Oat Bran Muffins, with fresh & dried fruits

Our first prolonged snow flurries decorated the fallen apple leaves when I got up this morning, calling out for morning muffins. I had one ripe banana and decided to try oat bran muffins, with flecks of carrot for color, crunch of walnuts, sweetness of raisins and freshly grated apple. With a little help from maple syrup and apple jelly syrup (a failed jelly experiment that has been great for baking), these were even sweet enough for my husband to eat them without the usual dab of honey. If you use no oil, like I do, you will need silicone non-stick muffin cups. The combination of chick pea, brown rice, oat bran, flax and all makes for a nutritious vegan muffin without trading away anything at all in the way of texture or flavor or satisfaction.


OAT BRAN MUFFINS WITH FRESH & DRIED FRUITS

1/4 cup chick pea flour
1/4 cup brown rice four
1/4 cup potato starch
1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP apple jelly syrup (or use more maple syrup)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 mashed ripe banana
1 grated carrot
1 grated (peeled/seeded) apple
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400F.  (You will turn this down after a few minutes of baking.)

Mix all the dry ingredients (first 9 on the list).
Mix all the wet ingredients (the next 6), leaving the raisins and walnuts out for now.
Stir the wet into the dry, making sure you moisten all the dry into a thick spongy texture.
Now stir in the raisins and walnuts, saving out 7-8 walnut pieces to stick one in the top of each muffin.

Using a big spoon (serving spoon or tablespoon) put large blobs of batter into each non-stick silicone muffin cup, sticking a walnut piece into the top for crisping and decoration. Place these on a baking sheet and put into oven for 5-10 minutes SET THE TIMER!!  TURN DOWN THE OVEN TO 350F and BAKE for another 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool a few minutes before popping out of the silicone cups -- cool a few more before eating. ENJOY THEM WARM. They can be quite moist inside from the banana... but ought to taste fully baked, not undercooked. That crisped walnut adds an important element!

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.

Add caption

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.

Sunflower Raisin Buckwheat Muffin

Emmer wheat turns out to be farro and my local food coop found a relatively local source! So I couldn't resist trying this early simple form of wheat, ground into fine flour. I am not willing to accept that I must always have the flavor of brown rice flour in everything I bake. So these are not gluten free, but they are still whole grain and no oil! I wanted something hearty, full flavored, textured and with the sweetness of raisins for my darling who loves raisins. The best ideas sometimes come at the last minute... adding the crunch and depth of sunflower seeds to the muffins just as I put them in the oven!

SUNFLOWER RAISIN BUCKWHEAT MUFFINS
2/3 cup Emmer wheat flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 oat bran
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 heaping TBLSP black currant fruit spread (or any other fruit spread you like)
1 tsp agave
1 tsp fennel
1 tsp amaranth grains
1/4 cup raisins (or fresh cherries!)

1/3 cup soy milk
1 TBSP nutritional yeast
1.25 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/3 sunflower seeds pressed into the tops of the muffins prior to baking

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in the larger of two bowls. Mix all the wet stuff in the second bowl (the jam gave this a lovely color and flavor undercurrent). Save out the raisins and sunflower seeds.
2. Add raisins as you mix the wet into the dry.  Fill 6 silicone muffin cups placed on a baking sheet. Cover the tops with sunflower seeds!
3. Bake at 375F 45 minutes.

Sunflower Raisin Buckwheat Muffins makes 6

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 muffin (100g)

Amount Per Serving		% Daily Value*
Calories	238	12%
Total Fat	5g	7%
Saturated Fat	1g	3%
Trans Fat
Cholesterol		0%
Sodium	25mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate	44g	15%
Dietary Fiber	5g	21%
Sugars	13g	0%
Protein	8g	17%

Vitamin A	1%	•	Vitamin C	2%
Calcium	7%	•	Iron	10%

* 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.

