Lillabee Raspberry Muffins with Pecan Streusel

When I first started eating gluten-free, I thought pasta, cupcakes, cookies, pizza, etc (cry) were out.  Although I dreamed nightly of a thin crust slice of pizza with sweet tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and pepperoni, I didn’t miss the accompanying stomach ache that came shortly after finishing each delicious bite.

But then I’d cave…..

Every few weeks I’d decide that a little gluten couldn’t hurt and the next thing I knew I’d be stuffing every muffin or scone in the neighborhood into my mouth. Just like clockwork my gluten-induced stomachache would return, so it would be back on my gluten-free diet until I gave into the gluten gods again.

This vicious cycle repeated itself month after month, until I finally explored the gluten-free aisle at Whole Foods.  To my surprise, there was bread – real bread that tasted like bread, pancake mixes, crackers (no more awkward moments trying to eat dips with a spoon), and the Holy Grail – muffin mixes.  Two hundred dollars later, I was home whipping up every gluten-free food I’d missed.

Some products were better than others, but one that stuck out the most was Lillabee Muffin Mix.  In a taste test, you would never know it’s not made from wheat flour. Their mix just tastes good. Not “good for gluten free”, but just plain good. I later met a few of the folks behind the brand at TEDxBoulder and they confirmed that this is their main goal in creating Lillabee products.

The best part to the muffins is that you hold the creativity.  The muffin mix itself is plain, so you can add whatever flavors strike your mood.  I’ve done pumpkin muffins with a cream cheese frosting and now decided to try raspberry muffins with a streusel. Stomachache avoided… or should I say gluten stomachache avoided. Fair warning: you’ll still end up with a stomachache if you eat the entire batch!

Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Makes 12 muffins

You will need:
~ 1 box Lillabee Muffins (all of the below ingredients are listed on the box)
~ ¾ cup milk
~ 1 tsp vanilla
~ 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
~ ¼ cup unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp, room temperature
~ 2 large eggs, room temperature
~ ½ cup raspberries, plus 6 cut in half

Streusel:
~ ¼ cup pecans, diced
~ ¼ cup white sugar
~ 2 tbsp gluten-free all purpose flour
~ 1 tsp orange zest
~ 2 tbsp butter, softened

I followed the instructions on the back of the Lillabee Muffin box.  The biggest complaint I had was waiting for the butter to reach room temperature! I’ll remember this next time and leave it out a few hours prior to baking.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Mix butter with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add in bag marked sugar to the creamed butter and beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.  Add eggs one at a time beating for 20 seconds in between.

Combine milk, vanilla, and lemon juice.   Slowly beat in second “floury” bag and milk mixture.  Be careful not to over beat!  Fold in fruit and line a muffin tin with paper liners.  Fill each tin with 1/2 batter (the box called to fill ¼ of the way, but I didn’t have any spills).

Before baking the muffins, mix together all of the ingredients for the streusel.  Evenly divide the streusel mixture over each muffin and bake according to the instructions.

Top each muffin with half of a raspberry and forget you gave up gluten!