52 Sweet Treats

$5.20 Sweets: Docinhos De Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy

2012-02-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

My friend Sue recently embarked on a grand adventure, moving from the Midwest to Brazil. Many of her friends came together for a Brazilian Bash, a beautiful going away soiree. It was a lovely evening, filled with fun people, food, dancing and of course, lots of laughter.

I met Sue a few years back through our mutual friend, Largo. One of the things I've learned from these ladies, both event coordinators, is that it is perfectly okay for special events to have little touch of BIG, of crazy, of totally over the top. And so, when it was time for Sue's going away party, I wanted to go a little over the top. Well, kinda. I made six Brazilian desserts. What? You'd do that for your friends, too, right?

Because many Brazilian foods are already gluten-free, this wasn't particularly challenging but oh my, was it ever tasty! Half of what I baked was naturally gluten-free and half I needed to modify. Even the Brazilian foods that contain gluten have been easy to modify. And they have all been incredibly delicious. I'm already planning more Brazilian baking. I am also thinking any additional Brazilian baking may require a research trip, a chance to visit Sue!

I started with a tried-and-true recipe from my own recipe box, Broinhas or corn cookie. Instead of making 10 large cookies as the recipes suggests, I made 24 small cookies. The smaller size was great for sharing at a party.

Next I made this recipe, Brazilian Jubilee Cookies. To modify, simply use my favorite gluten-free flour blend and 1 teaspoon of guar gum. Otherwise, bake as directed in the recipe. Easy!

Then I made Bolo de Banana, Banana Upside Down Cake. This, too, was easily modified to gluten-free. Where the recipe calls for breadcrumbs, use almond meal instead. I made this in a greased 9 x 13 and then used a 2" round cutter to make little cake circles that I inverted and served in these cute nut cups from Sweet! Well, except for that corner that is cut out. I put that directly into my mouth. So good!

Moving on from cookies and cake, I made a variety of Brazilian candies. These are all super easy to make and would be fun to make with kiddos in the kitchen.

Fourth on my list, Brigadeiros. These are my favorite Brazilian treat, a slightly chewy chocolate truffle rolled in chocolate sprinkles or chopped nuts or coconut. Not a single modification necessary here, just make sure the chocolate sprinkles you use are gluten-free.

The fifth creation from a recipe at In Search of Delicious was Beijinhos de Coco, Brazilian Coconut Candy. Beijinhos means kisses in Portugese. If Brazilian kisses are coconut-y, rich, butter-y and sweet, then I must visit! These are a perfect little treat, even better if you can wait a day to eat them. Again, not a single modification necessary, already gluten-free!

And last on my list, Docinhos De Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy. These are gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. They could be vegan if you chose your sugars carefully.

Docinhos de Abobora, Brazilian Pumpkin Candy
(Makes 25 candies)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I use canned)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup finely shredded coconut
1/4 t. ground cloves
non-stick cooking spray
powdered sugar for rolling

Place all of the ingredients except for the cooking spray and powdered sugar into a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly. Mixture needs to reach 240 degrees and will be very thick.

Once at 240 degrees, turn off burner and remove pan from heat. Turn out onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

Allow to cool until easy to handle. Spray hands lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Roll into small balls and then roll in powdered sugar.

Here's the price break-down:
Pumpkin $1.35
Sugar $0.40
Coconut $1.25
Powdered Sugar $0.37
4.6% Sales Tax $0.16
Total: $3.53 for 25 candies

While I'm going to miss Sue being in the same city, I'm so excited to hear about her adventures in Brazil. I'm hoping once in awhile she'll share a new recipe with me so I can share even more gluten-free Brazilian treats!

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cheesecake, World Nutella Day 2012

2012-02-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm at it again, making more Sweets for World Nutella Day. Except I'm yet again not using Nutella. I'm using Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, which is like Nutella, only slightly thicker and with a hint of sea salt. Good stuff!

In a world free of dietary restrictions, food allergies and intolerances, I'd call this Nutella Oreo No-Bake Cheesecake. But since I plan on eating this, I've eliminated the dairy and gluten. Know what else? It's vegan. It's also free of Brussels Sprouts, because my Nutella fiend husband doesn't like them. Oh, don't put it past me, I've used them in cupcakes. Why not cheesecake, too? ;)

This recipe is inspired by the No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake from Jamie at My Baking Addiction . It's sure making the rounds on Pinterest! Her version looks delicious, beautifully garnished and the photography on the blog post is gorgeous. Click over there and take a look!

Chocolate Hazelnut No-Bake Cheesecake
Makes 2 generous servings or 4 small servings

6 K-Toos, gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies
1 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y substitute, melted

1 can coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk (14 oz.), refrigerated overnight
2 T. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

4 oz. Better Than Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
1/2 cup whipped coconut cream

additional whipped coconut cream
cocoa powder for garnish

CRUST: Crush the K-Too cookies in a small bowl. Add the melted Earth Balance, stirring to combine. Pat into the bottom of dishes to make a crust. (I used two large ramekins, however this would easily make 4 small desserts.) Refrigerate while preparing filling.

WHIPPED CREAM: Open can of coconut milk or cream. I've used cream in this recipe as I wanted a slightly heavier consistency than the full-fat milk, however either would work. Skim the solidified cream off of the top of the liquid in the can. Set the liquid aside, reserve for use in a smoothie later in the day. Using a hand mixer, whip the solidified cream until it doubles. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste, whipping to combine.

FILLING: Combine the Better Than Cream Cheese and the Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter using hand mixer. Add in 1/2 cup of the whipped coconut cream, mixing to combine.

Spoon this filling on top of the cookie crusts. Top with a dollop of the remaining whipped coconut cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Need more World Nutella Day ideas? Here are a few of my favorite Nutella recipes:

Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts

Johnna's World Nutella Day 2011 Round-Up: Nutella French Toast, Nutella Nachos and Nutella Apple Pizza

Banana Nutella Stuffed French Toast

Nutella Cupcakes

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Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts

2012-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

It's time to fire up the oven for World Nutella Day! I've been working on a few chocolate hazelnut recipes to share with you, but first up is a yummy baked donut. A yummy baked donut that is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, almost vegan, chocolate-y, hazelnut-y...it's just good!

Because I'm trying to put a stop to the dairy bender I've been on (yes, that was a pound of cheese on the pizza I ate Tuesday), I'm using non-Nutella products to celebrate World Nutella Day. I'm know, it's blasphemous, but I gotta get back on track.

