July 4th Blueberry Breakfast Bakes

We have a small bunch of blueberry bushes on our North facing slope, encased in a small pavilion of netting. Birds and chipmunks, even rabbits find their way in anyway, but usually by the first week of July we also get a few ripe berries. They can be tart, no doubt, but they are a thrill to pick a half pint to a pint on a daily basis. Towards the end of July, we can't keep up, and I throw them right into the freezer to pull out the taste of summer in the middle of winter. July 4th is usually a celebration that the berries are starting to come and in days before vegan, no oil eating, I used to make amazing blueberry muffins. So I don't want to give up that celebratory feeling when the berries start to ripen! It is hard to bake a muffin texture without wheat gluten or eggs, so I decided to try NEW INGREDIENTS: Xanthan gum and Potato Starch, both of which are available through Bob's Red Mill in some fairly "normal" grocery stores.
These came out nicely in scone-like shapes on a silicone baking sheet. If I had only had a few strawberries, I would have sliced them on top for a red-white-n-blue feeling.  I cannot say that these are truly gluten free -- using oats and Emmer wheat (also known as farro in its grain format), but there are those with some gluten sensitivities who do not react to farro, by any name. I haven't tried this combination with rice flour, but you could... and let me know how it goes if you do!

Fourth of July Blueberry Breakfast Bakes

1/3 cup oats
2 Tblsp flax seeds
2 Tblsp potato starch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2/3 c Emmer Wheat Flour
2 tsp almond meal
1 Tblsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup walnuts

Blueberries - 10 smashed and nearly 1 cup more
1/8 cup or 2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

MIX the first 10 dry ingredients together in a medium large bowl.
COMBINE the moist ingredients with the berries (you can use a 2 cup measuring cup for this).

ADD the wet to the dry, mixing gently until it forms one gooey batter.

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PLOP in scone size splats on a silicone baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes. Cool a couple minutes so that you don't scald yourself on molten blueberries in that first bite and ruin a yummy breakfast!

Blueberry Walnut July Muffins Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (80g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 182 9% Total Fat 5g 8% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 127mg 5% Total Carbohydrate 28g 9% Dietary Fiber 4g 15% Sugars 5g 0% Protein 7g 13% Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 3% Calcium 11% • Iron 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.

Breakfast/Snack Crunch Cookie

Fresh cherries inspired this crunchy, nearly energy-bar cookie-like breakfast treat. It has puffed kamut in it, but you could use puffed rice. The oats, amaranth and pecans all give textural and flavorful variety in each bite. I can't say enough about the silicone baking surface!

BREAKFAST/SNACK CRUNCH COOKIE

2/3 cup oats
1/2 cup pecan pieces
2/3 cup kamut puffs
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 TBLSP amaranth
1 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
1 TBLSP maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
1 banana
2/3 cup fresh cherries,  pitted & halved

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in larger bowl of 2 bowls. Mash the banana with maple syrup and almond milk in the other bowl. COMBINE WET INTO DRY, then add cherries and gently mix.
2. Place on silicone baking sheet on top of a cookie sheet in large blobs 2-3" across, flattened slightly.
3. Bake longer than you think -- about 35-40 minutes -- at 350-375F. Crisp on the top! Crunchy! Good later too...

(I'm going to try these with Ranier Cherries too!)

Baked Breakfast Crunch Cookies makes 8 Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Serving (80g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 215 11% Total Fat 6g 10% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 43mg 2% Total Carbohydrate 37g 12% Dietary Fiber 4g 17% Sugars 6g 0% Protein 5g 11% Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 4% Calcium 3% • Iron 9% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com, using my data.

Golden Flaxseed Muffins

I've been reading about flaxseed and all its useful nutrition, especially for omega-3s and lignons. So this morning when I felt like baking, I thought about using the golden flaxseed meal I had brought home a week or two ago from the food co-op.  That's how it began. My husband has a cold and said that though he can't taste much, something sweet just might be nice.  Here's what happened!! This little muffin is sweet and delicious, with a nice crumb and packs a healthy dose of just what you need. And I don't know what took me so long to use these silicone baking cups - they are amazing if you are baking without oil.

Golden Flaxseed Muffins (makes 6)
preheat oven to 350F

1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal (I used Bob's Red Mill organic)
1/4 cup oat bran
2 tablespoons almond meal (also Bob's)
1 cup brown rice flour (yup, also Bob's)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
a small carrot
1/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup walnut halves/bits
2 Tblsp plain coconut yogurt
3/4 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
2 Tblsp maple syrup - more if you like sweet sweet

1. Mix dry ingredients. Finely grate carrot, put in bowl with currants and walnuts.
2. In 2 cup measuring cup add 3/4 cup almond milk, coconut yogurt  and maple syrup stirring until well mixed.
3. Add wet to dry, then textured fruits/veggies to mix quickly and lightly. Plop into 6 silicone muffin cups . Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes, testing for doneness by poking the center of one with a toothpick.

If it comes out tacky/sticky bake a few more minutes. The combination of yogurt and carrot keeps the muffins moist on the inside. If you don't like this aspect of the muffin, don't use the coconut milk yogurt, just use almond milk. I put sliced strawberries on top just for fun, but the sweet-tart bites with strawberries were really specially nice.

golden flax muffins Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Muffin (102g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 226 11% Total Fat 9g 13% Saturated Fat 1g 6% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 163mg 7% Total Carbohydrate 36g 12% Dietary Fiber 5g 22% Sugars 8g 0% Protein 6g 12% Vitamin A 6% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 12% • Iron 9% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.

VARIATION 1:  For a lower calorie version - I eliminated the  ALMOND MEAL, REDUCED the oat bran to 2 Tablespoons, and walnuts down to a few bits in the tops of each muffin, and ADDED a tsp vanilla. To keep a similar high nutritional value, I used 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk rather than the almond milk.

Golden Flax Currant Muffins Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 Muffin (100g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 207 10% Total Fat 6g 9% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 150mg 6% Total Carbohydrate 35g 12% Dietary Fiber 5g 20% Sugars 8g 0% Protein 6g 12% Vitamin A 6% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 9% • Iron 9% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.

VARIATION 2 will be without the coconut yogurt -- to see how it goes without the extra moisture.