For the LOVE of baking

Anyone else out there wish that their favorite snacks or baked goods were HEALTHY?…. My love for baking started back when I was 14 years old watching my dear Grandma bake pies and cookies pretty much in her sleep. She was my inspiration and example of a beautiful baker.  I had to hit my kitchen years ago though, with a different mind set.   An uncontrollable change to my diet made me turn some of my favourite baked goods into healthy packed snacks.

About 9 years ago,  I was diagnosed with celiac disease.  This obviously threw my diet for a loop!   1 year later when  they tested my blood again, I was   informed  that I just have a wheat intolerance ….  we later  found out that I was also diagnosed with endometriosis.  A long story short,  I now take a lot of thought into what I eat,  and what I feed my family. I also did a lot of research and I figured out that wheat actually ‘feeds’  endometriosis, and  should be avoided.  So, to this day, I try my very best to stay away from wheat and even sugar – a big challenge I find at times!.

So what was this gal  who LOVES baking to do?  Well, I had to  play around with many recipes, experiment and use a variety of different flours!   It’s  turned out to be quite fun.

I’m a big fan of the Bulk Barn, this is the place  where I get things like  Kamut flour, spelt flour, brown rice flour, quinoa flour, sugar cane and hemp seeds!!…. the list can go on.  I sometimes feel like a kid in a toy store when I go to the there.  In these posts for Baking and recipes,  I hope to share some great  tricks to make simple changes in your baking, as well as some awesome recipes that I do all the time for my family and friends.    This may be overwhelming to someone who doesn’t bake as often, but give one of them a try!  I know you and your stomachs will be thankful.

Here’s just a few to start off –  Enjoy!

Wheat free Blueberry muffins

1. – 3/4 Cup butter
2. – 3/4 sucanut or brown sugar
3. – 2 eggs
4. – 1/2 Cup of vanilla or greek yogurt
5. – 3/4 Cup milk or Almond milk
6. – 3 Cups of wheat free or gluten free flour  ( I used 1 1/2 C of spelt flour and 1 1/2 C of potato flour
7. –  1 tbsp baking pwd
8. – 1 Cup of frozen blueberries, plus some for the top

Preheat your oven to ‘350 degrees and either line or grease your muffin tins.  Blend and mix all wet ingredients until  well combined.  Add in dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Then fold in the blueberries.   Fill muffin cups to the top ( I like big muffins that crisp over the edge, but you can put less in).   Top the muffins with a few extra blueberries and even some cane sugar and bake for 20 – 25 mins until golden brown.

Pumpkin Chocolate chip muffins                                                                                      This is a gluten free and dairy free muffin.

1. 3 eggs beaten
2. 1/2 Cup  coconut oil
3. 1/4 Cup Van Coconut yogurt
4. 3/4 Cup sucanat
5. 1/2 Cup Brown rice flour
6. 1 Cup quinoa flour
7. 1/2 Cup GF corn bread mix
8. 1/2 tsp  xanthum gum
9. 3/4 can of pumpkin pie filling
10. 2 tsp baking soda
11. 1 tsp cinnamon
12. 1 tsp kosher salt
13. 1 Cup of chocolate of carob chips  (plus some for the top)

Preheat oven to 350′

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl and then combine dry to wet. Mix well.  Grease muffin tins and fill to the top (the bigger the muffin is, the better in my mind!)   Bake for about 25 – 30 mins until golden on top.                               These taste great with honey or apple butter on them along with your coffee.