For today's project, I've used the one-hundred-times-better-than-Nutella Askinosie Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. Yes, it's about four times the price of Nutella and worth every penny. It's really not right to compare it to Nutella, the only similarities being that they both contain chocolate and hazelnuts. The Askinosie version has a very creamy consistency, yet has noticeable bits of DuChilly hazelnuts throughout and makes a divine fondue. It is also made with a very rich, single-origin chocolate. You should just try it. I wouldn't steer you wrong. :-)

Chocolate Hazelnut Twist Donuts
Makes 6 twists or 12 large donuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

1 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/3 cup hazelnut meal/flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. guar gum
1/2 cup blonde coconut palm sugar (or regular sugar)
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey (sub agave to make vegan)
2 T. vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup hot water

Mix all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add all liquid ingredients except for the hot water. Mix by hand until well combined. Slowly add in the hot water.

Lightly oil the donut pan. Fill each cavity of the donut twist pan with a scant 1/2 cup of batter. Bake at 325 for 18-21 minutes. Tops will be lightly browned.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes or so, then invert on cooling rack.

While donuts are still warm, glaze tops with chocolate hazelnut spread.

These were very good warm, but also were good at room temperature. Enjoy!

cupcakes, cookies & pie, oh, my!: A Book Review

2012-01-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, I went to a book signing and cupcake decorating demonstration with Karen Tack & Alan Richardson, the amazing duo behind the Hello, Cupcake! and What's New, Cupcake! cookbooks. It was such a fun day, packed full of info on making super cute cupcakes. At the time, I couldn't imagine what they would create beyond cupcakes.

Now I don't have to imagine, they've got another book! Cupcakes, cookies, and pie, oh my! includes not just cupcakes but also hand pies, rice krispie creations, cookies and so many clever decorating ideas. I'm fascinated with the candy clay in this cookbook and can't wait to try it out, along with a gazillion other ideas that are going to make their way into my kitchen soon.

If you've read this far, you're probably asking, "Why is Johnna telling us about a cookbook that isn't gluten-free?" Well, because almost everything in this cookbook is easily made gluten-free. Swap out the store-bought pound cake for Amy's Organic Gluten-Free Pound Cake. Use a gluten-free cake mix in place of a regular one. When the recipe calls for refrigerated pie crust, whip up a batch of my pie crust. And the same for the sugar cookies, try this recipe instead. Pay close attention to the labels on the candies used to decorate (licorice is especially suspect), but know that you can come up with easy substitutions so you can make your own fun gluten-free creations. What I've learned from this series of books is that a stroll down the candy aisle (and a few minutes reading labels and confirming gluten-free status) can result in confectionery creativity with no boundaries!

I made the "Piece of Cake" cake pops and wanted to share them with you. So fun to make, even though I have a storied history of making cake pops. While mine didn't turn out as pretty as the ones pictured in the book (boy, this book is rich with photos!), they are pretty darned cute and were quickly gobbled up.

*Please note, the recipe below calls for ingredients that contain gluten. Below the recipe, I have included the modifications I made to this recipe to make it gluten-free.*

"Piece of Cake" Cake Pops
(makes 15 cake bites)

Sweet party pops look like perfect pieces of cake, and are a piece of cake to make, too. Mini wedges of pound cake on forks are coated in melted vanilla frosting, with lines of red gel to create the layers.

1 frozen pound cake (16 ounces; Sara Lee Family Size), thawed*
16 assorted colored plastic forks
Sugar
1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
1 can (16 ounces) milk chocolate frosting
3 tubes (0.68 or 0.75 ounces each) red decorating gel (Cake Mate)
2 tablespoons mini candy decors (Cake Mate)

1. Line two cookie sheets with waxed paper. Place the pound cake on a work surface with one long edge facing you. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into quarters. Starting from the short end, cut each piece into four 1 1/2-by-2 1/2 inch triangles. Insert the tines of a plastic fork into the base of each piece of cake to secure, without breaking the cake. Transfer the pieces to the cookie sheets. Freeze for 15 minutes.

2. Fill several wide-mouthed glasses with sugar to help support the cake pieces once they are frosted.

3. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into a Ziploc bag. Spoon the chocolate frosting into 2 separate Ziploc bags. Press out the excess air and seal the bags. Spoon the remaining vanilla frosting into a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave, stopping to stir frequently, until it has the texture of lightly whipped cream, 20 to 30 seconds.

4. Remove the cake pieces from the freezer. Holding the fork over the measuring cup, spoon the melted frosting over the 2 long sides of cake to cover, allowing the excess frosting to drip back into the cup. Insert the base of the forks into the sugar-filled glasses. Repeat with the remaining cake pieces. If the melted frosting becomes too thick for dipping, microwave for several seconds and stir. Refrigerate the frosted cake pieces until set, about 20 minutes.

5. Use a toothpick to lightly score 2 lines in the frosting on each side of the cakes to mark the layers. Pipe a thin line of the red gel over each line.

6. Snip a medium (1/4-inch) corner from the bags with the vanilla and chocolate frostings. Pipe a thin layer of chocolate frosting on the top and back of the cake pieces. Use the back of a small spoon to make swirls in the frosting. Pipe a dollop of vanilla frosting on top and add some candy decors.

7. Return the cake slices to the sugar-filled wide-mouthed glasses and serve.

"Piece of Cake” Cake Pops from CUPCAKES, COOKIES & PIE, OH, MY! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Copyright © 2012 by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

*I used an Amy's Organic Gluten-Free Pound Cake. It is smaller than a Sara Lee cake. Instead of cutting the cake into quarters, I cut it into thirds, creating only 12 cake pops. I read the labels on the frosting, gel and candy decor that I used carefully to make certain they were gluten-free; you should, too!

Karen and Alan are soon embarking on a book tour. You can find the schedule here. For my local readers, there are TWO appearances in Kansas City on February 8th and 9th, both hosted by Rainy Day Books. Look me up, I'll be there!

Disclosure: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provided a review copy of the book to me. No compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.

$5.20 Sweets: Rice Krispie Cupcakes

2012-01-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

I'm all about Valentine's Day right now. If it's pink and red, I've stuck it to the wall, used it to decorate the kitchen table and cooked with it. Not even a container of pink frosting could evade me.

