Rustic Pan Continental

I love quick breads when it comes to gluten free baking. Partially because I've had so much success with them. Today I made the Sandwich Bread recipe which is wonderful and has the traditional yeasty bread flavor to it. Problem was, I didn't put parchment on the bottom of the pan. Despite my best efforts, I tore the bottom off of my loaf. So I wasn't happy with taking a picture of it and the broken piece was the demise of the loaf. It was like a couple of drops of blood in shark infested water. I nibbled at the crunchy goodness of the crust, and before I knew it, half of the loaf was gone. Then my husband came in to find out what I was eating and he took a couple of thick slices with butter and strawberry jam. Oh, bliss. But so much for having some bread for the week. And I was out of the rice flour so I started to dream up a new idea. What can I do with that teff I have hanging around?

Grains from Asia (buckwheat), Africa (teff) and South America (quinoa)
The flavor reminds me of pumpernickel.

Porridge:
1/2 cup whole grain teff
3/4 cup apple juice (unfiltered)
3/4 cup boiling hot water

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 Tablespoons tapioca flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 Tablespoons ground flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder (use a GF brand)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/4 cup light oil like olive oil
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup apple juice (unfiltered)

Extras:
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, slightly crushed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin seed (optional)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (with additional to sprinkle on the top)

First start with the porridge.  Using a heavy bottomed pot (iron pan in my case) brown the teff so that it is popping and you can smell a nice toasty aroma from it. While stirring pour the boiling hot water into the toasted teff being careful not to let it splash you.  Keep stirring to keep the lumps out. Now add the apple juice and continue to cook until it is a nice thick porridge. Set aside.

Sift together the dry ingredients. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. When the oven is preheated, mix half the porridge and wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the extra spices and sunflower seeds if you wish now. Now add the remaining wet ingredients and porridge. Mix until evenly combined. Do not worry if the mixture looks "too wet for bread" Pour into a heavy loaf pan that has been well greased and add parchment if you are concerned the loaf may not lift out of your baking dish easily. I prefer Pyrex or a ceramic loaf pan like Emile Henry. Smooth the top. Sprinkle on more sunflower seeds if you wish. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Turn out of the pan and allow to cool.

Mokelumne Granola Bars

I made this using a recipe idea from Alter Eco Foods. I decided to name the recipe after the great camping trip I took to the Mokelumne Wilderness with a fun group of people. Photo pending.

3 cups regular Gluten Free oats (not the quick cooking kind)
½ cup uncooked quinoa (I like red quinoa, but the color won't make a difference)
½ cup chia seeds
1/3 cup flax seeds ground
4 Tablespoons maca powder
1 ½ cup dried fruit (I used a mix of diced dates, golden and black raisins)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds - roasted and lightly salted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
 ¼ cup coconut oil (warmed until it is liquid)
½ cup honey

First toast the oats and seeds. I start with the chia seeds and dry roast them in a heavy pan (iron skillet) until they start to pop and smell toasty. Then I do the same with the 3 cups of oats, toasting half the amount at a time. This can also be done in a 350 degree oven with a cookie sheet, but be sure to keep an eye on it and stir regularly. Then I will dry roast the flax seed powder, and once it is hot and just beginning to color, I add the maca powder. Now maca may clump when it roasts so once it's out of the pan I might have to run it through a seive. Also it toasts very quickly and that's why I add it to the flax so it's less likely to burn. Add the fruit, sunflower seeds, cinnamon and sea salt and blend to combine. First drizzle the coconut oil into the mix and then the honey. The honey should be just enough to loosely clump together. Other sugary syrups could be used instead of honey, such as brown rice syrup, golden syrup, or agave nectar. If you don't wish to use coconut oil, I would suggest ghee.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment and grease the sides and parchment. This will help lift the bars from the pan, so over running 2 edges will help as handles. Pour in the granola mixture and press down using slightly wet hands (so honey won't stick). Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before lifting from pan. Cool another 5 minutes and cut into bars. Note: the bars can be crumbly so when you cut them apart, make them no less than 1.5 inches in width. Store in an airtight container.

Awesome Gluten Free Banana Bread

The biggest problem I've had with this bread is that it disappears so fast that I don't have time to get a picture of it.

