Vegan Corn Muffins or Cornbread from Your Own Mix

Vegan Corn Muffins from your Own Mix

Growing up, I loved my Mom's Cornbread. She didn't cook often, but when she made Cornbread I considered it a special treat.

When I became vegan, I veganized her recipe - then converted it into a mix for the pantry. It is a "Northern" (US) Cornbread - somewhat sweet, but no added fats (whereas Southern Cornbreads tend to be non-sweet, and saltier with added fat/lard/butter). If you prefer a Southern flavour, you might want to reduce or omit the sugar.

Vegan Cornbread Mix
3 cups Flour (I use unbleached, all purpose here)*
3 cups Cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1/4 cup Arrowroot Powder or Tapioca Starch (this subs for eggs)
Scant Tablespoon Salt

To make a Batch of Muffins:
Stir together
2 cups Cornbread Mix
1 Cup Water
1/2 cup Applesauce

(of course, if you like, you can add your favorite stir-ins, like whole bits of corn or green chilies)

Fill prepared muffin tins, and bake in a preheated oven at 425degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes, or till they begin to turn golden brown on top, and are firm to the touch. This recipe makes about 9 muffins in my large tins.

*I tried once making these with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour in place of the Unbleached, All Purpose, and while the results were okay, they didn't turn out "like Mom's"- which is what I'm going for here.

I bake these in a lightly oiled non-stick muffin tin. I am not sure that the oil is absolutely necessary, but I've tried paper liners and those do not work well (muffin sticks to the paper for several hours following baking).

You can also use this recipe to make an 8"x8" square pan of cornbread - bake by the same instructions - though it might take 5 to 10 more minutes to finish.

Taco or Chili Seasoning Mix

This is a handy spice blend to have in your cupboard for making all sorts of Mexican or Southwestern (US) inspired dishes. Of course, you COULD buy the ready made packets in the store, but they have a few disadvantages 1) they can contain allergens (many contain wheat, corn, whey or soy) 2) they're pricey 3) they might have more or less heat than you like 4) they have added fillers - which not only drive up the price, but also might change the texture of your dish in a way you don't like 5) some have added chemicals, "natural flavorings" or other unpleasant stuff. So, I like to make my own.

 

I reuse an old, big spice jar. It's perfect for my cupboard, and it has both a sprinkling and scooping side for convenience. I just dump everything in the jar, close, and shake. Like my other mix  recipes, I list the ingredients on the outside of the jar for super-easy refills.

 

Before you start, make sure you have enough of all the ingredients on hand (ask me how many times I've failed to take that advice!) If, for some horrible reason you get halfway through and discover, say, that you're out of oregano - take an extra piece of tape and put it across the lid with a notation: "Add 4 teaspoons of Oregano before using" - then keep going and put everything else in the jar. That way you won't forget or add too much of another ingredient because you stopped in the middle of the jar and forgot where you were when you resumed the job. (Not that I would ever make a silly mistake like that ; )

 

Here's the recipe.

 

Taco & Chili Seasoning

1/4 cup Chili Powder  (a spice blend)*

1/2 cup Onion Powder **

4 teaspoons Garlic Powder **

2 1/2 Tablespoons Salt

2 1/2 Tablespoons Paprika

4 teaspoons Cumin

4 teaspoons Oregano

***Cayenne Pepper to taste. I do not add any because I cook for a small child, but you could start with about a teaspoon and work your way up if you like heat in your tacos & chili.

 

My recipes will tell how much of this to use, but if you wish to use it in other recipes that call for 1 packet of Taco seasoning, use 2 Tablespoons of this mix.

 

* For International cooks: Chili Powder is a very widely available blend of spices here in the US. In other parts of the world Chili Powder means powdered Chilies. Not here! If you need to make your own, follow this link or simply do a search for "Chili Powder Recipes"

 

**These are Garlic and Onion Powder - which are salt-free, not to be confused with Garlic Salt and Onion Salt.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegan Brownie Snowball Cookies

Well, I think this will be my last Christmas Cookie post of the season! Our little gift tins are ready to be filled - at least I think I have enough. And, if I keep "testing" new recipes, well, let's just say there's only so much of that one should do in a year!

Years ago, I heard that there are theories that the word "fudge" came from the German word for "oops!" I don't know how accurate that theory is, but it does provide hope that good can come from apparent mistakes. Such was the case today.

