  Mix on low so dry ingredients are well incorporated with each other.  Add in the warmed rice milk mixture and blend on medium/low for about 2 minutes. Scraping down with spatula when needed.  Spread into greased loaf pan and place in warmed oven.  Turn off oven once you place the bread dough into it.  Rise in warmed oven for 25 minutes.  Once risen, remove loaf and reheat oven to 380 degrees.  Your bread will raise a bit more while oven reheats. (I always place my loaf pan right over the burner that "releases" the heat from the oven to help with the rest of the dough rising while the oven is reheating)  Once the oven is at 380 degrees place loaf in oven with a "foil tent" over the top.  Bake for 10 minutes with the foil, then remove and bake for a additional 33 minutes.  Cool completely on a cooling rack before trying to remove from the loaf pan.  Store in a airtight container.  Enjoy!

*note- I have tried this recipe in a bread machine and had no luck.

Sliced and waiting for butter........

Save image and print!

Also shared at:Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Tasteful Tuesday Party,Fat Tuesday,GF Tuesday,Tips and Tricks Tuesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Healthy 2Day Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Simple Meals Friday

Chocolate Tahini !

We love us some tahini!

When we discovered my youngest daughters peanut allergy (among most all other nuts and seeds) it was a hard time finding a replacement for our loved peanut butter.  Tahini was really one of the few substitutes we could use.  It was a long and slow process of getting my daughter use to the flavor.  I use to mix it with honey or maple syrup, anything to try and mask the bitterness and switch her over.  Once she adapted, we were able to use it just like you would peanut butter, which you don't realize until you take it out of your diet, that for kids we use it a lot!  Now she doesn't need it sweetened in any way, but loves it right out of the jar.  I normally make my own, which is a very simple process and far less expensive than buying it.  However, you can buy it at any super market now since it is so popular. 

I decided to put the Nutella spin on it and make her a special treat.  It drives me insane that most kids with food allergies miss out on all the fun extras of food.  Needless to say she loved this and ate a lot of it right out of the jar with a spoon.  Most times not to my knowledge!   

I have to apologize for the pictures on this recipe.  I hadn't refrigerated the mixture yet so it wasn't "set-up".  But it will thicken nicely if you don't have a kid bugging you for a taste a.s.a.p.!  

gf/vegan

Chocolate Tahini:

1/2 Cup  Tahini

2 TB.  Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

4 tsp.   Coconut Palm Sugar

2 dashes  Salt

2 tsp.  Coconut Oil (not melted)

In a small mini-chopper or food processor, combine all ingredients and blend well.  Store in refrigerator.  Mixture will "set up" once completely cooled.  Enjoy!

Besides right out of the jar, my daughter loved it on her pancakes...........

\
\

This picture is before it was refrigerated, so the actual "end" product is quite thick.

I had to get the picture quick before some little fingers got into it!

Save image and print!

Also shared at:Gluten Free Wednesdays,Allergy Free Wednesday,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays