The Ninja Baker - #muffins

Land of Milk and Honey Muffins, #TwelveLoaves

NinjaBaker — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 02:04:14 +0000

Even if you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, doesn’t the Land of Milk and Honey sound luscious? According to Bible and Talmud experts, The Land of Milk and Honey is a metaphor for Israel, the Promised Land and fertile fields.

Got Milk?

The holy books of mainstream religions tend to be pretty thick, right? But the idea of a Land of Milk and Honey has survived and seared into our consciousness. Maybe the idea has survived because we all need the promise of a better day. The motive to create a more wonderful world for ourselves is a mighty reason to get up in the morning. And we'll keep moving (whether Moses is with us or not) as long as we have a happy place or another plateau we want or need to reach.

Got Manischewitz?

I’d be delighted if you’d share what the Land of Milk and Honey means to you. While you contemplate, the idea, I do highly recommend nibbling on Land of Milk and Honey Muffins. Full disclosure: According to Rabbi Menachem Posner, the honey referred to in the Talmud is date honey. Bee honey - organic Italian Mandarin Orange Honey - was used in this Ninja Baker's Land of Milk and Honey Muffin.

A bite into my Land of Milk and Honey Muffins
may not deliver you to the Promised Land.
But they will take you to your happy place!

Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories requested that we all contribute Jewish breads for this month’s Twelve Loaves baking group. (Scroll down for details on how to participate.) I’ve attempted my version of Challah-like braided bread and munched on my yummy Manischewitz donuts. So, why not try a Land of Milk and Honey muffin? And I’m very glad I did. The muffins are mini coffee cakes clad in cupcake cases. Streusel garnish atop a moist, light muffin may just have you thinking you’ve entered the Land of Milk and Honey!

Land of Milk and Honey Muffins

Bite into the tender crumb of a Land of Milk and Honey Muffin and the promise of a sublime mini coffee cake is delivered.

Land of Milk and Honey Muffins are best made with high-quality ingredients and a lot of love.

Adapted from a recipe at NoblePig.com.

Yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

Streusel Ingredients:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon spice
5 tablespoons softened butter

Muffin Ingredients:

¼ cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
Heaping ½ teaspoon of powdered lemon peel
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup honey (I used an Italian organic Mandarin honey.)
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° Place cupcake cases into a muffin tin.

Melt the ¼ cup butter in the microwave or over low heat in a saucepan. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and cinnamon for the streusel. Cut in the softened butter until a fine crumble appears in the streusel bowl. Set aside.

For the muffin batter, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, powdered lemon peel and salt in another clean bowl.

To the melted and cooled butter, vigorously stir in the egg, milk, honey and vanilla bean paste. Slowly, add the dry muffin batter ingredients. When well combined, divide the batter among the 12-cupcake cases.

Sprinkle each muffin with the streusel.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and runs smoothly with the help of Heather of girlichef, and the rest of our fabulous bakers. Our host this month is Karen from Karen's Kitchen Stories, and our theme is Jewish Breads. For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month's mouthwatering selection of #TwelveLoaves "A Little Something Sweet" Breads!

Bialys from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Boulou from girlichef
Challah Braid from The Redhead Baker
Land of Milk and Honey Muffins from NinjaBaker.com
Marble Rye Bread from The Bread She Bakes
Montreal Bagels from Cheap Ethnic Eatz
Passover Popovers from Hostess At Heart
Pletlz - Jewish Onion Bread from A Shaggy Dough Story

If you'd like to bake along with us this month, share your Jewish bread using hashtag #TwelveLoaves!

Wishing you places where the promise of happiness awaits.

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

Follow Ninja Baker @NinjaBaking's board NinjaBaker.com Sweets on Pinterest.

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3 Easy Gluten-Free On The Go Kid-Friendly Breakfasts, #Glutino#Giveaway

NinjaBaker — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 21:07:26 +0000

Glutino provided product and coupons for this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own. Scroll down for opportunities to win coupons for FREE Glutino products.

