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March 2014 By i sugar coat it! 3 Comments

Vanilla Bean Malted Mini Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Happy Muffin Monday morning to you! We've got Vanilla Bean Malted Mini Muffins on the menu today, paired with a little Scandal.

Before we start munching on these mini muffins, tell me, are you a Scandal fan? I'll take the silence as a resounding YES... Good!

Since I am not a fan of reality shows, I have little interest in cable TV - give me HBO and Netflix, please! This show, however, had me hooked from the pilot. A creation of Shonda Rhimes - also the creator of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice - Scandal's clever mashup of dirty politics, religion, adultery, revenge the works, will hook you and hold you in its salacious web of deceit. And the cast is easy on the eyes!

Thursday night was the start of season 3 and the President and Pope's adulterous love affair is back in full, breathy, palpable swing. Momma Pope is MIA again. Poppa Pope is on the war path, with all guns aimed at Fitz and anyone in his camp, including his own daughter, Olivia. Quinn has gone rogue (and that's an understatement). Harrison's fear has a face and it's female!! Hot as hell, Jake IS a patriot and currently sitting on Poppa Pope's throne. Cyrus is screwed - I mean, REALLY screwed. Sally is aiming for the President's post while covering up the murder she recently committed (hint: her *in-the-closet* husband). And Mellie, the consumed by greed first lady to Fitz, who clearly does not love her, does not know that the kids he thinks are his could actually be his dad's (yup, that's no typo) and who has cleverly brought on a running mate with eyes only for Mellie...

OK, so who's hungry now? I know I am. These muffins are no Kerry Washington (man is she ever gorgeous!), but what these little plain Janes lack in looks and style, they make up in taste. All credit goes to the vanilla beans and Horlicks Malted Milk Powder combination. They are dense, but still light and fluffy and packed with flavour - like a cupcake, but without the added sweetness. Give them a try!

Muffin Mondays Past:

Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins

Oat Date Muffins

Gluten-Free Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins

Print Recipe

Vanilla Bean Malted Mini Muffins

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 24

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

87 g malted milk powder ¾ cup, I used Horlicks
149 g unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ½ cups
11 g baking powder 1 tablespoon
64 g granulated sugar ⅓ cup
165 g coconut milk ¾ cups, or you may substitute buttermilk
72 g coconut oil ⅓ cup, liquid
1 egg
1 vanilla bean scraped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF and center a rack in the oven.
Prepare muffin pan. I used a 24-well mini muffin pan and brushed with coconut oil.
Sift malted milk powder, flour and baking powder into a medium bowl.
In a smaller bowl, light whisk together the coconut milk, oil, egg and vanilla beans.
Pour the wet mixture onto the dry and use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine.
Use a small ice-cream scoop to distribute batter among the muffin pan.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan on a wire rack for a few minutes. Remove from pan and enjoy while still warm.

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 3 Comments

Banana Oat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Happy Muffin Monday! What's better than Banana Bread? How about Banana Bread Muffins? Better yet, Banana Oat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins! A mouthful in so many ways.

Ok, full disclosure - we're not really enjoying these today. We enjoyed these moist, delicious mouthfuls back in December. You may have seen them on my Instagram feed.

I had not planned to share them on here, hence the not-so-great photos from three months ago. I was about to empty the trash folder on my computer and came across these photos and remembered how great they tasted and wondered why I had not done a post. Also, I have not gotten around to importing from my camera, the photos I shot for the muffins made this weekend, intended for this post.

So, into my Muffin Monday folder they moved and now onto my blog and hopefully into your belly.

I can go on and on about these muffins, but I plan to keep this post short, so, six words - Bananas. Oats. Peanut Butter. Chocolate Chips. If I had to add a seventh, it would be cinnamon. I sprinkle it onto almost everything I eat.

Remember my PB&J Banana Bread pictured below? Well, these Banana Oat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins were conceived from that recipe.

In loaf or muffin form, this combination does not disappoint. Try them and see for yourself. If you go the loaf route, left-overs make AH-MAZING French toast!

What are some of your favourite flavour combinations?

