Blueberry Muffins (Gluten Free)

It's been a couple of weeks since I've added a new post to the blog.  Last week I was visiting family and friends and while I did whip up a cauliflower salad, I didn't think to take photos for posting it, so I'll save that for another time (it will be worth the wait).

My quest continues to morph my eating habits into healthier ones and the hardest part of that is that I like my sweet treats.  Pie, cookies, ice cream, all are things I love and giving them up just isn't an option.  Unfortunately, I'm not good with "moderation" in those areas because they are things I like!   

In my efforts to find a way to work an occasional treat in, I have been doing a lot of reading and learning (hopefully).  Along the way I discovered coconut flour.  You use a fraction as much as regular all-purpose flour and because it absorbs liquid, recipes require more liquid.  I'm not adept at the substitutions on my own yet, so there will be some experimentation going on in my "lab" (aka kitchen) as this determined wizard learns more about baking with some alternative ingredients!  It will be a while before I'm comfortable "winging it" and converting a normal recipe.  So, for now, until I get the hang of things, I'm sticking with recipes that I've found on blogs, etc. and making some adjustments that won't cause a catastrophic failure of the recipe!

Coconut flour is high fiber and high protein, so that fits right into a low carb style of eating for those of you who are doing low carb diets or are thinking about it.  This recipe is also gluten free, so my friends that are dealing with celiac or are just eliminating gluten from their diet will be happy with this recipe as well.

I must come clean on my recipe fau paux.  When I made these this morning, I used 1 cup of blueberries rather than the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for.  Surprisingly enough, the muffins still turned out amazing!

This recipe calls for blueberries, which I nearly always have on hand, but you could also get creative and substitute other fruits, such as strawberries if you aren't a blueberry fan.

Blueberry Muffins
Yield:  6 Muffins

Ingredients:

3 eggs
3 Tablespoons Stevia in the Raw
3 Tablespoons melted Coconut Oil
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup sifted coconut flour (you must sift)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line six muffin cups with paper liners.
Melt the coconut oil by heating a pan until hot, removing it from the burner and add the coconut oil to melt.
Blend all ingredients except the berries using a hand mixer or blender until smooth.
Fold in the berries.
Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the chopped roasted almonds.
Pour the batter into the lined muffin cups.
Bake for 16 minutes.

...and That's What's Cooking at Cathys ~ Enjoy !

Pecan Pie Muffins

I don't recall where I learned about this recipe but have seen it several times on various blogs and it is so simple and so good that I wanted to pass it along to you.

This recipe stirs up  quickly with only five simple ingredients that I bet you have in your pantry right now.  While they are baking your house smells delectable.

If you love pecan pie or know someone who does, give this recipe a try and wait for the compliments to come your way!

I've made these for my neighbor who came over unsolicited with his snow blower this winter to clear my driveway and have a batch in the oven right now to send to my brother for his birthday!

Pecan Pie Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

Directions:

Oven Ready

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).

1. Liberally coat mini-muffin tins with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour and chopped pecans.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and eggs until smooth.
4. Stir egg and butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling to 3/4 full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees (175 C) for 20-24 minutes.
7. Cool on wire racks when done.

Wait until the muffins are completely cool before trying to remove them from the muffin pan.  Run a knife around the edges of the muffin pan to make removal easier.  The muffins have a tendency to stick.  That's okay though....the baker needs to sample them for recipe quality control! 

Yield:  24 mini muffins.

Warm from the Oven