Two Gluten Free Recipes: Pancakes and Muffins

Sensitivity to gluten (the protein found in wheat) is one of the challenges to modern people. Besides the obvious stomach problems, people who are gluten intolerant could have irritable skin and some skin conditions and experience fatigue and tiredness or even have the coeliac disease which is quite a nasty thing.

Gluten is very common in processed foods and in wheat, rye and other grains and complete avoidance can be very difficult.

The problem might be either expanding or really severe judging by the increasing amount of gluten free pasta and flours offered on the market.

Or "gluten-free" might just be trendy.

Even if you don't have the sensitivity to gluten it's worth making a change and try staying gluten free for a while or that is what I thought and started to experiment with some gluten-free flour I bought in a shop. It was a mix of rice, potato, tapioca, maize and buckwheat and I found it more tasty than wheat flour and with richer flavour.

I tested it in two recipes - muffins and pancakes and they both tasted great. The muffins had

Virgin Mojito Cupcakes

I've recently read this somewhere: What are the cupcakes than an excuse to indulge ourselves with the cream cheese frosting? :)

When the summer's almost there, the sun is shining, you can feel the gentle breeze on your face, what would you think of?
I'm thinking of lazy days, contemplating the beach possibly with a refreshing drink in hand, enjoying the sunshine.
What could be more refreshing than a Mojito or Caipirinha cocktail?

The freshness of limes and mint

Cinnamon and Banana Holiday Season Мuffins - Празнични мъфини с канела и банани

Рецептата на български по-надолу:

Holidays are always cinnamon-scented for me. When I smell cinnamon, it says - winter holidays!
On the other hand, muffins are so fast to make and because they have individual sizes, which prevents us from overeating, they are family favourites.
Then let's combine those two trends and create fabulous fluffy and airy muffins with a hint of festive season, more specifically, of cinnamon ;)

I am very happy how they turned out to be, the only problem was, they ended too fast!

Products:

200-220 gr bananas (around 2 medium-sized bananas)
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
120 ml vegetable oil
50 gr ground almonds
90 gr flour - sifted
1 pack baking powder

Method:

Beat the eggs with the sugar in a bowl. Cut banana in chunks and blend in an electric blender. Add the pureed banana to the mixture and beat well. Garadually add the oil until fully incorporated and blended smoothly.
Then add the almonds and mix well and finally add the sifted flour with the baking powder. Beat until the batter is smooth.

Line a muffin tin with paper cases and spoon the mixture so that 1/4 of it remains.

Mix the remaining batter with the cinnamon - it will eventually turn brown. With a smaller spoon make place a little bit of the ciinnamon batter in the centre of each muffin. Then use the back of the spoon to twirl the batter in the cupcake so interesting patterns could be created.

Bake at 170 degrees C for 15-10 minutes until ready.

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Празниците винаги ухаят на канела. Е, и на ванилия, но предимно на канела. От друга страна, мъфините се приготвят изключително бързо, и това, че имат предварително определен размер като че ли ни помага да не преяждаме.
Два мъфина са винаги два мъфина, за разлика от две парчета сладкиш, чиито размери варират според настроението :)

И ето рецептата за тези леки и въздушни мъфини:

Продукти:


200-220 грама бананани - смляни на пюре
2 големи яйца
2/3 чаша захар
120 мл олио
50 гр смлени бадеми
90 гр брашно - пресято
1 бакпулвер

1 супена лъжица канела

Метод:

Яйцата се разбиват много добре със захарта. Добавя се банановото пюре и се разбива добре. След това по малко и с непрекъснато бъркане се добавя олиото.
Когато тестото е гладко и хомогенно, се добавят бадемите и брашното с бакпулвера.
Разбърква се до хомогенна смес.
3/4 от сместа се изсипват във формата за мъфини, като последната 1/4 се смесва с канелата.
С чаена лъжичка се изципва от кафявата смес (с канелата) по средата на мъфините. С дръжката на лъжицата може внимателно да се направят въртеливи движения, за да се смесят двете теста и да се получат интересни мотиви.
Пече се в предварително загрята фурна на 170 градуса за 15-20 минути, докато са готови.

Festive Rose Water Muffins

По-надолу рецептата на български.



When one has a reason to celebrate, the recipes always turn out successful, it seems! I try to do this recipe earlier, but with no success, so I had to modify it a little and try again. The second try was more that successful!
As today we are celebrating our fourth wedding anniversary, let me share these fantastic, airy inside, crispy on top, rose-scented muffins with you!
Rose-water has this delicate aroma that makes them really special for the occasion.


