I love to bake... and create. When I make something new, I never just follow the recipe. I generally look up a bunch of different recipes, study them, and then make my very own rendition, adding new exciting ingredients if I feel the need. Tonight I was seeking to make something not TOO unhealthy that I could snack on... something chocolate... something sweet, but not TOO sweet...
After looking over a few muffin recipes, and my favorite brownie recipe, I combined them (and some little twists of my own) into this:
The Ultimate Gluten-Free Double-Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk (I use almond milk)
Another 1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1-2 Tbsp carob
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
*Flour blend*
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup flax seed or almond meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup semi-sweet and/or dark chocolate chips (I used half s.s. chips and half dark chunks)
*This is just the flour blend I used. Just use what you've got. The most important thing to worry about is the STARCH (use potato, tapioca, corn, etc. Just remember: potato starch is NOT the same thing as potato flour. Conversely, tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the SAME THING). The flax seed meal adds a nutty flavor and some nutrition, but it's not needed.*
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix cocoa and baking soda.
Add boiling water and 1/3 cup oil; stir until thickened (it's important to do it this way for a fudgy texture).
Mix in sugar, egg, vanilla, milk, remaining oil, applesauce, and carob.
In a separate bowl combine salt, baking powder, and flour blend.
Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
Add chocolate chips.
Grease a muffin tin, or use muffin cups. Fill each cup 1/2-3/4 full for a smaller muffin or all the way for a larger muffin.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until muffins feel springy when you poke the top.
Sit down, take a deep breath, and enjoy.
**UPDATE**
WARNING!
It may be tempting to eat the whole batch right out of the oven. Save some! They're even BETTER the next day (both in flavor AND texture)! I put them in the freezer to keep them fresh, and then I just let them thaw or put them in the microwave for 20 seconds. :D
After looking over a few muffin recipes, and my favorite brownie recipe, I combined them (and some little twists of my own) into this:
The Ultimate Gluten-Free Double-Chocolate Muffins
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk (I use almond milk)
Another 1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1-2 Tbsp carob
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
*Flour blend*
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
1/4 cup flax seed or almond meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup semi-sweet and/or dark chocolate chips (I used half s.s. chips and half dark chunks)
*This is just the flour blend I used. Just use what you've got. The most important thing to worry about is the STARCH (use potato, tapioca, corn, etc. Just remember: potato starch is NOT the same thing as potato flour. Conversely, tapioca starch and tapioca flour are the SAME THING). The flax seed meal adds a nutty flavor and some nutrition, but it's not needed.*
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix cocoa and baking soda.
Add boiling water and 1/3 cup oil; stir until thickened (it's important to do it this way for a fudgy texture).
Mix in sugar, egg, vanilla, milk, remaining oil, applesauce, and carob.
In a separate bowl combine salt, baking powder, and flour blend.
Stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
Add chocolate chips.
Grease a muffin tin, or use muffin cups. Fill each cup 1/2-3/4 full for a smaller muffin or all the way for a larger muffin.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until muffins feel springy when you poke the top.
Sit down, take a deep breath, and enjoy.
**UPDATE**
WARNING!
It may be tempting to eat the whole batch right out of the oven. Save some! They're even BETTER the next day (both in flavor AND texture)! I put them in the freezer to keep them fresh, and then I just let them thaw or put them in the microwave for 20 seconds. :D
