Double Dark Chocolate Muffins

Double Dark Chocolate Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Muffins

Ok...  So as many of you gluten-free eaters out there know, it can be a difficult task to bake a delicious muffin without gluten.  It is even more challenging to bake a delicious tender gluten-free muffin without eggs!  In most gluten-free baked items, eggs (sometimes in combination with a starch such as tapioca or potato) are used to help bind and create texture due to the lack of gluten dirived texture and binding qualities. When one is not able to use the eggs, even an egg substitute falls short of this huge responsibility many times.

It took many tries, but finally I was able to acheive a muffin that is gluten-free, egg-free, free of hydrogenated fats, but yet rich, delicious and moist. 

DRY INGREDIENTS:
2/3 c. Dark Cocoa Powder, (we like Hershey's Special Dark... and it works ok with all the allergies we deal with!)
1 c. Buckwheat Flour
3/4 c. Masa Harina
1 1/4 c. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
3/4 tsp. salt

WET INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c. Flaxseed Egg Substitute Mixture*  (or two large eggs, if you don't have to avoid them)
1 c.  Milk, or your favorite milk substitute (almond milk and coconut milk are both great in this recipe!)
2 tsp. Vinegar
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 c. Applesauce, unsweetened
1/4 c. Vegetable or Canola Oil

Optional Add-Ins:
1 c. Dark Chocolate Chips (or other favorite chips)
1/2 c. Coconut, shredded, unsweetened or sweetened
1/2 c. Chopped Pecans
1/2 c. Sunflower Seeds
 Or anything else you prefer....

Struesel Topping:
 1/4 c.  Buckwheat flour (or any GF AP flour mix that you like)
1/2 c.  Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. Butter, softened but not melted.

In a large bowl mix together all the Dry Ingredients.  Then measure all the Wet Ingredients right into the mixing bowl with the Dry Ingredients.  Then mix together well with a whisk until mostly smooth.  There is no real need here to mix all the wet ingredient together before adding to the dry as you would with full gluten muffins...  there is no gluten in these to make it tough!  Just stop mixing when the batter is just about all smooth and you'll be all set!  At this point fold in any of the "Optional Add-Ins" that you choose.  The muffins pictured above just had the dark chocolate chips added.  Scoop the batter into well greased muffin tins (or likewise use cupcake papers...) to about 3/4 full.

If you choose to add the Struesel Topping, simply mix the flour and brown sugar together well, and then cut in the butter with a pastry blender or use your fingers, until it resembles crumbs the size of peas or smaller.  Sprinkle this mixture over the uncooked batter and proceed to bake.  In the picture shown above, the middle muffin has the Struesel Topping and the two others do not. When I choose to add coconut into the muffin batter (which is absolutely delicious, by the way) I sprinkle the tops with the shredded coconut instead of the struesel topping.  It's up to you!

Bake at 425 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.  The tops of the muffins should feel firm to the touch.  I like to check a couple of the muffins by inserting a wooden skewer or cake tester into the center.  If it comes out clean (with the exception of any melted chocolate chips) then they are done!  Remove from oven and immediately remove, CAREFULLY, from the muffin tins.  Allow to cool for maybe 5 minutes or so.

These muffins are best when served warm.  At room temperature they are just a little dryer than when warm, but still quite good.  They will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days, and they freeze extremely well.  Put them in the freezer and take out just what you need the night before. Then, at breakfast, warm them in the microwave if you wish, or wrap in foil and warm in a 350 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes while your getting ready for your day!


*Please see the post called "Egg Substitutes" for more information regarding the Flaxseed Egg Substitute.  If you are not allergic to eggs, simply use real eggs instead of the substitute. 

Biscuits (GF/EF)

Gluten-Free/Egg-Free biscuits are another one of our staples here, where I don't buy the pre-made, gluten-free breads, and am still working on a good recipe for that.  We like them for breakfast, toasted on a hot cast iron pan or with supper in place of regular bread...  sometimes with a burger on them, using it as a bun.  It took me a little while to get them to come out somewhat tender and not too dry, while still holding together.  Most recipes were either way too hard, heavy, dry, crumbly, or just plain tasteless!  Finally this one is nice- soft enough to eat with just butter, and sturdy enough to eat with sausage gravy or shrimp wiggle.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

I do use Bakewell Cream for these...  I am a fan of the biscuit recipe on the can, and that is what I use for my "normal" biscuits.  This is an adaptation from that.  Bakewell Cream is a Maine made item, I never used to be able to find it outside of the state, not sure about now.  If you live in an area where you cannot purchase this in your local grocery store you can order from this website:  http://www.newenglandcupboard.com/bakewell-cream.php, and I tell you it is worth it to get it.  I like to use it in some recipes in place of the baking powder (the substitution ratio is on the can).  You can substitute baking powder in place of the Bakewell Cream if desired: 1 tsp baking powder for every 2/3 tsp Bakewell Cream.  The results will not be quite as good, but it will still be a decent biscuit.

Regarding other allergies:  you can use any form of dairy-free milk for these, or all buckwheat flour if you cannot have the corn, or if you run out, like I do occasionally.  I have not tried another form of fat in these, other than shortening which works, but I do not use anymore, due to avoiding the hydrogenated fats.  Coconut oil may work in its more solidified room temperature form, I have not tried this yet...  I would not use vegetable or olive oil however.

2 c. Buckwheat Flour
3/4 c. Masa Harina
2 tsp. Bakewell Cream
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbs Butter (or you can do 3 Tbs butter and 3 Tbs cream cheese, also comes out delicious!)
2 Tbs Flaxseed egg substitute
1 1/4 c. cold milk

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Mix the dry ingredients together.  Cut in the butter (and cream cheese if you chose to use it) into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender, the fat pieces should be smaller than the size of baby peas.  Add the flaxseed mixture and cold milk and stir until all is moistened.  This dough will be very soft and tacky, but not so tacky that it is impossible to work with.  If that happens simply add a little more of one of the flours.  You don't have to worry about over mixing these, because there is no gluten to get tough.  Although be careful not to get too much flour, or the result will be a dryer more crumbly biscuit.  Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and pat out with your hand into a circle that is about 3/4" thick.  Cut with a floured biscuit cutter and place biscuits on a greased sheet pan.  They may seem quite soft when moving them to the pan, this is ok, simply use an offset metal spatula to move them they will bake up nicely!  I like to place them together so that they touch to help them rise upwards instead of spreading out, it also keeps the sides of the biscuits soft and not dry.  Please remember, they will not rise as much as "normal" biscuits, this is ok, they should still be soft and tender inside.  Place pan in oven and bake for 5 mins and then turn the oven off, keeping the door shut, bake for another 5-10 mins until firm to the touch and bottom should be golden brown.  The tops don't always get very brown, that is ok, just don't judge their "doneness" by that!