Running + The Muffin Challenge

I've become obsessed with running recently. After a long hiatus I am getting back into the groove and loving it. An instructor at school asked me what I think about when I'm out for a long run and it got me to thinking...

When I'm running, my mind is all over the place. But, the one thing that is always in the back of my mind is this speech:

Whenever I am toward the end of a run, that little voice inevitably comes up and tells me that I should stop. It tells me that I can't run a step further. When those words enter my brain, I take a deep breath and push further because I know that if I can defeat that little voice in my head, I am growing a tiny bit stronger. And with that strength I can defeat any obstacle.

I am striving to integrate that same perseverance into my cooking. As I enter into specialty baking and try to omit, substitute, and insert different ingredients I encounter many obstacles and I fail often. Very often.

But, I keep trying.

The voice tries to tell me things like: "Give up, stick to mainstream baking." Or, "You are throwing money down the drain by experimenting with these ingredients."

To which I reply, "I hear ya," (Mama did you get the reference?) "But my mission is not to do something easy. My mission is to make great tasting food that makes people feel great."

Then I throw out the failed product and start over.

Case in point: The Carrot Muffin Challenge

I am on a mission to create a great gluten-free muffin with carrots in it. I know it can easily be done, but for some reason the first few attempts were not so successful. I think I tried to alter and tackle a bit too much at the start so I just ended up frustrated. After the third try, I decided to trash my original idea and go a different route.

And I think I succeeded.

Here is a glimpse at the first three attempts:

 

The first muffin (at the top of the pic) was bit crumbly and had way too much molasses... I was going for a Carrot Molasses Muffin at that point. The second one didn't have the right combination of leavening so it was dense. The third muffin just tasted bad. Real bad. 

Sometimes you just have to be real.

The winning muffin...

I know, I know, it's not in muffin form. I just wanted to use my cute little bundt molds.

The winning muffin is based on the recipe for Harvest Cake over at my new blog crush Roost.

First, I made the recipe as written just to get a feel for how it would turn out. Then, keeping in mind the intended purpose of the muffins I made a few changes to the recipes.

The final product was moist, light, and flavorful.

I found a winner and it tastes wonderful.

Now, I will move on to the next challenge, which was given to me by a classmate: A vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar free croissant. Wish me luck.

Abigail