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| Gluten-free muffins with strawberries and chocolate chips. |
The moon rose almost full last night, hanging gold and low above the palm and ficus trees, urging the local beauty factor to give up its pretense of reality and meld with dreamland. The sky was a deep shade of violet with a wash of strawberry pink at the ocean's edge. Santa Monica continues to hold me in her sway. I am in love with her- and deeply grateful to be here, celebrating my first spring in California since the late seventies. I drink the friendly March sea air in gulps. I wander the alleys and sidewalks in a state bordering on bliss, photographing details and eye candy with my iPhone. It is a visual feast.
And I am savoring every bite.
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| Snippets from my neighborhood |
Walking the streets with an artist's eye is screwing with time in a Lostian sense
. I am reliving art school and aging backwards in a slippery flashback time travel Back to the Future
buoyancy, wandering with a camera, photographing shop windows, pieces of strangers, a red high heel, a cloud shaped like a crow, a chalk mark, an empty cup. Am I nineteen or am I fifty-five?
For the hours I navigate the neighborhood, I am neither.
Age is not relevant in a state of observation and creative response- although I would be lying if I didn't mention a certain advantage advancing age can offer. Being older- without the magnet of estrogen oozing from our pores- renders us invisible. This kind of freedom is not to be taken lightly. Its pleasure needs to be broadcast. Celebrated. Moving through time and space as something other than a trophy, a focus for desire, or a brooding hen is more fun than eating cotton candy barefoot. Nobody notices you. Nobody cares.
For a visual person like me this is heaven.
Or my idea of heaven, anyway. Which I do not embrace with a literal imposition but grasp lightly with irony and an abstract, low down bare bones trust in the reality of now as we know it, no strings attached. Because heaven?
It's here on Earth.
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| Roads? Where we're going we don't need--- roads. |
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| Luscious strawberry muffins. |
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
I changed up my usual gluten-free flour mix to create a lighter, fluffier vegan muffin (translation- more starch). And then I added chocolate chips. Gasp. Health food, this isn't. But lip smacking tasty? That would be, Affirmative.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-muffin tin with parchment or paper
You'll need:
1 rounded cup stemmed, cored, cut up fresh strawberries- set aside
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl:
3/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup organic light brown sugar
Add in and beat:
3/4 cup rice milk
1/2 teaspoon mild rice vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer
Beat until the batter is smooth- it will be fairly sticky, but much like a thick cake batter.
Stir in by hand:
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
Spoon only one tablespoon of the batter into the twelve lined muffin cups.
Add three to four pieces of fresh strawberries- sticking them into the batter a bit but avoid pushing them to the bottom- this helps keeps the muffin bottoms from getting soggy.
Divide the remaining batter evenly between the twelve muffin cups.
Take the remaing strawberry pieces and push them slightly into the batter- about three to four pieces per muffin. Add a few extra chocolate chips to the tops.
Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven till domed and firm- about 25 minutes. They should feel springy when lightly touched. if they dent, they're not done. Bake for another five minutes. If in doubt, insert a clean toothpick into the center to check for doneness.
Note: Cold and wet strawberries will chill down the batter; so if you use ice cold berries- or really wet berries- be aware they may make the muffin a bit soggy. I drained the berries well; and let them sit at room temperature while I made the batter and preheated the oven.
Cool the muffins on a wire rack. Super delicious served a little bit warm when the chocolate chips are melty.
Cool the muffins on a wire rack. Super delicious served a little bit warm when the chocolate chips are melty.
Wrap and bag extras to freeze for easy, on-the-go treats.
Makes 12 muffins.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
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44 comments:
YUM! Thx for posting this!
Very nice and beautiful picture. I'll have to try these!
strawberries and chocolate a classic pair an together in a muffin - unbeatable!
I know berries and chocolate are a very popular mix but, I don't know why, I'm always sceptical about it. Still your muffins look delicious!
What beautiful looking cakes! I would like one please! x x
Karina: This recipe looks delicious, so I'll have to try it soon! I've been reading your site for the past year, but only recently started baking with the different flour blends you use in your recipes. I'm loving sorghum, millet, buckwheat and quinoa. Even my non-GF husband likes quinoa, thanks to your yummy quinoa breakfast brownies recipe. Also love your poetic musings on life and love....look forward to every post from you. Happy Spring!
I know what you mean about nobody noticing you. Love your description of how Santa Monica is enriching you.
I would read your blog even if I weren't celiac. Your incredible skill in giving the reader more.. a story, a vision, is amazing. A painter of words!
Another beautiful post! Springtime in Santa Monica sounds positively idyllic and these cupcakes look like the perfect way to celebrate.
I might have to make these this weekend. They'd be a nice Easter treat :)
Beautiful, all of it: the words, the photography, the muffins. I'm so happy that you are back in California and loving it so much!
OMG this looks delish!!!
Thanks.
This post is just beautiful - the pictures of Santa Monica, the muffins, the concepts - thank you :) And I am SO happy you are happy in CA :) I stumbled upon your blog sometime after you had broken your hip in NM, and followed your journey since (it took me months to muster the courage to comment - in fact, only did so after I myself was dealing with food allergies and auto immune issues).
It sounds like you are enjoying California.
I am enjoying those pic's you took.
Lovely looking muffins. I think I may just make these for my son on Friday as a welcome back from being gone on his 6th grade trip.
Oh hey muffins! Those look amazing.
