Muffins or Cupcakes?

This one day, I made muffins (gasp!).  I didn't mean to, please don't be mad at me.  I really wanted to make cupcakes but they just didn't taste like a cupcake.  Also, I felt guilty adding frosting to something providing bit healthier ingredients (double gasp!).  I really don't know what has gotten into me. 

Here's the thing, I decided to try my first gluten free cupcake recipe.  I received this book for Christmas last year and I just got around to giving one of the recipes a try.  I've been asked about making cupcakes to conform to specific diets before.  I really see it as a lot of pressure.  Depending on the reason of the dietary needs, I could really make someone sick.  Some people's bodies just don't process certain ingredients or in some cases with allergies, reject some ingredients all together.  Talk about pressure.  Still, I wanted to give gluten free baking a try.  If nothing else, I now had a reason to buy arrowroot powder.  I don't even know what arrowroot is but I guess I needed it's powder to bake these muffins.

I liked this cookbook because the author was first a cupcake lover.  When she learned she had celiac disease she didn't stop loving cupcakes, she just created her own cupcake recipes to work around her own dietary needs.  Cupcakes for the win!

I don't have any specific dietary needs (well other than coffee, a must have or I die!)  I do need to change a few things though.  I will never not indulge in a cupcake if put in front of me.  I have this idea that everyone probably thinks I eat cupcakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I don't.  I wish I could but I don't.  My biggest food trap is actually snacky type stuff like chips.  Add guacamole and I'm in trouble.  Now guacamole, that I have had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I was in Mexico and it was fresh.  And it was delicious.  And I won't apologize for it.

So back to these cupcakes muffins.  They just had a taste and texture that reminded me of a breakfast muffin more than a frosting topped cupcake.  A suggestion from a friend after trying one was brilliant though.  She suggested adding a cream cheese frosting.  Now that might work.  That might be quite delicious.  For the time being, I'm enjoying the rest of this batch as a healthy breakfast option.  I froze them and can just pop one out as needed.  One little muffin defrosts quickly and it's just handy having stuff like that on hand.  Not chips.  Not guacamole.

I'm going to share the recipe with you but if you are a cupcake lover and are working with a gluten free diet, this is a great little cookbook!  The author, Elana, also has a blog that I've added to my ever growing list of blogs to follow.  Check out Elana's Pantry.  She just posted a paleo chocolate frosting that looks divine!

Strawberry Cupcakes from Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Elana Amsterdam

1/2 cup coconut flour
1 Tbs. arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.  In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla.  Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the strawberries.  Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared cup.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Elana says to let cool in the pan for 1 hour then frost and serve.  Frost if you want but these are good without.  Is that what makes a muffin a cupcake?  Frosting?  Are muffins jealous of cupcakes? 



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