muffin

May 2015: Simple Mills Pumpkin Muffin Almond Flour Mix

Here we are. The first day of summer. You know what that means? No, I am not on my way to the shore with a light summer romance novel and sunscreen in hand. But rather, this is finally the time for me to catch up on my posts from this past month of exams, standardized testing, and traveling. As we are a few days into June, I think it’s about time I write about May’s product of the month: pumpkin muffins made from an almond flour based mix.

These pumpkin muffins are scrumptious and easy to make. With the addition of simply eggs, water, and oil, you have yourself a dozen muffins. Moist and soft if you follow the recipe exactly as it is stated on the back of the box. I could smell the pumpkin flavor from halfway across the kitchen! If you like your muffins extra soft, I would recommend adding half  banana into the mix or extra butter.

These muffins are different than most other gluten-free ones as they are also paleo-friendly. So instead of the typical rice flour, tapioca flour, and corn flour based baked goods, these are almond flour based, adding a little extra protein. And they are made from only 12 organic, simple ingredients. You can also spruce up these muffins by adding chopped walnuts, cream cheese icing, or a sprinkle of sugar on top. You can also try the banana muffin mix from Simple Mills (also gluten-free and paleo)– they are almost as delicious (I am personally biased towards banana bread in terms of my favorite banana baked good, so pumpkin muffins trump banana muffins in my books).

 

 

 

November 2014: Pamela’s Cornbread & Muffin Mix

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to gather your supplies to make a delicious, gluten-free Thanksgiving meal. Yes, that’s right- you can make lavish Thanksgiving dinner completely gluten-free. No more skipping out on the green bean casserole or stuffing, or the pumpkin bread pudding or gravy. This year, enjoy the feast with your family!

Last weekend, I baked a batch of corn muffins using Pamela’s Cornbread & Muffin Bread. Cornbread is one of those funny things. If you’re just beginning your journey exploring the world of cooking, you may not have known that some cornbread recipes like to sneak in a cup of all-purpose flour. So its not always gluten-free. Actually, most cornbread recipes* contain gluten, hence the gluten-free cornbread mixes. If you want good old traditional corn bread, this is the mix to use. The texture is on the grainer side, and the taste is on the savory side. Although it was neither particularly moist or fluffy, this is hands down my favorite cornbread mix. It would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving meal.

Just a couple of tips and suggestions. First off, if you are looking for a sweeter variation, make a batch of corn muffins with some Crasins or dried fruit to add a hint of sweetness. Secondly, whether you bake cornbread or muffins, don’t make them too prematurely. After two or three days, they don’t retain the same degree of freshness and begin to dry out. You can always heat them up, but fresh baked goods are always the best baked goods! Thirdly, if you’re looking for something similar to grandma’s buttermilk cornbread, this isn’t probably isn’t the right mix for you.

Happy baking!

Cheers,

Anika

*I should be more specific. Most authentic southern cornbread recipes don’t use any flour, but given that I live in the northeast, it is a problem that I face.