Savory Cornbread Muffins

Still on the search for that tasty cornmeal bite to go along with chili or kidney bean tomato soup (see separate post), I decided to try using frozen corn inside the muffin to add moisture and sweetness.  It is a simple matter, and you can add bits of hot peppers, onion or anything else you want! The texture came out surprisingly coherent though dry between the kernels, just the way I hoped it would. None of that too-mushy, stick to the teeth stuff here! My efforts produced 5 muffin cups worth, an odd number, but turned out fine. After years of avoiding using these silicone muffin cups, I now praise their flexibility. It used to be that when I ran out of batter on the fifth muffin, I had a dilemma with that 6th empty cup, but no more. I'm thinking that if you really want 6 muffins, you can figure out how to add just a little more of each grain, and a dash more water.

Savory Cornbread Muffins (mades 5)

1/2 cup organic whole grain cornmeal
1/2 cup organic brown rice flour
1 Tblsp almond meal
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) corn kernels
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp chili powder (to sprinkle on top)
1/4 tsp kosher salt (rough not fine for tops)
1/8 cup (a handful) sunflower seeds

1. Mix dry ingredients, all except seeds, rough kosher salt and chili powder.
2.  Measure and mix wet ingredients.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Mix wet into dry. This will be a crumbly soft dough, not a batter feel. Spoon clumps into silicone muffin cups, shaping gently with fingers into a mound.
5. Press a few sunflower seeds into the tops of each muffin, sprinkle just a little kosher salt and chili powder on tops.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, testing with a toothpick. Some will eat this with honey, others might dip 'em in their soup!

savory cornbread muffins Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 muffin (65g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 134 7% Total Fat 3g 5% Saturated Fat 0g 2% Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0% Sodium 103mg 4% Total Carbohydrate 24g 8% Dietary Fiber 2g 9% Sugars 1g 0% Protein 3g 7% Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 1% • Iron 6% * 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.

Addendum:  Made these without almond flour, substituted 2 tblsp sorghum flour and added 2 tblsp coconut water... stretched nicely into 6 muffins with just a little encouragement. 8/16/13

Banana Blueberry Oat Walnut Muffins

I was remembering when my oldest son was a very little guy and we met another family in the park who were eating the most delicious muffins for their playtime snack. The mother had made them, of course, but she was talking about how her skinny little roadrunner of a child wouldn't eat much. She had packed those muffins with nutrition. I asked about it and she told me that she used orange juice and zucchini and applesauce and amaranth and on and on.  This morning I decided to revisit my unsatisfactory blueberry breakfast treat project (you haven't seen that blog because I removed it as soon as I posted it!).  I used a small grated zucchini and a smashed banana, along with a little buckwheat flour and ground up whole oats. My encouragement to grind up my own oats into flour came from another recipe I had run into somewhere. These muffins remain moist because of the zucchini, banana and blueberries. Be sure to let them cool enough before removing the cups. You can let them sit  upside down for a couple minutes to release a little of the internal moisture. But it's hard to resist them when they are still just a little warm. Oh, did I say that one muffin seems to provide 11% of my daily protein?? Here's how it all shook out.

Banana Blueberry Oat Walnut Muffins (makes 6)

2/3 cup rolled oats - grind into flour

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

2 Tblsp flaxseed meal

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

dash salt

1 Tblsp agave syrup

1 cup grated zucchini 

1 large smashed banana

1/3 cup oat milk

1/3 cup frozen Maine blueberries

1/4 cup walnuts pieces

1. Grind the oats, combine with flour, meal, baking powder and soda and salt. 

2. In a separate bowl, grate the zucchini, smash in the banana, add the agave, oat milk and blueberries.

3. Mix the wet into the dry, until it is one thick doughlike batter. Gently stir in the walnuts. 

4. Over fill 6 muffin cups and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.  You must let these cool before trying to remove them from the cups.

Banana Blueberry Oat Walnut Muffins Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 muffin (96g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value* Calories 170 9% Total Fat 6g 9% Saturated Fat 1g 3% Trans Fat Cholesterol 0% Sodium 194mg 8% Total Carbohydrate 27g 9% Dietary Fiber 5g 18% Sugars 6g 0% Protein 6g 11% Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 9% Calcium 8% • 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.