Ideas for Adapting Muffin and Loaf Recipes

* CHOOSE A RECIPE: Choose a recipe that gets some of its moisture from grated fruit or mashed bananas or applesauce, grated vegetables, or nut butters - something with substance. Choose a recipe with 2 cups or less of regular flour per 12 muffins.
* REPLACEMENTS: Replace flour with a proportional amount of gluten-free mix. For 2 cups mix:Try 3/4 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup amaranth flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch. Or, al- ternatively, soy flour often works well with fruit and nut loaves.Try 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup soy flour, 1/4 cup amaranth flour, 1/3 cup potato starch, and 3 tbsp tapioca starch.
* GF NECESSITIES: Add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and 1/2 tsp gelatin to the dry ingredients.
* EGGS: Choose a recipe with eggs in it. Then, increase the egg. If the recipe calls for 1 egg, use an ultra-jumbo egg or 2 small eggs. If the recipe calls for 2 eggs, increase it to 3.
* FLAVOURING Increase spices, vanilla, or other flavourings to compensate for the bland flavour of rice flours - though using amaranth flour will make a big difference to the flavour, too.
* LEAVENING: Increase baking powder and baking soda a bit - use heaped teaspoons rather than level teaspoons.
* DON’T: Don’t bother adapting bran muffin recipes. Rice bran tastes like sawdust. Really, really low-fat muffins and loaves are likely to adapt poorly, too.
* VEGETARIAN NOTE: If you omit the gelatin for vegetarians, you may want to get the same effect by whisking the flaxseed meal in the recipe with the milk, buttermilk, or other wet ingredients and letting it sit for half an hour, so that it softens and gels. I almost always include 1/4 to 1/2 cup flaxseed meal in every muffin or loaf recipe to get this effect and to increase the fibre content anyway.
* STORING AND FREEZING: Always freeze muffins and (sliced) loaves soon after they have cooled completely. Gluten-free baked goods do not keep at room temperature. For some reason, gleten-free food with baking powder or baking soda is especially prone to spoiling. By day four after baking, your muffins will be inedible.

Marjorie's Pumpkin Loaf

My mother-in-law made a special request for an adaptation of this recipe for pumpkin loaf. I made it with dried cranberries instead of the raisins called for in the original recipe, and I think it was very successful. It is a moist dessert bread, perfect to serve with some aged Cheddar.

2/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup dried cranberries

Grease a loaf pan (or line it with parchment paper). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients: flours and starches, cinnamon, xanthan gum, soda, salt.
In a smaller bowl, whisk vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. Stir wet ingredients lightly into dry ingredients; fold in cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 325F for about one hour, cheking after 50 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

These are very sloppy to make. I can’t deny it. But if you endure the mess, you’ll be glad you did. [However, I've now adapted a recipe for cinnamon rolls without the despair.]

3/4 cup rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or currants (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Whisk dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix eggs, oil, and milk. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Spray a 20” piece of waxed paper with nonstick spray. Spread dough to 10x14” rectangle.

Cream butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Drop 1 tsp into each each of 8 greased muffin tins. Sprinkle remainder over dough. Sprinkle raisins or currants on top, if desired.

Roll carefully, using the waxed paper. The dough will be too wet to roll. Cut into 8 equal slices, using dental floss. Use a spatula to flop the dough into prepared muffin tins. It will be a sloppy mess. Try not to despair. The cinnamon rolls will cook nicely for 15 to 18 minutes and then will be very tasty.