My Go-To Gluten Free Carbs; Fab Pancakes and Muffin Gems

My friend Anne asked for a recipe for gf carbs for her little boy. These two recipes are my faves for when I want something yummy to spread butter on. This type of recipe works great gluten free. I have found that for pancakes, muffins or quick breads, which use baking powder and soda for leavening, I can follow a general formula and do substitutions based on what I have or what I feel like eating.  I keep dry ingredients constant and substitute in different fruit purees, yogurt or coconut milk for a total volume of wet ingredients.

Fab Pancakes (GF)
2 c  gluten free flour mix
2t   baking powder
1t   baking soda
1t   salt

2 eggs
2c wet ingredients (medium thick consistency. GF flours need help with thickening)
1t vanilla
1/2 c melted butter, coconut oil, or canola oil

Blend dry ingredients first. (There is really no one flour that can replace wheat in a one-to-one substitution. I have a couple flour combos that I love, here.) Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. I use plain yogurt, bananas with milk, pumpkin with yogurt, thick thai coconut milk. Whatever. Just keep the total volume to 2 cups or a little more. You want a nice thick batter.
Add eggs, oil, vanilla.
Combine all ingredients, blend.
Usually, the directions for pancakes would say not to overmix, but I find GF flours need to be well blended and the batter needs to be stirred periodically while cooking; rice four in particular tends to settle in the bowl.

Cook on a griddle with a little canola oil on it.
Enjoy!

GF Muffin Gems (based on Graham Gems recipe)
This is my adaptation of a whole wheat muffin recipe my mom used to make a lot. So hearty, with a moist, dense crumb.
This recipe makes 2 dozen. Trust me, you will want that many!

4c       GF flour mix (recipe here)
2t       baking soda
1/2 t   salt
1t       xanthan gum (I don't normally use this ingredient, but it makes a difference in this recipe)
1/2 c  brown sugar
optional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, to taste

2        beaten eggs
2c      liquid: yogurt, thai coconut milk, pumpkin or banana with some almond milk, whatever. Needs to be thick like yogurt.
6t       melted butter or coconut oil
up to 1 cup raisins if desired
up to 1 cup chopped nuts if desired

Preheat oven to 350
Grease muffin cups with coconut oil, or your preferred oil.

Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients separately. Combine. I find GF flours need to be well blended; rice four in particular tends to settle in the bowl. Fold in raisins and nuts. Or chocolate chips! This will be a very thick batter.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake about 25 minutes.
Enjoy with butter! Best fresh and hot, or microwaved for ten seconds. These freeze well.