Wheat-Free Strawberry Muffins

Like many of you, I've been collecting recipes for years. But now with the open and free exchange online from food blogs and forums everywhere, it's simply gotten out of control. I spend a lot of time looking at recipes and pictures of food, trying out some as they are, and modifying some to meet my taste.





This recipe is an original. It's the peak of strawberry season, and I happened to have a lot of strawberries that needed to be consumed sooner rather than later. Having played with a lot of 'wheat' recipes to make them wheat-free, with some success, I felt I could make the leap to an original recipe and turn these strawberries into something wonderful (before they.....ummm....rotted). Oh - and if it matters to you, this recipe uses all gluten-free ingredients.

I love baking muffins and quick breads. You can take a basic recipe, and change it up on a whim, adding whatever ingredients suit your mood. This is one of those recipes - add blueberries, raspberries, cherries. Go ahead - get crazy! Me - I'm all about the dark chocolate!




They baked up wonderfully, and the extras did great in the freezer. I think if you didn't know, you couldn't even tell they are wheat-free.

Makes about 18 regular sized muffins.

Ingredients:

• 2 + cups fresh ripe strawberries, diced
• 3 cups wheat-free mix (see note below)
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp Xanthun Gum
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cups chopped pecans, optional
• chopped up chocolate or chocolate chips, optional
• 2-3 Tbs milk, as needed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin tins or use paper liners. Spray paper liners with cooking spray.

1. Dice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine wheat-free flour mix, sugars, cinnamon, salt and baking soda, baking powder, and Xanthun Gum in large bowl: mix well.
3. Blend applesauce, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Add to flour mixture. If batter is too thick add a little milk to thin slightly.
4. Add strawberries to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in optional pecans and/or chocolate. Divide batter into muffin tins.
5. Bake for 18 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Remove muffins to rack to cool.

Relax. Pour tea. Eat muffin.

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