Apple Streusel Muffins

A somewhat decadent muffin with a streusel topping to add glamour and a sense of occasion.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 medium apple, grated

2 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp sugar

Put flours and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in butter until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture for topping.

Beat egg and add with milk all at once to remaining flour mixture. Beat lightly just until mixed — the batter should still be lumpy. Stir in apple and 1 tbsp of the lemon rind. Spoon into 12-tin greased muffin tins, filling each muffin cup just 2/3 full.

Topping:
Add reserved crumb mixture to remaining lemon rind, walnuts, and sugar. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the muffins. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

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.

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Muffins

In pumpkin season, pumpkin recipes are indispensable! We have any number of pumpkinny squash proliferating in our garden (read: taking over our entire yard and property). This is a tasty and not-too-sweet cheesecakey muffin.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour (or another 3/4 cup brown rice flour)
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 4-oz pkg cream cheese, cut in 12 cubes

In a large bowl, mix flours and starches, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix eggs, pumpkin, butter, and sour cream. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Fill greased muffin cups 1/3 full. Place a cube of cream cheese in the centre of each. Add more batter to fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for approx. 15 to 20 minutes.

Peach Cobbler

Not surprisingly, this recipe is cobbled together. The base, with its citrus and almond notes, is inspired by The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, and the top is adapted from various gluten-free scone recipes, with almond flour to complement the base and with the addition of an egg for richness, tenderness, and firmness.

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 to 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt

extra sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 400F. Arrange sliced peaches in the bottom of an 8" square glass baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, while you prepare the biscuit topping.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and starches with xanthan, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in butter until only small lumps remain. Stir in egg and yogurt (beginning with 1/3 of a cup of yogurt) to make a soft, moist ball. Add additional yogurt, 1 tbsp at a time, if the mixture is at all dry or crumbly.

Remove hot peaches from oven and quickly drop biscuit dough in about 12 even spoonfuls over the surface. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar for decoration and glossy brownness. Return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed biscuit top is cooked through and is firm and golden brown. Be sure the biscuit is fully cooked in the centre of the pan, if possible. (It might stay a wee bit gooey there -- and if so, cut the cobbler in long, narrow slices to ensure each slice includes some of the more perfect biscuit nearer the outer edges of the pan.)

Serve hot, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This is the time of year one's garden would ordinarily be overrun with zucchini aspiring to the size of small coffeetables, if one's zucchini plants weren't half-drowned by the torrential rains this year, and if one's life-partner had not planted so many "Mammoth Russian" sunflowers that they cast shade in all directions until nightfall. This recipe works very well with grated frozen zucchini, if one has a surplus instead of a crop failure.

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour (or more rice flour)
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 mounded tsp soda
2 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp cocoa

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp vanilla

2 cups grated unpeeled zucchini, centre seeds scooped out if excessive
1 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans, if you insist
1 cup chocolate chips

Grease tube or bundt pan. Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients until well-blended.

In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla.

Beat wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out on a rack to cool completely.

When completely cooled, spread with cream-cheese frosting, if desired: Blend 1 pkg (4 oz) cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, and 2 cups gluten-free icing sugar until no lumps remain.

Banana Muffins

While we're on the topic of overripe bananas . . . (I recently overestimated my baby's interest in eating bananas and underestimated their appeal for fruitflies.) These muffins are delicious with chocolate chips (what isn't?) but just as tasty with fresh or frozen berries, dried fruit, or chopped apple chunks instead of the chocolate chips. If using fruit, you might like to add some grated lemon peel or cinnamon to the batter. I have to keep my muffins simple and chocolate-free until the baby is old enough to taste citrus or chocolate.

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour (or another 1/2 cup brown rice flour)
1/2 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp unflavoured gelatin (omit for vegetarians)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk (soy milk works fine)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 cup chocolate chips, blueberries or other berries, or chopped fruit

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or use liners. Whisk together dry ingredients until well-blended. In another bowl, whisk milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until very smooth. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until ingredients are moistened. Fold in mashed bananas and additions (chocolate or fruit). Spoon batter into tins, filling 2/3 to 3/4 full, depending on how big you like your muffins and how many you wish to make. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of muffins are lightly browned and centres test clean with a skewer. (Note: If using frozen bananas or frozen berries, you may need to allow a little longer for muffins to cook.) Remove from oven, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Makes 12 to 15 muffins.

Banana Bread

This gluten-free recipe originally came from Canadian Living, but the version below is adapted to include more whole-grain gluten-free flours. A good way to use up over-ripe bananas!

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (preferably walnuts or pecans)
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp cider vinegar
2 large eggs

Lightly grease one 9x5" loaf pan. In large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder and soda, xanthan, and salt. Stir in nuts and flaxseed meal. In separate bowl, mash bananas and whisk in brown sugar, melted butter, vinegar, and eggs. Pour over flour mixture and stir just to blend. Pour into prepared pan. Tap on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350F about 50-55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out on a rack to cool completely.

Makes one loaf.