MUFFINS & BRIOCHES

To conform with our no-grain diet, all recipes can be made with chickpea flour to replace wheatflour

About the great canadian muffin...

A national dish, the Canadian muffin is classless and ageless, as egalitarian as the Canadians themselves. You'll find them on the desk of a Bay street stockbroker, and on the desks of the Kindergarten too. You'll find them in trendy Toronto cafés, and in small rural town bakeries. Muffins don't have to be the healthy eater's nightmare. Margarine can be substituted by butter and muffins don't suffer if you use skimmed milk instead of the full-fat version. I haven't yet tried to substitute butter with coconut oil, or milk with oat milk (or any other version of alternate milk). 

They are forgiving things, muffins, as long as you know the secret to them. If you know this secret, you'll avoid turning out the flat, hard, NHL hockey pucks that are the usual reward for muffin makers who haven't been let into the arcane delights of Canadian muffin making. The secret consists of three simple rules: 1. Use two bowls - in one combine and mix the dry ingredients and in the other the wet. They are combined only at the end! 2. Combine the wet and dry mixtures gently, folding them using a wooden spoon. 3. Combine the mixtures until they are just moist, no more. Don't beat them, mix them or blend them. Just fold them together with a light touch, and don't be afraid to leave lots of flour showing.

The world's easiest

Strawberry yoghurt muffin

Ingredients

Dry mix: 

  • 225gr flour
  • 100gr sugar
  • 3tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Wet mix:

  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 50ml honey
  • 125ml milk
  • 160gr strawberry jam
  • 100gr rolled oats

Preheat oven 200°. Mix all dry and wet separately starting with the egg, followed by the rest. Leave oats till later. Mix wet ingredients by hand. Add oats. Let stand a while. Fold wet mixture into dry until batter is moist but still lumpy with some flour still visible. 

Divide mixture into tins, filling them up to 2/3. Bake 20-25 minutes.  

Date and orange muffins

Ingredients

Dry mix:

  • 200gr flour
  • 175ml honey
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 225gr chopped dates

Wet mix:

  • 1 egg
  • 125ml melted butter
  • 125ml orange juice
  • 1 orange

Preheat oven 200°. Mix all dry ingredients except dates. Cut orange into 8, place in blender with orange juice, egg and butter. Add dates then pour into dry mixture. 

Divide mixture into tins, filling them up to 2/3. Bake 15 minutes.  

Morning Glory Muffins

  • 1.5 cups wheat bran
  • 1 cup soy (or other plant milk)
  • 1 cup water

Combine and set aside.

Dry mix:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tsp each of baking powder & baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt

Wet mix:

  • 2 Tsp lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 1/2 - 1 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup each of grated carrots, shredded coconut & raisins

Preheat oven 175°. Combine dry and wet ingredients. Add, if necessary, 1/4 of soy milk and yogurt. 

Divide mixture into muffin tins, filling them up to 2/3. Bake 30 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.

Blueberry muffins crunchy

Ingredients

Crunchy Topping:

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • sliced almond (optional)

Dry mix:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh blueberry

Wet mix:

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs

Preheat oven 200°. Mix all dry ingredients and wet separately. Pour wet into dry mixture. Sprinkle with blueberries. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups. 

Crunchy Topping: Stir together sugar, orange zest, and almonds (if using); sprinkle over batter. Bake in 200°C oven until tops are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Fruity oatmeal muffins

Ingredients

Wet mix: 

  • 1 cup coconut sugar or mashed bananas
  • 1/3 cup butter melted
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup grated apple
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup raisins/currant

Dry mix: 

  • 1 cup cornflour
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt

In large bowl, beat together sugar/banana, butter and eggs. Stir in milk, beating until smooth. Add apple, walnuts and currants.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, rolled oats, baking powder and salt. Sprinkle evenly over apple mixture; stir together just until blended.

Pour batter into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins, filling up to top. Bake in 200°C oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Anything goes muffins

Add any ingredients of your choice!

