Grain Free Muffins

If you read my post on recently diagnosed food allergies you can pretty well guess breads, cookies, muffins, etc are off my eating list.  In addition, I was told I should probably avoid using almond flour, milk, etc since my reaction to black walnuts may indicate a broader nut allergy.  At least until further testing.

So I bought some coconut flour and proceeded to search the internet for a muffin recipe.  I found one, and followed it carefully.  The best thing I can say about it is I made a great batch of Coconut Flour Sawdust Tasting Muffins! Back to the drawing board.

One of the "factoids" I read repeatedly about coconut flour was that it was much dryer than wheat flour and needed additional moisture.  The it hit me. I have a recipe of moist Applesauce Flax Bran Muffins that I enjoy.

What if I tweaked that recipe?

One time I had substituted protein powder for half of the flour in a banana muffin recipe and enjoyed them. What if I did the same here and upped the moisture?

That is just what I did.  Since I was still in the experimental phase I didn't take any pictures.  This muffin recipe is good as is, but there are a few tweaks I want to try.  I do think this recipe, as is, would make a good loaf bread recipe, another item I plan on trying.

Since I am in the middle of a very busy stretch over the next few weeks I am posting this now and will keep you updated with the tweaks as I try them. If they work.  LOL!

Here ya go:

3/4 Cup Coconut Flour
3/4 Cup Whey Protein Powder
3/4 Cup Flaxseed Meal
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 Cup Applesauce
3/4 Cup Whole Milk
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 Large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla

Put dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a wire whisk. I put the wet ingredients in a blender and blend them to make sure the eggs are completely incorporated throughout the mixture.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix very well.  Unlike wheat flour instructions where you are told not to overmix, you want to mix these very well.  You cannot overmix coconut flour! if you undermix it, you'll have dry coconut flour throughout your muffins.  Even mixing it very well, you still may have the occasional spot of coconut flour in your muffins.  It's ok (unless you're OCD), it doesn't affect the taste.

Preheat oven to 375*F
Grease a muffin pan with coconut oil.
I used one that makes 6 large muffins.
Divide the batter as equally as possible between the 6 cups.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife (or toothpick) inserted into the center of your muffins comes out clean.

Let cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen, if necessary, and place muffins on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy with butter, jelly, whatever type of spread you enjoy on a muffin!

Food Allergies....Uggghhhhh!

Off and on for the past several years I have been dealing with "allergic dermatitis". I've been to my regular doc, a dermatologist, even a homeopathic allergy specialist.  It would come and go.

My regular doc at the time said it was seasonal allergies (the first time it happened was in the spring).  

When it popped up in the winter I was referred to the dermatologist who said it was from soaps and shampoo, to try different hypo-allergenic brands. That was after he had his nurse give me a shot of some type of steroid (in the butt no less - OUCH!)

When it still didn't go completely away a family member told me about the homeopathic allergy specialist.  While I am a believer in homeopathic medicine, I think this guy was a quack.

It flared up again about 6 months ago.  My current doc wanted to try a cream rather than oral or injected steroids.  That would seem to work, then it would come back.  Talking to her, she was surprised I hadn't had a blood test for allergies.  So off to the lab I went.

I'm going to divert here and tell you about a few of my favorite things:

• Favorite Candy - Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
• Favorite Fast Food - Panda Express
• Favorite Beer - Alaskan Summer Ale
• Favorite Drink - Manhattan

In order of sensitivity, my blood test showed reactions to:

• Peanuts
• Sesame 
• Wheat
• Corn
• Soy
• Walnuts

Compare that list to the first list.  Ick.

I guess I can still have a glass of wine and if I want a drink it'll be a "Dark and Stormy". I hope I like a "Dark and Stormy".  Sounds kind of like an ex-girlfriend of mine. 

Anyway, as I learn to cook new things I'll be sharing them here.  Wish me luck.