Gluten Free Banana Oat Coconut Muffins

I forgot just how easy it is to make muffins. And how rewarding! Not only do you get warm fluffy treats... your house smells comforting and delicious!  Making muffins is basically as easy as mixing the dry with the wet ingredients, filling up some cupcake pans, and throwing them into an oven for 15 or so minutes... then poof!  It's off to muffin munchin land!

There's so many muffin making possibilities that it's hard to imagine running out of tasty combinations to experiment with.  For example, take a base flavor like banana.  I've had many variations of banana walnut muffins, but there are many more flavor combinations available to play with.  These banana muffins include gluten free oats and coconut chips, a little ground cloves and nutmeg, and a topping of sprinkled pecan pieces.  You could leave out the coconut, add chocolate chips or something else, maybe mango chunks... whatever sounds good to you, I say go for it. With muffins, the worst case scenario is rarely less than yum.

Makes 12 regular size muffins

Total Prep Time: Less than 1 hour

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups GF Flour (I use Bobs Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 over-ripe bananas (smashed)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola/vegetable oil
• 2 eggs (room temp)
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cups gluten free oats (I use Bobs Red Mill GF Certified Oats)
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• Pecan pieces for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.).  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg & cloves in a large bowl.
3. Mix the bananas, white and brown sugar, oats, coconut flakes, canola oil and eggs together in a separate large bowl.
4. Fold the banana mixture into flour mixture until just incorporated. 
5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan.
6. Top the mixture in the muffin pan with a coating of pecan pieces. 
7. Bake until muffins spring back a little when you tap them on the top with a spoon (about 14-16 minutes).
8. Let cool for a little while and then ENJOY!

Philadelphia's Gluten Free Bread Paradise - Tote Gluten Free Bakery & Store

I was recently playing tour guide with my visiting mom.  We were enjoying the brisk weather as we wandered in and out of the small delicatessens, butchers, spice dealers and cafes that line 9th street in  Philadelphia's Italian Market. As we were nearly about half-way through our walking loop I noticed a sign at a place called "Tote" (pronounced "totay") that stated "Gluten Free Bread." I walked in and noticed a table loaded with samples of baked goodies.  I asked the proprietor if I could see his gluten free breads, to which he replied, "everything here is gluten free!"  Talk about music to my ears!  I  immediately turned around and headed straight back to the sample table to sample absolutely everything... all really good!

Before leaving I asked a lot of questions and left giddy with a freshly baked loaf of Quinoa bread, a crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside baguette, and a beautifully bronzed role.  On the way back to our car I found myself in bready bliss as I tore bite-sized chunks of buttery, rosemary kissed GF baguette goodness! Yum:)

Seriously, you have to check this place out.  The breads are so good!  And there's a lot more than just bread to choose from. The owner/baker has Celiac Disease himself, so he makes sure everything he does is strictly GF-certified.  I found it completely worth the cheddar at about $8 a loaf, and $3.50 a baguette. Store bought GF bread, which costs nearly the same, doesn't hold a candle to the quality you get at Tote!  The place has only been around less than a month so far, so support it in order to make sure it's here to stay.

Here's the Website: totebakery.com

1024 South 9th Street
215-551-5511
Open Tuesday - Sunday
10am - 6pm

Gluten Free Chive & Chedder Scones

I'm just about packed. Tomorrow's clothes are tumbling around in the dryer.  Mindy's nestled next to our cat Loki watching "Easy A" and I'm daydreaming about the days ahead. In less than half a day, we'll be flying over the North Pole on our way to Beijing, China. 

I'm totally prepared with my Chinese gluten free statements, Bragg's Amino Acids (GF Soy Sauce), Gluten-Ease, pepto and my skateboard:)  For the first half of the month I'll be chaperoning for my wife's travel study class, and for the second half of the month I'll be in Chongqing spending time with my colleagues, teaching undergraduate social work students about sexuality and sexual health, and presenting at China's first International Social Work Conference.  It should be quite an adventure!

But before I go, I wanted to share this recipe I put together about a week back.  You can use your own gluten free flour mixture (listed below), or just use Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour, or any other ready made GF flour mix you know of.  Whatever you decide, you'll find this scone recipe fast, easy and absolutely yummy.  We actually used wild chives that we picked in a field at a park in Valley Forge for this, but store bought are perfectly fine:)

Gluten Free Flour Mix (optional)

• 3 cups white rice flour
  
• 1 cup potato flour
  
• ½ cup tapioca flour
  
• 2 tsp xanthan gum

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Gluten Free Baking Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 tblsp sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 5 tblsp cold butter, cut into little pieces
• 4 fl oz. milk
• 2 tblsp Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup finely chopped chives

 Baking Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  
2. Grease (spray on olive oil) a baking sheet.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
4. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can also use your hands to mush it all up. Either way produces roughly the same results.
5. Pour in the milk and stir with a fork to form a soft dough.
6. Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. 
7. Cut the dough into triangles.
8. Place the triangles of chivey dough onto your prepared baking sheet and bake until golden (about 12 minutes +).
9. Serve hot or warm, with melted butter alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea.
10. Enjoy Life!