GingerBread / Pain d’Epices

The Pumpkin puree in this gingerbread makes it so moist and fresh, you those cold winter mornings with a cup of spicy tea, will warm your heart and soul.  It lasts for days!  In place of the mix of spices you can substitute 3-4 TBL of a spice called “Pain d’epice.*   VANILLA FROSTNG (see other recipe)

DRY

2 cups/ 300 gr  ATK gluten free flour or Spelt Flour

2 tsp / 8 gr baking powder

2 tsp / 10 gr baking soda

1 tsp / 2 gr xanthan gum

1 tsp / 6gr seasalt

1 tsp / 5 gr cinnamon (or more to taste!  I double it.)

2 TBL / 30 gr powder ginger

¼ tsp / 3gr powdered nutmeg

WET

½ cup / 105gr coconut oil, melted

2/3 cup / 174 gr agave syrup

¼ cup / 66 gr molasses

2/3 cup / 155 gr rice or soy milk (or any kind of grain or nut milk)

1 TBL / 12 gr  vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

1 1/3 cups / 300 gr pumpkin puree (unsweetened)

¾ cup /  XXX gr hot water

Pre- heat oven to 325F/150C. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk all DRY ingredients together.

In a very large mixing cup, emulsify all the wet ingredients, EXCEPT PUMPIN and WATER, together with an immersion blender.  Pour into DRY ingredients and mix until smooth.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold in pumpkin puree and hot water, just until batter is smooth.

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake on center rack for 40 minutes, rotating 180 degrees half way. When cooked the gingerbread will bounce back in the middle when pressed, and a stock will come out clean.

Let the gingerbread stand fro 20 minutes, the gently run a knife around the edges and take out to cool on a wire rack.

If you want to make to a real treat, frost with the Vanilla Frosting!

Store in an airtight container for 4 days.  You can also slice and freeze. Toast to defrost and have as a perfect coffee, tea or breakfast time!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Breakfast on the go !

The first time I made thèse, they were stop-you-from-talking incredible. Then I started to replace chocolate chips with raisins, use less cinnamon for French palates… they were good, but not amazing. So I am sticking with this recipe !

Ingredients

WET

1 large egg

170gr / 1cup pumpkin purée

110gr / ½ cup soy milk (or almond or  your favorite milk)

100 gr/ 1/3cup maple syrup

45 gr/ ¼ cup vegetable oil (I use melted coconut oil)

2 coffeespoons /2 tsp vanilla extract or paste from 2 vanilla pods

DRY

2 coffeespoons/2 tsp pain d’epice spice or pumpkin pie spice

1 coffeespoon/ 1 tsp cinnamon (or to taste !)

pinch seasalt

335 gr / 3 ½ cups oats (not instant)

2 coffeespoons / 2tsp baking powder

200gr / 1 cup chocolate chips (or raisins, dried apricots etc)

Preheat oven to 175C/350F

Grease a muffin pan or use a good silicon muffin pan.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.

In a tall cup combine all Wet ingredients. Emulsify with an immersion blender.

Add Wet to Dry. Mix well.

Evenly distribute into muffin tins.

Bake for 23 minutes or until tops are set  when touched lightly

Cool COMPLETELY before taking out of pan. This will be extremely difficult as they small so good... but if you do not hold back,  they will fall apart)

Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Coconut oil is really my chosen oil to bake with. It adds a richness of flavor while being truly the most heart healthy oil there is.

WET
3/4 cups safflower or melted coconut oil
1 cup maple syrup
3 eggs or 6 egg whites or 6 Tbl ground flax seed whisked with 12 Tbl water (set aside)
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 Tbl vanilla

DRY
4 cups whole wheat flour (or spelt)
1 1/8 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups blueberries- fresh, frozen or defrosted

Pre heat oven to 350F/175C.

Whisk all WET ingredients together.

Mix together flour, coconut and baking powder & soda.
Blend into WET ingredients.
Gently stir in blueberries.

The batter will be thick and delicious.
If you prefer a runnier batter, add some soy milk to get to the texture of batter you are used to.

Spoon batter into greased or papered muffin tins.
Bake at 350F/175C for about 30 minutes but check after 20. Bake until a skewer or knife comes out clean.

Spicy Apple Muffins

Another one from my very first whole foods baking book. Smile :)
Makes 2 dozen muffins that taste like autumn... even in February!

WET
2 cups apple cider
2 cups chopped dried apples
1 cup chopped fresh apple (optional)
1 cup safflower or melted coconut oil
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 TBL lemon juice
4 beaten egg whites or 2T ground flax seed whisked with 5T water.

DRY
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup dry soy milk powder
2 1/2 TBL baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 Tbl cinnamon
1 Tbl nutmeg
1 Tbl allspice

Pre Heat oven to 350F/175F
Soak dried apples in half of the cider and set aside.
Whisk flax seed into water. Set aside to thicken and get gooey and egg like.
Whisk together remaining WET ingredients.

Sift together DRY ingredients.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and whisk in ALl the WET ingredients including the flax seed mixture if using, and remaining apple cider. Using as few strokes as possible.
Then add in the dried apples and cider.

Pour into greased or papered muffin tins.
Bake at 350F/175C for 30 minutes.
Test with a fork.