I made these adorable rice krispie treat cupcakes and topped them with ready-made (gasp!) frosting. I spent most of an afternoon exclaiming aloud to anyone who would listen, "Have you had FROSTING on top of a Rice Krispie Treat?!? You HAVE to try this!" Sure, a sugar coma will follow but since this recipe only makes 6, you don't get to indulge in many of them anyway. Moderation, right? ;)

While I could have made these for even less moolah with a jar of fluff from the store, I chose to make homemade marshmallow fluff. I based the fluff on this recipe from Jasmin at 1FineCookie. Remember when I made those S'more Stuffed Strawberries? It's the same delicious marshmallow fluff. Once you try this, you'll be hooked. It's sticky, ooey-gooey and makes the best rice krispie treats I've ever had. Thanks, Jasmin, for creating one of my very favorite sweets. Love this marshmallow goodness!

Marshmallow Fluff
1 egg white, room temperature
1/8 t. cream of tartar
1/4 c. corn syrup
1/4 t. vanilla extract
2 T. Sugar and 1 1/2 t. sugar (separate)
1 T. plus 1 t. water

In bowl of stand mixer with whip attachment, white egg white and cream of tartar until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly incorporate 1 1/2 t. sugar. Whip only to incorporate, you don't need stiff peaks. Let rest in bowl while you do the next step.

In a tiny sauce pan, combine 2 T. sugar, water and corn syrup. Over medium heat, cook until it reached 250 degrees, hard ball stage, on your candy thermometer. Remove immediately from heat.

Return to your mixer. Turn it on low and slowly drizzle in the molten sugar mixture. Once all is added, turn the mixer on high and whip for 4 minutes. Turn off, add vanilla extract and whip for two more minutes. That's it!

Rice Krispie Treat Cupcakes (makes 6)
2 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y stick
1 cup marshmallow fluff (the recipe above makes just about 1 cup)
2 cups gluten-free Rice Krispies

Prepare 6 cavities of either a silicone cupcake pan or a regular cupcake pan sprayed with non-stick spray.

In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the Earth Balance butter in microwave. Remove and stir in the marshmallow fluff. Stir to completely incorporate. If it is still too thick to incorporate the cereal, pop into microwave for no longer than 30 seconds. Stir in the rice krispies, mixing until well combined.

Place mixture into each of 6 cupcake cavities. You may allow these to set up at room temperature or if you are in a hurry, place them in the refrigerator or freezer.

I topped these with 1/2 of a can of Pillsbury frosting. I had a good coupon, it's labeled gluten-free, so I thought I'd give it a go. It's pretty good! I usually make my own frosting, but I would use this again. It only took about half a container of whipped frosting for 6 of the rice krispie treats.

Here's the cost breakdown:
$1.52 for corn syrup
$.72 for rice krispies (I based this on $4 for a large box, but with cereal sales, you can do better!)
$.25 for egg
$.05 for sugar
$.04 for vanilla extract
$1.89 for frosting (watch for coupons on this, too. I got frosting for next to nothing.)
$4.47 plus tax of $.21 = $4.68 total

$5.20 Sweets: Chocomole

2012-01-06T09:42:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012!

Instead of creating 52 Sweet recipes this year, I'm going to focus on Sweets that can be made for $5.20 or so. My goal is to create something that includes at least 4 servings and, as always, is gluten- and dairy-free.

The first Sweet this year is one you might remember from last year: Chocomole. This perfectly sweet mousse is made from avocado, dates, chocolate, agave nectar, coconut oil and a little vanilla. I've modified the recipe from this version I shared last year to make it a bit more economical.

Here's a little tip for serving chocomole. If you serve it in avocado shells, less adventurous eaters might choose to pass on this one. But if you put it in a pretty dessert dish, they may be none the wiser to the ingredients. It tastes nothing like guacamole with chocolate sprinkled on top.

Chocomole (Makes 4 servings)
2 ripe avocados
1 T. coconut oil
20 dates
2 T. cocoa powder
2 T. agave nectar
1 t. vanilla bean paste

In food processor, place 20 dates and process until finely chopped. They will turn into a mooshy ball in the food processor.

Slice the avocados in half carefully. Remove the pit and spoon out the fruit. Place the fruit into the bowl of the food processor. If you carefully clean out the shells, you can hang on to them and use them as serving bowls for the chocomole.

Add the cocoa powder, coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla bean paste to the food processor. Process until smooth, at least a few minutes.

Spoon into avocado shells or other serving bowls and refrigerate. I piped the filling this time and really like how it looks. Refrigerate this for at least a couple of hours before eating. Enjoy!

Ingredient Cost
My ingredients were purchased at the local grocer and Trader Joe's. Here's the breakdown:

Two avocados on sale at Price Chopper: $0.69 each, $1.38 total
2/3 of a bag of Dole dates ($2.29 per bag) $1.53
Coconut Oil $0.37
Trader Joe's cocoa powder $0.08
Agave Nectar $0.34
Vanilla Bean Paste $0.50 (WOW! I knew it was pricey, but the per teaspoon price really got me on this one.)

Total: $4.20 plus $0.19 sales tax (I live in Missouri and pay 4.6% sales tax on food), $4.39 for four servings!

Sweet of the Week #52, Kale Kolada

2011-12-31T13:52:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is, the end of another 52 Journey for me. And wouldn't you know it, my final ingredient is one I have chosen not to bake into a Sweet. Instead, I'm putting it into the blender.

You see, this is the end of three years of blogging about one Sweet every week. I've tried hard to limit my Sweet intake to only one thing a week, with exceptions for a few holidays and my birthday. And President's Day, every third Wednesday, Thursdays when the temperature is above 40 and the barometric pressure is climbing...

In all seriousness, what I have found is that I no longer have an issue limiting how many Sweets I eat. Some weeks there are plenty of them, there's an occasion to celebrate or a project that requires me to bake 9 or 10 recipes in just a couple of days. Sometimes I momentarily lose control, but I always get back on track. And then there are times when I am so tired of Sweets it becomes a task for me to create a recipe, to blog about a Sweet.

That's how I reached this place I'm at today, blogging about a green smoothie to wrap up this year's 52 Journey. Right now, today, I don't want to bake a Sweet. I'm okay without a piece of chocolate cake or a hand pie packed full of caramel-drenched apples. Instead, I'm having a green smoothie. Next week, I'll probably need a dessert to share at a friend's potluck or I'll be elbow-deep in sugar working on a recipe development project. But today, it's a smoothie.

And hey, real quick, a note about where I'm headed. Next year's 52 Journey is going to be much different. After three years of blogging about a Sweet every week, I'm done with weekly Sweets. I've got a really fun 52 Project going on over at Johnna52 (where you can find my non-baking adventures) and here at 52 Sweets, I'll be sharing an occasional Sweet, just not one every week. What I will be sharing has a great new twist...

