My Muffins, My Muffins, My Muffins - not YOUR Muffins

Sammy has ABA therapy four days a week. The team meeting, where we discuss his progress and goals, is every Thursday morning at 8:30. I always make a treat for us to share for breakfast. This Thursday I made strawberry muffins.

I made a double batch so there would be some for the meeting and some for the family. They were delicious. In fact I wish I hadn't tasted them. Tasting one led to my eyes rolling back in my head. Consequently, I tasted three or four more.

There were only two left this morning. I sent those to school with Jasmine. Sammy was not happy. He proceeded to voice his displeasure for a good fifteen minutes. Hell hath no fury like Sammy when one has eaten the last of a food he is crazy about. So I baked more solely to get him to stop yelling about it.

This recipe is gluten-free but I'll put modifications for those of you who are lucky enough to use wheat flour.

Gluten-free flour has to be blended to get a similar protein content to wheat flour. I use a Betty Hagman blend. The woman was an utter genius. If she were still alive, I would gladly kiss her feet. I have seriously considered building a shrine to her in my kitchen.

Her gluten-free mix is as follows.

6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch (not potato flour - completely different animals)
1 cup tapioca starch

Mix these all together. They measure cup for cup like wheat flour in baking.

And now for the recipe. Ta da!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffin Recipe

2 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup casein-free margarine (Lucky ducks can use butter)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I love vanilla)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour, sifted (Wheat flour for the rest of you)
1 1/2 tsp guar or xantham gum (not necessary when baking with wheat)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (1 tsp if you're using wheat)
1/3 cup vanilla-flavored milk substitute (regular milk is fine for dairy consumers)
2 cups fresh strawberries, finely diced

Heat your oven to 350. Grease or line one muffin pan.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add about 1/4 cup of the sugar to them in order to keep them stiff.

Take one TBS of flour and toss your diced strawberries with it to coat. Set aside.

Sift together the rest of the flour, the guar gum and baking powder.

Cream margarine. Add in salt and vanilla. Gradually add in remaining sugar, then the egg yolks. Beat until light and creamy.

Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Fold in the beaten whites. Then fold in the strawberries.

Spoon the batter into your muffin pan. Sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake approximately 25 minutes.

You can use blueberries in these muffins but the strawberries were by far more delicious.