Having to be on a gluten-free and lactose-free diet has been an issue for me since my Irritable Bowel Syndrome diagnosis in January so in May I am making a concious effort to go on this diet and see how I feel at the end of May. So, now on Tuesdays, I am going to blog recipes or foods found at the grocery store that are gluten-free and/or lactose-free and track how they taste and how I feel.
This morning I woke up with no real appetite but when I went to get Lily her bowl of cereal I saw that I the box of Hodgson Mills Gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix sitting there. I figured it would be a good day to give it a try because it was something small and I could freeze them and heat them when I wanted more (always looking for ways to save time and money). The mix called for 1/4 cup sugar (sweetened for taste), 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup 2% milk and 1 egg. Well since I am also lactose free, I substituted the milk for my Lactaid milk which is lactose friendly milk.
The making of the muffins was pretty easy and made about 9 average size muffins. The recipe called for baking them at 375 degrees for 14-15 minutes. Well I opened the first one and it was still gooey in the middle so they went back in for 5 more minutes. I am not sure if this has anything to do with the fact that I used Lactaid and not cow's milk but that is why this is an experiment!
So now the taste test.....
Overall the muffins are okay at best. I am one that is huge on texture and I don't like things to mushy (no Lima Beans in my life!!) or grainy (really who wants to chew on sand!). These muffins are a bit on the grainy side for me. I liked the bits of apples but there is a lack of taste unless you catch a piece of apple in the mix. It maybe me but I need a little more sweetness like replacing the milk with a sweeter milk like almond milk or a flavored soy milk or replacing the sugar with honey or something similar. I will finish the batch that I made because my coffee helps it go down but I don't think I will be buying this again in the future.
Now Hodgson Mills does have a satisfaction guarantee on their box that states if you are not satisfied you can send the bottom of the box and the purchase price and they will make it right. I am not sure if that is a coupon or refund but at least they are a company that stands behind their product!
