What's Baking: Gluten-Free Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

I think it's fair to say that I love carbs. Tasty, sweet, savory, gluten-licious carbs. Whether in muffin, donut, sourdough bread, waffle, or French toast form, I love them all. However, though I think I'm far from gluten-intolerant, I have to admit that sometimes after eating a lot of bread (I'm looking at you, slices of french bread smeared with roasted garlic or dipped in olive oil), I do have a bit of a stomach funk the next day. TMI?

So, long story short, I don't think it would be a terrible thing if I looked into gluten-free alternatives to use in baked goods. Enter in almond flour -- definitely more expensive than all-purpose flour -- but also gluten-free. I found a recipe for blueberry muffins made with almond flour, and, after a few tweaks, came up with a recipe that tastes just as good as the real deal. The muffin tops definitely aren't quite as impressive as in other muffins I've baked in the past, but I suppose as long as the muffins taste good, I can overlook that teeny downside.

Gluten-Free Lemon-Blueberry Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs

2 egg whites

1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the eggs, white whites, syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, coconut oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
3. Process until the batter is well-blended and smooth.
4. Stir in the blueberries.
5. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's For Breakfast: Cinnamon Coconut Granola

As I've mentioned before, I make a new batch of granola about every two weeks, since I eat it everyday for breakfast with Greek yogurt. For this latest batch, I decided to make it a little "healthier" by significantly reducing the sugar content. Instead of the typical addition of oodles of brown sugar or granulated sugar, I just went with a scant one-third cup of honey. I think there's still plenty of sweetness in this granola; but without the added sugar (or butter), the resulting granola lacks clumps. (And I have to admit, the clumps are typically my favorite part.) Regardless, this muesli-like granola is delicious, and it's always nice to switch things up from time to time.

Cinnamon Coconut Granola (printer-friendly version)
about 10 cups

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon granulated orange peel [optional]

3/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup raw honey

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Pour in the vegetable oil and honey. (If you add the vegetable oil first, the honey will slide right out of the measuring cup of you add it second.) Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until all the ingredients are lightly moistened.
3. Spread the granola onto the prepped baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly toasted.
6. Remove the granola from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet, stirring occasionally as it cools.
7. Store in an airtight container.

(inspired by this recipe)