Chocolate Cake or Cup Cakes – GFEF

1 1/3 cup gluten free flour mix
2/3 cup Cocoa, sifted
7/8 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp guar gum
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt, fine
3 Tbs melted butter
2 Tbs oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 Tbs ground chia seed mixed with 3 Tbs hot water – stir well
1/2 cup yogurt, or buttermilk
1/2 cup water

1. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or grease and ‘flour’ a 9″ square cake pan or round cake pan

2. Preheat oven to 350

3. Mix together dry ingredients.

4. Mix together wet ingredients.

5. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir well.

6. Fill cup cake pan and bake for 14-16 minutes. Or bake the 9″ cake for 30-35 minutes.

Servings: 12

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Egyptian Lentil Soup
6 servings

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced or sliced
1 stalk of celery, diced or sliced
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups dried orange lentils (dal), washed in several changes of water until water runs clear. Drain.
1/3 cup brown rice, washed in several changes of water until water runs clear. Drain.
2 medium tomato, seeded and cut into chunks
1 medium potato, diced
2 teaspoons sea salt
4-5 cups vegetable stock or water
Optional Garnishes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, cilantro or mint
Lemon wedges

In medium pot over moderately high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion, carrot and celery. Sauté until onions are golden, add cumin and sauté a few more minutes. Add tomato, potato, vegetable stock, sea slat, lentils and rice – bring to boil. Cover and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, skimming any foam that forms on top.
When lentils and rice are soft and falling apart, finish seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge on the side.

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We’re quickly racing towards the end of Peach season so get over to your local Farmer’s Market now where you will find the sweetest ripest peaches.

The great thing about this gluten free buttermilk biscuit recipe is you can mix all the dry ingredients with the butter then store the dry mix in your frig or freezer. Now you have your own all purpose biscuit, pancake, waffle, cobbler topping mix…a Gluten Free ‘Bisquick.’ When you want to make any of the above mentioned, just mix in enough buttermilk or thinned down yogurt to the appropriate consistency. If you aren’t into gluten free, here is a waffle mix that my Mom loves.

Enjoy!

Peach Shortcake

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits

1 ½ cup brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour (starch)
¾ cup cornstarch
½ cup glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour)
¼ cup flaxmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter — cut into bits (1 cube)*
2 cups buttermilk — or yogurt thinned with water to buttermilk consistency*
½ teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 425F

In a medium size bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
Cut in the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
Drop 1/4 cup scoops of batter 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet. With a damp knife, press down the center to flatten a bit.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

For cobbler topping add 1/3 cup additional buttermilk.

*For Dairy free use ghee or non trans fat shortening in place of the butter and 2 Tb of vinegar in water or alternative ‘milk’ (rice, almond, hemp, etc) in place of the buttermilk.

Peaches
3-4 ripe peaches, washed
1/3 cup raw organic sugar, more or less to taste
¼ tsp almond extract
dash of cinnamon & nutmeg (optional)
pinch of sea salt

In a large bowl, cut peaches into thin slices one to two inches long. Add remaining ingredients and gently mix together. Let sit for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to assemble shortcakes.

Whipped Cream
2 cups of heavy cream
1 Tbs powdered sugar or other sweetener like maple syrup
dash of vanilla

Put cream, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whip with a whisk until soft peaks form. Best to use right away. Refrigerate until ready to assemble shortcakes.

Assembling Shortcakes

Split biscuits in half.
Spoon some peaches and juice on the bottom half. How much is up to you.
Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of the peaches
Place the top half of the buttermilk biscuit on top and repeat with peaches and whipped cream.
Once assembled, peach shortcakes should be eaten within 30 minutes as they will begin to soak through the biscuits.

About 10-12 peach shortcakes.

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The first loaf was great but didn’t rise so much – I think because I mistakenly used potato flour instead of potato starch. The house filled with the aroma of fresh baked bread! I had tears in my eyes…not really but it does sound dramatic The next loaf was a winner – as in taller though it is a relatively short loaf so sandwiches are a bit small – portion control, HA!
I made some adjustments to the recipe and made this recipe for 1 loaf. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Gluten Free / Egg Free  Sandwich Bread

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method

——– ———— ——————————–

3/4 cup millet flour — 3 oz

3/4 cup tapioca flour — 3 oz

3/4 cup potato starch (not flour!) — 3.3 oz

1/2 cup sorghum flour — 2 oz

1/4 cup teff flour — 1.13 oz

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon yeast — proof in 1/4 c warm water with pinch of the 1/4c sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil — or melted butter

1 cup water — warm; or 3/4c water + 1/4 c yoghurt

2 tablespoons flax seed — ground + 1/4 cup hot water stir til gelatinous

Grease 9 x 5 x 3 pan with butter or vegetable oil and dust with rice flour.

Mix together dry ingredients

Mix together wet ingredients

Add wet to dry.

Let rise in a warm place until the bread is just to the top of the pan – about 1 – 1 1/2  hours.

Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes. The bread is done when you tap it and it sounds hollow.

