Craving Something Sweet?

On day 1 of my diagnosis I craved muffins.

Yes. Muffins.

I wanted pumpkin muffins. So I went online to conduct my first gluten-free Google search.

This week, let’s break away from the heavy-duty science for a moment, and experiment with a recipe. I should probably tell you I’m a baker. Well, not professionally, but let’s just say I can make a mean German chocolate cake. I am usually in charge of the dessert table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and just about any get-together I have with family or friends. After my grandma stopped baking due to her age, she passed the torch (and her sacred rum-toffee cookie recipe) on to me. I have gladly marched on as the Lally Family Baker.

The Problem

When I finally found a pumpkin muffin recipe I liked, I understood the true gravity of my situation—I cannot eat white flour! Why? Because people with gluten sensitivity cannot break down the gluten building-block proteins gliadin and glutenin. These gluten proteins are found in most breads, cakes, and yes, muffins.

The recipe I found was terribly complex. The ingredients called for brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, arrowroot starch, sucanat, and flax. I scanned my cupboard, and to my dismay, I did not have even one of these components. A trip to the grocery store was inevitable, so I grabbed a (large) post-it note, and began to write my list.

But I didn’t have time for all of this. I was exhausted from my procedure and I wanted something quick, easy, and tasty. What does a girl do in a situation like this? Call a mom. And not just any mom…my boyfriend’s mom, A.K.A the queen of quick, easy, and tasty recipes (she has five kids).

The Solution

“Oh my gosh, Devin! All you have to do is mix pumpkin

puree with gluten-free cake mix!” my boyfriend's mother exclaimed over the phone.

“What? What about the eggs? The oil? The butter?” I inquired.

“Nope! Trust me. They will be delicious.”

I was wary, but I gave it a shot. I scratched out the extensive list of ingredients I had just written, and replaced it with two: canned pumpkin puree (any brand will do) and gluten-free cake mix (spice cake and chocolate cake mixes are both delicious for this recipe). I mixed the two ingredients, put the concoction in some muffin tins, and baked them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. It worked! These muffins are amazing!

The Science

Now, for the science. There were a few ingredients I was unfamiliar with on the cake mix box. Here is what I discovered after researching the ingredients in question:

• Alkali: “Processed with Alkali.” Perhaps the most dangerous-sounding of the ingredients. In reality, when a product (specifically, a chocolate product) is processed with Alkali, the bitterness factor is lessened. However, by reducing the bitterness, the Alkali also strips the cocoa from certain health benefits, such as antioxidant capacity.
• Tapioca Starch (flour): Used in gluten-free baking to add structure and density to food. Derived from the cassava plant root. You know the pearly beads in tapioca pudding? Grind those into a flour and you have tapioca starch!
• Guar Gum: Derived from guar beans. A cream-colored powder produced from milling the seeds.
• Monocalcium Phosphate: A leavening agent in food. This keeps the gluten-free muffins soft and fluffy. Versions of this compound can be found in dairy products, which means benefits for your bones and teeth!
• Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate: Another leavening agent. This phosphoric salt is used in gluten-free baking in place of baking powder.

Not only are these muffins gluten-free, but they are also dairy-free, egg-free, and therefore better for you than the buttery, sugary muffins you buy at the grocery store. And they are the easiest things to make!