Tag Archives: muffins

Peace & Muffins

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It’s been a while.

I’m still living and working on a beautiful apple farm in the Finger Lakes of New York, still cooking and still trying to become wiser.

Our tribe here includes omnivores, but also a lot of vegans and paleo. In addition to this, we also have a lot of friends who have gluten allergies, a disturbing trend of this decade which I don’t understand, but which I know is real. Cooking for all of these people I love very dearly can be a challenge, but since food is something that can bring us together, I have to try.

This is an adaptation of an old recipe (http://www.philosophybistro.com/pumpkin-carrot-beet-muffins/)to make it vegan and gluten-free. I field-tested it at an amazing house party and with our barn crew, so I’m pretty confident.

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound shredded beets (or carrots & beets mixed) I have a scale, but you can also sort of figure out half of a 1 lb. bag of carrots
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 2 cups gluten free flour (if you are using straight up gluten free, you might need to add some xanthan gum)
  • 1/3 cup of sugar or a paleo sugar substitute
  • 1 Tbsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp mace (this gives it a little bite, but can be left out or replaced with ginger)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar or dark substitute
  • ½ cup raisins (Golden raisins are better)
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 cup pumpkin
  • ½ cup oil (it might work without this, I liked making it with coconut oil.)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • ½ cup orange or tart cherry juice
  • 3 Tbsp ground flax-seed
  • ½ cup liquid
  • Note: Fleggs if Paleo (flax eggs made with 1 Tbs finely ground flax-seed to 3 Tbs hot water) or super-fleggs (flax eggs made with 1 Tbs finely ground flax-seed to 3 Tbs hot aqua faba or chickpeas brine)

Step 1, Prepare Ye the way: Preheat the oven to 350°. Either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium sized muffins out of this mix.

Step 2, sifting the dry ingredients: In one bowl crumble up the brown sugar, then sift (mix if you don’t have a sifter) in 2 cups flour, the other sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, mace, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3, making the “fleggs”: in a small bowl or cup, mix the flax seed with the liquid– aqua faba or water– and allow it to soak. after about 5 minutes, it should have a similar slimy consistency to eggs. I would whisk it before adding it to the mixture.

Step 4, shred the veggies & mix: Shred or grate the beets and/or carrots, and add the ½ cup almond flour to keep them from sticking together. Mix the shredded root vegetables, raisins, walnuts, pumpkin, juice (this needs some acidity for the baking soda), oil, vanilla, and fleggs.

Step 5, combining the wet and the dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well.  The consistency should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough. You can bake down a fresh pumpkin, but canned pumpkin is easier.

Step 6, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 or more minutes. See how they look. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

Enjoy! These are perfect breakfast, for late-night munchies, for bringing to pass at house parties, for supporting apple tree grafters, for taking along in your pockets as you go couch surfing, for sneaking vegetables into people’s diets, however you choose.

Blueberry Muffins

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Alternative BakingOK, I get a few complaints: Does everything have to be crazy and have wild things like jalapenas or srirachi or beets? Can’t you just cook sweet, normal things?
Hey: some people appreciate a mad genius baker.
Still, I guess the critics have their point, so this one is for the folks who don’t want everything they eat to be some sort of experiment.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour (Whole wheat, white, both, as you wish)Blueberry Muffins (1)
  • ½ cup of sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • ¼ tsp cloves
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 ½ cup blueberries (one would think fresh are better, but I think frozen might be)
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup apple sauce
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk or Greek yoghurt or sour cream
  • ½ cup oil (it might work without this, especially since there is apple sauce; I liked making it with coconut oil.)

Step 1, Prepare Ye the way: Preheat the oven to 350°, either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium sized muffins out of this mix.

Blueberry Muffins (3)Step 2, sifting the dry ingredients: In one bowl crumble up the brown sugar, then sift (mix if you don’t have a sifter) in the flour, white sugar, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3, mixing the wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix the blueberries, almonds, apple sauce, vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, and oil.Blueberry Muffins (6)

Step 4, combining the big mess: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. You want to make sure the individual bits of apple are each coated to keep them from getting too clumpy.  The consistency should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough.