I'll be blogging in 2012 about gluten-free Sweets that can be made for $5.20 or less. Get it? It's like 52, $5.20. Gluten-free baking can be so incredibly pricey, so I wanted to make some inexpensive Sweets, simple desserts, with a minimum of four servings that can be made for $5 or so. I hope you'll stick around for the Journey.

And now...here's the green smoothie you've been dying to read about!

Kale Kolada
(Makes two generous servings)

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup coconut water
6 oz. cultured coconut milk yogurt (you could use almond yogurt or Greek yogurt, I was going with the coconut theme here)
1 1/2 cups coconut tidbits, frozen
1 bunch kale, stems removed (I used 5 large stems of kale in this)

Blend on high speed until well combined. Super easy...and Sweet!

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2012!

Sweet of the Week #51, Absinthe and Bubbly Cupcakes

2011-12-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

This week's Ingredient is Absinthe.

I first sampled Absinthe while visiting Austria in 2001. The owner of the guest house where I was staying invited me to join other guests for a nightcap. What he served to us was hausgemacht absinthe, homebrewed with a combination of herbs passed down through at least 3 generations. Austrians are known for brewing Absinthe with very little noticeable anise flavor, something I have sampled nowhere else. It had a gentle green color, which turned to a cloudy, milky white when served in the traditional manner of pouring cold water over a sugar cube resting on an ornate spoon into a serving of absinthe. One serving led to many servings. It produced a mighty headache the next morning...

Since my introduction to absinthe, I've seen it served many ways, including in the Bohemian fashion where an alcohol-soaked sugar cube is lit on fire and dropped into a glass of Absinthe, along with a shot glass of water. I've also seen it served with an ornate fountain of sorts, with a spigot that slowly drips water over a sugar cube. Properly serving Absinthe seems very tedious.

Ever since visiting The Fountain on Locust in St. Louis, I've had a thing for Absinthe and Champagne together in cocktails. I had a Hemingway while there, a drink attributed to Ernest Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon where he wrote of drinking 3 to 5 cocktails a day that included a shot of absinthe with the remainder of the glass full of Champagne.

While I'm not suggesting you eat 3 to 5 of these a day, I was thinking New Year's Eve often brings about a surplus of bubbly. So perhaps you'll make these cupcakes to ring in the New Year.

Tip: If you don't have absinthe and don't wish to purchase it (small bottles are hard to locate and it is often around $50 in the store), just double the champagne in the frosting recipe below. It works well without it and you'll have a delicious champagne flavored treat. These cupcakes are great with and without absinthe.

Absinthe Bubbly Cupcakes
Makes 24, gluten-free and dairy-free

1 1/2 cup of Johnna’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend

1 1/2 cup of almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill is preferred)

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon guar gum

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

1-12 oz. container Tofutti Sour Cream (or 1 1/2 cups non-dairy sour cream sub)

1 1/2 sticks butter or Earth Balance, melted and allowed to cool

1 T. vanilla extract

1/4 cup champagne

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flours, baking powder and guar gum. Set aside.

Cream eggs and sugar in stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until a pale yellow color is reached. Incorporate sour cream, melted butter, vanilla extract and champagne. Slowly add in flour mixture, mixing well on medium until dough is smooth.

Insert cupcake papers into pans, fill ¾ full with cake batter, approximately 1/3 of a cup. Bake for 18-20 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean.

Champagne Creme Filling

1 cup Healthy Top (measured from the container, not from whipped)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup champagne

With electric mixer, whip Healthy Top until it doubles in quantity. Add powdered sugar and champagne. Continue whipping until well incorporated.

Absinthe Champagne Frosting

3 sticks Earth Balance or butter

1 lb. powdered sugar

2 T. Champagne

2 T. Absinthe

Cream butter in mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Once all sugar is incorporated, add in champagne and absinthe. Mix until smooth and creamy, this makes a light and fluffy frosting if whipped long enough. If you prefer a stiff frosting, you may add a bit more powdered sugar.

Assembling

Allow cupcakes to cool to room temperature. Stick your index finger into the center of each cupcake, creating a divot. If you prefer, you can cut out a portion of the cake, but just pressing into it works quite well.

Fill pastry bag or frosting tool with the champagne creme filling. Pipe the hole full of filling using a large round tip. (I prefer something like a 1A or 2A.)

Frost top of cupcake using your preferred method. I used one of the ginormous cupcake frosting tips from Bake It Pretty.

On top of the frosting, I used two sizes of sugar pearls that I bought at Sweet! They remind me of champagne bubbles. I also baked the cupcakes in pretty nut cups from Sweet! I like baking cupcakes in these, no need for a muffin tin.

Enjoy the cupcakes. Wishing you a happy, healthy new year!

Sweet of the Week #50, Black Olive Cake

2011-12-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

This week's Ingredient is Olives, suggested to me by my darling friend Keri. Specifically, I'll be using black olives. And olive oil.

I love olives. Olives and pickles. Pickles and olives. My two favorite snacks. As a child, olives had to be hidden from me. I'd pop one on each finger, eat them all and then re-load.

As an adult, this hasn't stopped except I don't put them on my fingers anymore. Well, usually not. At least not in public. While in DC at Eat, Write, Retreat in May, the nice folks at Lindsay Olives included cans of these delicious, green ripe buttery olives in our registration bags. I'm not too proud to mention again that I popped the top off of them and ate an entire can myself in the hotel room. Hey, at least booze isn't my weakness. Solitary olive eating isn't that bad, is it?

This week's sweet is Black Olive Cake. I was inspired by this recipe from Almost Turkish Recipes. I've modified it quite a bit, making it gluten-free of course, along with dairy-free and changed some of the ingredients to fit my whims. I'm not a fan of mint in baked goods, I didn't have any Black Seed handy. What I did come up with is good. It's not quite as good as the Oatmeal and Onion muffins with sheep's milk cheese, but if you are a fan of a slightly savory sweet, you'll like this. Plus who doesn't want to impress their friends by incorporating olives into a cake?!?

If I were on a dairy bender, I'm consider incorporating feta cheese into this one. Anyone tried a dairy-free feta?

Black Olive Cake
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

4 eggs
1 cup Amande plain cultured almond-milk yogurt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-6 oz. cans black pitted olives, roughly chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 T. Aleppo pepper flakes
1 1/2 t. salt
1 cup almond meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup of My Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. guar gum

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Beat eggs, add in Amande yogurt and olive oil. Mix well.