3 mashed very ripe bananas (roughly 1 cup)

2 large  eggs

1/4 cup light oil, coconut oil or ghee

3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup  sorghum flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup either quinoa (lighter texture) teff (nutty flavor) or more sorghum (very moist consistency) flour

2 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 teaspoons baking powder (make sure brand is GF)

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup walnut pieces(optional)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch ceramic or glass loaf pan. Sometimes lining with parchment will help lift the bread out of the pan. I cannot say enough about using a heavier pan so the batter bakes more evenly. And I don't usually use the parchment, just make sure it is greased well.

In a mixing bowl, beat the mashed bananas with the eggs, oil and brown sugar till combined. Add the sorghum, tapioca starch, the other flour (quinoa, teff, or more sorghum) ground flax seed, GF baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and beat until a smooth sticky batter forms. Stir in the walnut pieces by hand.

Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Stud the top with some extra walnut pieces, if desired. Bake on the center rack for 55 to 65 minutes, if necessary, until the center is done (a wooden cake tester should emerge clean). Ovens vary, so check the loaf at 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

I've made this bread for non GF people and they also love it. I've also played around with the flours, baking different loaves and lining them up next to each other. So far the favorite in these taste trials has been the quinoa version. Just using sorghum and tapioca makes a very moist, sort of gummy loaf. The quinoa adds a sort of malty flavor and makes it less gummy. The teff is a nice variation and seems to add a nutty note. Just some observations. I don't think I would increase the tapioca beyond 1/2 cup.

Risotto with Fresh Fava Beans, Onions, and Fennel

1 lb fresh fava beans shelled
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 fresh "baby" fennel bulbs trimmed, and diced (reserve frilly tops)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds coarsely ground with a spice grinder
4 cups canned low-salt broth more or less (can be vegetable broth or chicken)
4 tablespoon chopped fresh fennel tops
1/2 cup chopped pancetta (optional)
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
lemon juice to taste

1.Cook fava beans in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain, cool and peel outer skins.

2. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and fennel bulb; saute 2 minutes. Add fennel seeds; saute 3 minutes. Add risotto. Stir in 1 cup of broth. As broth evaporates continue to pour broth in small amounts, letting the risotto absorb the liquid each time and stirring so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The process should take about 20 minutes to incorporate all 4 cups of broth. Just as the last cup of broth is being added stir in the fava beans. Continue to cook the risotto until all broth is absorbed.

3. Stir in pancetta (if used) and fennel tops. Take off the heat and cover. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes.

4. Mix in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Gluten Free Sandwich Bread Recipe

I got this from http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/, and using her table modified the GF flour to adjust for my allergies to soy and corn in addition to the gluten. It was great! And really simple. Since I am visiting family with my bread machine packed away I chose the convential oven method.

The original recipe calls for:

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
3 parts brown rice flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
3 parts corn starch
2 parts soy flour
1 part masa harina

Her suggestions:

The masa harina in the flour mix for this recipe is usually available in the Hispanic sections of most grocery stores. Due to the way it is processed, masa harina is very absorbent and you cannot substitute corn meal or corn flour. You can purchase masa harina on Amazon.com if it is not available locally.
If you are allergic to corn then you can make the following substitutions in the flour mix: use tapioca starch instead of corn starch and almond flour instead of masa harina.
If you are allergic to soy, then you can substitute any of the following flours for the soy flour in the flour mix: sorghum flour, garfava flour, or quinoa flour.
If you are on a dairy-free diet, then you may use soy milk or rice milk. Just make sure that they are gluten free.If you are allergic to eggs, use the flax substitute listed in the recipe, or follow the instructions on your favorite egg replacement powder. When I use the flax eggs, the bread is usually slightly wetter than otherwise.
Always substituting, I used the following GF mixture:

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
3 parts white rice flour (I also use Bob’s Red Mill)
3 parts tapioca starch
2 parts garbanzo flour
1 part almond flour


Really Good Gluten Free Sandwich Bread1 Tbsp. bread machine yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 ½ c. water (105 degrees or a little less than hot)
2 ½ cups of my gluten free flour mix
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1tsp. salt
3 eggs (or 9 Tbsp. water and 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed)
1 ½ Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. cider vinegar

1. Start by combining the yeast and sugar in a small bowl (I use the smallest in my set of three nested mixing bowls). Add the water while gently stirring the yeast and sugar. Let this mixture sit while you mix the rest of the ingredients – bubbles and foam should form if the yeast is happy.
2. Combine the flour mix, xanthan gum and salt in the largest mixing bowl and stir well.
3. In a third bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and vinegar until the eggs are a bit frothy.
4. By this point the yeast mixture should be foamy, so you can pour the two liquid mixtures into the flour mixture. Blend the dough with a mixer for 4 minutes.

