Cornbread Muffins Three-Ways!

Cornbread Muffins three ways.  I couldn't decide on which one to do, so I tried all three.  The first is your basic Cornbread muffin.  A great go-to with a slightly sweet Cornbread flavor.  The second flavor is Jalapeno Cheddar.  The jalapenos add the perfect amount of heat without being to overpowering and the "cheese" mellows any heat out.  The third flavor is Orange Cranberry. A hint of orange with the tartness of the cranberries.  So good.  And to top each one, I made a bowl of Honey-Butter which went perfect with any of the flavors.   Each one has their own distinct flavor, even though they come from the same basic batter.  

We really loved all three flavors and picking just one would have been a tough choice after tasting all three.  These muffins have a slight sweetness to them because of the maple syrup which goes so well with the Masa flour.  You could certainly use Cornmeal if that is what you have in your cupboard.  If you do, make sure you use less liquid, as Masa flour is a bit "heavier" when used in baking.  

I made these for a family event to go with my Mom's delicious chili, which makes for the perfect food pairing!  You will feel no need to tell anyone they are gluten free, refined sugar free or vegan for that fact!   I piled these on a huge platter with the bowl of Honey-Butter and let everyone pick and choose.


GF/Vegan/Refined sugar free




Cornbread Muffins:
Oven 350 degrees
Muffin tin lined with 12 paper liners

This is the basic Cornbread Muffin recipe.  I added the variations at the end.


1 Cup  Masa Four
1/2 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
1/4 Cup  White Rice Flour
1/4 Cup  Potato Starch
1 tsp  Xantham Gum
1 TB  Baking Powder
1/2 tsp  Sea Salt
1/8 Cup plus 1/4 Cup  Canola Oil
1/8 Cup plus 1/4 Cup  Pure Maple Syrup
1 Cup  Rice Milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 - 1 Cup  Water


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners, set aside.
In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, add all ingredients, starting with just 1/2 cup of the water.  Mix on low until ingredients are incorporated and if still too thick add in the other 1/2 cup of water.  Mix on medium until well blended, 1-2 minutes.  Drop batter into liners with a large spoon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested.


Add Ins:

Jalapeno-Cheddar:

1/4 Cup  Jalapeno Peppers, chopped  ( I used a jarred kind, but fresh would be even better!)
3/4 Cup  Daiya Shredded Cheddar Cheese (or shredded Cheddar Cheese of choice, substitute or not)

After mixing basic cornbread muffin batter on medium speed, remove mixing bowl and mix in by hand the jalapenos and cheddar.  Drop batter into liners with large spoon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Orange-Cranberry:

1/2 Cup  Orange Juice
1 Cup  Dried Cranberries

Substitute 1/2 cup of the Rice milk listed in the ingredient list for the 1/2 cup of orange juice.  Mix as instructed and then remove mixing bowl and stir in by hand the dried cranberries.  Drop batter into liners with large spoon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.

Honey Butter:

3/4 Cup  Butter Substitute ( I use Earth Balance Soy Free) or Butter of choice

1/4- 1/2 Cup  Honey (to taste)

Mix both ingredients into a bowl until combined.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Enjoy!

Recipe also shared at:Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Wheat Free Wednesday,Well Fed Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays

Chocolate Donuts

Chocolate donuts anyone!  
What's better than a freshly made chocolate donut?  How about one made gluten free and vegan!  And the donut itself, is refined sugar free!  These delicious bites are simple to prepare and have a rich chocolate flavor when you pair it with coconut sugar.  I love using coconut sugar in as many recipes as I can when substituting for refined white sugar.  It has a rich maple flavor and doesn't give off a overly sweet taste when baking.  I topped them with a chocolate coconut oil glaze.  One of my favorites, and with the mini-donuts, you can pour extra glaze in the center and it will firm up once refrigerated and become really fudgie!  Those are the ones my youngest always picks out to eat first!  Smart girl.  I ended up topping half with coconut and half without.  The toppings are endless for donuts so pick your favorite and add on!  



