~~~… UPDATED BELOW!

I have been playing with the Rice Flour Muffin recipe I wrote about previously.  This is all new territory for me!  Give me a sewing pattern or crochet pattern and I can make changes “on the fly”.  But play with my food?  I tried that one time and it was a complete bomb.  Inedible.  Ugly.  Blech!

But I have this plate of over ripe bananas sitting there, looking at me.  I’d post a picture, but they are not pretty to look at!  And I didn’t want to make banana bread yet again.  And I already have w-a-y too many ripe bananas in the freezer.  These MUST be used – soon.

So I got to thinking… yes dangerous for me I know!  Anyhoo… I got to thinking.  The original recipe (reposted below) stated that with the addition of the marmalade (which I am now out of) would keep these from falling apart.  Could I substitute and still have an edible outcome?  I know bananas keep gluten free muffins moist for days and dispense with the need to freeze or refrigerate to keep them edible.  And I have bananas!

Why not try, what’s the worst thing that could happen… I’d have to throw out one batch of muffins and come up with something else for breakfast.  Let’s go for it!

Hey, who said that!??  Me??

Timidly at first, I took my mixing bowl in hand and tried yesterday using just one banana and some cinnamon.  I think about 1/2 of a teaspoon.  I did use raw sugar in my recipe, the full 2 tablespoons.  I have no photos of those as my family ate them up… eagerly!!  The banana taste was quite mild but they could have used more cinnamon.  They did not fall apart in the least and no gums used!

Hmmm, just how far can I push this recipe??  I truly can not believe that is ME thinking like this.  But I tried again this morning.  And I have a large container of blueberries in the fridge just waiting to be used.  Let’s play some more!

It has been perfect weather for baking.  Cold outside, and always needing more warmth inside.  It snowed here yesterday!  Since we heat our home with a pellet stove (single point source of heat) our home can be pretty cold in the farthest places from the source.  But add in some baking and you have triple duty going on – heating the house, making yummy food to nourish my family and discovering new gluten free recipes.  What’s not to love??!

Once I am done playing with my food I will repost the original recipe with all my variations.  But I couldn’t wait to share these with you!

Rice Flour Muffins

makes about two dozen 2-inch muffins

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Have all ingredients at about 75 degrees.

Measure into a bowl:

1 cup rice flour (I use brown rice and in the “about” Erma Rombauer specifies not to use sweet rice flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use Pink Himalayan, it’s what I have on hand)

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1 to 2 teaspoons evaporated cane juice

Melt:

2 tablespoons shortening (I use grapeseed oil)

and when slightly cooled, add it to:

1 well beaten egg

1 cup milk (I use So Delicious brand coconut milk beverage or almond milk with equally excellent results)

Mix the dry ingredients well and then with a few light strokes combine with the liquid mixture.  About 10 strokes is all that is necessary.

The muffins are less crumbly if you add to them before the dry ingredients are completely moistened:

1/2 cup raisins or 2 tablespoons orange or pineapple marmalade (I use orange marmalade)

If you add the marmalade omit the sugar.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes and serve at once.

VARIATIONS:

BANANA CINNAMON – add one ripe banana and one teaspoon of cinnamon & use the evaporated cane juice

BLUEBERRY – add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of blueberries, one ripe banana, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the evaporated cane juice

APPLE CINNAMON – 1/2 cup peeled, cored, diced apples, one ripe banana, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the evaporated cane juice

CRANBERRY ORANGE – 1/4 cup chopped cranberries, 1 teaspoon orange zest (organic only!), one ripe banana, double the evaporated cane juice

LEMON POPPY SEED – one ripe banana, 1 teaspoon lemon zest (organic only), 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

CHERRY ALMOND – one ripe banana, 1 teaspoon almond flavoring, 1/4 – 1/2 cup dried cherries and the evaporated cane juice

PEAR – one ripe banana, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup peeled, cored, diced fresh pears

ALMOND FIG – one ripe banana, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 cup slivered almonds, 1/2 cup diced figs, the evaporated cane juice

This is also a post for Blueberry Muffins for the “Our Spunky Holiday – July“

And you know how I love poetry…

Blueberries

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,

Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum

In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!

And all ripe together, not some of them green

And some of them ripe!
You ought to have seen!

Robert Frost

Blessings,

~Mrs. R