Friday, November 13, 2009

Gluten-free apple muffins

Finding a variety of simple things that my eldest daughter, who is 5, will eat in the morning has been, hmm, challenging shall we say? She used to be a great breakfast eater, but some time in the last 6 months she simply stopped being interested in morning food. Nothing enticed her.

I've made a variety of quick breads for her (banana, carrot) but she wasn't interested. "I don't like this," she proclaims, and then asks for her beloved rice cake. Yes, every day she eats a rice cake for breakfast. How borrrrring!

This week, however, I tried a recipe for apple bread, which I made into apple muffins (cupcakes to her), and I'm pleased to report that she gobbled up her muffin. I also believe it helps tremendously that I involved her in the baking process. I have more success getting her to try new things if she helps make it.

This recipe made 18 muffins. I froze the remaining ones we didn't gobble up right out of the oven. They thawed quickly in the microwave and were just as delicious.

GF Apple muffins
From a pear bread recipe from M.A.G. - Adventures in ASD and GFCF living.

2 small-medium apples, peeled, cored and grated (I used Honey Crisp)
1 1/2 cups all purpose GF baking flour
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with baking cups and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, xantham gum, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, canola oil and vanilla. Add sugar and beat well.

Add flour mixture and continue to beat until mixture is well-blended.

Fold in the grated apples (I used my Cuisinart and my apples were more shredded than grated).

Scoop mixture into muffin baking cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan on wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

9 comments:

  1. These look and sound delicious. My challenge is getting my son to eat fruit. He'll eat nearly any vegie there is, but won't touch fruit. An apple muffin (cupcake!!) might do the trick. How would I substitute regular flour? Is it interchangeable?

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  2. The flour is interchangeable but you would omit the xanthan gum. Regular (wheat based) flour has the gluten which is what makes it more elastic. Xanthan works in place of the gluten so it would be redundant when using regular flour.

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  3. these sound great!... if your older daughter is a fan of rice, maybe she'd like mochi. i just discovered this at whole foods, and it's pressed brown rice. you cut it in small squares and bake it for 8 minutes. it comes out super chewy - in that awesome way i haven't experienced since going gluten free. mine didn't like it the first time, but ever since, has asked for it a bizillion times. you can make little dipping sauces that are CF, and could make them sweet or savory.

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  4. I will have to look for that mochi. Thanks for the tip.

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  5. These sound yummy! I may make them for the family on my trip to CT for Tgiving next week!

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  6. Sounds yummy! I love a good veggie/fruit bread or muffin. Thanks for the reminder that I need to make them more often. I wonder about adding some nuts and flaxseed to these to pack in some extra nutrition...

    Vanessa

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  7. You could definitely add flaxseed. Kristen adds it to the chocolate honey zucchini bread recipe she posted. Which reminds me, I may make that this weeks new recipe to try!

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  8. These look really good! My almost 5 year old GF son is hooked on chocolate chip pumpkin muffins lately, but I'd like to branch out! I think I'll give these a try over the weekend.

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