Good Muffin Vs. Bad Muffin

I like muffins. Yes indeed-y they are like a perfect little meal, or dessert, or snack. They can can take so many forms that they may in fact be a perfect food. Well I don't know, I have so many things that I consider to be perfect enough to eat all the time.

I have a few different muffin recipes in my arsenal that I frequently resort to. A couple of those recipe I crave on a revolving basis. Some of these are near healthy ie: Buttermilk oatmeal with dates. Some are just decadence ie: my most recent pregnant lady craving, French Breakfast Muffins.

We've made these muffins since I was in junior high. I distinctly remember having to whip up another batch of these butter laden beauties because I nearly ate the entire batch. The entire batch that my mom was supposed to take to a breakfast the next day. These hail from this book -



You know the tried and true red and white, how do you make a meatloaf? I adored this book when I first ventured into the kitchen. I adore this book because it holds the recipe for wonderful French Breakfast "Puffs" it calls them. Page 60 in my book (I seriously had that page memorized). We've made some changes through the years that have made these even more divine, but seriously much worse for your arteries (we'll be nice to those later). For the muffin we add nutmeg and a bit of cinnamon just to spice it up. Then for the topping, the original recipe states to dip the top all lady like in some melted "margarine" and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. No, no, no. Melt butter - about a 1/4 cup, and a good amount of sugar and cinnamon then drizzle GENEROUSLY on top of your muffins.




Now I know that one cannot live on butter and cinnamon alone no matter how hard I try. So being one with such great balance I do in fact yearn for healthy things (much to my disdain of my children). So I saw this little bit on 11 Foods Serious Eaters Should Be Eating, and I got hungry. For muffins. I was too lazy to find a gluten free recipe that included some of these tasty healthy things so I decided to just start dumping. The end result was quite satisfying and not at all overly gluten free tasting.




My goal was to make something that my love would perhaps eat for breakfast, or take to work and that the kids would eat as well. The first go around was good, but we decided to add the dates to the next set to give it a different sweetness. This recipe makes about 24 which is a bit too many for us, but I placed the dough in muffin cups and froze them. I just baked them off from frozen and they are still delicious. A small slather of butter doesn't hurt on one of these either. Hey I'm only human!




Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup of grated carrot
1 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup egg white from container or whites from 2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup flax meal
1/2 of 15 oz can pumpkin
2/3 - 1 cup honey (depends upon your sweet tooth)
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped pitted dates

Mix together first 7 ingredients then mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chopped nuts and fruits and spoon into muffin tin lined with cups. Cook on 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You can freeze these in muffin liners and bake later. I like to defrost the dough a little before baking so that the insides cook at a better rate.

I guess it depends on what mood you find me in when you ask which is the bad muffin and which is the good muffin. How about one of each - remember it's good to have balance.