Bread Machine Directions:Scoop your dough into the bread machine and smooth the top of the dough. I bake my bread using an 80 minute setting that allows for 20 minutes of kneading, 18 minutes of rise, and 42 minutes of baking. However, since I don’t use the paddle in by bread machine, I’m effectively doing a 38 minute rise and a 42 minute bake. (The advantage of not using the paddle is that you don’t end up with a hole in the bottom of your bread.)
Conventional Oven Directions:Scoop the dough into a greased loaf pan. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area until is is about 1 inch from the top of the pan. Then bake at 375 degrees for 50 – 60 minutes.

The bread browned quickly, and the crust was quite dark when done, but REALLY good!
Plan on making more at first, the magic that makes fresh cooked bread disappear works the same for this as any gluten bread!

Gingery Rhubarb and Butternut Squash Bake

It was Thanksgiving and I wanted a side dish that was similar to baked yams, but not so sweet. I was also wanting to use some things that I was growing in the garden, especially the rhubarb which I had in abundance. This turned out sweet enough, and very different in taste. I liked it just as well the next morning added to my hot cereal.

1 Kabocha or butternut squash, peeled and sliced the size of apple slices that you'd put in pie
1 cup rhubarb, diced
1 small can crushed pineapple, with juice
1 tablespoon finely diced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoon demerarra sugar (or brown sugar will do)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a lidded baking dish (cover in tin foil if you don't have a lid). Layer the squash, rhubarb, pineapple and ginger into the dish, or toss the ingredients in a separate bowl and then ladle into the dish, trying to arrange the squash slices so they are flat. Pour in the pineapple juice (if it wasn't added earlier) and dot with butter. Cover dish and bake for 1 hour until the squash is fork tender.

Toss together the pecans and demarrar sugar. Remove lid and sprinkle nut mixture evenly over the top. Bake another 20 minutes until the nuts are turning golden brown. Serves 6.

Nut Pie

This is a Caramelized Nut Tart recipe adapted from Bon Appétit magazine, December 1998 issue. I've been wanting pecan pie and this seemed like I could adapt it into a nice pie without the eggs or dairy ingredients. It was very popular, winning over the bakery made Pecan Pie that was brought to our Thanksgiving celebration. Homemade wins again.

Filling Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoons shortening (margarine or butter but I used Jungle Shortening)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds

1 recipe of Gluten Free Pie Crust

9 1/2 inch tart pan with removable bottom or rather shallow 9-inch pie plate

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll dough out on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 9 1/2-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold overhang in and press, forming high-standing thick sides. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake crust until set but still pale in color, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Boil without stirring until caramel is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Be careful not to burn the sugar.

Gradually whisk in coconut milk (mixture will bubble). Stir until caramel is smooth. Add shortening (or butter), honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Mix in all nuts. (Apologies for the blurry pictures - it was late at night).

Pour caramel mixture into crust. Place the pie on a larger baking sheet to stabilize and to catch any overflow. Bake until entire filling bubbles, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack before serving.

Coconut Bliss was too rich for this pie. Turns out Rice Dream tasted better with it. This was really very rich, only to be consumed in moderation. I would recommend cutting it into 8 or 12 slices.

Also, I've been thinking what a nice bar cookie this would make. I'd add a couple of more tablespoons of sugar to the GF pie crust, roll it into a 9x13 pan. Then I'd make the carmel but only used sliced almonds. I'd spread the almonds over the prebaked crust, and bake. Then I'd slice them into diamond shapes, just like at the coffee shop. If I try it, I'll add pictures.