I made this variation on Monday so I could have pastrami sandwiches:
Rye bread – add 2 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 2 t molasses, 1T cocoa

After the bread has cooled I slice it thinly and put in the freezer. When I want to make a sandwich or make toast I just take out what I need.

I’ll post a picture when I make another loaf.

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Gluten Free Blue Corn Griddle Cakes

1 cup blue cornmeal (organic from Arrowhead Mills)
1/2 cup brown rice flour (or amaranth)
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup whole milk yogurt
1/3 cup water
1 cup frozen cut corn (or fresh)
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1/4 medium jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup Monterey jack or Mexican cheese blend, grated

Extra virgin olive oil for cooking griddle cakes

Combine dry ingredients (cornmeal through pepper) in bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (butter through cheese). Fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

Heat a cast iron griddle to medium high heat. Lightly coat the griddle with olive oil. When the griddle is hot, make a griddle cake with ¼ cup of batter. When they are ready to flip, little bubbles will start to appear on the top of the cakes (and the bottoms will be slightly browned) – about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. After flipping, you can check the bottoms of the cake for doneness – this will take about an additional 3 minutes per cake.

Makes about 12 cakes. Serve hot.

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Here is what I ended up with:

Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Bread

1 1/2 cup millet flour
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup teff flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbs ground flax seed
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt
3-4 very ripe bananas
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Mash the bananas and mix with the water, vanilla and butter.

Mix the banana mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into a well buttered and rice floured 9x5x3 loaf pan.

Update: I have used a 9 x 9 square pan and it works well too.

Bake at 350F for 50-70 minutes – until a knife poked into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes then finish cooling on a rack. Best to slice when fully cool but who can wait…

Enjoy!

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Bake 4 pounds (4 large)  orange yams (sweet potatoes) at 350F until soft and the skins are “loose” – about 90 minutes. Let cool and peel skins off. Cut into 1 1/2″ disks. Arrange tightly into a 9″ square baking dish. Brush a generous amount of the bourbon brown sugar glaze and bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes. Brush on some more glaze and bake another 20 minutes.  If you want to crisp up the top you can brush on more glaze and put under the broiler for a few minutes. Serve warm.

Bourbon Brown Sugar Glaze (approximate)

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T bourbon
1/2 tsp vanilla

Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. The butter and brown sugar should blend together into a nice thick glaze.

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This year I tried to remember where I got the recipe for the, I swore the best Cranberry Sauce I’ve ever had…I could not remember and barely could remember any ingredient past…well, cranberries!

So, I will use this blog as it was intended, to record recipes I have tried and also family favorites – both old and new.

Ok, now to the the recipe in the title of this post. Since I am wheat free and egg free these days I wanted a holiday dessert that I could enjoy. On the plus side, Patti really loves cheesecake. This recipe is a blend of a recipe I found from Whole Foods and Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Pumpkin Cheesecake.
The Whole Foods recipe is a basic refrigerator cheesecake but I was hesitant that the pumpkin wouldn’t have that nice baked caramelized quality even though I am using canned pumpkin. So I stumbled on the Beranbaum method of cooking the pumpkin in a sauce pan with the sugar. Viola! A + B = Spiced Refrigerator Pumpkin Cheesecake

Then I made up a crust that used a combo of oat bran and almond meal to avoid the wheat in graham crackers or gingersnaps.

Spiced Pumpkin Refrigerator Cheesecake

Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
2/3           cup  almond meal
1/2           cup  oat bran
1/4           cup  brown sugar
1           teaspoon  cinnamon
1/2      teaspoon  ground ginger
1/4      teaspoon  allspice
1/4      teaspoon  salt
4        tablespoons  butter — melted

4        tablespoons  butter
1/2           cup  brown sugar
1                cup  pumpkin puree
1           teaspoon  cinnamon
1/2      teaspoon  ground ginger
1/4      teaspoon  allspice
1/4      teaspoon  salt
1           teaspoon  vanilla extract

16            ounces  cream cheese — 2-8oz packages, room temperature

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, combine almond meal, oat bran, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt and melted butter. Press mixture into bottom of a 8 or 9-inch springform pan and about 1/4-inch up the sides. Bake until golden brown and toasted, 7 to 8 minutes; set aside to let cool completely.

In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together. Stir in the  pumpkin purée. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a  simmer, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.
Add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, salt. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring
constantly, until the mixture has darkened and thickened a bit, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cooled pumpkin mixture; beat until smooth. Transfer pumpkin mixture to prepared pan, spreading it out evenly over the crust. Cover and chill until set, about 6 hours, or overnight.

Un mold and slice:
Be sure the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled – I froze mine. Have ready a serving plate and a cutting board as wide as the cake wrapped in plastic wrap.
Use a hair dryer to warm the outside side of the pan. Release and gently loosen the ring and then lift it off.
Set the board with the plastic wrap on top of the cheesecake and carefully invert the pan. Heat the base of the springform with the hair dryer and lift it off.
Set the serving plate on the bottom of the cheesecake and reinvert the cake. Lift off the plastic-wrapped board.

To cut neat slices, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife dipped in hot water (wipe off excess water) between each slice.

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