Add olives, green onions, sundried tomatoes, Aleppo pepper flakes and salt. Mix well.

Add almond meal, gluten-free flour, baking powder and guar gum. Mix well.

Pour into baking dish. Bake at 375 for 30 to 35 minutes, until top is lightly browned and cake tester or toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake

2011-12-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

This cheesecake was inspired by Baked by Rachel's White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cheesecake. You'll notice mine doesn't contain "white chocolate" in the title. That's because I made my version of this cheesecake not only gluten-free but also dairy-free. In the holiday rush, I neglected to order any dairy-free white chocolate. So here it is, Peppermint Bark Cheesecake.

First you'll need to make some peppermint bark. I melted 8 oz. of dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life) and spread it out on a sheet of parchment paper. Before it set, I sprinkled the top with 4 or 5 crushed candy canes. Once it has set, crumble it up into small pieces.

And now, on to the cheesecake...

Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
(Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

CRUST
1 package chocolate K-Toos or other gluten-free Oreo-style cookie
8 peppermint candies or 4 candy canes
2 T. Earth Balance, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Set an 8" Springform pan out.

In food processor, pulverize the peppermint candies. It is important to do this first. If you do not, large pieces of the candies will become hard, crunchy spots in your crust. Next, add all of the cookies into the bowl with the candies and process until all of the cookies are crunched into fine crumbs. Add in the melted Earth Balance and pulse a couple of times just to incorporate.

Pat the crust mixture into the 8" Springform pan, covering the bottom and about an inch up the sides. Place in pre-heated oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

CHEESECAKE FILLING
1 3/4 cup cashews (soaked overnight in water)
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/4 cup water
1 t. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 t. sea salt
1 cup peppermint bark pieces, broken into small pieces

MOUSSE TOPPING
1/4 cup MimiCreme Healthy Top, whips to 1/2 cup (or equivalent non-dairy whipped topping)
4 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 1/2 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

EXTRAS
Chocolate shavings, additional broken candy cane pieces or peppermint bark for topping

Filling: Soak cashews overnight in water. Drain.
Add cashews, agave nectar, liquified coconut oil, water, vanilla bean paste, lemon juice and sea salt to bowl of food processor. Process until very smooth, at least 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. By hand, gently fold in peppermint bark pieces. Do no overstir. Pour on top of cooled crust and put into freezer.

Next, prepare the mousse topping. In a medium mixing bowl, whip MimiCreme Healthy Top using a hand mixer. Whip until it doubles in size. Then add in Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, sugar and vanilla, mixing until well incorporated.

Remove cheesecake from freezer. Gently spread mousse topping on top of filling. Return to freezer until 2 hours before serving.

When you remove it from the freezer for serving, sprinkle the top with broken candy cane pieces, leftover peppermint bark or chocolate shavings. It is important to add the toppings now, not when you first assemble the cheesecake. The color from the candy canes will run atop the mousse filling if you add them before freezing.

Allow the cheesecake to thaw a bit, slice to serve.

I served our cheesecake atop adorable saucers made of melted peppermint candies and put a cute peppermint bark heart on top of the cake. You can read more about those fun projects here, in my holiday post about Pinterest baking finds. Enjoy!

Why I Love Pinterest: Christmas 2011 Baking Edition

2011-12-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

I blogged over at my non-baking spot, Johnna52, about some of the fun things I've done this holiday season inspired by Pinterest. And then I realized I had done a whole bunch of holiday baking inspired by Pinterest, too. I thought I'd share those things with you!

First up, these adorable Oreo truffle snowmen from Cookies and Cups.

I went to my friend Renee's house to make these with Trader Joe's Candy Cane JoeJoes. I hoped my husband would really enjoy these as he is a BIG fan of the Candy Cane JoeJoes. This is the first year we've had Trader Joe's in town, which makes it the first year we haven't either brought a suitcase of these addictive cookies home from our travels or had a friend in a city with Trader Joe's ship them to us. Since they weren't so hard to obtain this year, there was a spare box in the All-Things-Gluten Box stowed in the garage. I decided to use them to make a gift for him.

Renee and her kiddos E and A helped me make these. They made that adorable gingerbread house in the photo with the snowman truffle. It was terrific to make the truffles with friends and also in a kitchen where gluten lives. I didn't have to worry so much about cross-contamination as I would using my own appliances and kitchen tools.

Here's the scoop on these. And by the way, if you are gluten-free like me, these work just as well with K-Toos. Crunch up one full package of Oreos or Oreo-like cookies in the food processor. Add in 8 oz. of cream cheese. Roll into balls and freeze. Renee discovered the best way to do this was to go ahead and stack them in the snowman formation, spear them with a toothpick or narrow skewer and freeze them stacked. Our attempts before doing this were absolute failures, resulting in melted snowmen.

Speaking of melted snowmen, I saw the fun melted snowmen cakepops above on Pinterest. They were created by Susie QT Pie's Scraps of Life. I am a mess when it comes to making cake balls, cake pops, cake truffles. I'm not sure why it's so difficult for me and know I've blogged about it several times. But I finally found something that looks like what I usually make, melted snowmen!

While at Renee's house, she was making regular (i.e. non-snowmen) Oreo truffles so we turned a few into melted snowmen. That's A above skillyfully painting faces on little melted snowmen truffles. Cute, huh? Same recipe: 1 package oreos, 8 oz. cream cheese and melted white chocolate for dipping. I used candy writers to draw the faces.

On to the next fun find...

The holidays aren't complete without a cocktail! I'm a fan of anything eggnog. Except my body isn't such a fan of dairy right now so I've been avoiding it anytime I can. This year instead of having eggnog from our favorite local dairy, I decided to make Coquito. Here's the one I pinned on Pinterest from Hello Beautiful:

Coquito is a Puerto Rican tradition, a coconut based eggnog type cocktail. It usually calls for white rum. Earlier this month I put coffee beans from The Roasterie into a bottle of amber rum from Spirits of St. Louis, a microdistillery. Oh my! Within two days, the rum smell was equally mixed with the aroma of coffee beans. So I left the beans in the bottle for two weeks, creating the best alcoholic concoction I've had. It seemed fitting to use it in a holiday cocktail like Coquito. Here's my non-dairy version.

