Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Would you believe these are vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and (refined) sugar-free? My mother found this cookbook called "babycakes" by Erin McKenna and thought I might like it. She knows I'm always up to a challenge and like trying new things. Babycakes NYC is a bakery in New York (also Orlando and LA) that is dedicated to vegan and gluten-free baking. They are also certified kosher.

This is the first recipe I've tried from it and they were wonderful. They were simple to prepare and I already had the ingredients at home. I did however use real pumpkin that I had frozen from last year's garden, instead of using the canned like the recipe called for. Super moist and not so many spices that it leaves a bad aftertaste.

Give them a go . . . .

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS
makes 12

2 C Bobs Red Mill Gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t xanthan gum
1 t salt
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T ground ginger
1/2 C coconut oil (melted)
2/3 C agave nectar (I used the dark)
2/3 C rice milk
2 T pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 C canned unsweetened pumpkin puree (I used real pumpkin)
1/2 C hot water

Preheat oven to 325. Grease the muffin tin with a little coconut oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (1st 7 on the list). Add the oil, agave, ricemil and vanilla and stir until the batter is smooth and thick (mine was a little lumpy, but smooth enough). Fold in the pumpkin and hot water until both are evenly distributed. (Oh, and squeeze out as much of the liquid from the real pumpkin as you can, before adding it).

Pour 1/3 C batter into each cup. Bake the muffins for 22 minutes on the center rack, rotating the tin 180 degrees after 10 minutes. Finished muffins will be soft to the toucha dna toothpick isnerted in the center will come out clean.

Let the muffins cool in the tin for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 days.

Allergen-Free Granola Bars

So I'm doing some experimenting with Allergen-Free baking. I found this recipe on the Whole Living website (there is a video too). My daughter goes to school with a little girl who has celiac disease and I want to be able to send her to school with treats that all the kids can enjoy.

This is my first experiment with peanut-free, tree-nut-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, diary-free and egg-free baking. This was a good recipe to start out with because it was super simple. I was able to find all the ingredients at Ingles. They were quite delish. After 24 hours left defenslessly against two kids, a husband and a babysitter, there are only 4 left (okay, they can't take all the blame, I think I had 3 of them).



FYI, These were a little soft when left out on the counter, but nice and chewy. Rice Crispies now makes a gluten-free product. Bob's Red Mill makes Gluten-Free oats (I'm finding out that even though oats are by themselves gluten-free, there is a risk of cross-contanimation if they are processed in a facility that may also process products with gluten). The mini-chips are by Enjoy Life. The honey is an organically grown honey I bought from the farm that provides my CSA box.

I will definitely be doing more allergen-free experimenting in the future - stay tuned!


NO NUTTIN' CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS
Makes about 16 bars

Nonstick cooking spray
1 3/4 cups gluten-free quick-cooking oatmeal
1 1/4 cups gluten-free crisp-rice cereal
1/2 cup mini gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey

Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; line baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on all sides. Set aside.

Place oatmeal and rice cereal in a large bowl; stir to combine. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, mix together brown sugar, oil, and honey. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add to oatmeal mixture; stir until oatmeal mixture is fully coated and well combined.

Evenly pour oatmeal mixture into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with chocolate chips. When mixture is cool enough to touch, press down into pan. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into 16 (1-by-4-inch) bars. Granola bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week, and frozen up to six months.