SUPERFOOD MUFFIN with ancient grains and seeds

Finally, I've been up nights and early mornings with my new quest to have my baking mix include superfood grains and seeds. Now my muffins are a source of omega 3's. Until this morning, my muffins were too dry with the new addition of flax and chia. I got it right this morning with a little more mashed banana!!

250 grams of Amy Ruth's mix (includes all raising agents, superfood grains and seed)
350 grams of mashed bananas (approximately 3 large bananas)
180 ml of pear puree (1/2 cup)
70 ml of vegetable oil (1/3 cup)
2 eggs
60 grams of a sweetener like stevia or xylitol
and a splash of vanilla extract and cinnamon

These fill up 12 muffin tins and bake at 350/180 for 20 minutes.
This is my breakfast with a huge superfood smoothie! (and a cup of coffee...)

Maca Chia Loaf! What to do when your toddler turns vegan.

To my chagrin, Jake turns up his nose to any kind of meat, fish or egg. Since he's my first, of course I'm worried about his omega 3's and protein intake. I can't sneak in fish oil, his taste buds are too smart for that. So my refrigerator has turned into a powder laboratory, from maca powder, to chia and flax seeds, then add the probiotics and green powder that I put in my morning smoothies....it's absurd. Here is a picture of some of them...

So why not add a few of my potions for a treat with tea and make them even heather! Chia is loaded with omega 3's and are becoming a new superfood. And Maca is packed with vitamins and minerals.
Here it goes...THE MACA CHIA LOAF! My baking mix includes chia but this gives it an extra shot of this super seed. For those of you just reading my blog, my flour is mixed with quinoa, teff and brown rice, so these are some pretty healthy treats.

1 and 3/4 cup of amy ruth's baking mix
½ cup of goat yogurt
2 eggs
¼ cup of oil
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
½ cup of pear puree
1/3 cup of sweetener or sugar to taste
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 cup of maca powder
1/4 cup of chia seed gel (take 1/8 cup of chia seeds and mix with 1 cup of coconut water) keep in fridge for a few hours, this will yield a small bowl of gel) just use 1/8 of a cup and you can put the rest in smoothies for the next week.
1/2 cup of blueberries (I used frozen)

Mix all ingredients together, throw in blueberries at the end and bake in a 9 by 5 loaf pan for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (180 c)

Oh Jake, why can't you eat a steak!

Muesli Muffins!

These muffins are great because most of the work is done the night before when you soak the gluten free muesli of your choice with yogurt! And they're toddler approved:)

1 cup of muesli
1 cup of amy ruth's baking mix
1/4 cup of yogurt (you can choose any percentage of fat and either cow or goat)
1/4 cup of oil
10 ounces of coconut milk, water or soy milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/3 cup of sweetener

The night before, soak 1/4 cup of yogurt and 10 ounces of coconut milk with the muesli and flour.
The next day, add the raising agents to the muesli mixture. Then add an egg, 1/4 cup of oil, vanilla extract and 1/3 cup of sweetener.
Mix it all together and put in lined muffin tins. They bake for approximately 20 minutes at 180 C.

Almond-Apricot Bread

Gluten-Free Bread just keeps getting better. Imagine the kind of bread you might get at a rustic bed and breakfast with a warm and slightly sweet loaf waiting for you.....

2/3 cup of chestnut flour
1/3 cup of cornstarch
1/3 cup of tapioca starch
1/3 cup of potato starch
1/3 cup of oat bran mixed with flax seeds
1/4 cup of dried milk powder
3 tablespoons of sugar or sweetener

1 cup of water
1 egg plus an extra egg white
1/2 teaspoon of cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
3 Tablespoons of oil

1 1/2 teaspoons of xantham gum
1 teaspoon of gelatin
2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast
1 teaspoon of salt

[1/2 cup of chopped apricots and flaked almonds]

Mix all of the wet ingredients together, put them in the bread machine, then add the dry ingredients except for the yeast. Make a little thumbprint and add the yeast inside. Or follow the instructions of your bread machine. (Add 1/2 cup of flaked almonds and chopped apricots according to how your bread machine handles additional ingredients)

Pumpkin Muffins!

I love pumpkin and butternut squash so much that I never wait until fall to bake with it, but it's almost October and I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't post a pumpkin muffin. These little orange beauties are perfect all year round and make everyone's tummy happy.