Gluten Free Pie Crust

6 oz. Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
2 tsp. Xanthum gum
2 oz. shortening (Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil)
2 oz. lard*
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs. cold water
1 approximate teaspoon unfiltered apple vinegar with the rest of Tbs. cold water

*4 oz. of shortening seems to work just fine, instead of a ½ and ½ mix.

Weigh the flour, shortening and lard into a bowl on a kitchen scale. Add the other ingredients except for the water and vinegar.

Cut the shortening and lard together with the flour, xanthum gum, sugar and salt until it is like coarse meal. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Add the 2 Tbs. of water. Measure an approximate 1 teaspoon of vinegar in the Tbs. measure and fill the rest with cold water. Once all 3 Tbs of the water/vinegar is added, knead until the dough holds together. Sprinkle in more water if the mix is dry. Sprinkle the rolling surface with GF flour and roll out to desired shape. This transfers to the pan more easily if you wrap the dough around the rolling pin. Crimp or decorate and fill. Makes a single crust.

Just a few thoughts
I added the sugar to make the crust brown. Don't know if this is really necessary, or if it worked. I opted to use lard and the coconut oil as I wanted to see how it tasted. The little "rag cookies" (pie dough left over from shaping the crust, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and baked for 8-10 minutes) were very light and crumbly. If you can use butter, I'd probably recommend fats that are something closer to my original pie crust (not GF).

Rather nice with a glass of rice milk, but maybe next time I'll try less lard. (Later note: replacing the lard with coconut shortening worked just fine. I'll leave it up to the cook.) The shape held better than I expected. I was ready to fix a bunch of tears but only had one. Also, I'm guessing about the xanthum gum, seemed like the right amount to condition the dough and I am regularly using vinegar as a dough conditioner. I used this for an experimental pumpkin pie. The filling needs some adjustments, but the crust was delightful. Even my husband liked it.

Green Tomato Mincemeat

9 cups finely chopped green tomatoes (leave the skins on)
4 cups peeled, chopped tart apples (used 4 Granny Smith)
3 cups raisins
½ cup diced candied citron, lemon or orange peel
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 Tablespoons Lyle's Black Treacle
¾ cup unfiltered apple vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice


Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a large heavy pan. Cook mixture slowly until it is tender and thick, about 1 hour or more. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.

To can, pour boiling mixture into hot, sterile jars, leaving ½-inch headspace; seal promptly. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Store in a cool dry place.

To freeze, pack cold mincemeat into freezer jars or containers, leaving about an inch headspace for expansion. Seal or freeze promptly.

Makes about 6 pints of green tomato mincemeat.

Trial and Error with the Soyabella

I admire all the bloggers who have success after success in the kitchen with gluten free cooking. For me, it's turning out to be much more of a learning curve. I can attest by this last picture of my favorite waffle iron.


I had mixed up a batch of GF waffles, straight from a purchased mix. And it solidly glued my favorite waffle iron together. I broke the handle trying to pry it open, and the rice flour simply won't come off of the griddle. Oh well. I've been reading that you shouldn't use a pan or waffle iron that's been used with gluten products because of gluten cross contamination. But I was sad to see my 15 year old waffle iron go. I still could have used it to make waffles for my husband.

Instead of buying a new waffle iron, I bought an Aroma fuzzy logic rice cooker. I use it regularly and I really love it. And it was only $40. My favorite function is the delayed cooking option. I can set it so the rice is hot and fresh just as I wake up in the morning. Really nice.

Something nice in my tea still alludes me. Now I don't "have to have" my morning cuppa in order to be sociable. But there's something civilized in my mind about a cup of black tea with milk that I can't shake. I like milk (but that's out of the question) and I even like soy milk (but that's also out of the question). I've finally settled for rice milk. But sometimes it leaves an oily slick on the top of the tea. Ick. I've been racking my brain about making rice milk myself, but have balked at all the processing it takes. And then I thought I'd found a machine to answer all my prayers.

I purchased a Soyabella on Friday. I was very excited about the product as the lady in the shop assured me that it made rice milk and nut milk with great ease. I certainly won't be making soy milk with it. I looked Soyabella up on the web and was impressed by all the praises for the machine. So I went back at my earliest convenience and bought it. Sunday I actually got to use it for the first time. But I would say the jury is still out on this one.

