September 9th, 2009

Applesauce Muffins

I’ve never really been a muffin person. Used to be, if I wanted a nice hand-sized bread product, I’d go for a buttery roll every time. Maybe it’s possible I just never had a good muffin, but I certainly had the opportunity to sample a large variety, and none ever elicited more than a passing “meh.”

Imagine how shocked I was to discover that I actually like these gluten-free muffins! I mean, I really like them–I sneak them between meals when the kids aren’t looking, which is the highest compliment I can pay a food.

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This may have something to do with it: the recipe starts with 1 cup of sugar. (Actually I know for a fact the sugar plays a big role in my appreciation, because the first time I attempted this recipe I was dumb and forgot the sugar, and they came out inedible. Fortunately I realized my mistake before I threw out the recipe altogether.)

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Then mix in 1 cup of applesauce. Applesauce is one of those things that any sane person would want to assume is gluten-free, but as you’ve probably figured out by now, food manufacturers are anything but sane. Check your labels and make sure it’s got nothing but apples in it.

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Next, mix up this neato slurry of 4 Tablespoons of potato starch in 2 Tablespoons of water. The result will be this kind of gooey consistency that is a liquid if you are gentle but resists if you try to move it too fast. You may have even played with something like this in school when you were a kid like I did. Anyway, this is actually a basic egg substitute, so if you’d rather toss in two beaten eggs instead, you could do that too. But the potato starch mixture is good for those with egg allergies or concerned about cholesterol.

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Then add 1/3 cup canola oil…

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And 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and ground cloves.

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Also, 1/2 teaspoon each of gluten-free baking powder, and baking soda.

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Now, mix in 1 1/4 cups of gluten-free flour. Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Blend is usually my go-to choice, but in this case that’s actually amaranth flour up there. I’ve made it with several different types, and they all come out good, so use whatever you want.

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Drop the batter by spoonfuls into muffin cups. I like making mini-muffins, because they make better serving sizes. You can have 2 or 3 at breakfast, or toss just one in a lunchbox… or snack on however many you want between meals, for example. They aren’t going to rise much, so fill them about 3/4 full. I usually end up with about a tray and a half’s worth of these mini-muffin size.

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I also smooth out the tops with a wet finger. It just makes them look better, and appearance is important when you’re trying to get a kid to try something new. It might look tedious, but it goes really quickly if you just put a cup of water right next to the tray. Dip, dab-dab-dab, dip, dab-dab-dab… takes 30 seconds. Of course ugly muffins still taste good, too.

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Bake at 400 degrees for 22 minutes. If you’re making larger muffins, you’ll need to extend the baking time a bit. They’ll be done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, just like everything else. Let them cool as long as possible before digging in, because they’re so moist the middles stay hot for a surprisingly long time. They’ll store for several days in a tupperware, or you can go so far as to freeze them for future use.

Also, unless you’re trying to take a picture of them, don’t bother with the kind of restraint I’m showing here. Pop them in your mouth all in one bite. It’s the best way, I promise you.

Happy Eating!

Applesauce Muffins

1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 TBS potato starch in 2 TBS water
(OR 2 eggs)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups GF flour

 

4 comments to Applesauce Muffins

  • xoxoxoBruce

    Wow, they look super moist, like those bars. Congrats on finding something to sneak. ;o)

  • liamsdad

    Wow, those look good. My kids love muffins, so I can’t wait to give these a try. btw- made the pumpkin bars last week. They didn’t look like your picture, but we all thought they tasted good. Keep on keeping on.

  • TheGFCFLady

    Did you use a different flour on the pumpkin bars? Amaranth is pretty dense, even for a GF flour. Your muffins will probably come out a little fluffier too…

  • marsia

    Great recipe!!! I added 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries coated in 1 tsp tapioca starch, and I used eggs so it was runny. Came out superb. Wow!

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