Heartsmart Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

From "The IDEAL Way to Cook: Food for Thought"

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup Becel oil

1 cup pumpkin (canned)

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

1/2 cup raisins

Streusel Topping

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tbsp. margarine

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray muffin pan with Becel oil. In large bowl, mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In medium bowl, whisk sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg and milk. Stir liquid mix into dry. Add raisins. Combine topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Fill muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping and bake 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Photo credit: MllePeterson

White & Dark Chocolate Date Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup quick oats

4 tbsp. ground flaxseed (optional)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

1/2 white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup coarsley chopped semisweet white chocolate

1/2 cup coarsley chopped semisweet dark chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two cookie sheets. Mix first five ingredients together in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in oatmeal mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about two inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen.

Gluten-Free Flour Substitute (for Celiac Disease)

Celiac disease affects one in 150 people and often occurs with other conditions such as Down syndrome. It is an inherited condition and can appear at any time in a person's life. Celiac disease causes a person to have a permanent allergy to gluten, which is a protein found in various wheats (durum, kamut, spelt, barley, rye and triticale).

When gluten is eaten, it causes damage to the absorptive lining of the small intestine and can result in malnutrition, anemia, nutritional deficiences and an increased risk to other diseases including cancers of the digestive system.

Celiac disease cannot be cured. It is a permanent condition, but can be controlled without medications by eating a gluten-free diet which includes rice and corn flours, some ancient grains (ie. amaranth), as well as flours made from various beans, potato and tapioca.

Gluten-Free Flour Substitute:
Substitute in equal quantities, cup for cup, for white flour in your favourite recipes.

2 c. RICE FLOUR (white or brown)
2/3 c. POTATO STARCH (do not use potato flour)
1/3 c. TAPIOCA STARCH or TAPIOCA FLOUR
1/2 teaspoon XANTHUM GUM

Mix all ingredients well together and store in an airtight container.
You may double or triple the recipe, but mix well.
Use in place of white flour in your favourite recipes for cookies and cakes.

ALL gluten-free baked products taste best the day they are made. They are good the next day. They get quite dry by the third day. Therefore, it is best to set aside a few cookies, for example, for two days and freeze the remainder in an airtight container.

(Information and recipe submitted by Addie Daabous.)

Photo credit: kthread





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