AN EMBRACING MY INNER BAKER STORY

Work-In-Progress Muffins

Good enough baking

Truth is, gluten-free baking isn’t the same as baking with regular flour. Finished products don’t have the same golden-brown finish, the taste is a bit bland, and the texture isn’t as flaky as those full-flour goodies.

Truth is, sometimes we have to settle for something that isn’t exactly what we want. That’s true in baking and in life.

I’m allergic to gluten. I am NOT a celiac, so I don’t have to be super rigid with my diet. I can have small amounts of gluten with the worst effects being itchy ears and a little nasal congestion. If I go overboard, which I haven’t done in more than a year, my mouth and throat will also itch and the congestion is severe, sometimes affecting my ability to breathe.

If you are a celiac or have severe gluten sensitivity, be aware that my recipes may have some gluten. If I use any regular flour, the recipe will state that clearly. Some ingredients, such as extracts, may have small amounts of gluten. If you are a celiac, be sure to use only those ingredients with labels that state they are gluten-free.

I am publishing my baking adventures here to share recipes and to not miss my grandkids so much (we used to cook together).

I also am sharing here because I am a messy, disorganized cook who starts a recipe before assembling ingredients, discovering halfway through that I need something that doesn’t exist in my kitchen. Plus, I leave such a mess that I never want to cook again, and Captain Argentina, who often does the clean up, begs me not to cook again! Documenting my cooking here encourages me to be organized and to clean up as I go. It makes me a better cook and baker. And, leaves less mess for the Captain :)

So, here we go with gluten-free muffins. I used the recipe from the King Arthur website but doubled it to make 12 muffins, rather than six, and chose not to sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

Note: I am not a spokesperson for King Arthur Baking Company nor do I receive compensation for using or recommending their products.

Ingredients:

2 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp of salt 2 tsps baking powder 2 pinches of nutmeg 1 tsp xanthan gum 8 tbsp melted butter or 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used vegetable oil because I didn’t have enough butter but I usually prefer butter) 2 large eggs 1 cup of milk (I used almond milk but any milk will do) 1 tsp of vanilla extract (use gluten-free extract if you are a celiac) 1.5 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen because that’s what I had on hand) cinnamon sugar for topping (I eliminated this)

• Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 12-muffin pan.
• Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

• In a separate bowl, use a whisk or fork to blend the butter/oil, egg, milk, and vanilla.

• Use an electric mixer to slowly beat the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Scrap down sides of bowl and beat at medium speed for about 30 seconds or until the batter thickens.

• Stir in the blueberries.

• Evenly fill the muffin cups.

• If you want, sprinkle with a cinnamon/sugar mix. I skipped this. Captain Argentina is diabetic and I figured less sugar was better for both of us. Next time, though, I will add cinnamon to the batter to enhance the flavor of the muffins.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. An inserted knife or toothpick should come out clean.
• Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack of plate.

The muffins are good but don’t rival those from our favorite bakery. I think they’ll be better next time if I use fresh blueberries and butter rather than oil and add one or two teaspoons of cinnamon to the batter. I also think some lemon zest would be a tasty addition.

Baking is trial and error, especially when you’re baking with dietary limitations. The first batch is always an experiment. You can tweak the next batch and the one after that to get the best results for your tastes.

Like me, my muffins are a work-in-progress.

© Dennett 2021