We all know the challenges of gluten free baking.
Baking is a science, but gluten free baking is more of an exact science. Things have to be exact and precise, and if they are not, disasters very well may happen.
I have made the above chocolate chip muffins several times. The first two times I made them they were wonderful. The texture and taste were perfect.
I wanted to post the recipe, but I decided to make them one more time to be sure they were just right before I posted it.
Well, as you can see from the above picture, they were not quite right the third time I made them. Obviously something went wrong and I have some more work to do before I share the recipe.
I am thinking it might the be oven temperature or the amount of time that I baked them, but it might also be something not quite right with the ingredients.
What I do know is that they tasted so good, even the ones with giant craters in the middle tasted just fine, the look of the muffin though is a whole different story. I am still working on that one.
So, if things are a little quiet here in my allergy section, it just means I am working, perfecting, and trying new gluten free things in the kitchen in order to get the recipes just right before sharing them with you.
And if anyone has ideas on the giant craters in my muffins, I would love to hear your thoughts.
I have no clue why that happened, but I think the craters are just calling out to be filled with Nutella or sweetened cream cheese 🙂
I would just cut the tops off and tell my kids they were doughnuts 😉 I have to bake “eggless”, so I know how it is when you have to sub ingredients. Baking IS a science! People who just buy everything from a bakery have no idea!
I have a few thoughts, but not sure any of them are useful 🙂
1) Probably the leavening-the eggs or baking powder/baking soda. Either not enough or expired.
2) Baking is all about the ratios, that is why professional bakers always weigh the flours. I find gf flours tend to settle, so you have to really shake them before measuring and always measure the exact same way. It’s just easier to use a scale.
3) The oven temperature could be off or the door was opened too soon. Don’t you remember Grandma always telling you not to peak in the oven too soon to check on the cake ? It’s because it will fall in the center.
I think the leavening was fine because it works in others things, but I agree it was either the oven temp or the ratio that was off when I made them the third time. I have never had a cake or cupcake fall quite like those did though. 🙂 At least they tasted good.
Muffins? I don’t see any muffins.
Those are definitely gluten free baked donuts!
You meant to do that!
It could have been the humidity (in the air, and in the oven) on the day that you baked them.
Looks are secondary. It’s really not what they look like that matters. Did their taste satisfy you? Did they serve the purpose for which they were made? Then it’s good! Personally, I think they even look tasty! (I’m wishing I could reach through the monitor and eat one.)
You are right, taste is the main thing that matters, but I would like to see if I can figure out the looks part so I can post the recipe. I hate to post a recipe that ends up looking like that for everyone. 🙂 And maybe you have something there, with a few tweaks I might just have a new gluten free doughnut recipe. 😉 I had not thought of humidity. That may have been part of it also.
If it makes you feel any better, my zucchini bread did that this weekend along with the fact they were hard as a brick when I took them out of the oven, I even dropped on from above my head onto the counter when my husband asked what I baked. Turns out a day on the counter wrapped in plastic wrapped yielded a soft, chewy zucchini bread that my gluten eating husband declared awesome. Not sure why the middle sank or why is softened but it was great bread. I am very excited for your recipe!
I think that your recipe may not have enough flour to hold the air pockets… or too much liquid?