I made my own chocolate chunks (yes, I made them and I've got the recipe for you here)...  Homemade Chocolate Chunks ~ it's as simple as opening a bag of the store-bought kind! ...to add to these muffins so I'd have a terrific muffin recipe for you. To me, a terrific muffin recipe is a Staple Recipe!  Good as Gold Gluten Free Vegan reNEWal Muffins Here's the catch, though. You see, I planned to tell you these gluten free muffins are "incredibly good". But, before I used the word "good", I decided to look up the definition. I do this often, especially when I feel I'm about to use an over-used word. I've found over-use can skew a word's meaning. Turns out "good" is not an accurate description of my muffins at all. "Good" is really just "OK". {good ~ of a favorable character or tendency; suitable; fit; adequate; satisfactory} These muffins are so much MORE than "incredibly OK"! From the way they came to be (my desire to create a healthy, easy muffin recipe for YOU that fits our reNEWal theme) to the nutrition packed into each one (high protein, high fiber, low fat), to the way they satisfy hunger and taste... these muffins are not good. Perusing Merriam Webster, I discovered these muffins are "GOOD AS GOLD"! {good as gold ~ of the highest worth or reliability} That sums it up. A valuable recipe full of healthy, natural ingredients that can be made easily time and time again to help us renew truly is good as gold! And that's what I want to be to you... good as gold... reliably providing you with valuable information and insights about living gluten free. I want to be your go to resource... what you think of first. Each and every day I want you to be able to use what you find here at GlutenFreeGigi.com to improve and enhance your gluten free life. I want you to come back often and be a part of the gluten free community we are creating here. Yes. Good as Gold. That is exactly what I want GlutenFreeGigi.com to be for you! Now, how about those good as gold muffins?  Have a look at that texture! And all that homemade chocolate!! Good as Gold, aren't they? Don't be daunted by the length of the ingredients list. (Also don't be alarmed if some strike you as a bit "odd". Below, I'll explain to you exactly why I chose what I did and I think you'll be fascinated!) Measuring the flours is simple and only takes a couple of minutes. Adding in the flax and other ingredients is quick and easy. Give it a whisk, pour in the wet ingredients, and voila! You're good as gold! Gluten Free Gigi's "Good as Gold" Gluten Free reNEWal Muffins Soy Free, Nut Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Casein Free To find out the flour brands I use, please visit my FAQ page. Dry Ingredients: 1/2 cup brown rice flour 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1/4 cup coconut flour 1/4 cup green pea flour 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon guar gum 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Wet Ingredients: 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (warmed gently to melt) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 cup coconut milk (or milk of your choice) 1/2 cup chocolate chunks (purchased or make your own choclate chunks like me!) Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 12-section muffin pan. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until batter is smooth. Fold in chocolate chunks. Spoon batter into the muffin pan, dividing it evenly among the sections. Bake for 23-26 minutes, until tops spring back when touched lightly or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan. Enjoy and renew! Store leftovers well-wrapped in refrigerator for several days or freezer for up to 2 months. These are fantastic straight from the fridge! The Good as Gold, Naturally Gluten Free Ingredients I Use that Help Us reNEW! When I create recipes, I consider taste and nutrition together. I find the food I make at home or in the Gluten Free Test Kitchen tastes better because I know it is full of natural ingredients that support overall health and renewal. This muffin recipe is a wonderful example of how certain ingredients find their way into my recipes. I thought I'd give you a "sneak peek" into why I choose certain ingredients. Take a look... In this muffin recipe recipe, I've used gluten free flours that have high protein and/or high fiber content. Not only do these components add structure to our gluten free baked goods, they provide nutritional benefits like stabilizing blood sugar, helping maintain lean muscle mass, and keeping us feeling full and satisfied so we don't overeat. The flaxseed Meal is a great egg replacer for those with egg allergy or on a vegan diet. Flax seed is also a source of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are shown to reduce the risk of certain diseases like heart disease and cancer. Make sure you're grinding your flax seed to reap the maximum benefits. A clean coffee grinder works well for this, or you can purchase flaxseed meal from Bob's Red Mill like I do! The spices I chose, like cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, have anti-inflammatory properites along with other valuable health benefits. You can read what I've written about cinnamon and weight loss and my reNEWal secret potion that uses ginger that I kicked off our renewal series with and recommend everyone try! Turmeric in a muffin?! That may raise a few eyebrows. Most of us are used to seeing this pungent spice in savory recipes like my Chana Masala. I encourage you to go ahead and give it a try... Add it to these muffins! