What’s your favorite part of a blueberry muffin? Is it the sweet muffin top, the cake-y interior, the burst of flavor surrounding each of the juicy berries? What if I told you that this was a recipe for muffins where every single bite had that berry-licious flavor? Oh, and that these blended berry muffins are actually BLUE?
Pumpkin may be an autumn flavor to some, but I enjoy pumpkin treats all year round! That said, pumpkin patches and all the pumpkin goodies in stores do get me in the mood to whip up more pumpkin baked goods this time of year. What better way to usher in October than a batch of gluten free pumpkin muffins?
Happy Wednesday, everyone! I’m sharing my eats from Saturday, when I fueled up with a post-run brunch at home before heading out to spend the rest of the day at my best friend’s baby shower! The baby shower eats and treats were wonderful, and I was so grateful to the grandma-to-be for really making it special. First off, though, brunch after a 6-mile run.
I wanted to make something special for my best friend’s baby shower this past weekend. Her mom took care of most of the food, and since it was an afternoon event, the plan was to have appetizer-style bites – fruit, veggies, cheese, cocktail shrimp, little phyllo pastries, mini hot dogs, that sort of thing. There was also a beautiful bunny rabbit cake, along with baby-themed cookies. Since I was tasked with bringing some other sweet treats to share, I decided to make a dozen cupcakes and a dozen muffins.
May dawned upon us this morning, and though the first day of a new month is always a time to begin anew, this one requires more than just whispering ‘rabbit, rabbit’ when you wake! Back in Oxford, May Morning is special. At dawn on May Day students stay up all night, or just wake up really early, and walk to stand beneath Magdalen Tower or on Magdalen Bridge. The Magdalen College Choir sings a hymn from the top of the tower to greet the dawn, and other music and festivities occur in the streets. Afterwards, people generally go to breakfast (and then sometimes back to bed, if they’ve been up all night after a ball – or they have to get on the river to train for Summer Eights!) My friends and I made the most of May Morning in our second year, when no one had exams in the summer term, and I still remember breakfasting afterwards at Patisserie Valerie on the High Street, everyone laughing and chatting companionably despite the sleep fogging our minds. There were lots of exciting times at Oxford, but that one stands out particularly in my memory because it was just so casual and normal, and yet so wonderful – one of the little moments that, strung together with a host of other good times, makes for the most wonderful memories.
This morning began with a run along the East River, and though I wasn’t up in time to watch the sun rise, I did get to see some lovely sights. Roosevelt Island always looks pretty from the path.
I can’t believe it, but today is my four-month blog anniversary! The past few months have been a whirlwind with family and friends, running and recipes, and of course law school and everything leading up to graduation. But I’ve really been loving every moment I’ve spent on the blog. I had forgotten how much I missed writing for fun, about whatever is on my mind, since I started law school. After all, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for it! But I’m so happy I made the time, because writing, and reading other blogs, and beginning to feel like a part of something in the healthy living community, have all been fantastic little pieces of the journey so far. That said, on to today’s post – a new muffin recipe combining two of my favorite things.
Honeydew makes these muffins another snack that smiles back!
I’m constantly experimenting with new flavor combinations for my muffins because I whip up a batch weekly for breakfast, brunch, an on-the-go snack or a running pick-me-up. Honestly, they’re practically a food group for me (just look at what I eat on a typical day!) These little dollops of deliciousness are what would happen if my Caramel Apple Cinnamuffins and Peanut Butter Cuppins had a muffin baby. Apples + Peanut Butter = Yum. Every time. Plus, I had an excuse to try out my new silicone muffin pan – I usually stick to a regular stainless steel pan, but lately mine has been getting tough to clean and the muffins have been sticking even when the pan is greased well, so I decided to give this cute red one a try. It’s a little trickier to remove from the oven without bending, but I’m happy to announce it was a successful test run! If you slide a knife carefully around the edges of each muffin before removing, they’re easy to pop right out of the pan.
Muffins in their new baking home
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/4 cup gluten-free sorghum or all-purpose flour
6 oz vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Oikos Traditional Greek Yogurt)
2 Tbsp milk of choice (I used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp peanut butter, melted (My favorite Peanut Butter & Co)
2 tbsp powdered peanut butter (I used PB2 Original)
1/2 cup apple, peeled and chopped (I like using Braeburn apples to bake, they’re the perfect twist of sweet and snappy)
1/3 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp butter (you can sub extra applesauce if you prefer)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Extra tbsp olive oil, butter, or cooking spray (to grease the pan)
It’s official: my kitchen is experiencing olfactory overload. So many new recipes to try, and only so much winter break in which to try them!
This latest batch of muffins may seem familiar, cousins of my Banana-Maple-Oat and Apple-Berry-Nana creations. But these include a delightful twist of caramel, invisible in their warm golden-brown tops while infusing the scrumptious first bite. Enjoy!
Caramel Apple Cinnamuffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats (I love Country Choice Organic Gluten Free Rolled Oats)
1/2 large apple
2 large eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 oz unsweetened applesauce (you can also use sweetened and decrease the sugar)
6 oz 2% vanilla or apple Greek yogurt (I love using the seasonal flavors, like Chobani 2% Apple Cinnamon or Dannon Caramel Apple, but unfortunately yogurt makers think we only like these in the autumn – FALSE!)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup caramel sauce (you can make your own, of course – this is the next skill I’ll tackle, but for now I used Stonewall Kitchen Sea Salt Caramel Sauce)
2-3 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
Butter, oil, or cooking spray (for the muffin tin)
Instructions:
Cinnamuffin Batter
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter, oil or cooking spray.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Chop up half an apple into small cubes and toss into bowl.
5. Add egg, yogurt, and applesauce.
6. Mix well until the batter is uniform. This should be about 12-15 good stirs.
7. Now, for the caramel! I simply put my caramel sauce in at this stage and mix 4-5 more times so it becomes part of the batter, because I like the flavor throughout the muffin. However, you can also keep the caramel separate and fill each muffin tin about 2/3 of the way, then place a dollop of the sauce on top before adding the last bit of batter. This gives you a caramel center for each muffin, which can be a scrumptious surprise! I just like to mix it in, and then pour the batter into the muffin tin.
8. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
9. Let cool.
10. Enjoy!
Bursting with apples, cinnamon and caramel!
© 2014 Renaissance Runner Girl. All rights reserved.
As promised in yesterday’s post, my recipe for Gluten Free Banana Maple Muffins! I love this flavor combination because it just tastes a little like the start of the holiday season, with hints of maple candy made with syrup and snow, and the cinnamon sugar scent that wafts from all Chrismukkah-cookie kitchens. These gluten free banana maple muffins are a perfect breakfast or dessert, and so convenient to grab and go if you’re on the move and have an oatmeal craving you just can’t shake but have no time to indulge. Then again, if you do have the time to sit down and savor a couple with your morning coffee…
renaissancerunnergirl 