Gluten Free/Soy Free/Vegan



Chocolate Donuts:
Oven: 350 degrees
Donut pan(s), large or mini

1/3 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
1/3 Cup  White Rice Flour (I use sweet)
1/4 Cup  Potato Starch
1/4 Cup  Tapioca Starch
1/2 tsp  Xantham Gum
1/4 Cup  Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
2 tsp  Baking Powder
1/2 Cup  Organic Coconut Sugar
1/4 tsp  Sea Salt
1/2 Cup Rice Milk (unsweetened)
1 tsp  Lemon Juice
1 1/2 tsp  Egg Replacer mixed with 2 TB water
1/2 Cup  Canola Oil (or oil of choice)
1/2 tsp  Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In small bowl mix rice milk and lemon juice together and set aside.  In another small bowl mix your egg replacer and 2 TB of water and set aside to thicken.  In large mixing bowl with paddle attachment, add brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xantham gum, cocoa powder, coconut sugar and sea salt.  Mix on low until well combined and coconut sugar lumps are completely broken up.  Next add rice milk mixture, egg replacer mixture, canola oil and vanilla extract.  Mix on low until combined.  Using a pastry bag or heavy zip lock bag, fill with donut batter and squeeze desired amount into donut pan.  This amount of batter will fill two pans of 6 large or 2 pans of 12 minis with 3/4 full of batter in each donut form.  I did one each.  Bake large donuts for 8-10 minutes and mini donuts for 6 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely and remove from pan.



Chocolate Glaze:

1/2 Cup  Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
1 TB  Coconut Oil

Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl and microwave 30 seconds.  Stir and keep adding 10 seconds until melted.  Stirring in between each added time.  Drizzle on top of completely cooled donuts.  The glaze will set up, but I always refrigerate mine immediately to quicken the wait time....Enjoy!

A little chocolate and a little coconut!........................how about sprinkles or nuts or dried fruit?!  So many options, just pick your favorite and "top" away!   

Recipe also shared at:Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Wheat Free Wednesday,Waste Not Want Not Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,Tasteful Tuesday Party,Fat Tuesday,Healing Food Friday

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my basic chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I like a cookie that is soft in the center but not to thin.  In creating this recipe, I must have made dozens and dozens of batches until I was happy with the outcome.  We have stuck with this recipe for years and have yet to replace it with another.  Even with it being allergy free and vegan, I have yet to have anyone, after eating one, point that out.  They just grab for more!   This is a very easy recipe and I hope you enjoy them as we do!




gf/df/soy free/vegan




Chocolate Chip Cookies:
oven:  370 degrees
cookies sheet(s) lined with parchment
makes 25-30 cookies


1 1/2 Cups  Brown Rice Flour
1/4 Cup  White Rice Flour
3/4 Cup  Tapioca (or) Potato Starch
1 tsp  Xantham Gum
1 tsp  Baking Soda
1/8 tsp  Baking Powder
1/2 tsp  Sea Salt
1/2 Cup  Spectrum Shortening
1/4 Cup  "Butter" (I use Earth Balance Soy Free)
1 TB Egg Replacer mixed with 1/4 Cup Rice Milk
1/2 Cup  Organic Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup  Organic Brown Sugar
2 tsp  Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/4 Cups  Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips


Preheat oven to 370 degrees.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper, set aside.
In large mixing bowl cream together shortening, "butter", egg replacer mixture, both sugars and vanilla extract.  Mix well on medium low speed.  Then add brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, xantham gum, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.  Mix on low until well combined.  The mixture will be quite thick and you may have to add a bit of extra milk substitute (one TB at a time) if ingredients aren't mixing together.  Add in chocolate chips and mix on low until combined.
Scoop onto cookie sheet with a large spoon.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  They will be quite soft to the touch, but will set up once cooled.  Enjoy!

