Gluten-Free Walnut and Fig Muffins
Gluten-Free Walnut and Fig Muffins
These little “corks,” fragrant and warm from the oven, have a wonderfully crunchy exterior and a sweet, nutty taste. Even those who cherish daily baked goods made of wheat don’t realize these are gluten-free. One secret is the way Rancho La Puerta’s La Cocina Que Canta chefs make their own “flour base” from five gluten-free ingredients.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Dry
2½ cups flour mix*
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Wet
2 eggs
1¼ cup buttermilk
½ cup grape seed oil
½ cup fresh or dried figs, chopped
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl,
lightly beat eggs and other “wet” ingredients together. Pour wet into dry and mix with
a spoon by hand until some dry flour is still evident (do not over-beat). Use ice cream
scoop to dollop muffin mixture into olive-oil-misted muffin pan (preferably one that
makes small, cork-shaped muffins). Bake approximately 20 minutes or until wooden
pick inserted comes clean.
*Gluten-Free Flour Mixture
Rancho La Puerta uses all Bob’s Mill ingredients, which are commonly available in health food grocery stores. For precision, this mixture is by weight: Combine equal parts of corn, quinoa, and sweet brown rice flours until weight is 700 grams. Combine equal parts potato starch and tapioca flour until weight is 300 grams. Mix all together. Store excess in airtight container and use soon for any baked-goods recipe. Experiment with amounts to accentuate certain flavors (ie. corn) you might like best.