Blueberry Muffins (7)

 

Step 5, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. See how they look. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

 

Step 6, sharing: As always, these are great for breakfast, or for a Blueberry Muffins (8)gentle afternoon tea. If you have to work Labor Day while everybody else gets to go have fun, share them with your crew. Randomly plant them for friends to find.

Hot Garden Peppers Muffins

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Alternative BakingI was crossing a parking lot a week or so ago, and Jamie, a friend of mine, called me over to his truck. He expressed his sympathy with the various personal & financial travails I have been slogging through, and in parting he gave me some peppers.
I kidded him that I would cook something out of them–maybe muffins.
As I walked away, I began to think about it…..
The first experiment was a bit of a failure, but the flavour was there. This was the second attempt. Next time, I believe I will try a different fruit than pineapple–too sweet, and I have no patience for sweet. I believe maybe blood oranges, or thinly slice Meyer Lemons with the peel.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour (Whole wheat, white, both, as you wish)
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup of white sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprikaHot Pepper Muffins 1
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • 1 or 2 jalapeño peppers
  • 3 or 4 small sweet peppers
  • ½ cup chopped pineapple
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup oat or wheat bran
  • ½ cup TVP and ½ cup or so of a liquid–I used an ale, but you can use what you want–to soften it.
  • ½ cup pecans
  • 1 cup cooked sweet potato (I like it baked, but I assume canned will do)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup butter

Step 1, Ready? Bake the sweet potato, soak the TVP, make sure you have all the ingredients.

Step 2, Set: Pre-heat the oven to 350°, chop the pineapple and the sweeter peppers, either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium-sized muffins out of this mix.

Hot Pepper Muffins 3Step 3, Go! mixing the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the sweet peppers, pineapple, sweet potato, spices, oatmeal, TVP, pecans, melted butter, salt and sugars. With a garlic press or something similar, mince the hot peppers in–the juice should be there, and the meat very fine, to blend the heat.
I mix all this separately, so I can taste it and see if I need to adjust the flavour–more heat? More sweet?

Step 4, mixing the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the flours, Hot Pepper Muffins 4baking soda, and bran.

Step 5, combining the big mess: Add the eggs and yogurt to the wet ingredients, mix, then add the dry ones and mix well. The consistency of the mix should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough.

Step 6, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 or more minutes. See how they look. It is best if they are a bit toasted. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

Hot Pepper Muffins 5Step 6, sharing: Unlike most muffins, these are actually better for supper paired with a strong entrée than they are for breakfast. Like all muffins, they are especially great to share with a friend or loved one. I gave some to Jamie, who had given me the fresh peppers, and then ran them around to 10 or more different friends, which was complicated but fun.

Pirate Muffins (aka Krakenmuffins)

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Just a reminder:
NTLP Day 2012 - CopyYom Kipper may be Friday, but National Talk Like a Pirate Day is a week from tonight. Now, I could have waited and posted this then–that will be when we will be leaving them unguarded on the counter at the Philosophy Bistro–but then ye filthy bilge-rats would not have the time to be bakin’ yer own.
Should I dress up again?

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup TVP
  • 1 cup rum (approximately)
  • 2 cups flour (Whole wheat, white, both, as you wish)
  • ½ cup of sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1 cup diced apples
  • ½ cup chopped golden raisins
  • 2 cup cooked sweet potato (I like it baked, but I assume canned will do)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk or Greek yoghurt
  • ½ cup oil (it might work without this; I liked making it with coconut oil.)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Step 1: the TVP: This can be done earlier. Measure out a cup of TVP, and cover it with the rum. Let it soak, so the TVP absorbs the fluid. If you are a teetotaler, substitute something interesting.

Step 2, Prepare Ye the way: Preheat the oven to 350°, chop the apple, either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium sized muffins out of this mix.

Step 3, sifting the dry ingredients: In one bowl crumble up the brown sugar and the oats, then sift (mix if you don’t have a sifter) in the flour, white sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Step 4, mixing the wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix the TVP, the apples, the raisins, sweet potato, vanilla, oil, eggs and buttermilk.

Step 5, combining the big mess: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. You want to make sure the individual bits of apple are each coated to keep them from getting too clumpy. The consistency should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough.

