Melissa L...
Using a Quickbreads Formula to bake muffins,
pancakes, and more, without a recipe!
I used to think I didn't
have enough time to bake muffins for breakfast. But using a formula allows me
to bake more quickly, and use whatever I have on hand! It has been freeing,
exciting, and empowering!
You can use the structure to meet your needs and use endless
creativity!
The formula is taken from "The Chameleon Cook: Cooking
Well With What You Have"
Here is what
Rhonda says: "Does it take too long to cook? When you cook without
recipes, you can cook much more quickly, and have the flexibility to cook with
what's on hand.
Learn the core formula for quickbreads and what role the ingredients play."
Have fun experimenting! So much of baking is preference, and
you can tweak ingredients. How sweet do you want, how much oil, what flavors do
you want to come through? Texture more hearty or lighter? Don't be afraid to
change ingredients and amounts. The quickbread formula is based on this. But
know that baking is chemistry as well as an art. The more you understand the
roles the ingredients play and how they interact, the more creativity you can have! Expect that not
every item will measure up to your top nicely, risen, tender favorite!
Regardless, have joy in the learning of using and enjoying what you have
available! And enjoy each item for what
you do like about it. : ) Kind of dense?
Well, maybe it still has good flavor. Not much flavor? Maybe you can add
something that boosts it. It's so nice to learn to make your own variations.
You can control so many
preferences(including nutrition) that you do not get in a mix. Experiment and
take notes on what you like. Find out what happened on things that didn't work
so well. Involve your kids so they can
learn too! Some things may merely be
edible; others very satisfactory! Just
keep baking!
Basic
Quickbread Formula for Muffins:
2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder or 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 -1 tsp. salt
1/4-3/4 c. sugar
about half as much liquid as flour- 3/4 c. -1 c.
1 egg or substitute (put
this with liquid and count it towards total liquid amount)
1/4 c. - 1/2 c. fat
Stir together dry
ingredients. Stir together wet ingredients. Combine these two mixtures and stir
just until combined, not until smooth. Divide into greased muffin tins and bake
at 400˚ for 15-20 minutes, or until just golden. Higher sugar muffins 375
degrees. Sugar caramelizes with heat; too much heat and it turns black.
Quickbread
Formula for pancakes:
2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder or 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 -1 tsp. salt
1 tsp- 1 Tbsp. sugar
as much liquid as flour
one egg per cup flour*
up to 4 T. oil /melted butter
*Note by Melissa: I find, when substituting eggs with applesauce,
flaxseed, coconut yogurt- works better to just substitute amount of one egg per
2 c. flour. May add 1 tsp extra baking powder for lightening, if using baking soda already. I don't like
more than 1 T. total baking powder with 2 c. flour.
Waffles: 1/2 c. oil, and separate
2 eggs. Whip whites to stiff peaks, mix everything else and fold in whites
Simple syrup: 1 c. water, 2 c. brown or white
sugar. Boil until sugar dissolved. Store in fridge. Flavor variations: 1-2 capfuls of maple flavor, 1 tsp of
coconut, almond, or lemon flavor.
Fruit juice syrups: 2 cups juice, divided; 1/4 cup
sugar, 2 T. cornstarch+ enough juice to make paste. In medium bowl, stir cornstarch and
around 3 T. juice - enough to make
paste. Heat remaining juice in pan on
stove. When hot, pour some juice into cornstarch paste, stirring. Then pour
mixture into pan. Stir, bubbling, until thickened and translucent.
Thickened fruit purees: try applesauce, nectarine, pear sauce, strawberry,
prune puree. Blend fruit, adding liquid
if needed, and thicken with half/half
instant fruit jel(modified cornstarch) and sugar. Can make large batch and
store in freezer. Some fruits need acid added to prevent from browning. If so,
stir in OJ concentrate or lemon juice. Extra special to add sliced strawberries, blueberries, and coconut on top
of fruit puree, especially on waffles!
Basic Quickbread Formula: Ingredients
Flour can be all-purpose, whole-wheat, or
other grains. Stir as little as possible or the food will become tough, from
gluten forming. Remember COLD and QUICK (mixing) for tender quickbreads. If you
use whole wheat
flour, add a few more
tablespoons of water; the bran in whole wheat makes it absorb about 1/4 -1/3
more. Whole wheat is also heavier; you can increase leavening by about 1/3(add
1 tsp. if using 1 Tbsp. in recipe) to compensate. Or use 2 T. less flour for
each cup of whole wheat flour.
