I make it all from scratch..mixes just tend to have too many preservatives and "junk". Whole food mixes tend to be too expensive. I usually take most bread or muffin recipes and make substitutions to make them healthier
For grains, I use whole wheat pastry flour, or whole wheat flour with a bit of vital wheat gluten (this is when I am baking breads or pizzas).
Sweeteners...Sometimes I use honey, then adjust other liquids. Most of the time I will just use regular sugar, but cut the amount.
For fats, sometimes I will sub half applesauce, half butter. Sometimes just subbing straight out with olive oil works fine, too. I don't use margarine of any kind. I find that I can cut the amount as well, depending on the recipe, and use my non-stick bakeware.
I tend to do all my muffin recipes with whole wheat flour and use lower fat recipes. Haven't had one turn out bad yet.
Yeast breads are a different story since the different protein content can make the required gluten formation turn out in unexpected ways. Usually I use half and half bread flour and whole wheat for that, since I don't bake breads very often. I may try RosieKate's tip next time.
This is my standard recipe, I've played around with it to make all sorts of variations:
Quote:
Pumpkin Cranberry Nut Muffins (or quickbread)
2 T whole flax seeds (or 4 T pre-ground)
6 T water
4 T softened margarine (I use Earth Balance)
¼ c applesauce (I use unsweetened)
½ c soy milk
2/3 c brown rice syrup
2 T maple syrup
1 T molasses
1 t vanilla
1 c pumpkin (I use canned, I’m sure any cooked winter squash would work)
1 ¾ c flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
2 t baking powder
¾ t baking soda
¼ t salt
Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger to taste
¼ c walnuts
¼ c dried cranberries (or any dried fruit you fancy)
Banana bread variation: Use 1 c mashed banana in place of pumpkin, decrease soy milk to 2 T
If using whole flax seeds, finely grind in coffee grinder (I have one I use just for spices and seeds) or spice grinder or food processor and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the water. Mix on high speed until mixture becomes thick and glutinous
Add margarine, applesauce, soy milk, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, molasses and vanilla, beat until smooth, then add pumpkin (or banana) and beat 1 – 2 min more on high speed.
Combine dry ingredients and slowly mix into batter until just combined. Stir in your walnuts and dried fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees, 55 – 60 min if you make one larger loaf, about 40 – 45 if you make 2 shallower loaves and about 30 - 35 min for muffins.
Shananigans, that recipe looks great! Do you have any idea of the calories per muffin?
I use sugar in this recipe (I've tried with 1/2 splenda, but I abhor splenda and won't use it any more) but it is really fantastic: tastes like chocolate cake. It makes for a nice snack with a schmear of yogurt margarine (or whatever you like to put on muffins).
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
5tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
½ cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking power and salt; mix well. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, splenda and eggs, and beat until well blended. Add the applesauce and vanilla . Stir in the zucchini and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until just moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon the mixture into the loaf pan.
That recipe started as the "Brown Sugar Banana Bread" from my 1001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes cookbook, but it's been tinkered with a lot to replace the eggs and milk and refined sugar and white flour. So, it's pretty much a different recipe.
Never figured out the cals/muffin, but that would be easy enough (if a bit time consuming) to do with fitday or something. If I had to guess I'd say between 120 - 140.
Wow! Thanks for the wonderful info! I will have to print this thread.
I have seen ground flax seeds at walmart and they have whole wheat flour I will have to try that!
Maybe this weekend!
I have seen ground flax seeds at walmart and they have whole wheat flour I will have to try that!
Do check to see if they have whole wheat pastry flour and not just regular whole wheat. The pastry flour is much finer and made from softer young wheat, much better for making muffins. The regular whole wheat flour is usually too coarse, better for regular breads or rolls. Even for those I end up mixing in some amount of another kind of softer flour, it tends to make a tough and not very elastic dough on its own.
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups raw shredded carrots
1 cup raw shredded beets
3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1 cup blended pineapple
1 very ripe mashed banana
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T. ground flax
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped dates, dried mango or whole raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour and baking soda in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat maple syrup (or agave), apple cider vinegar, ground flax, pineapple, banana, and applesauce together.
Stir in the vanilla and mix well.
Combine the wet and dry flour mixtures along with the chopped walnuts and mix.
Add the shredded carrots and beets, mixing well.
Spread in a nonstick 9 X 9 baking pan.
Bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.