More Muffin Monday:
Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins
Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins
Oat Date Muffins

Print Recipe

Banana Oat Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 12

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas mashed
151 g brown sugar ¾ cup
1 egg
220 g buttermilk 1 cup
60 g peanut butter ⅓ cup
100 g whole wheat flour 1 cup
80 g rolled oats 1 cup
11 g baking powder 1 tbsp
2.5 g cinnamon 1 tsp
1 g salt ¼ tsp
135 g bitter-sweet chocolate chips ¾ cup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line muffin pans with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas with brown sugar, egg, buttermilk and peanut butter.
In separate bowl, mix whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips.
Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until combined.
Use an ice-cream scoop to evenly distribute the batter to muffin pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly in pan.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy warm!!

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 6 Comments

Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Happy Muffin Monday! Today, we're wrapping up a beautiful long weekend with Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins!

Today is Family Day, a holiday observed only in a few provinces here in Canada. I just so happen to live in one - YAY! So gather up the troops for the most important meal of the day - Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins! Or you may refer to it as breakfast

Coconut oil was a staple in our household growing up, so while it has recently been touted as the *new* thing in cooking, for me it's an old, familiar friend. Apart from food preparation, we grew up having it rubbed onto our skin and into our freshly washed hair to enhance our natural curls. But this is not a beauty blog...

So yes, me love coconut oil long time! 😉 Coconut flour, however, I know less intimately. It has proven to be quite the nemesis. It *catastrophized* a cake (yup, it was so catastrophic I needed to create a word), crumbled cookies and mangled muffins. Recently, however, a friendship of sorts has blossomed into little golden bites of deliciousness I call Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins. And I have eggs to thank for this turning point. YAY #2!

You see, coconut flour is a heavy drinker. I mean check into rehab and never leave DRINKER! An insatiable powdery lush! Add a liquid to it and watch it disappear at record speed - there ought to be an Olympic event for something that moves this quickly to absorb so much liquid.

In other recipe experiments, I tried adding more water, oil, apple sauce, sour cream... thirst unquenched! Then, while going through my notes from the Baking Arts course I took at the end of 2012, I was struck (figuratively, in case you were worried) - EGGS!!

We use eggs in recipes sometimes as a leavening agent, as a binder or for moisture and richness. HELLO!! Why hadn't I thought about this before... I now realize that by adding more water I was negating the above. DUH!

I am so pleased with the way these turned out. I'd say this calls for YAY #3! I have not fully worked out all the ratios and so forth, but as soon as I do I will share. Four eggs may seem like a lot for such a small batch of muffins, but as I kept adding eggs, it was at number four that the batter seemed to come together. I also decided to use coconut milk for additional richness and flavour. Buttermilk could probably be substituted if you don't like coconut milk.

Coconut flour is high in fibre, low in carbs, gluten-free and adds a nice flavour to recipes. It's lighter than almond flour, which is also gluten-free, which would make it great for cakes - once I've played around with it a bit more.

In the meantime, I hope you try these and let me know your thoughts. For a little variety, I topped some of these mini mouthfuls with pecan and maple syrup, cinnamon, shredded cheese and the remaining few were left plain and slathered with butter.

Revisit Past Muffin Mondays:

Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins

Oat Date Muffins

Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Coconut Cornmeal Mini Muffins {Muffin Monday}

The perfect little gluten-free treats to start your week!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 24

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

45 g coconut flour ½ cup
128 g cornmeal ¾ cup
7 g baking powder 2 teaspoons
2.5 g salt ½ teaspoon
85 g raw honey ¼ cup
4 large eggs
220 g coconut milk 1 cup
53 g coconut oil ¼ cup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a 24-well mini muffin pan by brushing with coconut oil, or lining with mini muffin/cupcake liners.
Sift coconut flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs, coconut milk and coconut oil.
Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix until combined.
Use a small ice-cream scoop to fill the muffin wells about ¾ full. If adding pecans or cinnamon, do so before baking.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly in pan.
If adding cheese, do so while still warm. I also drizzled a bit of maple syrup onto the pecan topped muffins. Enjoy while still warm!
If you try these, I would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that if you do decide to forego the coconut flour for regular flour, you will need to lessen the number of eggs to one or two.
Have a wonderful week and I'll see you back here real soon!

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 4 Comments

Baked Drunken Chocolate Donuts {Valentine's Day}

Happy Valentine's Day!! I am no Beyonce, but I am totally drunk in love with these deliciously spiked Chocolate Donut Hearts. Come see why...

Meet the other men in my life. They're dark, smooth, bittersweet and boast that V-shaped upper body physique sought after by so many men. But this is not as a result of countless, iron-pumping hours at the gym. Nooo, their secret is chocolate - inside and out!

