Blueberry “Muffins”
Are they muffins? Sort of. Are they cake? Not really. Do they taste good? Yes! Well then, who cares? I do.
I have revised this recipe many times. It’s not quite where I want it to be. I first tested this recipe on my Cheesy Apple Butter Bread and then with my Orange Raspberry Muffins. I wanted to adapt it to make Blueberry Muffins. I ended up with two very distinct versions while playing around with the ingredients: a cake version and a muffin version.
If you follow a basic baking ratio like the one created by Michael Ruhlman, the ratio for quickbreads and muffins are exactly the same: 2 parts flour, 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg and 1 part fat. As I previously indicated when discussing this ratio, if you just use the ingredients listed in the ratio you will have a pretty basic and rather bland recipe. The idea is to use the ratio as a starting point.
I added traditional ingredients for blueberry muffins like blueberries, sugar and lemon zest. The key to the difference between the cake version and the muffin version is the amount of eggs and how they were incorporated into the wet ingredients. I wanted a little more height and a different texture than my Orange Raspberry Muffins. The Orange Raspberry Muffins turned out exactly like a muffin should but I wanted a little more volume.
The batch I really liked, the cake version, has four eggs instead of the two suggested in the ratio. I’m not sure if this concoction will qualify as a traditional muffin but they were exactly what I was looking for.
Light, fluffy and airy they are not your typical muffin but they are a satisfying addition to any breakfast menu.
Ingredients
1 cup (8 ounces) gluten-free flour blend*
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup (6 ounces) granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces milk (I used 1%)
4 large eggs (8 ounces eggs)
4 ounces butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh blueberries
*I make my own gluten free flour blend. The basic recipe is 2 cups brown rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch and 1/3 cup tapioca flour. Combine the ingredients together and then measure from the combined ingredients.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Blend until the eggs are mixed into the rest of the wet ingredients.
Add the wet to the dry ingredients. Whisk just to combine.
Add the lemon zest and gently stir into the batter with a wooden spoon. Add in the blueberries and gently stir into batter with a wooden spoon.
Divide batter into lined muffin tins to the rim of the tin. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with remaining 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove from the pan and either eat immediately or allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
http://laphemmephoodie.com/2012/07/blueberry-muffins.htmlBaking gluten free can be challenging at times. It’s hard to mimic the properties that gluten adds to baked goods. The key to working without gluten is to figure out the right combination of ingredients to hold our baked goods together by performing a function similar to gluten. I know that people are sensitive to gums like xanthan gum and guar gum. I was interested in finding out more about those sensitive to gums and how to work without them. I started a discussion about this issue in the Udi’s Gluten Free Living Community. I would love to hear about your experience if you are sensitive to the gums or have figured out a way to work without them.
IS ANYONE ALLERGIC TO GUMS LIKE XANTHAN GUM OR GUAR GUM? DO YOU USE ANY SUBSTITUTES IN YOUR BAKED GOODS?
Subscribe via RSS
Follow Me on Twitter
Be a Fan on Facebook
StumbleUpon
Follow Me on Pinterest
Circle Me on Google+
Meg — July 9, 2012 @ 9:23 PM
Well, as you know, I am a firm believer in xantham gum. My non-gf, non-baker mom turned me onto it when I got diagnosed with Celiac. The day I got my diagnosis, she went out and bought and mailed me a gf cookbook and a bottle of xantham gum. It is key to gf baked goods, in my opinion. Otherwise you wind up with a crumb explosion after each and every bite. Better baking and living through chemistry.
Elyse @The Cultural Dish — July 14, 2012 @ 10:34 AM
Every time I go fruit picking I always say I am going to make blueberry muffins… but I usually end up eating the blueberries before I get home!
This time I need to save them!