MUFFIN MANIA

Warm and fresh from the oven, muffins make tasty treats anytime. They are also a snap to make. For one thing, muffins don't require the long fermentation of sourdoughs, or kneading and the long rise of yeast breads. And from start to finish, muffins take less than one hour to make.

Muffins (like biscuits, scones, and quick breads) rely on baking powder and baking soda to rise. Though both powder and soda can be listed in recipes, the two ingredients are not interchangeable, so don't substitute one for the other in recipes.

When to use baking soda and baking powder

The leavening agents of quick breads and muffins, baking soda and baking powder are first activated by moisture and then by heat. Soda and powder incorporate air bubbles into the dough so that muffins can rise, and they soften the finished product.

Baking powder is made of baking soda, cornstarch, and an acid, which neutralizes the soda in recipes. One teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour can raise muffins. Look for "double-acting" baking powder to insure a better rise.

Baking soda, or pure sodium bicarbonate, reacts when combined with acidic ingredients like apple cider, vinegar, citrus juices, molasses, cocoa powder, soy yogurt, and fresh fruit such as nectarines, cherries or berries. When dry and liquid ingredients are combined, stir quickly, spoon them into prepared tins, and get them in the oven.

Baking soda and powder may be listed together in recipes, depending on the ingredients.

Basic Muffin Preparation

1. Start with all ingredients at room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven so that the muffins bake at an even temperature.
3. Measure all ingredients, and lightly oil or line the muffin tins with cupcake papers. If you use a quarter cup or less oil in the recipe, muffins may stick to paper liners.
4. Measure and sift flour, leavening, salt, and spices. Combine the liquid and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Then mix the dry and liquid ingredients. Add nuts and fruit and keep the mixing to a minimum 10 to 20 seconds. Ignore the lumps.
5. Fill prepared muffin tins about ¾ full. If you overfill them the batter can stick to the pan, making it harder to remove the muffins. Place a few Tablespoons of water into empty tins, to ensure even baking.
6. Close the oven door when baking. Don't open it until muffins are almost done. Test with a toothpick before removing muffins from the oven. The toothpick should come out clean when poked into a muffin.
7. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of each muffin before removing from the tins.

Perfect muffins

Perfect muffins are slightly rounded on top and have straight sides. They have a moist but not dense texture, and the crumb has a uniform texture without big air pockets or tunnels. Store cooled muffins in an airtight container. Cooled muffins can be placed in double plastic bags and frozen for later.

Flaxseed egg replacer

This egg replacer works well for adapting muffin recipes that use eggs. It can replace up to 2 eggs. Store unused egg replacer in the refrigerator and use within a week. For each egg use 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds and 3 Tablespoons water. Blend in a blender or with a hand blender until frothy.

Going Gluten-Free

Rather than trying to adapt gluten-free muffin recipes that also list eggs, try adapting vegan cakes and quick breads to make muffins. Cut back on the sweeteners from cake recipes to muffin recipes; adjust baking temperature (375 to 400 degrees) and baking time (about 25 minutes) for muffins.

Remember: when baking muffins make as few changes to the recipe as possible. Muffins are best when they're still warm, but you can cool them and freeze them for another time.

Troubleshooting Muffins

Failure to Rise

Letting the batter sit before baking can use up the leavening power of baking soda or powder and the muffins may not rise much. If muffins are dense, or they fall back after baking, you may have too much liquid or too much baking soda or powder in the mix.

Crumbly Texture

Adding too much flour, baking too long, or not adding enough egg replacer (flaxseed egg replacer or mashed bananas) can also result in a dry muffin.

Tough Texture

Muffins have usually been over-mixed. Stir the ingredients just enough for a batter to form. Also, when adapting recipes, cutting too much of the oil can make a tough or dry muffin.

Metallic Aftertaste

Adding more than 1 teaspoon of baking soda and no baking powder can cause an aftertaste. Also, use non-aluminum baking powder in recipes.

Carrot Cake Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

Don't worry if the batter for these cake-like muffins is thick, because carrots give up moisture as they cook.

• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• 6 Tablespoons water
• ¼ cup vegan sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 1 ½ cups unbleached flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¾ cup raisins or currants
• ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
• 1 ½ cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil or line muffin tins with papers.

Combine flaxseeds and water with a blender until the mixture is thick and frothy. Set aside. Blend sugar, brown sugar, molasses, and canola oil. Combine this with the flaxseed mixture, blending well.

Mix flour, soda, powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice together, making sure no small lumps remain. Stir in raisins and pecans. Then blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Gently blend in the carrots, making sure not to overstir the mixture as this can make muffins tough.

Fill muffin tins ¾ full. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack.