Gluten-free bread which will leave you wondering
why you don't always use gluten-free flour!

“Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends.” (Shakespeare, William. Henry VI, Part I: Act 3, Scene 2, Line 34) Not all of us are strategizing about how to free France from England like Joan of Arc in Henry VI, Part I. But most of us are organizing and multi-tasking children, church/temple, family, friends and work obligations. “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of our Lives.” (To quote the modern day maestros of drama.) In other words, we don’t have time to dilly-dally in the kitchen while life is calling us to share precious moments with those we love.

Take a break with the Ninja Baker's gluten-free gem
of a strawberry treasure muffin.

I’ve created 3 Easy Gluten-Free On The Go Kid-Friendly Breakfasts so your schedule can be freed up to cuddle with those close to you. And, yes, to also free up a bit of time for that pampering you’ve been putting off. So, no more excuses. Make the 3 Easy Gluten-Free On The Go Kid-Friendly Breakfasts and skip off guilt-free to the day spa or to that mani-pedi or to the time-out on the couch to watch the Days of our Lives!

Perfect grab 'n go gluten-free almond butter chocolate chip scones.

P.s. If you need convincing that gluten-free is THE healthiest choice you can make, read Dr. Wayne Dyer’s article about avoiding gluten.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Ice Cream Bread

Delicate tones of vanilla, cranberry and almonds hit high notes of deliciousness in this oh-so-hard to believe it’s gluten free bread.

Ninja Note: High quality ingredients such as organic ice cream, sucanat sugar and Glutino Gluten Free Pantry All Purpose Flour do help to produce perfection!

This recipe is adapted from MyRecipes.com.

Ingredients:

1½ cups Glutino Gluten Free Pantry All Purpose Flour
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 pint organic vanilla bean ice cream, softened
1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup thinly sliced almonds
2 tablespoons organic sucanat sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the insides of two 5x3 inch loaf pans with coconut oil spray. Dust with Glutino Gluten Free Flour.

In a tall measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the Glutino Gluten Free Flour, baking powder and salt. In one large bowl stir together the flour mixture and ice cream. Add the cranberries.

Divide the batter between the two 5x3 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops of the loaves with almonds and sucanat sugar.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Ninja Note: For the best results rotate the loaves halfway in the baking process.

Gluten-Free Strawberry Treasure Muffins

Tender crumb muffins with a surprise strawberry jam treasure inside. Friends and family will be happy to grab these gluten free on-the-go breakfast yummies.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons vegan, non-dairy butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 package of Glutino Gluten Free Pantry Muffin Mix
1 cup French Vanilla Coconut Milk Creamer
18 teaspoons of strawberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin tins with 18 cupcake cases. Spray with coconut oil spray so the muffin easily releases from the cupcake case paper.

Whisk together the butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Add the Glutino Gluten Free Pantry Muffin Mix and cup of creamer. Combine well. Fill the cupcake cases with a heaping tablespoon of batter. Drop one teaspoonful of strawberry jam in the middles. Cover with another heaping tablespoonful of batter. Sprinkle with pink sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Gluten-Free Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Gluten free almond butter mingles with mini chocolate chips in a grand blast of scone scrumptiousness. Glutino Gluten Free Pantry Muffin Mix is the matchmaker who brings together the simpatico ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 Glutino Gluten Free Pantry Muffin Mix
½ cup frozen butter
¼ cup crunchy almond butter
½ cup French Vanilla almond milk + extra for brushing the tops of the scones
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

With a pastry cutter (or two knives) cut the butter and almond butter into the muffin mix. Once the mixture is coarse and crumbly, add the almond milk, almond extract and egg. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Create mini scones with a mini ice cream scooper and drop onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten. Brush with almond milk. Freeze for 2 hours or overnight.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to David, Katie and Linda for winning the free Glutino gluten-free product coupons.

Wishing you the good fortune of winning the giveaway on another NinjaBaker.com post (coming soon!)

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

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