Stacy's Paper Crafts

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE ♥♥♥ these muffins??!! In my quest to finding suitable GF replacements for some of my favorite gluten filled recipes I've mostly had to embrace the fact that gluten is unique. Many of my recipes are just "good enough" replacements, meaning that they don't exactly taste the way my "gluten" version tastes, but they usually end up being "good enough" to satisfy my craving. 

Well these muffins are BETTER than my wheat flour recipe! I've been experimenting with sorghum flour and I really think it really gives these muffins a great flavor! They are light and have somewhat of a fluffy texture which some, especially some commercial GF baked goods lack.  I hope that you'll bake some for yourself :) When you measure the flours, sift well to ensure you are only using what you need. My motto... "You can never sift too much!"

This recipe yeilds 18- 20 medium/large sized muffins. I'm ashamed to say that between my son, husband, & I they only lasted two days! LOL I made a second batch &  froze them hopefully they'll last a little longer. They freeze & thaw very well, & are great to keep as a freezer staple. 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup white sorghum flour

1 1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 cups or 1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl sift together sorghum flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, xatham gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift well!

In a separate bowl mix eggs, sugar, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves.

Slowly add wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mix well. 

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for approximately 18 to 20 minutes. 

 

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Gingerbread Men need them too!

I'm fascinated by googley eyes. I'm not sure why. I can't explain it. I just am. I like to put them on things... like frogs and monsters.

    

So I decided that gingerbread men should have googley eyes too!

 

Don't worry, these are edible :)

 
I used this gingerbread cookie recipe but modified it by adding  1 tsp. of vanilla extract and 1tsp. of nutmeg. I used this icing recipe but substituted lemon extract for the almond, and ended up using a lot more milk and corn syrup than what the recipe called for. I used about 1 1/2 TBS of corn syrup and added a 1/2 tsp of milk at a time until I got a good consistency. I probably used about 2 1/2 TBS of milk but I'm not exactly sure. Then I used mini M&M's for the buttons and red & black food coloring to create the eyes and cheeks. 

I don't normally make rolled cookies but these were pretty easy to make. I do not have a steady hand so I don't think I'll ever have a career as a cookie decorator but it was fun and I may make this an annual tradition. I think once a year is plenty! LOL

Have a VERY Merry Christmas :)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These have to be the YUMMIEST oatmeal raisin cookies I've ever tasted. I usually make chocolate chip cookies for my husband and son on Fridays. As soon as my husband walks through the door from work on Friday he asks "Do we have any cookies?"  This week I decided to try oatmeal raisin cookies instead... they are now his favorite :) They are super easy to make too. I highly recommend using a baking stone if you love oatmeal cookies that are slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside!

I baked one batch using my Pampered Chef stone and compared it to another batch I baked using a Wearever Cushion Air insulated aluminum cookie sheet. The ones cooked on Wearever cookie sheet turned out a little more crispy and not quite as soft a few hours after baking. The next day they were a little dry and crumbly. The pampered chef ones were slightly crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside a few hours after baking. The next day they weren't quite as crispy on the outside but they were still wonderfully soft and chewy.

2 cups of flour

1  tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

2 eggs

1 stick of butter

1 & 1/2 cups of raisins

1 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of oatmeal (I use Quick 1-minute Quaker Oats)

Peheat oven to 350

Place raisins in a bowl & cover with hot water, let them soak for 5 minutes & then drain.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, & salt in one bowl.

In another bowl, combine brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and vanilla extract mix and add eggs. Mix well.

Slowly combine wet ingrediants with the dry ones. Add raisins and oatmeal and mix well.

Drop by the teaspoon & bake for 10-13 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet or stone and then transfer them to a rack to cook.

Makes approximately 36 cookies