I love them all, but I am into sharing, so most of them are available, with a void (currently occupied by stripy straws) waiting to be filled with love by you, yes YOU! Interested? I've added some photos for you to have your pick.

Meet the grunge bunch. All messy and dripping with warm, spicy chocolate glaze. Hot, in so many ways!

Next up, the posers. Always in a huddle and camera-ready. If you're into the type who's into selfies, any of the above will be a sweet match.

Some wear their hearts on their chest, some carry gold chips on their shoulder, some are quite citrusy in their demeanor and some sport colourful freckles of joy. But most importantly, they all share the same soft, sweet, deliciously good taste and they don't mind being bitten.

Take your pick and in the melodic words of Whitney Houston - I hope life treats you kind. And I hope you have all you've dreamed of. And I wish you joy and happiness. But above all this, I wish you love...

Happy Valentine's Day!

More Sweet Valentine Treats:

Love Lace Cupcake Toppers

Gluten-Free Mini Heart Cookies
Orange Cardamom Love Notes

Print Recipe

Baked Drunken Chocolate Donuts

Prep Time20

Cook Time7

Total Time27

Servings: 24

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Donuts

157 g cake flour 1 ¾ cups, sifted
28 g cocoa powder ¼ cup
144 g granulated sugar ¾ cup
7.5 g baking powder 2 teaspoons
5 g salt 1 teaspoon
2 g espresso powder 1 teaspoon
165 g buttermilk ¾ cup
2 eggs lightly beaten
27 g coconut oil 2 tablespoons
5 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon

Glaze

77 g whipping cream ⅓ cup, 35%
90 g bittersweet chocolate callets or chopped chocolate ½ cup
14 g butter 1 tablespoon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Prepare donut pan by applying non-stick spray.
Lightly whisk together buttermilk, eggs, oil and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and espresso powder. Add the sugar and salt and combine.
Add the butter milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag and snip the end. Pipe the batter into the donut mold.
Bake on the middle rack for 5-7 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack. Let pan cool down for about 5 minutes and pipe the remaining batter into the molds. Bake as above.

To make the glaze:

Place chocolate and butter in a bowl and set aside.
Heat the cream to a simmer in a saucepan. When the edges start to bubble lightly, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate and butter. Use a hand whisk to whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.

For Amarula glaze -

replace half the whipping cream Amarula Cream Liqueur. Add a pinch of cinnamon.

For Bailey's Hot Chocolate glaze -

replace half the whipping cream with Bailey's Liqueur. Sprinkle glazed donuts with hot chocolate shavings.

For Grand Marnier glaze

- add two tablespoons Grand Marnier the zest of one small orange and a pinch of chili powder to cooled glaze.

To decorate:

Dip donuts in glaze and place on a cooling rack set over a cookie tray and decorate to your liking.

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 6 Comments

Love Lace Cupcake Toppers {Valentine's Day}

Valentine's Day Love Lace Cupcake Toppers

Happy Hump Day, people! Looking for a little DIY Valentine's Day project to show your love, your love? I've got you covered with a few lacy toppers and sprinkles - Valentine's Day Love Lace Cupcake Toppers!
Just a couple more days before the deluge of candy and roses hits. Show your Valentine your DIY skills and top a few cupcakes with these lacy numbers.

Set aside a few minutes to whip up some sugar lace. Roll out some modelling chocolate in the sexiest red you can find or make (for faster drying, you can substitute gum paste). Lay the lace over the strip of modelling chocolate and press together using a rolling pin. Carefully pass the two layers through your Kitchen Aid pasta attachment on the no. 1 setting and then again on the no. 2 - it makes a world of difference.Here's a little InstaVid I shared on my Instagram feed.

Use a Heart Plunger Set to create sprinkles, the Nesting Heart Cutter Set to cut out lacy heart toppers and an Alphabet Nylon Cutter Set to spell your LOVE out loud and clear! A few toothpicks, some royal icing and some time for drying and you're almost there.

While your red hot, lacy hearts dry, make a few wrappers to pretty up those cupcake just a touch more. These are especially handy, if the cupcakes were store-bought (we won't judge).I used plain printer paper, but feel free to get as fancy as time and your imagination allow. I used the Martha Stewart Daisy Lace Punch to create the pattern on my wrappers. Quick, easy and a little messy!

