This is my third attempt at muffins which are gluten free and fructmal friendly. I mentioned that the first attempt induced laughter in the brave souls who tried them. The second attempt was already a great improvement but a little too dense for me though Adriano seemed to think they were fine. But then Italians do like their cakes a little on the dry side compared to the Anglo Saxons of the world.
I then researched this whole gluten-free flour situation and have come up with my own mixture combining five flours. Over the last couple of months I have accumulated a few different ones in my pantry and only had to seek out potato starch in order to achieve this blend. The best thing is to go to a specialist store which deals in real food and buy the lot in one go instead of in dribs and drabs like me.
The result is a very acceptable banana muffin and I am feeling very proud of myself. I made these a couple of days ago and have just made some chocolate brownies with the same flour mix to test it further. They have just come out of the oven but are too hot to try so the verdict will have to wait. If the recipe is successful, they will appear here in the next few days.
I do feel like a child again after years of perfecting baking. This is a whole new learning curve to climb around.
Have a look at the muffins in the photo. See how they bulge to one side. That’s my second smaller oven’s particular quirk. All my muffins cooked in that oven have this kind of deformity. The big oven is my nightmare because it burns everything before cooking them. The smaller one deforms them. What a choice! And this is a DeLonghi cooker! You would think it would know to perform. Vent over.
Soon I will do a post on fructose and the other FODMAPs which are causing so many problems these days. That way you will understand where I am coming from with my cooking.
Currently I am editing my e-cookbook so it will be available very soon on my blog and there will be a heavy discount for the first two weeks so keep a lookout for it.
If you malabsorb lactose, use lactose-free yogurt.
- ¼ cup brown rice flour
- ¾ cup white rice flour
- ¼ cup sorghum flour
- ½ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1.25 tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 bananas
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp plain yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Butter a set of muffin tins or cupcake holders.
- Sift the dry ingredients together except for the sugar.
- Mash the bananas in a food processor and add all the other ingredients including the sugar.
- Whiz until well combined.
- Fold the wet into the dry ingredients.
- Spoon into the muffin tins or cupcake holders until ¾ full.
- Bake 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes then remove them to a cooling rack.
I have a wacky oven, too…drives me nuts! So you can eat bananas? Looks like muffin perfection to me…and I don’t mind a lopsided muffin as long as it tastes good 🙂
Yes, I can eat about 1/2 a banana a day. They are low in fructose.
I agree that the flavour is more important than the shape but these crazy ovens are a pain.
I love that quote about muffins! These look wonderful, the coconut oil sounds perfect with banana!
Coconut oil is a great alternative to butter but I do love butter too. Thank goodness I am not lactose intolerant.
Everythings an experiment in my oven. I know how it is. Everyone it seems eventually comes up with there own mixture for gluten free flour. I can understand it as the supermarket ones are a little dodgy. These look very good
I started off buying a supermarket one but it was less than delightful so, with a bit of trial and error, I have hit on one that works. I will continue refining it, I imagine.
Our oven is wacky, too – I know your frustration! Great looking muffins – this recipe looks like a winner. Really like that top picture – very nice. And that Oscar Wilde quote is wonderful!
Oscar Wilde has a great bunch of quotes. He was a very smart, very witty man.
I am surprised at how many people’s ovens are wacky. You would think they had perfected them by now.
What a brilliant idea to mix flours! I’d never really thought of that before. These muffins look delicious.
The mix of flours gets the best from each one to mimic, as much as possible, a gluten flour. It works much better than only one or two together.
We just love banana muffins and any way that we can make them healthier is a welcome idea to us! Thank you for sharing your triumph in the kitchen!
Thanks, Roz. It does feel like a triumph after the first two dicey batches. Banana is great because it keeps them moist.
I have a very old oven, it’s hard to control it, but I’m trying my best. It will be a pleasure to observe how you’re learning again 🙂 Fingers crossed.
It’s a shame we have to try to control these ovens. I wish they would just work. Learning again is sure right but I love a challenge.
My oven is strange too and I have to sit and watch my baked goods to avoid disasters. Congratulations on a successful flour mix and muffin results. I’m sure it is challenging right now but soon you’ll become an expert and share your knowledge with the world.
I have to keep the timer on at 5-10 minute intervals so I keep checking the oven for a disaster.
I feel far from an expert at the moment as I fumble around and try to find my way but I am sure I will get there.
I think I saw these earlier on FoodGawker or TasteSpotting and after I read the description which said “fructmal”, I knew it was a post from you!
That’s funny. I guess there aren’t too many of us around! It was TasteSpotting, by the way.
LOL I have to say little cake type muffins are not traditional English ones that Oscar Wilde would have been eating. We have a form of muffin that you grill and butter! Sort of toasted pancake things! VERY bad for you!
I like the healthier ones rather better
Ah, yes, I have met those creatures in England. Scrumptious but not so great for our waistlines.