Muffin Monday: Polynesian Bread or Muffins, Gluten Free Pineapple Muffin

*** Muffins to enjoy in the summer heat!




From Denny: On my trek to find bed and breakfast recipes I ran across this one today using pineapple, coconut and carrots. That certainly qualifies for the unusual combinations all in one muffin! This is a large recipe set up for making bread loaves. Just use the same batter and make into muffins. Because of the pineapple that can be very wet, you might need to bake a test muffin to check how much more time is needed to bake it than the usual 20 to 25 minutes for a normal muffin.

Included is a little bit about the bed and breakfast with a link to their website. This one is in Florida and they listed the latest news about the oil spill impact. According to them, as of today, they have not been affected on their beach area. This is quite the awesome place where you can rent normally priced rooms all the way up to swanky villas by the day or the week.

It seems none of these bed and breakfast recipes come with any photos. While I was searching for a photo over at Flickr this photographer also included a link to a gluten free pineapple muffin. You might want to try the recipe and see if you like baking wheat free.





From: Harrington House Beachfront Bed & Breakfast Inn
5626 Gulf Drive • Holmes Beach, Florida 34217-1666
Phone (888) 828-5566 • (941) 778-5444 • Fax (941) 778-0527

From the Inn: Come savor intimate charm and casual elegance of Harrington House Beachfront Bed and Breakfast Inn, one of Florida’s most highly rated Bed and Breakfast Inns located on a tranquil bit of paradise known as Anna Maria Island. The stunning sunsets, soothing rhythm of waves on the white sugary sand beach, and warm hospitality – combine to create that perfect getaway.

Tropical surroundings and serenity top the list of amenities. Savor a new breakfast selection every day from our collection of recipes prepared by our own professional chefs. Relax in the living room, a gathering place where visitors become friends.

Anna Maria Island — Oil Free Beaches

We have had a number of calls about whether we have seen any impact from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and are grateful to report:

· There is no local impact from the oil spill.
· Our beaches and destination are open for business.
· We are in no imminent danger of being affected.


Polynesian Bread or Muffins

Makes: 4 Loaves

Ingredients:

5 Cups Brown Sugar
6 Cups flour
2 Teaspoons Baking powder
2 Teaspoons Baking soda
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
Dash of salt
2 Teaspoons Lemon juice
5 Eggs
1 Cup oil
1 Cup Sour cream
13.5oz Can of coconut milk
3 Cups of dried cranberries
4 Cups of crushed pineapple -- 2 Cups drained / 2 Cups not drained
3 Cups Shredded coconut
10 oz. Shredded carrots

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl. Spray non-stick spray on standard size loaf pans. Line just bottom of the loaf pan with waxed paper. Divide batter into each loaf pan. Cook for one hour -- 350 degrees Check after one hour by poking it in its center with a toothpick or piece of spaghetti (If the toothpick or spaghetti comes out clean it's done, if not, cook longer as needed.)



*** Even if you don't have a problem with gluten, wheat flour does tend to make us swell with excess water retention if we eat it three times a day every day. A nice break from the usual is to try a gluten free muffin.

Check out:

American Revolt: How You Can Break Big Business, Big Banks, Big Insurance, Big Oil, Big Lobbyists

Wheatless Wednesday: Fruit-Sweetened Pineapple Muffins Put the “Fluffy” Back in Gluten-Free

*** Check out: Muffin Monday: Pina Colada Muffins

Muffin Monday: Banana Praline Muffins, White Chocolate Banana Bread


Gluten free pineapple muffin Photo by cavitt @ flickr



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Flourless Passover Chocolate Cake

From Denny: This recipe comes from the Sephardic Jews' traditional Passover dishes from the culture of Spain and Portugal and is based on Mediterranean cuisine.

Before the years of the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century, many Jews were affluent, well educated and held high positions in the Spanish royal court. Once the Spanish Inquisition got geared up they forced two choices upon the Jews: leave the Iberian Peninsula or convert to Catholicism. Those that did not convert settled in the Caribbean Islands, eventually these Sephardic Jews migrated to the American South centuries later.

Most Jews in America are considered Ashkenazic, tracing their roots back to France, Eastern Europe and the Germanic countries.







Passover Chocolate Cake

From: Chef Ann Amernick in “The Jewish Holiday Baker” by Joan Nathan (Schocken Books 1997)

Serves: 10 to 12

Chef Ann Amernick: She created the recipe because people were always asking for a good chocolate Passover dessert. Most Passover chocolate cake recipes call for cocoa and potato starch. Chef Amernick uses real chocolate, giving the cake a denser texture. Strictly observant Jews during Passover would substitute pareve margarine for the butter if the cake is to be served with meat dishes. Chef Amernick prefers real butter to margarine for this cake.


INGREDIENTS:

10 ozs. good imported bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 cup unsalted butter (or pareve margarine)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup finely ground almonds (done in a food processor)
2 tbls. brandy
Confectioners’ sugar
Whipped cream, optional
Fresh raspberries, optional


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease well a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with baking parchment.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. When the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat and leave it over the hot water to cool slowly.

3. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl of the electric mixer, beat the butter or margarine with 1/4 cup of the sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white. Add the egg yolks and beat for 1 minute. Add the almonds and brandy and beat for 2 minutes more.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until light and foamy while gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue beating the whites until they are stiff and shiny.

5. Add cooled melted chocolate to the egg-yolk mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Fold one-quarter of the chocolate mixture into the egg whites, then gently fold the egg-white mixture back into the rest of the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a tester comes out covered with a thick, moist (not wet) and crumbly coating.

7. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes in pan. Loosen edges with a knife, remove the sides and carefully turn the cake upside down onto a plate. Remove the baking parchment.

8. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream and raspberries on the side, if desired.



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!