If these Valentine's Day Love Lace Cupcake Toppers don't impress your Valentine, perhaps another lacy number would do the job. With these, however, there's no worry about fit.

So, what are your plans for Valentine's Day?

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 7 Comments

Valentine's Day Gluten Free Mini Heart Cookies

Have I told you lately that I evol you? Well, it's true! My little hearts don't lie.

And to show you just how much, I'm sharing my heart with you - in little pink bits, free of gluten and etched with love! Are you reading this, Katia? 😉

This is a quick project, perfect for little ones and adults alike, or for a last minute sweet treat for that special someone.

Prepare your favourite cookie recipe, replacing your regular flour with a gluten-free alternative - I used Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour. Split the dough in half and colour to your liking - I used Americolor gel paste in Deep Pink and Super Red.

Use a heart-shaped cutter to cut the dough - I used the smallest of the Nesting Heart Cutter Set. Decorate to your liking. Dip in sanding sugar to create sparkly little valentines for your teachers and friends. Use a rubber stamp, like this Rubber Stamp Set, to create little love notes for that special someone. I found it best to stamp the letter onto the dough while still in the cutter. This way, the hearts kept their shape. You can further embellish them by adding some colourful sugar dots, or just enjoy as is!

Voila!! Naked or dressed, these itty-bitty gluten-free hearts will have every tongue they touch, speaking only of love!

More Sweet Love

Orange Cardamom Postcards

Almond Crunch Muffin Love

Nuts About You Butter Pecan Cake

Print Recipe

Valentine's Day Gluten Free Mini Heart Cookies

Gluten-free pink and red sugar cookie hearts stamped with love!

Prep Time15

Cook Time12

Total Time27

Course: Dessert

Servings: 3 dozen

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

226 g salted butter 1 cup, cold
135 g granulated sugar ¾ cups
3.5 g pure vanilla extract 1 tsp
1 large egg
295 g gluten-free flour 3 cups
1 drop each of gel paste colour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg.
Gradually whisk the flour into the creamed mixture and beat just until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Divide the dough in half and colour each ball of dough using gel colours of your choice. Shape each ball of dough into disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until firm, or overnight if not baking immediately.
Remove from fridge and use a rolling pin to roll out each disk to about ¼ inch thick. I roll my dough between the plastic in which it was wrapped and the Silpat mat on which it will be baked.
Cut into desired shapes and arrange approximately one inch apart
on the baking sheet. Place
in freezer for about 3-5 minutes. If stamping with letter blocks, press the letters into the dough while the cutter is still around the dough. This helps them keep their shape. Then place in the freezer, as above.
Remove from freezer and bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are a very light brown.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Decorate as desired.
Package in little clear baggies and start spreading the love!

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! Leave a Comment

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Happy Muffin Monday, ya'll! How about we have our pie and eat it too. For breakfast. Guilt and Gluten-Free!

I kid you not! These Gluten-Free Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Muffins are all that... and a ~~bag of chips~~ slice of pie! A healthier, but just as tasty version of Sweet Potato pie, made in a fraction of the time with the help of a packaged muffin mix from ONEearth® Functional Foods.

Quick, look out your window! Are there pigs flying? Well, there ought to be, because this is a first I thought I'd never see on I Sugar Coat It! If you have been following my blog, then you are well aware that I pride myself on baking from scratch. That's just my preference and I will continue to do so...with this being the first of just a very few exceptions.

About eighty-six weeks ago, I shared these very muffins on my Instagram feed. K is not a baker, but when he bakes it's usually with assistance from a pre-made mix of the healthy variety. We found the ONEearth Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Muffin Mix at HomeSense on one of our too frequent visits.

Made 86 weeks ago by the Mister.

He made it and, yes, I enjoyed it, thoroughly (see above photo). Back then, he kept it simple and substituted apple sauce for the eggs and oil, as suggested on ONEearth's website. I added my own little twist this time around and topped the muffins with little cubes of roasted sweet potato and maple pecans with an extra dusting of cinnamon.

With an ingredient list that doesn't require a PhD. to decipher, I think you will find these Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins a sweet, healthy addition to your breakfast line-up.

They are gluten-free, low fat, high fibre and a great source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, chromium and iron. Hey, didn't I say you would have your pie and eat it too!!

