Mmm mmm Muffins!

It's cold where I live today.  Freezing cold.  The type of cold that makes your eyelashes freeze shut, and takes your breath away.  

Currently, it's -42C with the windchill.  That's cold.

What better way to keep the house warm and wonderful smelling, than to make a batch of Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins! 

(egg, dairy, soy and nut free)

Ingredients

1 cup flour (I used white, but gluten free (remember to use xantham gum) or whole wheat would be wonderful too)
1/2 cup sugar (I did use a bit less than this)
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup oatmeal (use gluten free oats if needed)
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1/2 cup oil (I used canola oil)
2/3 cup milk (I used coconut "milk", but any unflavored milk substitute should be fine if you choose to not use cows milk)



I used my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the spatula attachement

*Mix all dry ingredients together
*Add in wet ingredients
*Mix wel

(yes, it's that easy)

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes.

These are very basic, very simple and very yummy!

Yeilds 12 muffins

Another yummy donut recipe!

Chocolate Donuts!!!

Don't they look lovely??

They're a bit of work, but well worth it!  Dairy, soy, egg and tree nut free, as always!

And how do you ask, do I make these chocolate beauties?  Well, wait no longer, just scroll down a bit to find out!

The ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour (you could probably substitute with a gluten free mixture if you wanted to)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk (we used SILK True Coconut, original, it's the only dairy free milk in the fridge right now)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg or replacer (we use half a teaspoon baking powder and two tablespoons water for each egg called for)
4 teaspoons butter, melted (we used canola oil, and they turned out fine)
2 tablespoons coffee (save your leftover morning coffee for this recipe!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

***Note, this recipe is for SIX donuts, so I doubled everything to make TWELVE***

In a bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, but you can mix by hand), mix (with the wisk attachment) the milk, brown sugar, egg or replacer, oil, coffee and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and using a spatula (or paddle attachment on your mixer), blend until smooth. 

With a spoon (I use a spoon and a spatula), fill the donut pan about 3/4 full.  You can grease your tins, I don't and they come out fine, no sticking.

In a 325F oven, bake for 14 minutes (maybe a minute less or more, depending on your oven), the donuts will spring back when touched when they're done.

Let them cool on a wire rack.  I chose to simply dust icing sugar on top, but any ooey gooey icing would be great!  

And of course, I had a little help with the clean up!

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cranberries (I used Craisins, it's all I had at the time)
1 egg  or egg replacer (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder & 2 tbsp water)
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil (any oil should work, I used grapeseed oil)
1 tsp grated orange rind


DIRECTIONS
Mix dry ingredients, then toss in cranberries.  Set bowl aside.
In other bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.  Pour wet ingredients into dry, stirring just enough to moisten.  Batter will be quite thick. 
Pour into greased muffin tins, about 3/4 full. 
Sprinkle a little bit of white sugar on the top of each muffin if desired.

Bake in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Soft Molasses Cookies

What a treat!  These turned out so wonderful! 
Be sure to make a lot of them, they will go fast.  This, I can assure you!

3/4 cup shortening (be sure to check ingredients if allergies are involved)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses (I used cooking molasses)

2 & 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt (I may decrease to 1/4 tsp, I found them a tad on the salty side, but either way will work)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg


Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add egg (or egg replacer) and molasses, stir until creamy.
In separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Fold into molasses mixture and stir until combined.  Cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until well chilled. 
Once chilled, roll into smallish balls, roll in white sugar, and place on a greased (I use parchment paper) cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes.

**IMPORTANT STEP, DO NOT SKIP**
Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 1 minute.  After that minute, remove onto rack to cool. 


Now, I will admit that I forgot to add one key ingredient.  The egg (or in our case, the egg replacer) and they still turned out wonderful!  I was a little concerned, but lets just say I'm having a hard time keeping the cookies from being devoured! 

The BEST Lemon Loaf!

I decided to tweak and try this recipe and I must say, the entire loaf almost disappeared in an hour!  This was fantastic! 
Please do not make the mistake I made by using a stone loaf pan, when you try to remove very hot items from stone, they tend to break.  Next time I make this, I will use a lightly greased glass loaf pan.



1/2 butter, 1/2 cup margarine or 1/2 cup shortening (I used shortening, I was almost out of our *safe* margarine)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs or replacements (I used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1/2 cup milk (I used original rice milk)
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
rind from one lemon




GLAZE
juice from one lemon
1/4 cup sugar
*while bread is baking, I make my glaze, but not too early as it needs to be liquidy to put onto bread.  Over medium heat, dissolve sugar and lemon juice, in a saucepan*

Cream butter and sugar in large bowl.
Add eggs or replacement, mixing until creamy.  NOTE: if using shortening, texture will not seem smooth, this is okay.
Blend in milk.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and lemon rind.
Pour into the batter, stirring until moist.
Pour into greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes
Remove to rack while loaf is still hot, and use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the bread.  Spoon glaze over the top (be sure to have a plate underneath, this can and will get messy)
Allow to cool before slicing into it.