I had a few large bowls out of cookie doughs in various degrees of preparedness. I added chopped walnuts to the wrong one - to the plain mix. So, then I had to figure out another cookie with walnut mix!.

This was my serendipitous creation.

Brownie Snowball Cookies
3/4 cup Vegan Cookie Mix
1/4 cup plain Cocoa, sieved*
3 Tablespoons Mild Flavoured Oil (I used Sunflower Oil)
2 Tablespoons Applesauce
Chopped Walnuts
Chocolate Chips

Form in balls & place on cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350degrees Fahrenheit, for 20 minutes (till pretty firm). Allow to cool a couple of minutes, but not too long (just so they don't crumble when you work with them. Roll them in powdered sugar. Sprinkle with more powdered sugar. Relish!


 * Cocoa - Not to be confused with hot cocoa mix - which has milk & sugar added, but is also called "cocoa" by the grocers. Cocoa can be lumpy, so ideally it should be run through a mesh sieve to remove lumps before using.

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Vegan Russian Teacakes ( Vegan Mexican Wedding Cakes )

These are  classic cookies that go by many names. Russian Teacakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Cocoons, Butterballs - and who knows what else! They bear a striking resemblance to Greek Kourambiethes in appearance, but the flavour and texture are a little different.

Like all the other cookies here, they're easy to make, and come from your own vegan mix!

Vegan Russian Teacakes
Mix together dry ingredients
1 cup Vegan Cookie Mix
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar/Confectioners Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
Walnuts, broken, one handful
(other non-traditional add ins may replace walnuts if you like - chocolate chips or minced candied cherries, for example)
Stir, then knead in
3 Tablespoons light tasting Oil (such as Sunflower)
2 Tablespoons Applesauce
This dough is supposed to be a little crumbly and dry - expect to knead a little longer than for other types of cookies to get everything to stick together.
Form into balls and place on cookie sheet (they will hardly spread at all), bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes, till firm and very delicately browned all over, and lightly browned on the bottom. Immediately roll in confectioners sugar. Place on plate. Dust with more confectioners sugar. Devour : )

Vegan Pancake Mix Recipe

Saturday Mornings are a great time for pancakes! And, with an all-in-one mix in your pantry, it's easy to just add water or non-dairy milk, stir, and go.

Stuffedveggies Pancake & Waffle Mix

Mix in a labeled container. This recipe may be doubled if you have a larger family, or like to have pancakes often.

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (also known as Graham flour) OR White Whole Wheat Flour*

1-3 tablespoons sugar (white, or raw/turbinado sugar)
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, or cornstarch (acts as vegan egg-substitute for dry mixes)
1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

*Note Edited in December 2014: For a long time, I only made this with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, but then recently I couldn't get to my favorite specialty shop, and was forced to try subbing the White Whole Wheat Flour. To my delight, it worked as well or better than the Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. This is great because White Whole Wheat - while still 100% whole grain, is easier to find and cheaper! : ) Edited October 2019: Today I ran out of Whole Wheat flour, and used All Purpose (White) Flour. It worked just fine. So, if White is your preference, feel free to substitute

To make:

use ½ cup mix and ½ cup water or non-dairy milk

Pancake mix should be pourable - not too thick

We like blueberries in our pancakes - they can be added in while they're still frozen, if they're not in season.

Prepare on a nonstick skillet. Oil may be used for crispy edges, but also can be omitted if you prefer.

Turn the pancakes when there are bubbles covering the top, and the edges start to dry a bit.

We make these animal pancakes. They're supposed to be piggies, but this one looks more cow-like. Oops.

Lovely, golden brown pancakes.