ONEearth was kind enough to send me a package with a few of their products after we sent them a note to let them know how much we enjoyed the products we had already tried. They didn't ask me to do a post, but I really wanted to show my support for a small Canadian company that takes pride in growing and sourcing locally, the ingredients used in their products.

I encourage you to visit their site via the link above and try a few of their products.

More Muffin Monday:

Oat Date Muffins

Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins

Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cinnamon Muffins

(yield 12 muffins)

Ingredients

Topping:

1 small sweet potato, diced

113g (¾ cup) roasted pecans, chopped

87g (¼ cup) pure maple syrup

7.5g (1 tablespoon) ground cinnamon

Muffins:

1 package ONEearth Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Muffin Mix

155g (1 cup) unsweetened apple sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF and grease the wells of a muffin pan, or line with cupcake liners.

To make the topping: Clean and peel the sweet potato and cut into small cubes. Spray a small cookie tray with a little vegetable oil. I broiled them in the toaster oven on the little tray that's included.

Once cooked, transfer to a bowl and add the pecans and toss with the maple syrup. Set aside.

To make the muffins: Place the muffin mix in a bowl and stir in the apple sauce until just combined. Use an ice-cream scoop to fill the muffin wells.

Top the batter with the sweet potato-pecan topping and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for about five minutes. Enjoy warm!

See you back here in a couple days for more Valentine's goodies!!

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 12 Comments

Valentine's Day Stamped Orange Cardamom Cookie Postcards

The countdown to V-Day is on! Spread the love with these heart-shaped Valentine's Day Stamped Orange Cardamom Cookie Postcards with Sugar Lace Flowers.

One of my favourite books read in my previous book club was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Strange name, yes! That's what I thought when it was suggested, but part of our agreement was respect for everyone's choices. Turns out I loved it from the moment I read the first few lines.

In a very tiny nutshell, it's an account of the five-year long German occupation on the Channel Island of Guernsey during World War II, shared through letters from islanders sent to journalist Juliet Ashton, the main character.

At its core, it is essentially a love story with a healthy mix of humour and drama, and as with any war, sombreness. It explores the power of the written word and its impact on people's perspectives, particularly in times of oppression. It tells of lives lost and created, the lasting effects of war, but most importantly, the sense of community and resulting friendships forged in spite of the circumstances. It was difficult to not fall in love with the characters.

Almost as difficult not to fall in love with these Orange Cardamom Hearts - you may remember me sharing them on Instagram not too long ago.

This book and the way in which it was written, provided the inspiration for these edible love notes. There is something so personal about books written in an epistolary style (stories told through letters). It gave the feeling of being present as each letter was written and read by the characters. As I made these cookies, I imagined notes of uprising, plans of escape being read and then eaten as a means of destroying the evidence, back then. Or, secret rendezvous, proposals and love professing, in less dramatic present time.

I started with a delicious blend of citrus and spice, baked them into hearts, covered them with orange blossom flavoured icing and finished them off with notes of love and encouragement, accompanied by sugar lace leaves. The leaves represent the promise of change, much like the changing of seasons. The type of change that is fervently sought by anyone oppressed. Be it freedom, peace, independence, respect, companionship... essentially, it is love being sought.

I used a rubber stamp and gel food colouring mixed with vodka to stamp the cookies, but a food marker to write personal notes would work, as well (my handwriting is a little too messy for that). Or, if your skills allow, personalized messages painted or piped would be stunning on these Valentine's Day Stamped Orange Cardamom Cookie Postcards!

Decorated or naked, the citrus and spice combination of orange and cardamom will most definitely grab the attention of the recipient(s). If you have not made Orange Cardamom cookies before, I strongly suggest you try them. (I found the recipe in a magazine, without attribution.)

Check out my 4 Steps To Stunning Sugar Lace post, to learn how the lace leaves in this post were made.