Shared at:  Gluten Free Wednesdays,Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays,Allergy Friendly Friday

Double Blueberry Muffin with Lemon Glaze

I can't seem to get enough of blueberries and lemon lately.  I have made these muffins many times and it is one of our favorite blueberry recipes.  It is the type of recipe you can tweak and it always turns out.  This time I took out most all of the brown sugar from my original recipe and added more  fruit for sweetness and they turned out perfect.  The glaze I have been experimenting with is kind of like a magic shell, it hardens as it cools.  I love the added lemon flavor that the glaze provides, but these muffins stand on their own and you certainly don't need it.  The "double" part of the recipe is a organic fruit sweetened jelly that I added to the center once cooled and out of the oven.  It adds a bit of "jelly-donut" feel to it and is a delicious surprise when you bite into them.  If you love blueberry muffins like we do, you will definitely love these! 




Double Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze:
Oven 350 degrees
12 cup muffin tin with liners

1 Cup  Brown Rice Flour
3/4 Cup  Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 Cup  Potato Starch
1/2 tsp  Xantham Gum
2 tsp  Baking Powder
1 tsp  Baking Soda
1/2 tsp  Sea Salt
1 tsp  Cinnamon (ground)
1 TB  Egg Replacer mixed with 3 TB Rice Milk
1/2 Cup Organic Brown Sugar (loosely/ non packed)
1  Banana
1/2 Cup  Applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 Cup  Rice Milk
1/2 Cup  Coconut Oil (melted)
1 tsp  Almond Extract
1 Cup  Blueberries (frozen or fresh)

1/2 Cup  Organic Blueberry Jelly (or purple jelly of choice)

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 Cup  Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup plus 1 TB  Organic Powdered Sugar
1/2 Tsp  Crystallized Lemon Powder



Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Line 12 cup muffin tin with liners, set aside.
In large mixing bowl with paddle attachment add banana, applesauce, rice milk, egg replacer mixture, brown sugar and almond extract.  Mix until well combined.  Add brown rice flour, sweet white rice flour, potato starch, xantham gum, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon.  Mix on low to combine and drizzle in coconut oil slowly.  Mix on medium speed 1-2 minutes until mixed well.  Mix in blueberries by hand.  Fill muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (I used frozen blueberries so my bake time would be longer than fresh ones)  Cool completely before adding the blueberry jelly to center and topping with glaze.

Once completely cooled, with a small paring knife, cut a "V" out of the top of the muffin.  Fill the hole with a spoonful of the blueberry jelly.  Place cut top back onto muffin.  (you may have to cut a bit of the "V" bottom off to fit back on, once the jelly is in the hole)

Melt the coconut oil and add the powdered sugar and lemon powder and whisk by hand until well mixed.  With a spoon drizzle onto tops of muffins.  The glaze will set up very quickly and have a "magic shell" type finish to it.

Enjoy!

This recipe also shared at:
Allergy Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Wednesdays,Wheat Free Wednesday,Gluten Free Fridays

Lemon Cake and Strawberry Butter Cream Icing

Inspired by Spring!  
Lemons and strawberries.  So simple, but so delicious.....This cake turned out so good I made it for our Easter dessert.  A basic white cake has alluded me for years since I first started cooking allergy free.  All the recipes I have tried have ended up tasting like a heavy pound cake or closer to a corn bread texture.  I eventually gave up and just stuck to the tried and true chocolate cakes which are so much easier to cook.  But this recipe has much more of a "true" white cake texture and with a touch of lemon flavor it is amazing.  I have made a couple different fruit butter creams to try out on it, but still prefer the strawberry.  This is definitely one of my go-to cakes.  I hope you enjoy!