Coquito
1. Make one batch of dairy-free sweetened condensed milk following This Recipe from Sunny at And Love It Too. Let cool before using.
2. Over medium heat, cook 1 1/2 cups of So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk until it reduces to 3/4 of a cup. Let cool to room temperature.
3. In double boiler, combine sweetened condensed milk, So Delicious milk (which is now equivalent to evaporated milk) and 4 egg yolks. Whisk, whisk, whisk. Cook until the mixture reaches 165 degrees.
4. Remove from heat and add 1-8.5 oz can Cream of Coconut, 1 additional cup of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk and 1 to 2 cups of rum. (I use 1 1/2 cups, it's a bit umm...warming. Add a little, taste test, and then add more.)
5. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon over the top. This is traditionally served in shot glasses but we go a bit larger here.

Still on a snowman kick and with egg whites leftover from the Coquito, I found another fun baking idea...

These meringue snowmen from were the perfect use of the egg whites! I started with this idea from Curbly. I used the meringues recipe from Bon Appetit's December 2011 issue, switching the peppermint extract for almond. I drew the faces on with candy writers, keeping them pretty simple since they were packed into bags for surprise gifts in my Light 'Em Up project.

And one last holiday Pinterest-inspired creation...

Look at this Peppermint Bark Cheesecake! I spotted this cheesecake from Baked by Rachel , a take on Cheesecake Factory's Peppermint Bark Cheesecake. I knew I wanted to find a way to make it gluten- and dairy-free. Doesn't it look delicious?

I thought something like this cute peppermint bark pop from Not So Idle Hands would be cute on top of the cheesecake. Another find on Pinterest!

And here's the one last little touch. I saw these cute serving platters from Tutto Bella on Pinterest. They are super easy to make, just line up mints on parchment paper atop a baking sheet, pop in the oven at 350 for 8 minutes or so.

I decided to try making saucers on which to serve cheesecake. They came out of the oven a little uneven, due to my oven being unlevel. While they were still hot (caution: this is dangerous), I used kitchen scissors to trim them into more even shaped. It worked. These are pretty fragile, but oh my goodness are they cute!

Here are a few photos of my cheesecake, my version of the peppermint bark pop and the cute peppermint plate I made:

OH--about the cheesecake recipe! Because this post has reached extraordinary length, I decided to give the cheesecake its very own post. You'll find the recipe for the cheesecake here. It's one of my very favorite cheesecakes ever. Seriously, it's that good. If you like chocolate with mint, you'll love this.

There you have it, my holiday Pinterest finds and what I did with them. Tell me about yours!

Sweet of the Week #49, A Learning Experience...

2011-12-17T08:17:00.000-08:00

This week I planned to share with you a Sweet featuring Velvet Creme Popcorn. You know those giant tins of popcorn you see at the holidays? Well, those were originally the creation of Velvet Creme Popcorn, a company founded in 1937 in Kansas City.

Way back in 1954, Velvet Creme first offered popcorn in a decorative tin. In the KC area, Velvet Creme is one of our local gems. I'm not sure how Kansas City came to have two well known popcorn companies, but we are also home to Topsy's Popcorn, a company that once had over 500 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Using popcorn in a Sweet seemed to be a good way to give a nod to one of our local products. I had planned to use Velvet Creme cinnamon popcorn to make cupcakes, grinding the popcorn into flour like Stefani at Cupcake Project did earlier this year.

John and I made a trip last week to Velvet Creme's store in Westwood, Kansas. It was fun looking around at all of the flavors of popcorn, snack mixes and brittles. They had lots of fun gift items on display, everything you would need for a great movie night at home!

John is a big fan of cinnamon popcorn and we bought a couple bags plus a bag of white chocolate almond caramel corn and a bag of popcorn to pop at home. There were folks ordering large tins of popcorn to ship across the country and even a lady who brought back a tin from many years past to have it refilled. She said it was her holiday tradition.

And now...for the learning experience. As I always do, I read the labels on the ingredients in everything we bought. No wheat, no mention of being processed in a facility that also processes wheat. This morning, on our local news, the reporter said Velvet Creme wanted to share with its customers undeclared soy, milk and wheat in a few of their products. Yikes. While the list does not include the flavor of popcorn I bought, I've decided it's probably best for me to not incorporate this ingredient into a Sweet, just to be safe. Sounds like there is wheat used in their facility and that's not a good thing for me. I'm a little bummed.

Each day eating gluten-free is a challenge, reading labels, questioning restaurant staff, clarifying ingredients to make sure I am eating in a way that is healthy and necessary for my body. What I learned from this experience is to make sure I am absolutely vigilant about reading labels and asking questions, even when I don't want to be a bother. I also learned that there are companies who want to make sure their customers stay healthy, voluntarily issuing statements like Velvet Creme has done. While I will avoid their popcorn this year, John will continue enjoying it, now having a second bag of cinnamon popcorn that was previously reserved for cupcake making. So there's no Sweet this week, just a learning experience.

Sweet of the Week #46, #47 and #48: Oatmeal Caramelized Onion Muffins with Sheep's Milk Cheese

2011-12-13T16:31:00.000-08:00

This week's Sweet incorporates three of the Ingredients on this year's list: Oatmeal, Onions and Sheep's Milk Cheese. These muffins are my current favorite from the entire year. I got a little teary-eyed in the kitchen while eating them warm from the oven, I didn't expect them to be so good as the combination of ingredients didn't seem particularly appealing to me. But oh my....these were a delicious surprise!

My friend Mandy suggested two ingredients used in these muffins, Oatmeal and Onions. When she suggested this ingredients, she was in her last month of pregnancy with her little guy who is 11 months old now. Mandy told me oatmeal and onions sounded good, just not necessarily together. Not one to walk away from a challenge, I knew the moment she suggested those ingredients I would find a way to combine them. But it was only within the last two weeks that it struck me to combine sheep's milk cheese with oatmeal and onions. I was thinking about the delicious sheep's milk cheese from Green Dirt Farm we had taste-tested over a year ago while shopping at The Mercantile in Lawrence, Kansas and pondering ways to incorporate it into a sweet. Putting a healthy schmear of it on a muffin seemed like a great application and these yummy muffins were born.

Oh, wait...I left out the best part of these muffins. Well, okay, the second best part. The first best part is for sure eating them but the second best part is my trip to Green Dirt Farm last week. Josh at Green Dirt Farm was kind enough to meet me and John at the farm and show us around while answering all of my questions. I always have lots of questions at farms, I'm fascinated with how food arrives on our plate!

We went on a beautiful drive, just about 30 minutes from home. It was a chilly, grey day but we still enjoyed the change of scenery. Even this time of year, I am struck but how pretty it is where we live, rolling hills and lots of trees.