1 and a half cups of amy ruth's baking mix
1 cup of pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/4 cup of oil
1/4 cup of pear puree
1/4 cup of sweetener
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/4 cup of flax seeds

How to Bake Looking Fabulous

There are many things I can do well, baking is one of them. Looking current and chic is not. I spent 2 years wearing Lululemon workout clothes, through my pregnancy and for a whole year afterwards. But then a truly extraordinary woman, Sarah Hogan, walked into my life and turned my old pieces into major fashion statements. A day with Sarah is better than a day at a spa. You're left with your old wardroble, spruced up without the clutter of your old clothes that you don't know what to do with. After a day of Sarah, I feel purged, decluttered, and I know exactly what to throw on and look like a thirty something year old woman with a real wardrobe. I don't know anyone else who admits to using a personal stylist, but I say it how it is.... somtimes we all need a little help.

http://www.sarahhoganstylist.com

Chestnut Flour Muffins

On a recent trip to New York, my mother made my blueberry muffin recipe from this blog, added one mashed banana, and they were delicious. Along with that, she bought a bag of chestnut flour that I could experiment with. So in the midst of fatigue and jet-lag at 5am, I made a batch of muffins primarily made of chestnut flour. This flour could be a new favorite!!

1 cup of chestnut flour
1/2 cup of potato starch
1/8 cup of flax seeds
1 teaspoon of xantham gum
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of apple puree
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of yogurt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
dash of salt
1/2 cup of cut up strawberries
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/3 cup of sweetener or sugar (to taste)

Mix wet ingredients together and add to mixed dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the strawberries or any fresh or dried fruit of choice. Bakes approximately 10 muffins. Bake at preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Gluten Free Bread that even your mother- in-law will love

I do love my husband's mother. She's a wonderful baker. But she, like many others, think that gluten free bread tastes "gluten free." Millet and almond flour give this a sweet and healthy taste. Using tricks like gelatin and xanthan gum will make you say goodbye to any gluten-free tasting bread! The last day of my summer in La Jolla, I made my mother-in-law taste it. If only I had a tape recorder as she said "this is good."
Cinnamon makes the whole house smell amazing and the day it's baked, my toddler goes nuts for it!

2 cups of amy ruth's baking mix
1 teaspooon of unflavored gelatin
2 tablepoons of sugar or sweetener. (I use erythritol and I use 3 to make a sweeter bread)
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/4 cup of dry buttermilk powder
2 1/4 teaspoons of dry yeast granules
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1/2 teaspooon of cider vinegar
1 cup of water
3 tablespoons of oil

Using a bread machine, follow the directions of your own bread machine as each is different. With mine, I put in all of the wet ingredients first. Then pour the dry ingredients on top without the yeast. Make a little well in the dry ingredients and put the yeast inside. Do a regular loaf setting. (With my machine, it took 3 and 3/4 hours)

Delicious Gluten Free Bread!

Since I have some free time spending the summer in La Jolla, I decided to discover how to make some amazing batches of gluten free bread that anyone would love. I prefer Genius bread in London to Udi's in the States. But I'm on the quest to beat both of them. This recipe was done in a bread machine. Light, brown, healthy, crusty, all the things you want your bread to be.

1 ¼ cup of almond milk
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablepoon of active dry yeast
½ cup of millet flour
½ cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup flax meal
1 ¼ t xanthan gum
1 ¼ t guar gum
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
3 eggs
3 Tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 Tab;espoon honey
1 Tablespoon of juice (I used lemonade)
1/8 cup of ground pecans
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

PS. Baby Jake isn't a fan of bread but he ate a whole piece when it was freshly baked....

Chocolate Cherry Cake

When I think of summer fruits as as child, the first thing that comes to mind are big, red, sweet and firm cherries. My brother and I had a ritual of searching for the ones with the stems joined together and saving them since they were the "good luck" ones. Today, Uncle Jason eats cake for breakfast so this chocolate cherry cake is for him.

1 1/2 cups of amy ruth's flour
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of brewed espresso
3 eggs
1/2 cup of pear puree

1/2 cup of yogurt
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1/3 cup of sugar or sweetener of choice
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup of pitted cherries

Mix the dry ingredients together and then beat in the wet ingredients until completely mixed. Fold in the pitted cherries. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven in a 9 by 5 loaf pan for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Baby Biscuits or Scones

I can't go from London to La Jolla without a "proper" scone recipe using my flour and making it as healthy and delicious as possible! As you can see from our morning playdate, they were a hit with the babes! Thank you Colt and Charlotte for being my toddler testers!

