Chocolate Beet Muffins

                                                             


Chocolate Beet Muffins


I have a lot of frozen beets in the freezer and the teenagers in our home hate beets!  So, a good way to use them up is sneak them in their muffins...they love these muffins and after a few years of doing this it's no longer a secret ingredient!

 Chocolate Beet Muffins        
 2 cups cooked pureed beets
 1 1/2 cups canola oi
4 eggs
 1/4 cup yogurt - optional.
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 cups whole wheat flour**
2 teaspoons baking soda   
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ground flax (optional but good.  If using add the 1/4 yogurt or milk for sure)
1-2 cups chocolate chips (also optional but good)


 Method:  In blender puree cooked beets with a bit of water , milk or yogurt to make a puree that is like a pourable batter - like pancake batter or applesauce.  Total should make 2 cups.  Pour into a large bowl and stir in the eggs, oil and yogurt.  In a separate bowl wisk or stir together the dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips if using.  Add liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until moistened - do not over mix.
 Line 3 muffin pans with paper muffin liners.  Spoon filling into muffin papers until almost full.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

** You can also use all purpose white flour or unbleached in this recipe**

Dairy Free Gluten Free Empanada/Calzone/Pasty Dough Recipe

I prefer the cottage cheese recipe but if you cannot have dairy you can try this one - the dough is a bit drier tasting - more like a pie crust.  Makes 12
Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix:
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup millet flour
1/2 cup fine rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour

Wisk the above ingredients together really well - set aside.
Gluten Free Empanada/Calzone/Pasty Recipe 
2 1/3 cup above empanada mix
3 teaspoons guar gum
2 teaspoons pysillium husk (found in bulk food or health food stores)
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening, lard or margarine cut into pieces
1 tbsp. vinegar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 egg
Mix together the empanada mix, guar gum and pysillium husk. .  Add the shortening and mix well with fingers rubbing into the flour mixture until well mixed.   Mix in the vinegar in the same way.  Add the egg mixed with the water and mix well.  Knead the dough on the counter for 1 minute.  Roll between plastic wrap and cut into circles.  Form into empanadas or calzones.  Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough, (Clazones, Pasty etc)

Gluten Free Empanada/Pasty with Egg Yolk Glaze

I have used cottage cheese in other pastries and thought that it might have a good "binding" effect and moisture holding qualities in "pocket" dough.   The one shown here has tinyl little "cracks" in the dough but it doesn't actually split - most did not even have the cracks at all.  The trick is to use a dough that  has good binding ingredients like the cottage cheese and guar gum.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough for Empanadas, Calzones, Pasty and other Pocket Foods.  Makes 12 6" Empanada's.
Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix:

3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup fine rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour

Wisk the above ingredients together really well - set aside.

Gluten Free Empanada Dough:
2 1/4 cups Gluten Free Empanada Flour Mix (above)
3 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons soft butter
3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
Wisk salt, guar gum and baking powder into flour mix. Add 4 teaspoons butter and rub in with hands or a fork.
 In food processor process cottage cheese and oil together.  Add egg white and flour mix.  Pulse until it comes together Remove from processor bowl..  On counter knead the dough for about 2 minute until it becomes smooth.
Cover  your dough with plastic wrap while you make the filling.
Make your filling - a good one is a Pasty filling that I will post later.  The filling should not be runny.
To make empanada, pasty or Calzones roll the dough between plastic wrap and cut into large circles.  Place filling on one half , fold dough over and pinch /crimp well.  Place on greased baking sheet. Prick in center with fork. Glaze if desired with brushed on egg yolk.  Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes until nicely browned.  Less baking and it will be a soft calzone - longer makes it more crispy.  I bake it until light brown the first time and then freeze.  Later when we eat them I will bake the frozen calzones until a darker brown and hot in center.
Another nice way of forming the calzones is to use the Birds Hill Enterprises Fried Pie Machine as shown below.

Birds Hill Fried Pie Machine with 6" turnover die

Cover die with plastic wrap

Add ball of gluten free pasty dough

Cover with another piece of plastic wrap

Slice die back into machine

Close Fried Pie Machine

Open Machine and remove top plastic wrap.

Place pasty filling on front half of circle

Fold the hinged die in half to fold and crimp the pasty

Lift pasty out of die - the extra dough will come off

Baked gluten free pasty without the egg yolk glaze.

Delicious Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

Had this tonight for supper along with a wheat flour pastry pot pie and the comment was that the gluten free one tasted better!  The butter in the crust gives it a great taste!

Ready to bake!

The recipe I use is from "The Art of Gluten Free Baking" and is Jeanne's gf pie dough.

Ingredients
2 1/3 cup Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces (you can also use lard)
1 tablespoon vinegar
5-7 tablespoons cold water (I use 3-4)
extra tapioca flour for rolling out - or use your Birds Hill Pie Machine.
Jeanne's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup white rice flour (I use oriental rice flour)
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour)
2 teaspoons xantham gum or guar gum
Wisk the above dry ingredients together and set aside.
To make the crust place flour, sugar and salt into a large bowl.  Mix together with a spoon until combined.  Add butter pieces to the dry ingredients mixture.  With fingers, start rubbing together the butter and the dry ingredients.  This will take some time.  Do this until the resulting mixture looks like wet sand mixed with pebbles. You may also use a food processor to do this. Add the vinegar and rub into the mixture.  Add water one tablespoon at a time, rubbing into the mixture.  You want to add enough to create a dough that holds together well but is not wet.  Divide into two fairly equal pieces a slightly smaller one for the top crust.  Chill for 20-30 minutes if rolling by hand.  Roll between plastic wrap or dry waxed sheets.  If you need to dust with flour use tapioca or the sweet rice flour.

Birds Hill Pie Machine

Chicken Pot Pie Filling

 1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup finely diced onion

 3/4 cup finely diced carrot

 1/2 cup diced celery

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (store bought or homemade)

2/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (or cornstarch)

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning gf

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder   

 1 pound cooked leftover chicken diced.

1 cup frozen peas or beans

Method:
In large sauce pan, melt butter and saute onion, celery and carrots.  Add chicken broth and simmer until carrot is almost cooked.  Mix rice flour and milk together - stir into the onion and broth mixture and bring to a gentle boil while stirring.  Add the peas/beans, chicken and seasonings.  Simmer a few minutes and then let cool completely.  Prepare your pie shells or take chilled shell out of fridge.  Fill with filling and cover with top crust.  Cut a few slits in.  You make freeze the pie at this point.  If you plan to bake it right away I suggest chilling the whole pie while you preheat the oven.  Bake a "fresh" pie at 400 degrees for 35 minutes until pastry is golden and fillings is bubbly.  Bake a completely frozen pie at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  If you wish to have a firmer filling use 4 tablespoons rice flour to thicken instead of 3.