Europe 2013 007Step 5, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. See how they look. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

Step 6, gratuitous pirate joke: What is a pirates favorite letter?
You would think “Rrrr,” but no; a pirate’s heart belongs to the “C.”

MuffinsStep 8, sharing: Oh, make them work for it. Bury the muffins on a deserted beach, leaving the only map in possession of a drunken, cursed first mate. or just tie them to the parrot.

Rhubarb Strawberry Muffins

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IMG_2029On a drive back from Asheville, my food and photography consultant Grace and I were discussing something new to do with muffins, or something new to do with rhubarb, or both–I’m not quite sure which. Either way, it was a lively discussion, and this recipe is the result.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour (Whole wheat, white, both, as you wish)
  • ¾ cup of sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup diced rhubarb
  • 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 2 cup cooked sweet potato (I like it baked, but I assume canned will do)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk or Greek yoghurt
  • ½ cup oil (it might work without this; I liked making it with coconut oil.)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • ½ cup brewer’s yeast (optional)

 

Step 1, Prepare Ye the way: Preheat the oven to 350°, chop the rhubarb and the strawberries, either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium sized muffins out of this mix.

Step 2, sifting the dry ingredients: In one bowl crumble up the brown sugar, then sift (mix if you don’t have a sifter) in the flour, white sugar, baking soda, cardamom, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3, mixing the wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix the oatmeal, rhubarb, strawberries, walnuts, sweet potato, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.

Step 4, combining the big mess: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. You want to make sure the individual bits rhubarb & berry are each coated to keep them from getting too clumpy. The consistency should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough.IMG_2026

Step 5, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. See how they look. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

Step 6, sharing: I think that muffins are an ideal sharing food. Sure, they are a great breakfast to hand to a family member as she rushes out the door, late for work, but they are even better to share for a liesurely breakfast with black coffee or strong tea sweetened by conversation. Of course, they work just as well for an afternoon tea. As always, they are a great gift to share at work, or to mail, or otherwise sneak to lovely people.(Note: if your only means of postage is messages in old bottles, they are a bit awkward.)

Pumpkin Carrot Beet Muffins

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PCB muffins 3Like many recipes, this one has a bunch of dry ingredients, and a bunch of wet ingredients which eventually come together.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour (Whole wheat, white, both, as you wish)
  • ¾ cup of sugar
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp mace (this gives it a little bite, but can be left out or replaced with ginger)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar (it will clog the sifter).
  • ½ pound shredded carrots (or carrot  & beets mixed) I have a scale, but you can also sort of figure out half of a 1 lb. bag of carrots.
  • ½ cup raisins (Golden raisins are better; sometimes, if the raising are really dry, I soak them in rum or coffee or warm water)
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • (optional, ½ cup pumpkin seeds)
  • 2 cup pumpkin
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup oil (it might work without this, I liked making it with coconut oil.)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Step 1, Prepare Ye the way: Preheat the oven to 350°, shred or grate the carrots and/or beets, either grease the muffin tins or put in the cupcake liners (I usually spray a little canola oil in the bottom of these to make things come out easier). I get 2 dozen medium sized muffins out of this mix.

Step 2, sifting the dry ingredients: In one bowl crumble up the brown sugar, then sift (mix if you don’t have a sifter) in the flour, white sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, mace, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Step 3, mixing the wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix the shredded root vegetables, raisins, walnuts, pumpkin, eggs, oil and vanilla.

 Step 4, combining the big mess: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. You want to make sure the individual bits of carrot & beet are each coated to keep them from getting too clumpy. The consistency should be much firmer than batter, but a little more liquid than cookie dough. I used pumpkin from a vegetable my daughter had slaughtered, but canned pumpkin is a but less wet, so you might have to add a little liquid, like 1/4 cup of orange juice.

Step 5, baking: Fill two dozen or so muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. I never wrote the time down, but it is at least 20 minutes and probably less than 35. See how they look. Stick a toothpick in one and see if it comes out battery.

PCB muffins 1Enjoy! These are perfect breakfast, for leaving at the back door of good friends, for sneaking across the counter to gorgeous barristas, for setting on the desks of helpful librarians, for sending to Brooklyn with couch-surfing college girls; you name it.