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the subtle and pleasant peppery kick it adds. Turmeric is a fantastic anti-inflammatory and I'll have some more information for you about that very soon! I used natural pure maple syrup because it is less refined than traditional granulated sugar. It also imparts a mild flavor that enhances the other ingredients in these muffins. You could substitute honey or agave nectar if you prefer. That will give you a slightly different flavor, but an equally delicious and healthy muffin! Applesauce adds necessary moisture, adds vitamins, is low in calories, and even helps with leavening in place of an egg! You can read more about health benefits of coconut oil and coconut milk here. This combination of ingredients also includes all Six Taste Groups of Ayurveda that so many of you are finding helpful as you put together your gluten free meals for reNEWal. Including all Six Tastes provides balance and keeps us feeling satisfied! That helps eliminate food cravings, which is extremely helpful on a gluten free, or other, special diet. So, there you have it! A little insight into how recipes I create for you come together using naturally gluten free ingredients combined in such a way that yields a finished product that is super-yummy, full of nutrition, and that you can recreate in YOUR kitchen time and time again! I'd say that really IS good as gold! Now, I encourage you to join me in the kitchen and try more of my gluten free recipes to see how tasty living gluten free can be! To receive every new gluten free recipe right in your inbox each week along with my latest “A Side of Science” articles be sure to SIGN UP for my FREE E-LETTER! Up Next on GlutenFreeGigi.com TONIGHT, I can't wait to get together LIVE with some more members of our Gluten Free Gigi family who are registered for my January webinar: "You CAN Lose Weight on Your Gluten Free Diet!" I can't express how thrilling it is to be able to be able to share my experience and secrets in this live, interactive format! And the positive feedback we're getting is fantastic!! Have a look at what folks are saying about my webinars: "I never knew all this had to do with weight loss. This is information I can use right now! Thank you for making it easy to understand and simple to follow!" --mc "Just participated in my first webinar with Gluten Free Gigi. It was interesting, informative, pertinent, and above all useable. I really enjoyed it. If anyone needs help with gluten free education Gigi Stewart is a trained professional, and easy to understand!" --pw "Definitely useful information tonight, Gigi. Thank you for explaining how to build a meal with your PFC method! I've never heard that information presented like that before, and it made perfect sense to me when you said it! I know I can lose the rest of the weight I need to lose, and now I don't have to be hungry all the time!!" --kc TONIGHT IS THE FINAL SESSION of my weight loss webinar. If you hurry, there might still be a slot. Click here to find out! (Thursday, January 19 at 8:30PM ET.) This webinar will not be offered again! If you missed this month, the announcement for my February webinar and topic is coming soon! I don't want to give it away, but if you're gluten AND dairy free you can't afford to miss this one! Let's Connect Comments about a specific post or recipe? Share it in the “comments” section below! Questions? Check out my ALL NEW FAQs and you might just find your answer! If not, email me: mailbox (at) glutenfreegigi (dot) com. I’m always happy to hear from you, but need to ask for your understanding and patience when it comes to responding. I receive lots of email these days, which I love, but it does make it more challenging to respond to each one. I answer as many of your questions as possible in my How-To videos and posts so everyone can benefit. Keep watching my videos and website for my answer to YOUR question! Follow Along... on Twitter and "Like" my Facebook page! You can also check out my boards on Pinterest and find out what I’m posting on Google+! These are places I like to go have fun and share what’s going on in the Gluten Free Test Kitchen and in my home kitchen, too! I love following you, too! Make sure you let me know you’re out there! ~g~ Thank you for taking time to visit! Come back often for my weekly recipe and how-to video posts on Tuesdays and informative "A Side of Science" articles on Thursdays. Remember, my mission here at GlutenFreeGigi.com is to share my experience and knowledge to help you navigate your gluten free life with ease and confidence because I understand how challenging it can be! I’m excited to have YOU here! Thank you for sharing the journey! xo, Gluten Free Gigi Comments01/21/2012 10:19
Sold! I must have Good as Gold Muffins!!! You are such a wonderful resource. I learn so much from you every time I stop by. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Leave a Reply |  
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