The Best GF Muffin Recipe!

Susan’s Gluten Free, Dairy Free Berry Muffins (With Egg Free Option)

This recipe is one of the best muffin recipes that we have ever encountered here at the Gluten Free RN office. Nadine makes these muffins on almost a weekly basis for her family, and she is always modifying the recipe to add creative, and new ideas. We suggest making your own substitutions, and additions to all recipes. Always have fun with your baking and be creative!

½ cup shortening, softened (I use 1 cube Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs*
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups Gluten Free Flour mix (the options here are endless, see bottom for ideas)***
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional) – Pecans, Almonds, Walnuts, Coconut
3 ripe bananas (The options here are also endless) – Berries, Chocolate, Ginger, ect.

Preheat oven to 375

Mix Shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mashed bananas (or other fruit) Add eggs or substitute mixture. Add dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Finally add pecans or other nuts.

Divide into 12 well-greased muffin tins. The dough will seem a little dry. Press with wet hands to spread.

Bake at 375 for 15 minute or until light brown and a knife inserted comes out clean.

Makes 12-18 depending on the size of the muffins.

*To make the vegan version, replace 3 large eggs with:

  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons gluten free egg replacer
  • 3 Tablespoons warm water

***Gluten Free Flour Ideas:

  • 1 ¼ cup brown rice flour, ½ cup potato starch, ¼ cup tapioca starch
  • Use a pre-made GF flour mix
  • Make your own creative flour mix – Nadine changes her flour blend quite often. She suggests using a mixture of different gluten free flours, and to always include a high protein option like Montina.

 

Posted by samanthamiller on April 14th, 2011 in Recipes, Recommendations | No Comments »

Make Your Own Rice Milk

If you are avoiding casein, finding dairy substitutes that are gluten free can be tricky. A friend of mine with celiac disease who also avoids casein recently mentioned that she makes her own rice milk. Apparently, it’s a cinch. I did some more research and found the recipe on the website of Vegan Reader:

Ingredients and Supplies:
1 cup uncooked organic long grain brown rice
8 cups water for cooking
More water for diluting
1 tsp salt
Jars for storage
A Blender
Mesh strainer

Directions
Thoroughly wash the rice. Put 8 cups of water in a big pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Pour in the rice. Cover the pot and lower the heat to let the water simmer. Cook for 3 hours.

You will end up with something that looks a bit like a soupy rice pudding. Add the salt.

In batches, fill your blender halfway with the rice mixture and halfway with water. Blend until very smooth. Strain twice through a fine mesh strainer into a mason jar. Continue on with the rest of the milk until you’re finished, filling jars and screwing the lids on good and tight.

Even with the extra water, the homemade rice milk ends up thicker- more like rice cream! You may want to dilute it further at the time of serving it. Just add a bit more water until it’s the desired consistency. Or if you would like it even creamier try adding 2 Tbsp of oil.

For a blended rice and nut milk: at the blending stage, add some blanched raw almonds or hazelnuts, or some cashews for an even richer, creamier, more nutritious milk.

Yum!

Source:
“How to make rice milk and stop supporting rice dream.” Vegan Reader: Thoughtful Reading for a Compassionate Planet. 17 May 2009. Web. 16 Feb 2010.

Posted by katymchenry on February 16th, 2010 in Recipes, Recommendations | 1 Comment »

Baking Recommendation

Recently here at the Gluten Free RN, we purchased Annalise G. Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics. We have quite a collection of gluten free cookbooks so it remained on a shelf until a special occasion gave me cause to pull it down and take it home. The assignment- make a gluten free birthday cake for my younger sister that is so good, no one will be able to tell it apart from ”normal” cake.

I settled on a yellow cake that would make a nice double round recipe and set to work. A nice brown flour mix Ms. Roberts uses yielded cake batter unlike any other gluten free batter I had yet tasted. Sweet, no aftertaste, delectable. Upon baking, it rose to a normal cake height and sprung back when pressed. Topped with a simple chocolate frosting, it was the hit of the party. Not a person at our birthday celebration could tell it was gluten free, and most were excited when they found out it was.

The next morning, inspired by the yellow cake, I set to work. The same brown rice blend was used for breakfast crepes. A person would be hard pressed to tell the difference from normal crepes. They folded easily without the least bit of crumply texture found in some gluten free products. I stuffed them with left over potatoes, cheese and salsa and wolfed them down before heading back to the kitchen.

Next was a bread recipe. I tried the simple white bread, putting it in my bread machine where I am sure it did not rise to its full potential. The taste however, was again marvelous with an actual crust surrounding the outside crispy and brown. I tried it one more time in the oven as the recipe actually suggests. The top was just beginning to peak the top of the bread pan when I pulled it out. It was to my horror that I discovered it was not yet done and watched it quickly delapitate before my very eyes. The bread can most certainly be done, unfortunately, someone much more experienced at bread making than myself is going to need to try it.

Without losing hope, I switched to a brownie recipe. An avid chocolate lover I could not resist adding in an extra cup of chocolate chips. The brownies were chewy, dense and a chocolate lovers heaven. Similar, if not better than my pre-celiac diagnosis brownie recipe. The brownies lasted a day in my household before being devoured.

Entrigued by the “captivating chocolate chip” comment on the front of the book, I set out to prove it. Opening the oven half way through baking showed what appeared to be a melted mess. However, five minutes later the goo had turned into real cookies. The result left me delighted as my previous chocolate chip cookie recipe had always been flat and chewy as well.

Last but not least was a cornbread recipe. My father, who does not eat gluten free, proclaimed it was the best cornbread he had ever eaten.

I have yet to find a recipe that does not work from this book. If you are new to gluten free, or even if you are just looking to perfect a gf baking recipe, I suggest you check out Annalise G. Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics.

Posted by katymchenry on February 10th, 2010 in Books, Recipes, Recommendations | No Comments »