I use to make blueberry muffins once a week to eat with dinner and then have leftovers for breakfast, or a snack the next day. Everyone in our house loves blueberry muffins. Sometimes they would be homemade and sometimes I cheated and used the Betty Crocker pouch mix (though I didn't just add water - here's a secret: the best way to make them is with 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk and 1 Tbls canola oil).
I haven't tried to make blueberry muffins since I was diagnosed. Last night I was really craving them, so I thought I would drag out my old recipe and try to convert it to gluten free. They turned out wonderful! I love using sorghum flour in baked goods because it gives them a really good flavor.
Though I am not an expert, here are a few things I've learned about gluten free baking.
- There is no one alternative flour that can do what wheat flour does, so you have to mix them.
- Use gluten free flours (like sorghum, rice, millet, etc) plus starches (cornstarch, tapioca, arrowroot, etc) to get the right consistency - the flours give substance and the starches lighten the product.
- Adding sweet (glutinous) rice flour helps bind the baked good and keep it moist.
- It's easy to sneak in extra fiber with a little flax seed meal.
- Bean flours, in small quantity, can add smoothness to the texture of baked goods.
- Most gluten free baked goods can be frozen for later consumption - this comes in handy when you make bread or cupcakes, you can freeze the leftovers so you don't eat 12 cupcakes in 2 days.
This is a pretty basic recipe. It is really good just as is, but you could add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon zest, a struesel topping with brown sugar and nuts - any kind of flavor you like! Sorry I don't have a picture, I couldn't find the camera as I was running out the door this morning!
Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins
4 Tbls butter - softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sweet (glutinous) rice flour
1 Tbls flax seed meal (optional)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries
Mix the butter and sugar in mixer until well incorporated. Add the egg and mix.
Whisk together the flours, flax seed meal, baking powder and xanthan gum. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and sprinkle with extra sugar if desired. Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until muffins are browned on top. Makes 9 muffins.