My first batch of "rice milk" came out unfavorably. Now, I'm pretty used to having a learning curve on something new - so when I poured out the end product that looked like curdled milk, I chalked up my disappointment to "learning curve". Now granted, there are no instructions in the booklet about rice milk. Only "rice porridge". Ah, now looking at the mess I realized that I had made a version of congee, and a not too appetizing one at that. I can say this with confidence as I had just had breakfast of a delicious homemade congee (made in the rice cooker overnight) with mustard greens and pickled turnips. I strained the "rice milk" through a gold mesh coffee filter and put the thicker rice bi-product aside. I flavored the "rice milk" with some agave syrup and vanilla and moved it to the fridge with the hopes that I would like it better when cold. Frankly it is stodgy and gelatinous and I could never imagine putting it in my tea.



I rinsed off the unit and put the soaked adzuki beans in the "soy milk" basket. It was then that I noticed the remarkable difference in the hole sizes of the "rice porridge" basket from the "soy milk" basket. Hmmm. Now I'll have to try the rice in the "milk" basket next. Again I fired up the Soyabella according to the instructions. This time, a gelatinous beany goo issued forth, a strange purple grey color and none too appealing. Ok. Why do lovely little red beans transform into purple grey? Another mystery. I flavored that with a little maple syrup, but it really didn't appeal much to me at all. Into the fridge to cool down and see if there was some magical transformation. Alas, none transpired. Well, I'd read a couple of experiments with adzuki bean milk that had also ended in disappointment, so I will add to the list.

However, in trying to decide if I should chuck it down the sink, I opted to use it in my pancakes this morning. And what I will say for adzuki bean milk is that it improved the texture of my usual pancakes.

Usually there is a graininess to rice flour pancakes. I miss the somewhat chewy tooth of a wheat flour pancake. This morning, they were nearly indistinguishable from my old pancake recipe. Not to mention, the other minor gripe I have with GF pancakes is that they never brown quite like regular ones.


Maybe I just had a good pancake karma fairy this morning, or I've learned a little on getting them to color up, but they really had a nice golden color when they flipped over. So while I may not drink adzuki bean milk in my tea or pour it over my Rice Chex, I might be using it in some baked goods to see if it continues to add some magic.

GF Adzuki Bean Milk Pancakes

1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills GF pancake and baking mix
1 tsp ener-g egg replacer
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp blue agave syrup
1/2 cup adzuki bean milk (enough to make it the correct consistency for pancakes, pourable but not that thin up to 3/4 cup)

Fry on a hot greased griddle, flipping only once.

Makes five 3-inch pancakes

Wonder if there are any strawberries in the garden?

Blueberry Corn Muffins

The corn bread recipe makes a really good blueberry muffin with a couple of quick adjustments. Use the basic recipe and because I like these sweet, I add 1/3 cup more sugar to them. But it's only a suggestion. Just at the end of mixing the batter I add 1 cup of fresh (washed and cleaned) blueberries. I add 5 to 10 minutes on the baking time.

These have passed the "average eater" test. Nobody would have guessed they're gluten free. In fact, I brought them along to a lunch I was invited to. The hostess had encouraged people to bring something to share and I felt it would get me past the awkward "no bread for me, thanks anyway" thing. Everyone tucked in to the blueberry muffins with great delight. I find that grad students usually have no time to cook. However I noticed one person at lunch was politely avoiding the muffins. I casually mentioned that these were egg, dairy and gluten free. Her eyes lit up; "Really? You bake gluten free? I've been GF for two years now and I don't know anyone who bakes like this."

I have a friend who went to Culinary school. She said she didn't want to be rich like Bill Gates, but wanted to make people happy one cookie at a time.

I know what she means.

Really Wacky Cake

Chocolate cake that is gluten, egg, and milk free! I was so happy that this cake was a complete success with the GF friends and non-GF friends. It made my birthday celebration very memorable, especially as we ate the cake with the most amazing coconut ice cream. I didn't feel like this birthday was any different from any other. Friends, food, fun; just the way I like it.

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
6 Tablespoons canola oil (1/2 cup)
1 1/4 cup cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flours with sugar, cocoa, soda and salt until they are well combined. Make a well in the flour mixture. In a separate bowl mix the oil, vinegar, vanilla and water. Pour this into the well and mix thoroughly. Pour into an ungreased 9x9-inch baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack.

