The other day I felt like baking, but I am not much of a cook. I browsed Pinterest and found a blueberry muffin recipe. It turned out to be a baking adventure, involving quite a bit of problem solving .The internet ended up being my new best friend. In retrospect, I may not have completely thought through my muffin idea.
I decided to see what ingredients I had; I was missing a few. I wasn’t in the mood to go out to the store and it was late, so I did my best to find/use substitutes. Instead of I also used whole wheat flour instead of oat bran flax. I also I used coconut oil and a splash of milk (thank you internet) instead of applesauce. Maybe you already know this, but I was surprised to learn that coconut and blueberry can go well together (I taste tested just to make sure).
Next, I mixed the dry ingredients, choosing an odd utensil: a whisk. It ended up working great…for the dry ingredients; mixing everything together was a different story.
The next step was to combine together the eggs, sugar and coconut oil (originally applesauce). In the jar, the coconut oil was mostly solid, I had to let it sit out for a while in order to soften up. The substitute seemed to work pretty well, though the consistency was probably a bit different from what was intended.
I then got to mashing up bananas, adding milk and vanilla afterward. I, for some reason, find mashing up bananas oddly satisfying. I had looked around the kitchen, but hadn’t found any fresh bananas. However, I remembered that I had stuck a couple in the freezer for such a moment. They worked great once they’d had a chance to thaw.
I was then instructed to alternate between mixes as everything was combined. As I mentioned above, the whisk only worked well for the dry ingredients. The batter ended up getting stuck in the whisk. A spatula had to be used to get all of the batter out of the wires. Below is the result of trying to use a whisk to mix the batter (it’s completely filled with batter). After this I stuck to the spatula, which worked much better.
After I had added in the blueberries, there by finishing up the dough, I learned I did not actually have a muffin or cupcake tin. Searching the internet (my new best friend) I found a solution. I created my own with parchment paper pressed down on an upside down cup (pictured below, the measuring cup helped achieve the shape). I then used the metal ring from mason jars to hold the muffins in place while in the oven.
The muffins before being placed in the oven…
And after…
The muffins ended up being tasty. I had a great time making them, even with all of the mishaps. I would definitely do it again, though I’d make sure to be better prepared. If I keep trying, maybe I can one day be a decent cook; only time and practice will tell. Until then, I have some yummy muffins to enjoy.
I’d love to hear about your cooking/baking experiences. Please share your stories in the comments. Have a great day! 🙂
These look delicious with the substitutions! And I love that you’re using almost all organic ingredients. We would’ve doing the same 🙂 following along on your blog now!! http://www.ourfoodieappetite.com/belmont-house-of-smoke-norfolk-va-review/
Thanks! They ended up being really tasty. I like using organic too and try to when and where I can. I love that you do too:)
These look delicious with the substitutions! And I love that you’re using almost all organic ingredients. We would’ve doing the same 🙂 following along on your blog now!! http://www.ourfoodieappetite.com/belmont-house-of-smoke-norfolk-va-review/
Thanks! They ended up being really tasty. I like using organic too and try to when and where I can. I love that you do too:)
I think your parchment paper, jar rings was ingenious! Your photography is great, too. Please have one for me!
Thanks!
I think your parchment paper, jar rings was ingenious! Your photography is great, too. Please have one for me!
Thanks!
Looks good! 🙂
http://reasyume.wordpress.com
Thanks! 🙂
Looks good! 🙂
http://reasyume.wordpress.com
Thanks! 🙂