Recipe:
2 cups of amy ruth's flour blend
1/4 cup of sugar or sweetener of choice
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of pear puree
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/8 cup of coconut milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients and then whisk that together with the wet ingredients until mixed into a ball of dough. Roll out dough on a "gluten free" floured board and cut out mini scone shapes. Place on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 180/375 degree oven for 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheet half way through.

Makes 12 baby biscuits

The Perfect Blueberry Muffin

If you only make one recipe from this blog, make this. You would never know they are gluten free. I keep some of these in the freezer. Baby Jake loves them too. Even my husband asks to go to work with one in his bag.


1 and ½ cup of amy ruth's baking mix
½ cup of goat yogurt
2 eggs
¼ cup of oil
1/4 cup of maple syrup or agave syrup
½ cup of apple puree
1/8 cup of sweetener or sugar to taste
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
½ cup of blueberries

yeilds 9 muffins

Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Peach Pancakes with Sorghum Flour

My travels in South India broadened my knowledge of gluten-free flours. South Indian cuisine uses chickpea flour and sorghum flour, also known as jawar flour, for many of their recipes. Sorghum flour is a great base flour and it is used in Indian flat breads (rotis, chapatis). I thought it would be perfect mixed with my flour blend for a hearty pancake. I love making something special for a weekend breakfast. This morning I decided to put some ripe peach pieces in the batter. There aren't any pictures because they were scarfed down before I could find the camera!

1/3 cup of my gluten-free blend
1/3 cup of sorghum flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of xantham gum
1 cup of rice milk
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
handful of cut of peach bites

Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Fold in pieces of ripe peaches. Spoon on a medium/hot fry pan. Flip after a few minutes. After they turn toasty brown (another couple of minutes), serve with REAL maple syrup.

Tropical Morning Muffin with Papaya

The one thing I love about London is finding ingredients in my local market that you just wouldn't find in a supermarket in the States. The other day, I stumbled upon canned papaya chunks. I'm not a fan of canned fruit, but for baking, it can be inspiring. Here is what I came up with this morning, using coconut milk to keep up the tropical theme. Papaya is a wonder fruit, filled with digestive enzymes.

1 1/2 cups of my flour blend
1 teaspoon of xantham gum
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
One heaping cup of a mixture of mashed bananas and mashed papaya

1/8 cup of flax seeds or bran
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of coconut milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup of maple syrup
handful of raisins
pinch of salt
(add 1/8 cup of other sweetener or sugar for a sweeter muffin) I don't have a big sweet tooth.

Coconut flour Muffin Tops

I'm a muffin girl, but the best part of a muffin is eating off the top. When I was a teenager, my mother and I would stop into Wild Oats for a morning glory muffin and coffee. I loved the tops, the bigger and floppier the top, the better. As it's a strange storming day here in London, I feel that baby Jake will have to put up with my experimentation as I make chocolate coconut muffin tops. We won't be off to the garden today!

1/4 cup of coconut flour
1/8 cup of my gluten free blend
1/8 cup of potato starch
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
2 eggs

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/4 cup of coconut milk
1/4 grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup sugar or sweetener
1/4 cup or chocolate chips
Bake as you would bake cookies, but they will come out like fluffy muffin tops! yields 9

ps. Baby Jake seems to like them! As you see, although you can put real sugar here, I don't use white sugar for us.

Quinoa Flour!

Quinoa Flour!
Quinoa is a super food, a grain that is a staple in my diet. I always have a fresh batch of quinoa on hand in my fridge for me and my baby. I mix it into soups, make it into a pilaf salad, or sweeten the fluffy grain into a dessert. In creating my flour blends, I did some research using the grain I love in its flour state. Quinoa flour is now sold in many health food stores. It creates a dense, fudgey consistency that is great for a muffin to sink your teeth into.

Quinoa Flour Banana Muffin
Dry ingredients
½ cup quinoa flour
½ cup rice flour
½ cup potato starch
1 tsp (gluten-free) baking powder
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of clove
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
a pinch of salt

Wet ingredients
2 eggs
1 cup of mashed very ripe bananas
1 tbsp vanilla extract
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of agave syrup
¼ teaspoon of lemon juice

Heat an oven to 340F/170C.
Mix the wet ingredients together and mix the dry ingredients together.
Combine these two without over mixing them.
These make 10 muffins
Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.