ENJOY!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Egg, dairy, nut and soy free

2-2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon, divided

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar

1 Cup Dairy-Free Margarine, at room temperature (I use Earth Balance Soy-Free)

2 Large Eggs, at room temperature (I use ½ tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp for each called for)

1 Tablespoon Real Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.

In large bowl, beat together margarine and brown sugar until well combined.

Add the eggs (or replacement) and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.

Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan (I lightly greased a spatula for easy spreading).

Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small dish. Evenly sprinkle the mixture atop the batter 

Bake  for 25 to 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. They will be firm and raised around the edges, sinking slightly in the middle.

This is okay!  Let cool completely before cutting into slices

Cranberry Oatmeal Squares

1&1/2 cups rolled oats
1&1/2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine (we use Earth Balance Vegan Soy free)
1/4 tsp baking soda
341 ml (14 oz) can of whole cranberry, cranberry sauce

Mix together flour, sugar, oats, margarine and baking soda until crumbly.  Spread a bit more than 1/2 of the mixture into a greased, 8X8 inch baking pan.  Pat it down firmly. 

Mix cranberry sauce in a bowl, so it's nice and smooth.  Spread it on top of the crumble that is in the pan.  Sprinkle the remaining crumble on top, pressing down slightly with a spatula or your hand. 

Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Strawberry & Banana Muffins

I know it's a bit out of season, but we made a batch of these and they were fantastic! 

1/2 cup of margarine, melted (we use Earth Balance vegan soy free)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (we use 1/2 tsp and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)
1 tsp vanilla
2 mashed bananas
2 1/4 cups white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup strawberries (I diced mine up nice and small)

Mix all ingredients together, carefully folding the strawberries in last.  Pour into greased (or use muffin papers) muffin tins and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Let cool on cutting board, and enjoy!

Brownies.....Delicious!

I had to try a few different recipes, which included some tweaking, to finally come across one that worked out perfectly!  They didn't last long in our house, try them......you'll see!


1/2 cup milk free margerine (I used canola oil and it worked fine)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg replacements (I use half a teaspoon baking powder and 2 tablespoons water for each egg called for)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together the first three ingredients, and add in egg replacements.  Mix together the dry ingredients and mix together.  Stir, and pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch square pan.  Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Allow brownies to cool.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

There is a blog that I frequently visit, The Baking Bookworm, as I am continuously on the lookout for new recipes that are safe for my family to eat.
I came across a recipe for double chocolate zucchini muffins the other day, and seeing as a coworker gifted me a huge zucchini, I thought it was the perfect time to try to make these delicious sounding treats. 

Now let me tell you, they went fast.  Like, really fast.  I doubled the recipe but in a family of 6, it doesn't take much when what's on the plate is chocolate....let alone double the amount! 
The recipe will be copied as identical from The Baking Bookworm's blog however, I will let you all know how I tweaked the recipe to make it nut, dairy, egg and soy free.


Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (one of those individual applesauce containers will do)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup shredded zucchini
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease muffin tin or use paper liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Sift cocoa into flour mixture. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture. Mix until just combined. Overmixing will produce tougher textured muffins (I cannot state this enough). Gently fold in the zucchini and chocolate chips.

Using a large melon baller (or two spoons) fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

**I did find that I had to increase the baking time to closer to 35 minutes however, I did both mini muffins and regular sized muffins**

And now for the replacements!

For each egg called for, I used 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water.

To replace the milk called for, I used rice milk.  However, you could use almond milk (if nuts are not a concern in your family), soy milk (again, if not a concern) or coconut milk.

In place of vegetable oil (which may contain soy, so please be 100% certain yours does not if soy is a concern), I used Olive Oil.

And finally, in place of regular chocolate chips, we use Enjoy Life Foods chips.  You'd never know the difference by the great taste they have!


I had permission from The Baking Bookworm to repost her recipe, thanks very much!  I'd also urge anyone and everyone to check out her blog (address in link at top of page), always lots of interesting and exciting stuff going on there!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies turned out pretty good!  I was a little concerned when scooping them and putting them on the cookie sheets because they seemed really wet and crumbly.  But, they are tasty!  Egg, milk and dairy free, of course!


1 cup canola oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

 

Mix in a large bowl, canola oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Stir into the bowl.  Mix in the oats and the raisins last.  Drop by rounded spoon onto cookie sheets. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the 350 F oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

*I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets, makes for super easy cookie removal and cleanup!*  I also left my cookies in for approximately 15 minutes, I wanted them a bit crispier and they turned out wonderfully!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies were my first attempt ever at making an egg, milk and soy free cookie.  They're not bad.  Not great, but not bad. 

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs (I use 1/2 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp water for each egg called for)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, white sugar and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour and oats, then fold in the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bottoms are golden

*I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets.  It makes it so much easier*

Banana Muffins

3 banana's mashed
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar (you can add a bit less if you choose)

combine and mix well then add

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c flour

Mix to moisten
Put into 12 muffin tins

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes
*These turned out perfect!  They were very moist and didn't last long in our house at all*