Monday Muffins: No Donut

Jealousy is a beast isn't it? It can turn your insides out, make you see things that aren't there. Perhaps even turn you into someone you hate. Or, on a less dramatic note, it makes you so hungry and mad that you enter the kitchen and come out with one freakin' awesome muffin.

A new Duncan Donuts opened up down the street and this shouldn't effect me in the least. It's a forbidden fruit right? No gluten no dairy! No fair? My love decided it was of the utmost importance to stop in before work last Friday and buy a round for the folks in his office (and a few for himself). For him This doesn't leave another tiny human rendered in pain from a doughy wonderful sticky pastry, so why not.

WHY NOT? BECAUSE I CAN'T, THAT'S WHY NOT!

I feel better.

After our phone call I admittedly became green with envy and wanted nothing more than a little cup of joe and a plain donut to dunk in it. Oh, or a cake one, mmmmmmm, cinnamon sugar, wait wait - maple.

To get my mind off donuts I thought I would make these little wonders . I was out of some of her flours, but thought I could just invent something with what I had. I must have become so overcome by my yearning for donuts. (You're wondering why that's a muffin up there instead of a donut huh).I just started mixing away, not exactly sure where I was ending up.

I wanted something cake like, and soft, with just the right amount of goo. I was throwing in almond and spices with reckless abandon and perhaps a bit of spite. I didn't need gluten, dairy, or his stinking donuts. I had cinnamon, and almond meal, and vegan butter. Better than any little black dress.

Don't Need Your Stinkin' Donuts, Muffins (or more simply - Almond Muffins)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
grated nutmeg
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk (I used hemp milk)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used plain soy yogurt)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a mixer cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time until mixed in, then add extract. In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients. Pour the milk and yogurt into your butter mixture and combine. Add all the dry ingredients and mix until pretty smooth. (Don't worry about over mixing as with regular muffins, there's no gluten in them to get tough). Spoon into muffin cups to the top. Bake 350 for 20-23 minutes just until the tops start to get golden. Mix together butter, sugar and cinnamon and drizzle as you please over the top. I think the tops of these would enjoy having a streusel type topping, but I didn't get that avenged yet.



I made espresso, as any girl needs after finding respect in a pastry. I slowly took a bite and was instantly filled with vindication. Green may not suit me as a go to color, but it's a perfect shade for the kitchen.