Make It Sourdough - Gluten Free Sourdough Clementine Muffins

Using Clementines

 Clementines don't last long once you buy them. They have to be eaten within a few days.  I was looking for recipes that included clementines and then there was this recipe --- for Clementine Cake. It has bombed the internet and there are many, many versions of the cake.

If the recipes for Clementine Cake are checked out, many of the recipes seem to originate from Nigella Lawson on Food Network cake recipe.  The cake recipe can be gluten free because it calls for  ground almonds for the flour. I could have made it with almond flour, but I thought I might be able to use the clementine puree in sourdough quick bread.

Can the clementines be substituted for tangerines or oranges? Clementines, mandarins or tangerines are all in the same family. Several sources state that tangerines, mandarins, and oranges can be substituted for clementines. Make sure to check for seeds and if the oranges are larger than clementines,  use only 1/2 to 3/4 of the whole orange when making the puree.

Nigella boils her clementines before she uses them in a recipe. I was wondering how she knew to do that and why she did that. I searched why the clementines are boiled first. Seems that boiling several times removes the bitter flavor from the rind. Supposedly, cooking them creates a wonderful smell in the kitchen but I didn't notice it that much. It does soften them. When I cut them in half to put them in the processor, they were very soft. The clementines form a puree very quickly and it smells wonderfully.

Boiling the Clementines

Checking for seeds in the boiled clementines

Clementine Puree

Making the Muffins

I made the muffins the same way I make all the sourdough muffins. I add the dry ingredients to the sponge.  The liquid ingredients, including the clementine puree, are combined in another bowl. The dry and wet ingredients are then thoroughly combined.

The modifications for this recipe are the same as for the sourdough morning glory muffins. Seed dust is used rather than xanthan gum. If you would rather use

Applesauce is substituted for half the oil or butter. If a lower sugar content is wanted, Stevia in the Raw can be substituted for half the sugar and Splenda brown sugar blend can be substituted for brown sugar. If you have no applesauce, use 1/4 cup butter or oil of choice.

Other additions can be used in this recipe. Besides cinnamon, other spices could be ginger, nutmeg, mint, cilantro, and basil. I'm not a cilantro nor mint fan, but some people would love it. Other additions to the batter could be chocolate chips, chopped figs, pineapple or berries.

A sugar/cinnamon mixture can be added to the top. Brush with butter and sprinkle on top.
The mini muffins are baked about 15 minutes.

Sourdough Clementine Muffins

Sourdough Sponge:

1 cup (~200 grams) active sourdough starter

1 1/2 cup (183 grams) gluten free flour blend

1 tablespoon (21.25 grams) honey

1/3 cup(118 g) water, milk (122g) or whey

----------------------------------------------------

3 clementines puree  (see directions below)

2 tablespoons (20 grams) seed dust with psyllium

1 teaspoon (4 grams) cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon (8 grams) baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup seedless raisins or currents

1/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Combine sourdough starter, gluten free flour blend, water and honey. Mix with whisk for 1-2 minutes. Place in a warm place for 7-12 hours to bubble, rise and form a sponge. (I usually put it over a bowl of warm water in the microwave (and heat the water, not the sponge, every couple of hours).

Cover the clementines in water in a saucepan. (They will float.) Bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the hot water (carefully). Cover the clementines again and simmer for another 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut the clementines in half in a bowl (they are soft and juicy) and remove all seeds, if any. Puree the clementines in a food processor. Do not process to the stage of a juice. Very small pieces of peel should be seen in the puree.

When the batter has bubbled and formed a sourdough sponge, preheat the oven to 350℉. Place paper cups in a muffin pan and spray bottoms of cups with non-stick spray. If using only the muffin tin, spray only the bottom of the muffins cups.

Sprinkle the seed dust, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder on the sponge. Whisk in the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, beat egg, melted butter, clementine puree and honey together. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients, forming a thick batter.

Fold in raisins, coconut and/or any other ingredients wanted.

With ice cream scoop, scoop batter into each cup. Fill each cup 3/4 to almost full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Before 25 minutes are up, test with toothpick. Muffins are done when the toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Move the muffins to a cooling rack so that the muffins do not sweat. Cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with butter or cream cheese, if you like. Serve within a couple days, for gluten free muffins dry out quickly.


The muffins freeze well in a plastic zip bag. Cool completely before freezing. Warm 15 seconds in microwave.

Servings:

Makes 12 large muffins or 15 medium. (Time above is for medium size. Large size will require longer time.)


Resources:

"All About Oranges." RecipeTips.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--968/all-about-oranges.asp>.

"Clementines/Satsumas and Substitutes | Kitchen Queries | Nigella Lawson." Clementines/Satsumas and Substitutes | Kitchen Queries | Nigella Lawson. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-queries/view/clementinessatsumas-and-substitutes/646>.

"5 Ways to Cook with Oranges, Tangerines, and Clementines." Rodale News. N.p., 14 Dec. 2009. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.rodalenews.com/orange-recipes>.

"Flavor Profiles That Pair Together in Recipes - Nouveau RawNouveau Raw." Flavor Profiles That Pair Together in Recipes - Nouveau RawNouveau Raw. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://nouveauraw.com/raw-recipe-templates-and-development/flavor-prfiles-that-pair-well-in-recipes/>.

"Grown in California." Grown in California. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.grownincalifornia.com/fruit-facts/tangerine-facts.html>

Gruss, MS Teri. "Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Recipes." N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreecookingbasics/a/xanthanguargums.htm>.

"How to Sliver and Remove Bitterness from Orange Peel." My Persian Kitchen. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <www.mypersiankitchen.com/how-to-sliver-and-remove-bitterness-from-orange-peel/>.

"Is There a Good Substitute for Clementines in a Recipe? | MyRecipes.com." MyRecipes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2015. <http://www.myrecipes.com/how-to/cooking-questions/substitute-for-clementines>.