Lemon Cake:
oven:  350 Degrees
9 X 13 Pan


1 1/2 Cups  White Rice Flour
1/2 Cup  Brown rice Flour
1 Cup  Potato Starch
1 tsp  Xantham Gum
2 Cups  Organic Sugar
3 tsp  Baking Powder
1 tsp  Baking Soda
1/2 tsp  Sea Salt
3/4 Cup  Canola Oil
2 tsp  Vanilla Extract
4 TB  Apple Cider Vinegar
4 tsp  Lemon Powder (crystallized)
1/2 Cup  Coconut Milk (carton)
1 Cup  Rice Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 X 13 pan with parchment paper, set aside.
In large mixing bowl add white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, xantham gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and lemon powder.  Mix on low speed until blended.  Warm coconut milk and rice milk.  Add warmed milk(s), canola oil, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar to flour mixture all at once.  Mix on medium speed until well blended, scraping down mixing bowl when needed.  Pour mixture into 9 X 13 lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely before icing.

Strawberry Butter Cream Icing:

1/2 Cup + 1/4 Cup  Butter substitute -room temp
1/2 Cup + 1/4 Cup  Spectrum Shortening
pinch of salt
4 1/2 Cup  Powdered Sugar
3 TB + 2 tsp  Strawberry puree (or strawberry jam)

In mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening and pinch of salt.  Mix on medium speed about 4-5 minutes.  Add in powdered sugar and strawberry puree, mix on low until combined then turn up to medium speed and mix until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.  Place in piping bag with desired tip.

*note- This butter cream icing is best at room temp.

This recipe also shared at:  Gluten Free Wednesdays,Allergy Free Wednesdays,Showcase Your Talent Thursday,Gluten Free Fridays,Totally Tasty Tuesdays,Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,Whats In Your Kitchen Wednesday

Autism Awareness Month!

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH!

Lets all turn on our blue lights and show our support for Autism.

Lets all think about how Autism has touched our lives and the lives of the people we know.

Lets all remember that Autism has taught us to be patient, loving, forgiving, diverse, inspired, motivated and warrior parents to say the least!

I learn from my daughters Autism everyday and it is ever changing.  She has taught me things I never thought I needed to learn and hopefully there are others who are as blessed as I am.  

Fruit and Veggie Muffins with Pineapple Glaze

Getting fruit and vegetables into my youngest, who has Autism, can be quite the struggle.  I've come to learn that the only tried and true way of getting healthy food into her is to chop it down to a smoothie-like texture and then put it into another food she likes!  There is no rule of thumb when it comes to Autism.  One day she loves apples or bananas and the next she can't stand the taste or texture of them.  It is ever changing.  You learn quickly to take a big breath and try something else.  I had to actually cut her off at eating just three of these today, which made me smile!  It is pure joy to see her enjoying food instead of fussing over it.  
These are a very quick and easy muffin to make I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.


gf/df/nf/soy free/vegan


Fruit and Veggie Muffins with Pineapple Glaze:
Oven 350 degrees
Cupcake pan with 12 liners

2 Cups  Brown Rice Flour
3/4 Cups  White Rice Flour
1/2 Cup  Potato Starch
1 1/2 tsp  Xantham Gum
1/2 tsp  Sea Salt
2 tsp  Baking Powder
1 tsp  Baking Soda
1/2 TB  Cinnamon (ground)
1/2 Cup  Rice Milk (warmed)
1   Carrot, large -peeled
1/2  Banana
1/4  Zucchini -peeled
2  Pineapple rings
2 TB  Egg Replacer mixed with 6 TB of Rice Milk
1/2 Cup  Organic Brown Sugar or Palm Sugar
3/4 Cups  Canola Oil
1 tsp  Pure Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup  Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.  Set aside.
In mini chopper add peeled carrot, banana, peeled zucchini and pineapple slices and puree until smooth.  Add pureed mixture to large mixing bowl.  Add to that egg substitute mixture, brown sugar, canola oil and vanilla. Mix on low until well blended.  1-2 minutes.  Add brown rice flour, white rice flour, potato starch, xantham gum, sea salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and (warmed) rice milk.  Mix on medium speed about 2-3 minutes until well blended.  Add in chocolate chips.  Divide evenly into pan.  Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely.

Pineapple Glaze:

1 Cup  Organic Powdered Sugar
2 TB  Pineapple Juice

In small bowl add powdered sugar and pineapple juice and wisk until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled muffins.  Enjoy!



Also shared at:Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love