More Sweet Love:

Nuts About You Buttered Pecan Cake

Muffin Love - Gluten Free Almond Crunch Muffins

Strawberry Shortcake

Products Used In This Post:

Print Recipe

Valentine's Day Orange Cardamom Cookies

A delicious blend of citrus and spice baked into hearts stamped with words of love. The perfect little treat for that special someone.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Servings: 2 dozen

Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

Cookies

114 g unsalted butter ½ cup
1 g orange zest 2 teaspoons
3 g cardamom 1 teaspoon
204 g granulated sugar 1 cup
1 egg
29.5 g fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons
311 g unbleached all-purpose flour 2 cups
4 g baking powder 1 teaspoon
3 g salt ½ teaspoon

Royal Icing

260 g confectioner's sugar 2 cups
8 g meringue powder 1 tablespoon
59 g water ¼ cup
2.5 g orange blossom water ½ teaspoon
pinch of cream of tartar

Instructions

To make cookies:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Line two cookie sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer set on medium-high, cream butter, orange zest and cardamom using the paddle attachment.
Gradually add the sugar, then the egg and orange juice.
Lower the mixer speed and add the flour mixture. Mix until almost combined.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, dusted with flour. Work the dough just until combined.
Separate the dough to make two balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and flatten into discs before placing in the refrigerator.
Use a rolling pin and spacers to roll dough out evenly and cut into hearts, or desired shapes. Place cut out dough in the freezer, on the cookie sheet for about five minutes.
Remove from freezer and place in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges appear slightly browned.
Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.

To make the icing:

Ensure all utensils being used are grease free, by wiping with lemon juice or vinegar.
Place the sugar, meringue powder and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add the water and using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed for 8 minutes. Add the orange blossom water and continue to beat for another one or two minutes.
You may need to add a little water at a time to bring the icing to flooding consistency. Ice cookies and allow them to dry overnight before stamping.
Now go bake a few batches and spread the love!

Notes

Sweet Tips:
Chilling the cut dough in the freezer for 5-10 minutes prior to baking will keep the cookies from spreading while baking.

February 2014 By i sugar coat it! 11 Comments

Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Good morning! It's Muffin Monday après le Super Bowl. How about some Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins to help you over your grease-laden, alcohol-induced slump...

Normally my interest would be piqued at the mention of well-built men in tights, but football has never had that effect. Basketball, tennis, rugby, YEAH! Football...MEH.

Doesn't mean I get to escape it, however. And with it comes a lot of noise, greasy food and alcohol-laden drinks. I'm guessing a few of you could use a bit of healthy this morning (or afternoon, depending on when you crawl out of bed).

These Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins are quick, easy, tasty and healthy by muffin standards. If you're like me and love all things almond, you will enjoy these. Feel free to top them off with additional almonds just before popping them in the oven, for added crunch. You can even add dried fruits, if that's your thing - it's not mine. Once out of the oven, I drizzled the tops of my still-warm muffins with a bit of cinnamon honey. YUM!!

Muffins have a reputation for being the less attractive sibling of the cupcake. So, why not give them a little makeover for Valentine's Day? Top them with a little whipped maple topping and a heart for that special someone aaaand...TOUCH DOWN!

Let's call these Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins the Lawrence Taylor of muffins. Guaranteed to get you past that imaginary line of scrimmage, away from the mean linesmen trying to throw you to the ground before throwing themselves on you for an all-out tussle. Bodies writhing, limbs flailing, heavy breathing... hmmm... this is starting to sound a little hot, actually. 😉

Okay, clearly I know very little about the game, so I'll just stop making references right here and turn your attention back to these delicious breakfast bites.

Imaginary lines and linesmen aside, these Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins will make a great start to your Monday. GOAL!(oh, wait, that's the other football)

Muffin Monday Alums:

Banana Pecan Crunch Muffins

Oat Date Muffins

Gluten-Free Carrot Date Muffins

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Almond Crunch Muffins {Muffin Monday}

Tasty. Easy. Breakfast on-the-go!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 12

Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

99 g gluten-free flour 1 cup
85 g finely ground 1 cup, roasted almonds
151 g packed brown sugar ¾ cup
11 g baking powder 1 tablespoon
2 eggs lightly beaten
108 g coconut oil ½ cup
183 g almond milk ¾ cup
45 g chopped almonds ¼ cup
Dried fruit optional

Instructions

Bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line muffin wells with paper liners, or grease and flour, if not using liners.
In a medium bowl, mix GF flour, ground almonds, sugar and baking powder.
In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk, until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until almost combined.
Fold in the chopped almonds (and dried fruits if adding).
Use an ice-cream scoop to fill the muffin cups. You can sprinkle additional chopped almonds on top of the batter for added crunch and dried fruits, if you like.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
I drizzled mine with a little cinnamon honey while still warm. YUM!
Enjoy as above, or add a topping of your choice and call it dessert!
Meet me back here in a few days for a little more love! Until then, have a wonderful week.

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