Raspberry Muffins

This recipe was my very first venture into whole food baking. Just reading the ingredients brings me back to weekends "studying" by the streams in Sedona, AZ. They must have been pretty good to keep my changing recipes all these years! John, these are for you!

Raspberry Muffins

DRY
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cups dry soy milk powder
1 tsp alum free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

WET
3/4 cup maple syrup
3/8 cup melted coconut oil (or any other high fat veg oil)
1 1/4 tsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
3/4 tsp lemon peel- grated
1 beaten egg OR 1 Tbl ground flax seeds whisked with 2 Tbl water

1/2 large package frozen rasberries

PreHeat oven 350F/175C
Whisk together all WET ingredients until emulsified.
In a bowl, mix all DRY ingredients.
Pour WET ingredients into DRY and FOLD in gently.
Stir in frozen rasberries.
Bake at 350F for approx 15 minutes.

You can bake this as a loaf if desired.

Ultimate Banana Bread

This recipe is a take on The Ultimate Banana Bread in Cook's Illustrated Magazine (July/August 2010). Always a source of inspiration and science for me. This one is really quite extraordinary. It reduces the JUICE of the bananas to increase the flavour....Plus, only good fat, and no sugar, eggs or dairy. :) The flax(lin) seeds not only replace the eggs as a binder but they add an amazing nutty flavor that you cannot exactly put your finger on....Nature as it can be.

1 3/4 cups (300grams) unbleached flour (I use spelt)
1 teaspoon (coffeespoon) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (coffeespoon) seasalt
6 very large ripe bananas peeled, frozen and defrosted (save the juice!!--it is the KEY!)
or fresh and microwaved (see instructions)
8 tablespoons (125 grams) coconut oil, melted & slightly cooled
3 heaping tablespoons of ground flax seeds (lin)
3/4 cup (175ml) maple syrup or rice syrup or agave syrup
1 tablespoon (soupspoon) vanilla extract
1 cup (250gr) chocolate chips (optional)

1. Prepare ground flax (lin) seeds by whisking them in a small bowl with 7 tablespoons water. Let stand to get a gooey in texture.

2. Pre heat oven to 350F/175C. Oil whatever pan you are using, sprinkle a bit of pure unrefined muscovado sugar (or what you have) on the bottom. Slice a banana and arrange on the bottom of the pan. Ones that work are loaf pans, bundt pans, square pans. Just add on more cooking time for a loaf shape as it is thicker. Set aside.

3. If using defrosted bananas, save the juice!!! Put it in a small pan and heat on low to reduce into a thin syrup. Usually about 5 min but do it just as long as you can.

4. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Flour, baking soda, seasalt.

5. Mash bananas and re-incorporate the reduced juice. Mix in all wet ingredients adding the flax (lin) seed last- melted coconut oil, maple/rice/agave syrup, vanilla extract and flax seed/water mixture. Pour into the dry ingredient mixture.

6. Stir in chocolate chips if using.

7. Pour into pan and shake and bang pan until it is evenly distributed.

8. Bake for about 45 minutes but check it! My oven is hot so time maybe a bit more in yours.
This can also be made as muffins.

9. See if you can keep it on a plate longer than an afternoon....

By the way, for you France enthusiasts... this cake is great to hide a feve in during Galette de Roi saison!!

Gingerbread (Pain d'Epice) Muffins

This is an adapted recipe from on of the original whole gain baking books from the 80s - Uprisings. I have been inspired by their recipes for years, indeed I think I understood the art of recipe adaption from the wisdom I learned in this book.

Gingerbread Muffins

Dry:
2 cups whole wheat flour (I use spelt/epeautre)
1/2 cup dry milk powder (I use soy milk powder)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 TBL ground ginger (more or less to taste)
2 tsp cinnamon (kanel)
1/2 tsp ground cloves (girofle)

WET:
2/3 cup molasses (sirop de melasse)
1/3 cup honey or agave syrup or rice syrup or barley syrup
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I use de-aromatised sunflower oil)
1 egg
1 cup water

Heat oven to 350F/170C.
Line muffin tins with muffin papers.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whip molasses, honey, oil, egg and water in another bowl or large measuring cup.
Stir wet ingredients into dry. DO NOT over mix.

Fill muffin tins 2/3.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. When you will smell their gingery wonderfulness, check them. Check them by touching one of the middle ones to see if they spring back.
Let them cool halfway in the tins, take out and finish cooling on a rack.

Great with Chai or Rooibos or well, anything.
Last time we made them my 8 yr old daughter sold them at the local park with lemonade! She made 14euro/$ that afternoon!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are a AWESOME dairy free, sugar free, wheat free snack.
Makes 12-13 large muffins!

DRY Ingredients
1.5 cups whole flour (I use whole spelt)
2 cups white flour (I use spelt)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp baking powder
1+ cups chocolate chips

WET Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup barley malt or rice syrup or maple syrup or agave syrup
3/4 cups soy milk
3/4 cups fresh pure water
2 Tbsp liquid real vanilla

PreHeat oven to 325F/165C.
Line muffin tins with paper liners or brush with oil.
In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients except Chocolate Chips.
In a seperate deep bowl or very large measuring cup blend all wet ingredients together.
Pour into dry and blend until just mixed. Do not over mix!
Then add the chocolate chips, blend barely.
Fill muffin tins until almost full.
Bake 20 minutes until golden brown.
Let muffins sit in pan until cool.

MMMMMMMMMMMMM