Recipe:
yields 9 large muffins or 12 medium-sized

2 medium sized eggs
1/2 cup (200 ml) golden caster sugar
60 ml sunflower oil
1/2 cup ground rice
2 caps of rose water (about 2 tbsp)
100 ml whole fat milk
1 1/3 cup wheat flour
1 level tbsp baking powder

For sprinkling: sunflower seeds, linseeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds


Method:
Mix all the ingredients in the described order, starting with the eggs and the sugar and the oil. Mix until the sugar dissolves then add the rice flour and mix well, the batter should reach "fluffy" consistency. Add the rose water and mix until well dissolved, then the milk and stir again. Mix the wheat flour with the baking powder and add carefully to the batter, mix well and place in a paper cases-lined muffin tray.
Sprinkle the seeds lightly on top

Bake at 170 (180) C for fan-assisted (ordinary) ovens for about 15-20 minutes, until risen and gold on top.
To check if the muffins are ready, insert a toothpick in the middle of a muffin and if it comes out clean - so they are ready baked.

Enjoy!


Празнични мъфини с розова вода

Когато човек има празничен повод, изглежда и рецептите се получават! Имах идея за мъфини с розова вода, но първият вариант на рецептата не се оказа особено сполучлив, та се наложи да го ревизирам и преправя. За късмет вторият опит беше повече от успешен.
Днес празнуваме 4 годишнина от сватбата си и ми се ще да споделя тези прекрасни въздушни мъфини с хрупкава коричка и деликатен аромат на рози!

Рецепта:
2 средно големи яйца
1/2 чаша от 200 мл захар
60 мл олио
1/2 чаша фино смлян ориз или оризово брашно
2 с л розова вода
100 мл пълномаслено мляко
1 1/3 чаша пшенично брашно
1 с л бакпулвер

за поръсване сусамови, тиквени, слънчогледови семки

Метод:

Всички продукти се разбъркват в покаазания ред, като се започне с яйцата, захарта и олиото, докато захарта се разтвори. След това се добавя оризовото брашно и се разбърква добре - тестото трябва да стане пухкаво. Добавят се розовата вода и млякото едно по едно и се бърка докато всяко се размеси много добре.
Най-накрая се прибавят брашното и бакпулверът много внимателно.
Сместа се изсипва във форма за мъфини и се пече на 170-180 градуса около 15 минути или до като е готово.

Добър апетит!

Wholemeal Strawberry and Fromage Frais-topped Muffins

Can you imagine anything tastier for the summer than ripe strawberries with cream?
Unfortunately all cream available have a high fat content around 30% and more. Substituting cream with Greek yoghurt (10% fat) is an option, but I found out that fromage frais has even less - only 8% fat and a very appropriate thickness.
The best thing is, you don't have to add extra sugar in it, because the extra sweetness will come fromo the muffins that will be topped with the fromage frais and the strawberries, mmm mouthwatering!
For a healthier option for the muffins, use brown sugar and wholemeal flour.

Here's the recipe for 12 muffins.

Products:
for the muffins:
2 eggs
120 gr brown sugar muscovado or demerara
100 ml sunflower oil
100 ml milk
70 gr ground almonds
120 gr wholemeal flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

for the topping :
400 gr fromage frais
12-16 fresh strawberries


Method:

Mix the eggs with the sugar well. Add gradually the oil. Mix well. Add the almond powder and half the flour. Add half the milk, mix well and the remaining flour stirring. Finish with the second half of milk and continue stirring.
Spoon into a lined muffin tin and bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes until a toothpick in the muffins comes out clean.
Set on a wire rack to cool and decorate with the fromage frais and the sreawberries allow 1-1 1/4 strawberry per muffin.

St. George's Day Muffins

Along with lots of other nations, the English celebrate the day of St. George, who is the patron guardian of England, and in some way the equivalent of St Patrick for the Irish.
However, either the English are not being patriotic enough, or they genuinely don't like partying and celebrating too much, I didn't see almost any signs of celebration on the streets where I live, despite the reportedly organised events - parades and concerts - in the centre of London.
The day celebrated on April 23 in England isn't even a holiday, unlike in other countries.
The only sign that could suggest was the English national flag displayed on a couple of windows.
However, red and white could become a very savoury combination, if used properly, and in addition, we Bulgarians like to celebrate, no matter what.
That said, this is my creation for the English St George's Day - fresh raspberries and double cream muffins.
For the batter I used the base muffin recipe, enriched with dried cranberries soaked in creme de cassis (what a treat!), a dash of flaked almonds and chopped hazelnuts for texture, and topped with whipped double cream and sugar.
Yum!