GF Light & Fluffy Lemon & Blueberry Muffins

 We seem to go through a lot of muffins around here. They're a favorite. Everyone loves muffins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack-time. These lovely lemon and blueberry muffins are based off one of my favorite light and fluffy lemon or lemon-poppyseed muffins.  Quite a lot of the time, the types of muffins I end up making are directly influenced by what fruits and vegetables I happen to have in the refrigerator needing to be used. In this case - some lemons and blueberries. Enjoy! 

Lemon & Blueberry Muffins, fresh from the oven. Yum!

Light & Fluffy Lemon & Blueberry Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line tins with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together:
1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch OR cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda

Add and beat 2-3 minutes until nice and smooth:
4 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
2/3 cup milk
1 cup sugar 
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp packed lemon zest (and/or 5 drops lemon essential oil)

Mix into batter:

1 - 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Batter ready to put into muffin tins!

Divide batter into prepared muffin cups.

I like to use a really large size cookie scoop to divide up the batter.

Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with: 

~1 Tbsp granulated sugar

I fine this adds just a touch of caramelized sweetness 

Bake muffins at 350 F for 18-20 minutes until golden brown on top.  Let rest in tins a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.  These are wonderful hot or cooled on the day of baking. I like to put leave a handful of muffins in a tupperware on the counter for any that will be eaten within a day and reheat 15 second in the microwave before serving.  The remaining I put in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze for later. Enjoy! 

This recipe made 24 muffins. 

GF Light & Fluffy Lemon & Blueberry Muffins Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 It's that time of year when the days are starting to cool a bit here, and things like a tasty tomato-basil soup with grilled cheese make a perfect dinner.  If you have fresh tomatoes, then check out one of my other tomato soup recipes - they're both delicious. One is a roasted tomato soup recipe, and the other is a fresh summer tomato & basil soup recipe.  Alas, this recipe came about because all my tomatoes are itty bitty (delicious, but not really soup tomatoes) but I did still have some fresh basil available. Enjoy!

A bowl of fresh tomato-basil soup, ready to eat with our open-faced grilled cheese. Yum!

Tomato-Basil Soup

Makes ~7 cups of soup

In a large pot, heat until bubbling:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp butter

Add and cook until just softened,
1 medium to large onion, chopped

Stir in, letting cook 1 minute:
1 large can (796 ml / 27 oz) diced tomatoes
2 - 3 tsp minced garlic

Add:
3 1/2 cups chicken stock (I often just fill the diced tomato can with water & add GF chicken bouillon or Asian mushroom seasoning)
2 - 3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili sauce or harissa paste *see below
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (I've often added this later, but it adds a wonderful depth to simmer along with everything)

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.  

Puree the soup with a stick blender to desired consistency.

Taste & season with additional salt & pepper, as desired.

Serve hot with fresh ground pepper & grilled cheese sandwiches! 

We often place slices of bread on a pan and top with sliced cheese, then just heat it all in the oven and eat these open-faced "grilled cheese" breads with our tomato soup.

Enjoy!


*A bit more about Harissa: This amount will add just a touch of depth to the taste, but not spiciness - add a bit more if you want more spice. Harissa is a hot chili paste that incorporate a few others spices as well. It tends to come in small containers, like a small jar.  If you don't have harissa, you can add a small pinch of cayenne powder or little scoop of any hot chili paste.

Tomato-Basil Soup Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

I'll give a little background on how I ended up creating these yummy (& healthy) banana oatmeal pancakes. Years ago my blender broke. And when I say years ago, I mean back when I had one kid. I now have 3 and the youngest is 10, so it's been awhile since I had a blender. The stick blender and I are still friends, but I have a new blender and it's been so fun to play around with throwing things together quickly. These banana oatmeal pancakes do have to be cooked on medium-low, but you can toss everything into a blender and just let it blend for a minute, and voila, the batter is ready! Feel free to add in mini chocolate chips if you'd like to make your youngest happy, too. Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes drizzled with maple syrup

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Makes ~24 pancakes

In a blender, add the following: (Don't have a blender? You can mix this in a large bowl with a stick blender)

4-5 overripe bananas

4 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

2 cup GF oats

1 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp oil (optional)

2 Tbsp sugar (optional)

Blend for 1 minute. 

If desired, mix in before cooking pancakes: 

2-3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Scoop and cook pancakes over medium-low heat. I prefer to butter the pan between batches.  

My kids prefer all pancakes with mini chocolate chips added, but either way works great. 

Place cooked pancakes on a plate or platter. Leftover pancakes can be cooled and frozen for easy breakfasts. Enjoy!

Cooking up yummy banana oatmeal pancakes! 

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!