Nutrition information as calculated on https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
If recipe is made with White Whole Wheat Flour, 3 TablespoonsSplenda that measures like sugar,
and Tapioca Starch options
1/6 of this recipe - or about 1/2 cup of mix calculates as follows:

Nutrition Facts

6 Servings

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 205.5
• Total Fat 1.0 g
• Saturated Fat 0.0 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
• Cholesterol 0.0 mg
• Sodium 697.0 mg
• Potassium 0.8 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 39.6 g
• Dietary Fiber 6.0 g
• Sugars 1.5 g
• Protein 8.0 g
•  
• I calculate this to be 6 WW Freestyle Points onhttps://www.easycalculation.com/health/smart-points.php
•  
• ***************************************************************************************

The same calculation, using 3 Tablespoons of sugar is:

Nutrition Facts

6 Servings

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 229.5
• Total Fat 1.0 g
• Saturated Fat 0.0 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
• Cholesterol 0.0 mg
• Sodium 697.0 mg
• Potassium 0.8 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 44.4 g
• Dietary Fiber 6.0 g
• Sugars 6.3 g
• Protein 8.0 g

I calculate this to be 7 WW Freestyle Points onhttps://www.easycalculation.com/health/smart-points.php

Here are some great additional ways to use this mix:


      Banana Bread Waffles
 
      Blueberry Pancakes
 
      Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

      Grilled Banana Pancakes

      Strawberry Pancakes

      Pumpkin Spice Waffles

      Toaster Waffles, Vegan, Whole Wheat, No Oil
 
      Zucchini Bread Waffles
     


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Vegan Pumpkin Mini-Muffins

This morning we woke up to the first snow of the year. Perfect morning for Pumpkin Muffins with a nice hot cup of Coffee!

Many years ago, I got interested in making my own mixes. But, most available mix recipes are Omnivore, and that doesn't help me with a vegan diet. Over the years, I developed a few mixes of my own, that fit my way of eating.  This mix is 100% whole grain, and no-oil-added!

This muffin mix makes enough for about 8 dozen mini muffins (so you can bake muffins eight different times!). If you like, you can make 1/2 the recipe if you're a single vegan, or cooking for a small family.

Versatile Vegan Mini Muffin Mix

Mix together

8 cups whole wheat pastry flour *

2 cups turbinado sugar or other sugar of your choice
4 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 Tablespoons arrowroot powder (Cornstarch may be used as an emergency substitute)

After all the ingredients are in your chosen container (see below) close securely and shake well to evenly distribute contents.

Store in pantry in cooler house temperatures, or if mix will be used in a month or less. For longer storage, or in very warm weather, store in fridge or freezer.

* The King Arthur website says Whole Wheat Pastry Flour & Graham Flour are the same thing. It's a lower-protein whole wheat flour, that produces a lighter, more tender product than traditional whole wheat flour.

I have made mixes in two types of containers:

The first is a Gallon Zipper-Type Freezer bag. Filling it is so much easier if you put it inside a #10 can, or a small bucket, and fold the edge over, like so:

The second method I have used (my current favorite) is to use a large plastic canister from the dollar store. I list the ingredients for the mix on tape on the outside (you could use pretty labels if you prefer)

And, I put the name of the mix, along with mixing and baking instructions on the lid. That way, I can leave the cookbook (or website) alone next time I cook!

To make muffins:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine and stir until just mixed:
1 cup Vegan Muffin mix
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (from a can or homemade)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon oil may be added, but it is strictly optional - I usually leave it out.
Then add:
Water as needed for thick, but pourable consistency (about 3/4 cup)
and a handful of one or more of these:
chopped dates
nuts
raisins
chocolate chips

Drop by Tablespoons into oiled or sprayed Mini muffin pans

(makes 1 dozen per batch)
bake 400 Degrees, 15 to 20 minutes

If you prefer, you may make 6 regular-sized muffins from this batter, or you can double the recipe for a dozen large muffins. If making larger muffins, bake for 25 to 35 minutes.

(Since this is vegan, my little one could enjoy licking the mixing bowl, without me having to worry about salmonella poisoning!)

*I like to sprinkle Cinnamon sugar inside the muffin cups before filling them, and also on top of the muffin batter. It adds eye and taste appeal!

Enjoy!

More Muffin varieties to come . . . .

I calculated the nutrition in this mix on https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

Nutrition Facts

Assuming that the recipe yields 10 cups (8 cups white whole wheat flour plus 2 cups white sugar is most of the bulk)

Then each cup (which makes about a dozen mini-muffins) should have:

Amount Per Serving

• Calories 488.5
• Total Fat 1.6 g
• Saturated Fat 0.0 g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
• Cholesterol 0.0 mg
• Sodium 1,050.2 mg
• Potassium 3.4 mg
• Total Carbohydrate 102.4 g
• Dietary Fiber 9.9 g
• Sugars 39.9 g
• Protein 12.8 g

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