P.S. The icing was a Pamela's Vanilla Frosting mix I picked up at New Leaf (and I've seen it at Whole Foods). I can't say that I am a fan of the frosting. Other people liked it. I used coconut oil for the necessary fat. It did taste better the next day, but it was hard to spread and somewhat tasteless other than a very sugary glaze. Next time, I think I'll make an artful dusting with powdered sugar.

Also, I should mention that the picture above requires 2 batches of this recipe. I baked it in a 10-inch round pan. It made a lot of cake, enough for 8 people and leftovers. This cake works better as single, thick cake - sometimes referred to in cookbooks as "picnic cake". It doesn't "do layers" like some cakes that use wheat flour. If you are really wanting to do thin layers with frosting in between, bake it in a single pan and then slice the baked cake. You'll need spatulas, finesse and a sense of humour as this cake is very moist and can break easily doing such maneuvers.

One batch makes 12 nice cupcakes. Use parchment cupcake liners. Bake for 25 minutes.

Corn Muffins

Also works nicely as a bread. I just wanted something small in my hand this morning for breakfast.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
4 Tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil (like canola)
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon vinegar (undistilled apple)
1 1/4 cup rice milk (but water may work as well)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (or 325 for a convection oven). Grease or line 12 muffin cups or a 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine the flours, sugar, corn meal, baking soda, zanthum gum and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine the egg replacer with the warm water. Mix until a little frothy.

Combine the rice milk, oils, and vinegar in a small bowl. Add the wet ingredients (rice milk combination and the egg replacer) to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour into prepared pans or muffin tins. Smooth the top, mounding up towards the center. I've found once you put this bread in, whatever pattern you leave in the top of the bread will bake that way.

Bake 20 minutes for the muffins or 40 minutes for the 8-inch pan.

Banana Bread - free from Gluten, Eggs, and Milk

My first Gluten Free Post!

I was tempted to make my new Zucchini-Pineapple bread again, but there were 3 overripe bananas on the counter begging to be used. How could I say no?

Juice of one lemon (or 2 small to make about 1/3 cup)
3 overripe (lots of brown spots) bananas - make the grocer happy, take the old separate ones if you don't have any of your own!
1/2 cup light flavored oil (I used a canola/corn oil)

1 cup Gluten Free baking mix
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed (I buy mine bulk and grind it in a coffee grinder)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped dates (about 8 dates)
1/2 cup nuts (I like pecan)

1 cup rice milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 for convection baking). Grease a 4x8 inch loaf pan. I used coconut oil.

Peel and mash the bananas. Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly. Add the oil.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until the brown sugar is only tiny lumps and the flours are well incorporated. If you use the dates, and slice them yourself, take a couple of tablespoons of the dry ingredient flour mix and toss the dates in it. It separates them from becoming a single gooey blob. Mix the banana, lemon, oil mixture in with the dry ingredients, dates and nuts. This should look crumbly and rather dry. When the lumps are about 1/2-inch in size start to add the rice milk in three 1/3 cup batches. This will be moist but very stiff batter.

When the ingredients are incorporated, turn into the pan and smooth the top. I even mound it up towards the center. I have found that whatever shape you make these breads - i.e. swirls left by the spoon, never smooth out and are immortalized in the finished loaf.

Bake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Un-mold the bread and cool on a rack. Don't slice before it is cool.

Having a Re-think

On the 25th of February, I finally found out why I seem to have so many stomach troubles. I was diagnosed with numerous food allergies. Albumin (eggs), casein (milk), soy and gluten are problems for me.

On the 26th of February, I changed my diet radically. And nearly immediately I've been feeling better. All the posts I've put on this site might stay. Or they might go. I really can't say. But I'm having a re-think. What to do with a nearly dead blog? My graduate studies keep me out of my garden a little too much, but I am planning on putting in some automated sprinklers and summer vegetables.

And I plan on only adding recipes that are Gluten Free. Unlike the funny kitty above, I'm lucky that I have such a creative mind. I love to cook. And I've often cooked for friends who have Celiac Sprue. Now I'm having to put that creative energy to work on my own life.

Who'd have guessed it?

Click here to find many more gluten free bloggers.

