Gluten Free Traditions, Monkey Bread and Peach Muffins

Food can be such an emotional thing, often being attached to meaningful family traditions. If the majority of your family can eat gluten, it can be especially tricky when it comes to those traditions. If your family has traditions that involve gluten-filled foods you can’t eat, it’s important for you to figure out a gluten-free alternative, so you don’t feel left out.

These days, many gluten-filled products have a gluten-free alternative that you can just buy. And for those that don’t, you can either make your own or make something else just as good (or better). Stay positive about it. Remember the delicious foods you CAN have and be grateful for those. More importantly, focus on how great you feel when you don’t eat gluten. There are so many people who constantly feel awful and don’t know why. You do. Be happy about that. Choose to dwell on the positive in your life instead of dwelling on what you can’t have (easier said than done sometimes, I know, but the more you do it, the better you’ll get at it). 

One of my family’s traditions is having “monkey bread” (although we called it butterscotch pull-a-parts until in-laws came in and called it monkey bread) for breakfast every six months before we watch LDS General Conference on Sunday morning. That stuff is good! But it’s definitely not gluten-free.

Luckily for me, I have an amazing mom who is great at creating wonderful gluten-free alternatives for me and my sister.

She’s used the Glutino muffin mix for the past few years (actually, it was just the Gluten Free Pantry when she first started using it for this, but now it’s officially Glutino on the box) and it’s always been yummy, but she perfected it this last time.

Unfortunately, she makes it up as she goes, so when I asked her for the recipe she wasn’t completely sure what she did. Here’s what she said:

I think I just put chopped pecans and dry butterscotch pudding mix (NOT instant) in the cupcake papers.  I'm not sure the amounts I used of butter/brown sugar/cinnamon.....possible 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c brown sugar, 1 t cinnamon.  Melt butter, mix in brown sugar and cinnamon, pour some into cupcake papers, add muffin dough.  I think it also takes a bit longer to bake because of the extra butter in it....maybe 15 minutes?

So sorry.  I really do make it up as I go.  It did seem extra yummy this last time, so I hope this is correct.  I've done it before when I put the sauce in the middle and on top.  This still seemed the best.

Love you!
Mom 

So we’re going to go with this:

Gluten Free Butterscotch “Monkey Bread” Muffins

Ingredients:

• Glutino muffin mix
  • 6 Tbsp softened butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• chopped pecans
• dry butterscotch pudding mix (NOT instant)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put cupcake liners in pan
• Mix up Glutino muffin mix according to directions on box, set aside
• Put chopped pecans on bottom of cupcake liner (however much you want… I like a good layer on the bottom)
• Sprinkle thin layer (or more if you want) of dry butterscotch pudding mix on bottom of cupcake liner
• Melt butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon, then pour into cupcake liners
• Add muffin batter
• Bake 16-30 minutes (I know, I know… big difference between 16 and 30. It says 16 on the box, but we had to bake it longer when we did it because of the butter on the bottom. Test after 16 minutes and decide how much longer it needs.)

The muffins did this cool puffy thing that I can’t really describe. The yummy stuff on the bottom came up on the sides, the muffin puffed up really cool and it was just amazing!!! Sadly, I didn’t think to take any pictures. Next time…

I DO have pictures of some other yummy muffins I made:

They’re these delicious things:

Glutino’s Peaches ‘n’ Cream Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups Gluten Free Pantry Muffin and Scone Mix
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (or cinnamon)
• 2 whole eggs, beaten slightly with a fork
• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 3/8 cup whole milk (May need slightly more if using sour cream.)
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1 heaping cup, peeled, diced peaches (about 2 medium peaches)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Stir wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
4. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir well to combine thoroughly.
5. Fold in fresh peaches or use good quality canned peaches, well drained. Fresh nectarines may also be used.
6. Spoon into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees, 15-16 minutes.
7. Or transfer to a lightly oiled 4x8-inch loaf pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean.

Yield: 12 to 14 muffins or 1 loaf

I love peaches!

I can’t wait till the peaches from Perry are ripe! I made these ones with canned peaches and they were good, but I will most definitely be making these with the fresh Perry peaches. YUM! (Those of you not in Utah, if you have a chance to come here at the end of the summer be sure to head to the Brigham City/Perry area to try their peaches. So good!)

And if you don’t love peaches or butterscotch, you can always try out some…

Chocolate Cherry Muffins

or

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Or perhaps some banana bread (recipe on the back of the box) or blueberry. Yum! Add in anything you want. Easy and delicious!

Enjoy!

 

What’s your favorite kind of muffin?