Cornmeal can be used in place of half the flour. Rolled oats can
too, but it takes 2 c. rolled oats to equal 1 c. flour. You can also use breadcrumbs,
the crumbs from the bottom of the cereal box, leftover oatmeal or other cooked
breakfast cereal. Figure the last two are roughly half water and half ‘flour’;
adding 1 c. leftover oatmeal would be about ½ c. ‘flour’ and ½ c. liquid.
Fat can be oil, butter, shortening,
coconut oil, etc. Sour cream, cream cheese, or mayonnaise can be used, but
figure they’re about 1/3 actual fat and around 2/3 c. liquid. Fat adds flavor
and makes breads tender, partly by inhibiting gluten. You can swap out some or all-
of the fat for applesauce or other fruit puree. Swapping all of it out will
make the food a little rubbery. If you want flakiness,“cut in” the butter or
shortening/coconut oil. A shortcut way is to melt it instead, cool slightly,
and then stir in your VERY COLD liquid. It will clump, which is what you get
with cutting in. Another shortcut is to grate frozen butter into the dry
ingredients.
Liquid can be water, milk, buttermilk, fruit
juice, vegetable juice, broth, leftover gravy. You can also use mashed or
pureed fruit or vegetables. Figure they’re about half water, so 2 c. mashed
bananas is about 1 c. liquid.
Sugar can be granulated sugar, brown sugar,
chopped dates or other dried fruit, honey (use ¾ as much, the other ¼ is
water), molasses or corn syrup (reduce water). A small amount (1 tsp.) adds a
little flavor and helps with browning. Use only a little for a savory food, ¼-
½ c. for lightly sweet, and ½- 1 c. for quite sweet. Higher amounts of sugar
actually act a little like liquid when cooking, making them heavier and more
dense. Sugar also adds tenderness. Brown sugar and honey are hygroscopic.
Eggs are added to help bind (give
structure, bind), to make more tender (yolks are high in fat), and add color
and richness. They also do a little leavening; one egg leavens about as much as
½ tsp. baking powder. I usually just call that a bonus and not reduce leavening.
If you have to leave out eggs when you should have added them, add ½ tsp. baking
powder for each egg omitted.
Leavening here is baking soda or baking powder.
Baking soda is alkaline; when it mixes with an acidic ingredient it forms
carbon dioxide bubbles, leavening the food. It also helps foods brown as they
cook. Use it when you’re using lots of brown sugar, or honey, molasses,
buttermilk, sour milk, vinegar (think 1-2 Tbsp.), juice, mashed fruit,
chocolate. Baking powder is a combination of an alkaline (baking soda!), an
acid, and a filler to keep them from reacting in the can. 1 tsp. of baking soda
has the leavening power of 1 Tbsp. baking powder. Most baking powder now is
‘double-acting’; it first starts bubbling (leavening) when mixed with any
liquid, then again during the heat of cooking. Use it if you have very little
acidity in your dough or batter. You can use some of each, though. Note by Melissa: For example, if converting a basic
muffin recipe that uses 1 T. baking
powder to use orange juice for the liquid, you might add 3/4
tsp. baking soda, and drop down 1
T. baking powder to 1/2 Tbsp. If using
1/2 tsp. baking soda, might use 2 tsp. baking powder with it.
Spices and flavorings: includes vanilla or other
flavorings, zest, powdered herbs and spices, fresh chopped herbs. Use three
times as much fresh herb as you would of dried. Try the ‘sniff test’ before
adding something: smell what you’re mixing, then smell the flavor you’re
thinking of adding. If they smell good together, they’ll taste good together.
Start with less; you can always add more.
Mix-in Ingredients: savory ones include chopped ham,
bacon, sausage, onions or green onions, chopped or shredded cheese. Sweet ones
include chopped fresh, canned (drained) or dried fruit, chopped nuts (toasted
for best flavor), chocolate chips, coconut, shredded carrots or zucchini. Use
between ½ and 1 ½ cups total. Use a favorite food (i.e. banana splits) for
combination ideas.
Toppings for muffins, to add before
baking:
Sprinkle each muffin with ½ t. sugar for a crunchy, sparkly
top.
Sprinkle with streusel: 2 T. softened butter + 1/4 c brown
sugar + 1/2 c flour, oats, or coconut;
mix well.
Sprinkle with coconut topping: 1 T. softened butter + 1/4 c
sugar + 1/2 c. coconut; mix well.
Sprinkle with nuts or nuts and brown sugar mixed together.
Toppings to add after baking:
Dip the tops in melted butter after baking, then dip
into cinnamon and sugar.
Brush with lemonade concentrate, maple syrup, or other
syrup.
