Pumpkin Muffins

Came across this recipe online and have tried it out many times. This is the way it went this time around - these are very moist and a bit dense while still being fluffy - we love them!!

RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN MUFFINS
From Gourmet November 2006
Adapted from the American Club
Makes 1 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpking (from a 15-oz can) (I put the entire 15 oz. can in because I hate to waste it and it was great)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 tsps Ener-G (egg replacer) mixed with 4 tsp water and whisked till smooth
1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice (a combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice)
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven toe 350F. Put liners in muffin cups (I sprayed tins in hopes that the muffins would be crispy on the outside but that didn't happen).

Whisk together sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add egg replacer and water mixture and whisk. Stir in the soda, salt and spices. Mix in flour. (I just realized I forgot the baking powder - made no difference though).

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. This makes 12 muffins. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in tin for 5 minutes and then cool completely on wire rack.

I didn't get a chance to enjoy these warm because I had to pick up my daughter from preschool but they were fantastic this afternoon with a cup of decaf!!

Wacky Cake

I always forget to take photos before I devour these yummy treats. I'll try to get better. I found this recipe many places on the internet. The idea is that this cake was created during WWII and the Great Depression when eggs and butter were not readily available. It is perfect for a family with allergies. And I love that it just bakes up to an 8x8 cake - not a huge one. It was crazy moist and I even stirred in a handful of Enjoy Life chocolate chips - which was nice.

Wacky Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

4 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs cider vinegar

6 tbs vegetable oil

1 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl - add wet ingredients. Mix till well combined. Pour into greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!!

Dairy/Egg Free Blondies

I tried these Dairy Free/Egg Free Blondies and they are fantastic!! I got the recipe online (site is listed below). I whipped them up pretty quickly and they taste great! The instructions as I pulled them online are listed below. A few notes from me:

• The dairy free chocolate chips I used were Enjoy Life. They are semisweet (which I don't really love) but they worked great here and I really only used 1 cup - they are very small and were perfect.
• I used Earth's Balance sticks for the vegan butter.
• The mixture of Egg Replacer Powder (I used Ener-G) really is gooey - cool.
• I lined the pan with foil but I'm never sure what the point of this is.
• I like my baked goods a little underdone and love that I'm able to do with when I don't use eggs. I cooked them for 30 minutes but let them cool in the pan for longer than 10.
• Next time I think I'll add a large scoop of soy nut better - yum!

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Makes one 8x8 inch pan of blondies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Egg Replacer Powder
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 8 T. (1 stick) dairy-free soy margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 cup dark dairy-free chocolate chips

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x8" square baking pan and line with parchment or foil. Lightly oil or grease (with dairy-free soy margarine) the parchment or foil and set aside.

2. In a small cup or bowl, whisk together the Egg Replacer and hot water until the mixture is smooth and gooey. Set aside.

3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the melted margarine and sugars well until the sugars are dissolved and the mixture is combined. Add the vanilla and Egg Replacer mixture, whisking until combined.

4. In another mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and baked until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with few or no crumbs, about 30-35 minutes. Allow the blondies to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift the blondies out by the parchment paper or foil, and allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling wrack before removing the paper and cutting.

I got this recipe at http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/cookies/r/blondie.htm

Step One

I have two daughters, Nadia is 3 1/2 years old and Isabelle is 22 months. Isabelle has some food allergies and is currently eliminating the following from her diet:

eggs

dairy

sesame seeds

lentils

peanuts

tree nuts

chick pea

onion

shallots

garlic

asparagus

chives

shell fish

I am a nursing mama and so I also have eliminating these items from my diet. It's been hard to find recipes that suit my families needs - most vegan dishes have lots of nuts. So this site is simply for other families who may be having a hard time adjusting to a new lifestyle of eating. I'm not a chef; just a cook so these recipes are created by others and I'm just here trying them out and adjusting them to fit my lifestyle. Enjoy!