Gluten Free Apple Streusel Muffins

These are a favortie at my house.  We eat a lot of quick breads & muffins for snacks.  These are both healthy & yummy.  They are also easily made dairy & soy free as well.  Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you, they are just a lot of whole grains which you will love.  The coconut flour is what makes them so moist, if you don't have any, I would recommend substituting it with 1/2 c. tapioca flour, yes, you have to use twice as much and starch isn't healthy - so go out and buy some coconut flour today! (I hate the flavor of coconut but I cook with it daily as flour and milk, who knew?)  

Gluten Free Apple Streusel Muffins

Dry                                         
¼ c. coconut flour

½ c. tapioca flour

1 c. sorghum flour

½ c. millet four

½ c. teff flour

1 ½ tsp. xanthan gum                

1 T. baking powder         
1 ½ tsp. baking soda                 
1/2 tsp. salt                             

1 c. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon               
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Wet

3 eggs

¾ c. applesauce

6 T. olive oil

2 ¼ c. grated apples

Streusel Topping

½ c. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. nutmeg

1 T. butter

               

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Mix dry and wet ingredients together. Fill muffin tins ½ to ¾ full. Combine streusel topping ingredients, and sprinkle on top of muffins. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes.  I like to make mini muffins.  However my mini muffin pans are from a Grandma and the pans are very old, and the size is a little bigger than the mini muffin pans now.  So, I don't really know how many muffins this makes, but it makes a bunch.  Pick your size muffin pan and just stick a toothpick in to test if they are done.

*Check out some other great recipes at Linda's Gluten-Free Wednesdays!
**Whatever you won't eat the first day, throw in a freezer bag.  They freeze great! 

Frog Eye Salad - the only gluten free version I have ever seen!

I don't know the real name of this salad, but at our house it is known as Frog Eye Salad.  The original recipe uses a type of pasta that looks like frog eyes(aceite de pepe).  My oldest daughter loves this salad and I still remember the first party we attended after she went gluten free and they were serving this salad.  I took one look at her and there were huge tears in her eyes, she was heart broken.  She thought she would never again eat her favorite dish.  I was determined to figure it out.  I racked my brain with a replacement for the pasta and remembered my neighbor making a food storage dish, similar to this, out of wheat.  The wheels began turning and I started experimenting.  First, millet.  Decent, but I knew I couldn't stop there.  I needed something a little bigger with a little less flavor - sorghum.  Second, sorghum, Jackpot!  My solution might sound strange, but it works for us and my daughter looks forward to it every time we have it, plus it is healthier. I know sorghum might be hard for some of you to find.  I buy it in bulk and grind it myself.  If you don't have sorghum, give millet a shot, or experiment with with another grain.  Let me know what works, or doesn't work, for you!  The key is to cook it until it is soft.  I usually only make half this recipe, it makes a lot!

Frog Eye Salad

Presoak 2 c. sorghum(overnight) and then boil it like pasta, for about an hour(until it is soft). 

¾ c. sugar

2 T. corn starch

½ t. salt

1 can pineapple tidbits

1 can crushed pineapple

2 eggs, beaten

4 t. lemon juice

2 cans mandarin oranges

4 c. coolwhip

1 c. pineapple juice (reserved from can)

In a small bowl combine sugar, starch and salt, then whisk in pineapple juice.  Transfer to a pot and add in eggs, stirring constantly over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice and let cool.  When cool, combine with grain(or pasta).  Best if you let it sit over night, or for a few hours, in the fridge.  This gives the grain time to really soak up some sauce.  Before serving, add drained fruit and stir in coolwhip.  Keep refrigerated.

Creamy Cinnamon Syrup

Sorry it has been a while, I just got back from helping with a girl's camp for a week.  Now I need a week to recover!  I promised our favorite Cinnamon Syrup that makes everything taste like a cinnamon roll.  You have got to try it out!  I love to cook from my food storage so I use noninstant dried milk.  Don't let this scare you, I'll post all the variations at the bottom in case you don't use dried milk!

 Creamy Cinnamon Syrup

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. water

1/4 c. powdered milk

½ t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

2 T. butter

Easiest Method:  Place everything but vanilla & butter in a blender.  Blend on high for 4-5 min.(3 min. if you have a blender similar to a Vitamix/Blendtec).  Stir in vanilla & butter.

Method #2:  Bring sugars, water, milk and cinnamon to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir for 3 min.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter, stirring until butter is melted.

Milk substitutions:  If you don't cook with powdered milk, and you can handle dairy, replace water and dried milk with 1 c. evaporated milk. 

If you like coconut -Use 1/2 c. coconut milk/ 1/2 c. water.  The syrup will have a slight coconut flavor.

If you don't like coconut and you don't do dairy, try one of your favorite milks, it will just be slightly thinner.