With this recipe, you can add in to your heart's content - fresh blueberries, currants, raspberries, raisins or chocolate chips.

  • Portion size 12 servings

Ingredients

Dry mix: 

  • 2 cups rice flour or corn flour
  • 1 cup mashed banana
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet mix: 

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup fresh blueberry or chocolate chips, etc

Measure flour, banana, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into large bowl. Whisk to blend ingredients together.

Break eggs into medium bowl; add milk, oil, orange rind and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and no streaks remain. With rubber spatula, scrape over dry ingredients.

Add 1 cup of anything - chocolate chips, etc. 

Using ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups almost full with batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and domed. 

Brioches

Ingredients (to be revised to suit new diet)

  • 250ml milk + extra to mix yeast
  • 50 gr butter
  • 20gr yeast
  • 500gr flour + baking
  • 70gr sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 egg + 1 for basting
  • 50 ml fresh cream
  • 2 tbsp orange blossom

Heat milk and butter. Crumble yeast in mixer, add little lukewarm milk and 50gr flour. Blend until texture is smooth. Let stand 15 minutes. 

Mix flour + sugar + salt + milk/butter mixture. Add yeast, egg, cream and orange blossom. Knead and let rise under towel for 1 and half hour. Roll into one long saussage. Cut small balls. Put on baking tray, baste with egg and let rise under towel for 30 minutes. Bake in 180° for 20 minutes until golden.

Porridge buns

Ingredients (to be revised)

  • 1.5 dl oats
  • 5 dl milk
  • 100 gr butter
  • 0.5 dl coconut sugar
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 pack yeast (50 g)
  • 12 dl flour + baking

Cook oat in 2 1/2 dl milk until it becomes porridge. Cut butter into pieces and add to porridge. When melted, add sugar and salt. Crumble yeast in mixer, add 2 1/2 dl lukewarm milk and blend until texture is smooth. Add porridge and flour. Knead and let rise under towel for 30-40 minutes. Flatten into one 1 cm thick square. With a form, cut out round breads of 9 cm diameter. Put on baking tray and let rise under towel for 10 minutes. Bake in 250° for 7-8 minutes until golden.

Annika's bread sticks

Ingredients

  • 700 gr flour (replaced by 2 cups chickpea flour + 1 cup almond flour) 
  • 5 - 6 dl water @ 70°
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 pack yeast

Mix yeast with lukewarm water and blend until texture is smooth. Add flour and salt. Knead and let rise under towel for 30-40 minutes. Shape desired forms. Put on baking tray and let rise under towel for 10 minutes. Bake in 225° for 10 minutes.

Gluten Free Bread Sticks

Replace wheat flour by chickpea flour

Original recipe from the Wheat Belly Cookbook. Almond flour and flaxseeds add extra protein and texture.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water (40 degrees)
  • 1 package instant yeast (7 gr)
  • 2 cups garbanzo bean chick pea flour (you may need more)
  • 2 cups almond meal/flour
  • 1 cup ground golden flaxseeds
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • Coarse salt and caraway seeds to sprinkle on top.
  • Olive oil for coating a work surface.

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk the water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the garbanzo bean flour, almond meal/flour, flaxseeds, and kosher salt. Add the melted butter, and stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture and mix on medium for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until all the ingredients are mixed and a loose ball of dough forms. (You may need to add up to 1/2 cup more garbanzo flour) See photos.
  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a arm place for about 1 hour, or until the dough increases in size ( it will not double like traditional dough).
  4. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpat, silicon baking sheets.
  5. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, water, baking soda.
  6. Lightly coat a work surface with oil. Turn the dough onto the work surface and knead a few times to bring the dough together. Divide into 24 pieces, and roll each piece into a ball.
  7. Roll each ball into a 5-6 bread sticks. Brush each bread stick with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and caraway seeds.
  8. Bake for 25 mites or until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.