Farmhouse Cornbread

This is my all-time favorite cornbread recipe!  I make it in a 9x9 pan or in muffin tins (both normal and mini).  They freeze and reheat well, so make a large batch when you can.  I've made this so many times, and it always turns out amazingly well.  Slather it up with honey butter and eat alongside a warm bowl of soup for lunch/dinner, or top with jam and then serve with eggs for breakfast.  Either way, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. cornmeal
• 3/4 c. flour (equal parts sorghum, tapioca and brown rice flour)
• 4 t. baking powder
• 3/4 t. salt
• 1 t. xanthan gum (unless using a GF flour mix that already has it listed as an ingredient)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. milk (DF of your choice)
• 1/4 c. applesauce
• 1/2 c. frozen corn -or- 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed

Directions:

     Mix together dry ingredients and set aside.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar and applesauce.  Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold the corn into the batter.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes for muffins, 30-45 minutes for larger pan.

Single Serving Coffee Cake (gluten free)

I don't typically encourage the frequent use of the microwave - too many nutrients lost.  But sometimes, you just have to have your cake and eat it, too!  I was hungry this morning, and wanted something to go with my yogurt.  Coffee cake happens to be one of my favorite pairings with yogurt, but I was hungry now and didn't want to make the mess or take the time required for the real deal.  So, I came up with this happy substitute:

Ingredients:

• 1 T. butter OR coconut oil
• 2-3 t. brown sugar OR honey
• 1 t. unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 drops of vanilla
• 2 T. tapioca flour
• 1 T. sorghum flour
• 1 T. ground flax
• 1 T. oats
• 1 T. chopped walnuts
• pinch of baking powder
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Melt butter (or coconut oil) in the microwave in a ramekin.  Stir in the sugar (or honey), apple sauce, and vanilla.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the ramekin and stir until well combined.
4. Smooth down batter and microwave for 45-60 seconds, or until cooked through.  Length of cooking depends on your microwave settings, so peek on your cake every 15 seconds.  Take care not to let it burn, or explode!

Add a dollop, or two, of your favorite yogurt and you're off to a good morning start!  If you don't mind gluten, and don't have any GF flours on hand, then you can make up your own flour blend with whole wheat flour, unbleached white flour, and wheat germ.  Or just use 4 T. of all purpose flour in place of the tapioca, sorghum and flax.  This would be super delish with some chopped apples or raisins thrown in too.  Customize it to your taste and dietary needs and enjoy!  *B

PS- Sorry for the terrible pictures from here on out.  I have no decent camera, only an old iPhone.  And we've recently moved from sunny AZ to cloudy WA, so any picture will always be suffering from poor lighting...

PPS- Yes, I'm back!  I have a slew of recipes to share, and most of them (if not all) are gluten free.  I've learned a lot in our journey to be less gluten dependent, and I'd like to help anyone out there wanting to do the same.  It seems scary and near impossible at first, but it really isn't as bad or as hard as you'd think.  You can do it!  I promise :)

Super Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

I might be biased, but these are amazing!  What can I say, I like my cooking ;)  But, I will have you know that my husband will eat three before I notice and yell at him.  And my coworkers will hoard them, and fight over the last one.  And my husband's coworkers will beg him to share, and make him promise to bring more.  So, I think it's safe to say that these are indeed pretty tasty... and very aromatic!

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 c. pumpkin puree
• 1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. agave nectar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/3 c. unbleached white flour
• 1/3 c. wheat flour
• 1/3 c. wheat germ
• 1/2 cup oats (thrown in a blender until fine)
• 1/2 T. gluten
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1/4 t. allspice
• 1/4 t. ginger
• 2 dashes of nutmeg
• 1 dash of black pepper
• 1/2 c. walnuts (thrown in a blender until fine)
• 1/3 - 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In one bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  Add chocolate chips (and nuts) and toss.  Set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.  Fold the dry into the wet, being careful not to over-mix.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 22 minutes.

These smell sooooo good.  They smell great before you even start baking them!  And it only gets better in your mouth.  Seriously, the spicy aromas coat your mouth and nose with Autumnal goodness.  Like I said, amazing.  And what's even more amazing is that these are healthy!  They easily have twice the amount of fiber of your normal pumpkin muffin.  They have 1/3 less sugar, too.  And they're made without any oil, shortening or butter.  Moist, fragrant, and deceptively delicious.  Like I said, amazing.*B

The Not-So-Guilty Brownie Muffin

I DID IT!!!  If I were a dancer, I'd be doing an ecstatic jiggity-jig.  If I were a cheerleader, I'd be doing back-flips and sporting spirit fingers.  If I were a monkey, I'd be waving my arms around and frantically pounding my chest.  I'm not any of those things, but I think you get the idea... I'm just so dang thrilled with myself!  And success has never tasted so sweet ;)  Voila! my twist on chocolate muffin/brownies:

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 t. vanilla
• ½ c. brown sugar
• 1 banana, pureed
• ½ c. sweet potato puree
• ½ c. black beans, pureed
• 1 c. flour blend (white flour, wheat flour and wheat germ, 1:1:1 )
• ½ T. gluten (opt)
• 2 heaping T. cocoa powder
• 2 t. baking powder
• ½ t. baking soda
• ½ t. salt
• handful of Chocolate chips
• Chopped nuts (opt)

Directions:

1. In one bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  Add chocolate chips (and nuts) and toss.  Set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.  Fold the dry into the wet, being careful not to over-mix.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

These can be made/served as muffins or brownies.  They're full of fiber, protein, AND chocolate!  Sinfully sinless.  Go me!  *B

Rockin' Corn Muffins

I love muffins!!!  Especially good tasting and good-for-you muffins...  And boy, does this corn muffin have it all!  It's savory AND sweet, hearty AND moist.  It basically rocks, but doesn't taste like one ;)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. flour blend (white flour, wheat flour and wheat germ, 1:1:1 )
• 1/2 c. cornmeal
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. applesauce
• 1/2 c. white beans, pureed
• 1/2 c. corn, pureed
• handful of shredded cheese

Directions:

1. In one bowl, mix all the dry ingredients.  Add shredded cheese and toss together.
2. In another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.  Fold the dry into the wet, being careful not to over-mix.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 22-24 minutes.

Add a little honey and eat alongside some awesome meatless chili.  Whole grains and incomplete proteins, unite!  *B

The Mighty Muffin

These are my favorite of all muffins (even bought ones)! They taste like muffins should: a little sweet yet healthy breakfast alternative - unlike a cupcake ;) You can also make a large batch and freeze them; pull them out later as needed. Awesome.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. flour blend*
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 t. vanilla
  
• 1 banana, pureed
  
• 3/4 c. sweet potato puree*
  
• 3/4 c. peanut/almond butter (but I HIGHLY recommend the almond butter rather than peanut butter)
• 1/2 c. chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.
1. Mix dry ingredients together - add chopped nuts and chocolate chips and toss to coat; set aside
2. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients (sugar is considered a wet ingredient).
3. Fold dry ingredients into wet, just until mixed. Don't over mix.
4. Add 4 T. per muffin cup - make sure to grease them beforehand. Very important. I use butter on my finger and lightly coat the cups. If you have some paper liners, then go with that. DeMarle also happens to make some bake ware that is pure awesomeness, and does NOT require cups, grease or flour... just FYI ;)
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes

*flour blend is equal parts non-bleached white flour, wheat flour and wheat germ. And you can either make your own sweet potato puree, or you can buy baby food! Pureed carrots or canned pumpkin would also work well. My favorite about this recipe is that there's no oil/butter. Yet they're still really moist, thanks to the goodness known as fruits and vegetables! *B