Your photography is beautiful. i really hope you are enjoying your trip!
love it! What a great way to use yummy strawberries in season!
Double treat! Getting my son to eat strawberries and seeing CA. I can't wait to get there too. Thank you for reminding me of the timeless feature to living in art. I could go for a little time standing still these days!
I'm glad you enjoy Santa Monica as much as I do! Your description is just entrancing on its own.
Those muffins look absolutely heavenly. Thanks for the tip about the strawberries. I always try to keep muffins from coming out soggy bottomed.
I understand your fascination with Santa Monica. I traveled there last year and fell in love with it.
These muffins are a match made in heaven - strawberries and chocolate - can't get much better than that!
~Ellen
strawberries and chocolate? awesome! thanks for the recipe.
paz
Your muffins and cakes always look so good! I never end up making them though because I can never find the different flours to make the right blend. However, I think it's time that I stop being so fussy and take the plunge with what I have... Oh, and I never have Ener-G egg replacer so i think I mave to use a flax egg instead. Probably won't taste anything like your original recipe! :)
BEAUTIFUL photography!
+ DELIGHTFUL recipe!
______________________
= EXCELLENT blog!
These look amazing and they are vegan :)
These are so pretty - and I love your photo. I'm assuming this was all taken in that sun-streaming, gorgeous studio of yours? The one I'm so jealous of? :)
Those muffins look lovely! I don't think I've ever put strawberries in a muffin. I like the idea though, especially combined with chocolate.
I just found your food blog and I'm lovin' it! I notice you use the egg replacer in your recipes. If I want to use "real eggs" can I for all your recipes that call for the egg replacer. If yes, how many eggs would I need to use and would I still need the water also?? Let me know! My mouth is watering!
Saw your profile on twitter. Glad to have read your truly inspired blog. Look forward to following your blog here. Have a great day!
Just made these last night. They were pretty darn good! I had a little problem with the consistency and ended up adding over 1/2 cup more flour to make it the consistency of "thick cake batter."
Very light and decadent. :) yum!!
Oh my Lord love this blog!! I'm coeliac, and these recipes esp ur cookie ones look good. Btw if u want to know, I have list of Sydney restaurants I recommend on my blog, all do gluten free.
Wow! Thank you for this recipe. I had a cup or so of organic strawberries in the fridge this morning and I was pondering what to do with them. Imagine my delight when I came across this recipe today! I set to baking them immediately. The muffins are delicious and have a light and fluffy texture unlike most things I've baked so far. The strawberry just pops and the chocolate is there with a soothing edge. Great treat! Thanks again!
I miss California. I haven't seen a sunny day in weeks and I'm starting to forget what the sun feels like on your skin. Anywhoo! I've been craving lemon poppyseed muffins but have come up empty on recipes. Would this recipe be suitable if I swapped out the strawberries and chocolate? Thank, Katrina!
- Benita
Ohhh yummmm! Gimme gimme gimme!
Fantastic blog by the way. I have only just found you!
I am new to the whole gluten and dairy free living (due to medical issues). And I am actually loving it!
Mouth watering...omg... haha. Today is my first day trying to go gluten free. So far so good. I MUST try these. (I am testing to see if I am intolerant).
Yay! A gluten free blog! We try to eat GF as much as possible, I'm always happy to find new recipes!
Wandering around unnoticed ... my heart gave a little leap. Yes!
I also know what you mean regarding the pleasure of being invisible. However today in Costco I was confronted by a 30 something young man who expected me to be the one to move out of his way as we met head on in a crowded isle. It's one thing to be invisible and another to be abused due to the lack of attracting estrogen. Now I know to be on the alert for this behavior. Next time I'll leave the cart where it stands and move away as if distracted. :)
Like Denise, I was /am wondering about the eggs. I supped one egg in for the recipe, and followed all the other instructions, but the muffins were sunk in when I took them out of the oven, and all the chocolate and strawberries were at the bottom. I know the batter must have been to thin, was that the eggs fault? Thank you!
This recipe can use 2 eggs, beaten, instead of the Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water. If the batter seems too thin (it shouldn't be runny) you need more flour.
Batters and dough that contain too much liquid will sink in the middle.
Make sure you measure dry ingredients with nested dry cups; and wet ingredients with a liquid measuring cup.
Muffin batter works best when it's like a thick cake batter; it will be sticky.
Add fruit in last.
Karina
Thank you all for your wonderful comments and thoughts. I'm always enriched by your wisdom, humor and compassion.
Karina
Not only do these muffins look gorgeous out of the oven, they taste delicious too! This is the first time since discovering my gluten intolerance that I have seen & tasted such a perfect muffin! They taste so YUMMY! Even my boyfriend who isn't gluten free wanted seconds!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe! Since my batter was a bit runny (I used real eggs), I added a couple of big spoonfuls of pure oat flour to the recipe (I loved the oat flavour twisted in).
Hi, these look amazing! Can you use frozen strawberries instead of fresh.
Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
I'm not sure about using frozen strawberries- which are quite wet and mushy. How about halved/chopped cranberries instead? Or even blueberries. Karina
I made these muffins without strawberries (added 2 tbsp extra sorghum to thicken because of where I live). They came out FANTASTIC and fluffy! Thank you for the recipe.
I also made them without the strawberries. (they were not in season). They were delicious the whole family loved them. They are best when baked in the small muffin tins and left out to cool all day. It is like having a cookie/muffin.
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