coconut flour

I recently read an article about coconut flour. It said that coconut flour absorbs moisture...it was one of those head slap, duh moments..lol.  In my baking experiments I did notice that batters were thicker when using more coconut flour, but I like the flavor and the way recipes turn out when using it. The article said to adjust the recipe by adding more liquid or eggs. Just thought I would share, in case you want to start experimenting on your own.

Raspberry Muffins

Last weekend I made blackberry muffins (see recipe below). This weekend I found raspberries on sale so decided to try the same recipe with those. The batter was too thick for the delicate raspberries, so I made just a couple little changes. I decreased the white rice flour to 1 cup and added an extra egg. The muffins taste great, but don't come off the paper well.  I think next time I will use the original recipe I came up with, but freeze the raspberries before hand so they don't fall apart when I fold them in. I'll let you know how it works.

Blackberry Muffins

I think these are my best muffins so far. Not nearly as heavy as previous muffins. I used blackberries, but I am sure you could use blueberries just as easily. Please let me know if you make these and how you like them!

ingredients

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup zyletol
3/4 cup stevia
3 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp xanthum gum
2 cups sour cream
2 cups blackberries

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl cream together butter, xyletol and stevia. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon juice and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in berries. Fill paper lined muffin cups nearly full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans to finish cooling.

White Bean Hummus

ok...so technically if it's not made out of chickpeas, its not hummus....but I am not a huge fan of chickpeas. I think its mostly due to the texture of some commercial hummus' I have had...it can be a bit grainy. So when I decided to make my own hummus, I made it with Great Northern Beans...mostly because this is what I had in the pantry! Keep in mind this is one of those recipes that can very easily be changed or adjusted to individual tastes.

Ingredients
1 can beans. I used great northern beans, but feel free to use garbanzo beans if your a traditionalist.
1/2 tablespoon seseme seed oil
1 teaspoon chili paste with garlic (found in the oriental food section of your favorite supermarket)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (yes, I like garlic)
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

a couple notes:
1) chili paste is HOT. If you like spice, alright...if not, leave it out or adjust the amount.
2) White beans are generaly a softer bean...if you decide to use a different firmer vareity you may need to adjust the amount of oil.
3) I forgot to add the cumin the first time I made this...while good, it was missing "something" lol
4) This tasted better the next day after the flavors had a chance to get know each other.

Let me know if you make this, and what changes you made. Your ideas may be better than mine!
Enjoy!!