Total calories per muffin: 191	Fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 31 grams	Protein: 2 grams
Sodium: 123 milligrams	Fiber: 2 grams

Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

There's a hint of lemon to balance the sweet berries in this recipe. Use fresh or frozen berries, but remember that frozen berries can bleed into the batter. For lemon zest, grate the outer skin of an organic lemon with a microplane zester or a cheese grater with very small holes.

• 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1 cup vegan milk (soy, rice, almond)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fresh grat
• ¾ cup vegan sugar*
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil 12 muffin tins or line with cupcake papers.

Blend flaxseeds and water until thick and frothy. Set aside. In a small bowl, add lemon juice to vegan milk and set aside.

Blend flour, cornmeal, baking soda, lemon zest, salt, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Make sure there are no small lumps of baking soda. In another bowl, combine flax-seed mixture, milk mixture, and oil. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Add blueberries to the flour mixture then add the milk mixture, blending just enough to form a batter. Do not overmix. The consistency should be somewhere between a pourable cake batter and thick cookie dough — not too thin and not too thick. Fill muffin tins.

Bake muffins for 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

Gently tap muffin tops or insert toothpick to confirm muffins are set.

Total calories per muffin: 232	Fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 33 grams	Protein: 3 grams
Sodium: 136 milligrams	Fiber: 2 grams

Apple Cider Walnut Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

Apple cider and baking soda make these muffins light and sweet. You can use cinnamon instead of cardamom, if desired.

• 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry or unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup vegan sugar*
• 1 cup apple cider
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 large apple, core removed and diced
• ⅛ cup toasted chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil 12 muffin tins or line with cupcake papers.

Blend flaxseeds and water until thick and frothy. Set aside. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cardamom, salt, and sugar. In another bowl combine flaxseed mixture, apple cider, and oil. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Add apples and optional nuts to the flour mixture, then add the cider-oil-flaxseed mixture, blending just enough to form a batter. Do not overmix. The consistency should be somewhere between a pourable cake batter and a thick cookie dough. Fill muffin tins.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the muffin tops are lightly browned. Gently tap the surface or use a toothpick to confirm the muffins are done.

Total calories per muffin: 192	Fat: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 25 grams	Protein: 2 grams
Sodium: 155 milligrams	Fiber: 2 grams

Pumpkin Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

These pumpkin muffins are moist and sweet. The pumpkin purée helps keep them moist and the pumpkin and spices help sweeten them. You can also use sweet potato purée if you don't have or like pumpkin.

• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ¾ cups unbleached white flour
• ¼ cup vegan sugar*
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup dried fruit (raisins, cherries, chopped dates, pears, and/or apples)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil each tin.

Blend pumpkin purée, oil, and maple syrup together. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Blend well. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix in walnuts and dried fruit.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins.

Total calories per muffin: 218	Fat: 7 grams
Carbohydrates: 39 grams	Protein: 3 grams
Sodium: 95 milligrams	Fiber: 2 grams

Gluten Free Mocha Chocolate Chip Muffins

(Makes 9 muffins)

Xanthan gum can be found in the natural foods section of stores. Some brands include Bob's Red Mill, Ener-G, and Hodgson Mill.

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup gluten-free oat bran
• 3 Tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup vegan sugar*
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold coffee
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.Combine rice flour, oat bran, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Blend well with a fork or whisk. In another bowl, combine coffee, vanilla, oil, and apple cider vinegar. Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Stir in chocolate chips. Drop cupcakes into paper muffins cups or lightly oil muffin pan and drop the batter into the cup. Fill remaining tins with a few Tablespoons of water.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Total calories per muffin: 318	Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 53 grams	Protein: 4 grams
Sodium: 282 milligrams	Fiber: 4 grams

Gluten Free Banana Nut Muffins

(Makes 6 muffins)

The millet flour caramelizes as these muffins bake, so when they are done, the muffins are subtly sweet and light, yet moist. These muffins are best when eaten soon after baking. Look for special ingredients like xanthan gum and alternative flours in the baking aisles at grocery stores, or check natural foods or gluten free stores for a broader selection.

• 1 cup millet flour
• 1 Tablespoon tapioca flour
• 1 Tablespoon potato flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• ¾ cup mashed ripe bananas
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil 6 muffin tins.

Use a sifter over a medium-sized mixing bowl to combine millet, tapioca, and potato flours, xanthan gum, and baking soda.

In a separate bowl, combine oil, mashed bananas, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until a batter forms. Stir in the chopped nuts. Spoon the batter into 6 muffin tins.

Add a few Tablespoons of water to any empty tins (if you're using a 12-cup tin). This can help balance your pan, ensure the heat is evenly distributed, and keep the pan from warping. (This is not necessary if you're using cast-iron or silicon muffin tins.) Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let muffins sit 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges, removing and cooling on a cooling rack.

Total calories per muffin: 251	Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 35 grams	Protein: 3 grams
Sodium: 228 milligrams	Fiber: 5 grams