Norwegian Almond Bars or Fyrstekake

It wouldn't be Christmas without these cookies.

Note: I am experimenting with a gluten free version of this cookie, (but it uses ghee and 1 egg yolk). If you are interested in a trial run recipe, I'd be happy to forward it. Please leave me a comment or send me an email. 23 Dec 2008

2 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
1 egg white
2 tbs water

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 beaten egg

1 egg yolk
water

Grind the almonds in a food processor or blender until very fine. Pulse in the confectioners sugar. Have the egg white and water ready to pour in.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Cut in the butter until the mixture is pebbly. Add the egg and form into a ball. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and lay into a 9x13-inch pan.

Now add the egg and water to the almond mixture and process until it is a thick paste. Add a few drops of water if it is too thick. Now spread it evenly on the dough.

Roll out the remaining dough and cut to make a lattice pattern. With a pastry brush, brush only the lattice with the egg yolk and water. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely and slice into bars. Recipe makes 24 bars.

Pineapple and Carrot Cake

I'm cleaning out an old file, and I want to keep this recipe. I made it for my friend's wedding reception back in 1990. It is very moist and increases easily.

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts*
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/4 cups sunflower oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups honey
11 ounces crushed pineapple**
3 eggs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 13 x 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan.

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl. Pour wet into dry. Turn on electric mixer and mix well for 2 minutes or until well blended. Pour into pan.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until done. When cool, spread with icing.

Icing:
1 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
6 Tablespoons honey

Blend the ingredients in a bowl of food processor until smooth. You can add a cup of chopped walnuts. But I like to sprinkle them over the icing or use them to coat the sides of the cake.

*ingredient substitution: you can use grated unsweetened coconut, but I find it very hard to find.
**ingredient substitution: canned mandarin oranges can be used. I just don't like them.

Cranberry Coffee Cake.

Since the Cranberry Relish is already made, why not wake up the house with a fresh, holiday coffee cake?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 oz. soft unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh cranberry relish ( click here for the recipe)

Streusel:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Blend the streusel ingredients with a fork or pulse in a food processor until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Sift the flours, baking powder and soda and salt together into a bowl. Put aside.

Beat the sugar and the butter together until creamy. Add the eggs and continue to beat until smooth. Add the vanilla. On low speed in the mixer, add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Spread a little more than half of the batter into the bottom of the pan. Dollop the cranberry relish evenly over the batter and then put the remaining batter on top. The relish has a tendency to sink, so don't worry if some of it shows through the top layer of batter. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool briefly and serve warm.

Cranberry Relish

I simply can't eat canned cranberry sauce; too stodgy, too sweet, too stale. I like fresh.



1 package of fresh cranberries,
1 organic orange
1/2 cup sugar
Grand Marnier (or Cointreau or Triple Sec - Bourbon will do in a pinch)

Pick through the cranberries, discarding any soft or badly bruised berries. Wash. Also wash the orange and slice into segments, removing any visible seeds. Coarsely grind the berries and the orange in a meat grinder. I use an attachment for my Kitchen Aide mixer. Stir the sugar into the ground fruit mixture. Start with less sugar and when the relish has aged in a refrigerator for a day, taste the relish and add more if you think it is necessary. Many times the orange is so sweet, there isn't need for much more sugar and the liqueur also adds sweetness. Generally I have found a half-cup to be just right. Add about 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (if you wish, but this may be omitted.)

By the way, I really love this relish on my pumpkin or pecan pie. It adds a tangy element to the pie.

If you double this recipe, you'll have enough for Thanksgiving dinner and Cranberry Coffee Cake.

Biscuits (almost like Grandma's)

My maternal Grandmother was locally renowned for her biscuits. I've tried for years to duplicate them. This morning I had some buttermilk to use and these came out almost like hers.

Note to self: need to try a gluten free version. Thinking of using coconut keifer for buttermilk by So Delicious.




4 cups all purpose flour
6 oz. cold butter (or 1 1/2 sticks - 12 Tbs)
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Sift in the salt, soda, and powder and then mix the buttermilk in until just moistened. Scoop out pieces about the size of a meatball, it should make 12. I placed them on the cookie sheet so they were touching (or it could be put in a pan). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.