Gluten Free Brownie Muffin Tops - vegan and grain free

Brownie Muffin Tops - Gluten Free

 Sometimes, I just want to have something fudgy and full of chocolate.  That is when I start experimenting to see if I can satisfy my craving.  I've been playing with this combination of ingredients and I'm ready to share the results.  Kim and I both loved the flavor of these muffin tops.  He would have liked them to be baked a little longer so they were not so fudgy.  I liked them this way.  You know how some people like the edges of the brownie and some like the middle?  You now know which of us likes which.

Fudgy Brownie Muffin Tops - gluten free and vegan

This recipe made just 6 muffin tops which I made using a jumbo muffin pan with regular paper liners.  For "garnish", I used 3 Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips per muffin top.  If you let them cool for a while and set, they will be more like traditional brownies.  But, if you are like me and you can't wait, they will be softer and more gooey.  There are no grains, no dairy and no eggs in this recipe.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Gluten Free Brownie Muffin Tops

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast.  Hope you'll come back, soon.

  Love, 

 Susan

Fudgy Brownie Muffin Tops - gluten free, dairy free, egg free - small batch

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup almond flour

1 heaping Tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 Tablespoons dark chocolate chips

18 Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare 6 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. Combine dry ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a separate bowl.  Mix in 2 Tablespoons of chips.
4. Mix dry ingredients into wet just until combined.
5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups (about a heaping Tablespoon per muffin top)
6. Place 3 Ghirardelli chips on top of each muffin top.
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.  They will still look moist but edges will be firming up.  If you want them less gooey, bake them to desired consistency.
8. Remove from oven but allow to cool in the muffin pan until set.  Try to resist the urge to eat them right out of the oven.  They really are better when allowed to cool.
9. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones with Chocolate Chips and Pepitas

I was looking for a new recipe to use some of the leftover pumpkin I had from making some pumpkin muffins and stumbled upon a recipe from King Arthur flour for Harvest Pumpkin Scones.  In my usual style, I had to "play" with the recipe.  I added whole wheat flour, used chocolate chips and pepitas.  Pepitas are pumpkin seeds, so, I thought they would make a great crunchy addition.

A half recipe yielded 8 scones.  The recipe said it made 6, but, I thought they would be too large.  The scones I usually make are cream scones which are light, and they melt in your mouth.  These scones were more traditional in texture, that is, they were drier and more dense.  I think some apple butter might have been the perfect condiment.

The aroma in the kitchen was incredible and the scones really were picture perfect.

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn online. Hope you'll come back soon!

Love,

Susan

Pumpkin Scones adapted from Harvest Pumpkin Scones by King Arthur Flour

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup cold butter (cut into little pieces)

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds - I used salted)

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

2 large eggs

coarse white sparkling sugar, for topping

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
2. Cut in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it's OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
3. Stir in the chips and pepitas.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs till smooth.
5. Add the pumpkin/egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment
7. On a floured board, pat half the dough into a circle 1/2" - 3/4" thick.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges.  Place wedges on parchment lined baking sheet.
9. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Wedges should have a little space between them.
10. Place in the freezer overnight, uncovered.
11. In the morning, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
12. Take pan out of the freezer.  Place any extra scones in a ziploc freezer bag for another day.
13. Spread out the desired number of frozen scones on a parchment lined baking pan.
14. Brush the top of each wedge with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar.
15. Bake the scones for 22 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, with no wet crumbs. 

Visit King Arthur Flour for the original recipe