At the farm, we saw several varieties of sheep, most of them pregnant, so there's no milking happening right now. We also saw several of the working dogs. I'm not sure what kind of dog Mudge is (the black one in the background) but the beautiful white dog is a Maremma. As much as I love dogs, I was even more captivated by the llamas. That's right, they've got llamas at Green Dirt Farm. Llamas! I had no idea llamas were used for herding/guarding duties on farms. We could see a long llama neck way up high on a hill, peeking out from behind a large hay bail, watching our every move. Fascinating.

I asked lots of questions about nutritional content of sheep vs. cow milk, sheep vs. goat milk and environmental impact of raising sheep vs. raising cows. I wanted to understand why I am more tolerant of sheep and goat milk than of cow's milk. The knowledge I collected is more than I could post here, my head was full of information, every tidbit of it making me more conscious of how I buy food, of what I choose to eat. We talked about how the land is managed, how the grazing areas are rotated. Josh mentioned that if the sheep were allowed to eat all over instead of being corralled into smaller areas at a time, they would eat all of their favorite stuff and move along. He referred to this as Brussels sprouts vs. ice cream. I wonder if there are sheep like me, the ones who would choose Brussels sprouts over ice cream? I see it with our hens everyday, they don't all like the same foods, and I'm surprised at this. And so I wonder if animals not allowed to graze are forced to eat food they don't really like every single day?

So there's my little peek into Green Dirt Farm. I plan to go on a tour during the milking season and will share more then. It's really a fascinating place and the cheese is unlike anything I have had elsewhere. It is not only tasty but I feel good about eating it. Plus the sheep are such happy ladies and you know how I love seeing happy critters being allowed to romp around on a well-kept farm. Should we all plan a Spring-time field trip?

In selecting which cheese to use with these muffins, I spoke to the fromager at The Mercantile. He said if he were using one of the Fresh spreads from Green Dirt Farm on the Oatmeal Onion Muffins, he would choose the plain variety. That variety isn't available right now and won't be until the sheep are producing milk again in the Spring, so the second choice was the Lovage. I associate the flavor of lovage with celery, however this cheese spread has a nice herb quality to it with just a little freshness in the aftertaste, a little effervescence of lovage. It works perfectly with the oatmeal onion muffins. I'd like another right now.

I still haven't convinced you that you want to eat Oatmeal Onion Muffins, have I? Would it help if I told you they were all gobbled up here, that I had to HIDE the remaining four muffins to take to a friend? I don't have to do that around here even with chocolate-y goodness, but the Oatmeal Onion Muffins were a big hit. I hope you'll try them. Here's the recipe:

Oatmeal Onion Muffins (Makes 12 muffins)
Inspired by this recipe by Beth McCasland

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick Earth Balance or butter, melted and cooled
1 cup of my favorite all-purpose flour blend
1/2 t. guar gum
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder
1/2 cup caramelized onions (learn how here, it took 3 medium onions for 1/2 cup)

In large mixing bowl, combine oats and almond milk. Let sit for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, guar gum, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

Add to oats and milk the egg, brown sugar, melted Earth Balance or butter. Mix until well combined. Stir in dry ingredients. Last, fold in the caramelized onions.

Pour approximately 1/3 of a cup of batter into each well of an oiled muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle will come out clean.

Serve with Fresh spread from Green Dirt Farm. These muffins are tasty warm from the oven, but also keep very well, if you can manage to keep them away from your family. I'm excited to experiment with this recipe, incorporating sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives next!

Green Dirt Farm is located near Weston, Missouri. They host Farm Table Dinners, workshops, tours and more. You can buy their cheese in many Kansas City area stores or order on-line. Visit their website for more information.

Sweet of the Week #45, Cream Cheese Frosted Spice Cupcakes with Aleppo Pepper

2011-12-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

The holiday craziness has taken hold here and I'm finding my baking and blogging time a wee bit limited. I've resorted to using a mix (gasp!) again, but assure you this one is delicious, so worth trying.

Plus, I'm about to share a really handy tip with those of you unashamed to occasionally use a mix in your kitchen. This tip began as desperation, I needed a spice cake mix to make Cherpumple*, and ended as a tasty surprise. So here goes...

How to Make a Yellow Cake Mix Into a Spice Cake Mix
Using one Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix, add the following:
1/2 t. powdered cloves
1/2 t. allspice
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. powdered ginger

To incorporate this week's Ingredient, Aleppo pepper, I also added 1 teaspoon of crushed pepper flakes to the spice blend. WOW! This may be my favorite ingredient of the entire year! Aleppo pepper has a hint of heat along with a hint of sweet with a visible oil sheen on the flakes. Since making the first batch of these cupcakes, I've used the pepper flakes on stir-fried vegetables and on pizza. Then I made more of these cupcakes, just to make sure I wasn't mistaken the first time. I was not, they are delicious.

Here's the scoop on the cupcakes. Mix the cake mix according to the directions on the box. Add the spices listed above, plus the Aleppo pepper flakes. Bake according to the directions. Top with this yummy dairy-free cream cheese frosting and sprinkle a few Aleppo pepper flakes on top. That's it, super easy yet an impressive flavor combination that doesn't scream that it came from a box.

Give it a try! If you like a little bit of sweet heat, you'll enjoy this one.

*I'll be sharing my Cherpumple adventures in a post about holiday baking soon. Promise. I simply can't pass up the opportunity to tell you about the 10 pound gluten- and dairy-free three pie/three cake monstrosity I took to a friend's holiday gathering. But first I need to run exactly 27.773 miles to burn off the calories I consumed eating two servings of this crazy creation.

Sweet of the Week #44, Snowball Cupcakes with Cotton Candy

2011-12-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite gluten-free snacks is Cotton Candy. Sure, it's all sugar and food coloring, but it's also only 100 calories per serving. For awhile my hair was pink, which resulted in my husband remarking several times it must be a result of all of the cotton candy I eat. That's a possibility, because I really dig pink cotton candy. Once I even considered switching careers and selling cotton candy. (I'm kidding...sorta.*)

This week's sweet is a chocolate cupcake made with a mix (gasp!) and cream cheese frosting. I topped each cupcake with tiny snowballs made with white cotton candy I bought at the grocery store. I sprinkled a tiny bit of edible glitter on top of each cupcake and inserted a cute snowman cupcake pick into the top. CUTE!

Chocolate Cupcakes from a mix
1 Betty Crocker cake mix, prepared according to directions with one addition: add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee crystals to the water. This deepens the chocolate flavor.

Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. container of Tofuttti Better Than Cream Cheese
5 T. Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks
2 t. vanilla bean paste
2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar

In bowl of stand mixer, combine all ingredients except powdered sugar. Blend until well combined. Slowly incorporate powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Cotton Candy Snowballs
Pull out small pieces of cotton candy and gently press into a ball shape. Don't press too hard or they will become dense balls of sugar. Pile a group on top of your cupcakes and sprinkle with edible glitter (optional). I used five on top of each cupcake.

*Big thanks to the kind cotton candy vendors at the Kentucky State Fair who indulged me in one of my fantasy jobs, selling cotton candy. This lasted all of 45 seconds, until reality set in and the income-consumption ratio became clear to me.

Sweet of the Week #43, Ginger Parsnip Muffins with Amber from The Tasty Alternative

2011-11-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

Please welcome Amber from The Tasty Alternative. She is guest posting here this week, sharing her Ginger Parsnip Muffins. Parsnips are on my Challenge Ingredient List and while I had big plans to bake a cake from a recipe my friend Eileen shared, I saw Amber's recipe and it sounded so good I simply had to share with you. I'm so excited Amber agreed to become my first guest post author and know you'll enjoy these muffins.

While you sit down with a warm cup of tea and a muffin, pop on over to read Amber's blog. Her story of healing from the inside with good food is an inspiration. Food, the right food, can definitely be medicine and Amber's blog does a great job of showing how we can achieve health while still enjoying delicious food.

Ginger Parsnip Muffins (grain free, vegan, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

(grain free, gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free, egg free, xanthan gum free, soy free)...but oh so flavor-full!

When I saw that Kim and Ricki's SOS Kitchen Challenge for November was parsnips, I was pumped. A vegan, grain-free muffin idea started to swirl around in my brain and yes it took me an entire month to finally bring this idea to reality. Time can sure slip away from you when you're a busy mommy. Can I tell you though, I am so pleased with these muffins! They are very moist (my favorite characteristic in a muffin) and my 2-year-old son LOVES them, which warms my heart because I make these allergy-friendly recipes with him in mind (due to his eczema ). But kids are the world's best food critics, don't you think? My husband also ate these up. I hope you enjoy them too.

Salud.

Ingredients

Dry:

2 cups organic almonds

1/2 cup coconut flour

2 tablespoons arrowroot

2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ginger (or 1 teaspoon for a milder ginger flavor)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Wet:

2 cups grated parsnips

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup oil (I use grapeseed)

1/3 cup coconut nectar + 5 drops liquid stevia
(raw honey or agave will also work)

1/4 cup filtered water

How To
Preheat oven to 375
Bake time: 20 - 22 minutes
(check at 20 and remove if tops are browned)
Makes about 15 muffins

In a food processor:
1. Grind almonds until they release a little oil and you can make a ball

2. Add coconut flour, pulse until incorporated

3. Add arrowroot, baking powder, salt, tapioca starch, cinnamon and ginger: pulse, pulse then blend, blend, blend!!

It should looks like this (and feel soft, like flour)

In a separate bowl~wet ingredients:

4. Add oil, coconut nectar, vanilla, applesauce, stevia, and water; mix until incorporated
5. Add grated parsnips and mix
6. Add dry ingredients from food processor and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.
And don't be afraid...this is a thick batter! It's all good.
7. Immediately transfer to baking cups and fill about 3/4 full - they will rise slightly, but not much
*Bake as instructed above
*Make a warm cup of tea and enjoy a healthy snack

Thanks, Amber, for the terrific guest post. I'm excited to try these muffins and even more excited you shared them with my readers.

A Sweet! Adventure, Computers in the Kitchen

2011-11-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

While I usually post my non-baking adventures over at Johnna52, I wanted to share this post with you, my baking fans, because it is really baking related. Really, it is. Read on...

In the last few weeks, I've taken a creative sabbatical, which included attending many activities carefully chosen to enhance my skills as a food blogger, as a recipe developer, as an artist. It will soon be a busy time of year for me at my job and I need to refuel in order to maintain a high level of creativity throughout the holiday season. I have been to hear several food celebrities speak, bought a new camera, attended an amazing food photography workshop with Helene Dujardin and went to a fun cookie decorating workshop at Sweet! Baking & Candy Making Supply in Lawrence, Kansas. I am excited to tell you all about the cookie decorating workshop.

I was invited to the workshop by Kristin at Dine and Dish. In addition to writing a fabulous blog full of recipes and beautiful photos, she has done such a great job creating a network of local bloggers, I'm tickled to know her and all of the other gals I've met through the BlogKC group. She rounded up a group of ten bloggers to attend the event, held at Sweet! in Lawrence, Kansas. The event was sponsored by Best Buy and we were told they would be showing us an All-In-One computer system that would be perfect for our kitchens. Yeah, yeah, whatever, computer in the kitchen, blah, blah, blah. I was just interested in the cookie decorating! Then I heard the amazing Bridget from Bake at 350 would be joining the class via Skype. They could talk all they wanted about that ridiculous computer in the kitchen concept, all I really was interested in was cookie decorating, visiting a fun new baking supply shop and learning from Bridget of Bake at 350. Seriously, that was everything I needed to make for an amazing evening! And besides, who needs a computer in the kitchen? This computer thing wasn't going to be an easy sell, but there would be cookies so I was going.

Boy, was I in for a treat. I arrived at Sweet! and soon realized this is my version of kid-in-a-candy-shop. The store is adorable, packed full of every color of sprinkles, sugars and cupcake papers you would ever need. Frosting tips, pastry bags, novelty baking pans and packaging perfect for sharing home baked treats were arranged in a way that makes sense, a way that makes shopping fun.

In addition to all of the wonderful shopping, Sweet! has a kitchen studio space that is perfect for classes. I grabbed a spot for the class and was greeted by Cindy, the store owner. It didn't take long to figure out Cindy is an amazing hostess, she had thought of everything from printed nametags to plenty of snacks and beverages. She even provided each of us with a darling Sweet! apron. Each spot was set up with a dozen cookies for each of us and squeeze bottles full of frosting. Because I work in the special event business, I have high expectations of events and sometimes see things I would have done differently. No chance of that here, Cindy had thought of everything!

Our class began with introductions. Our in-person instructor was Nora Kaschube from Four and Twenty Blackbirds. Bridget joined us by Skype and on hand to tell us about the kitchen computer system was David from Best Buy. We also got a quick introduction to the all-in-one computer system. I think I muttered something like, "Seriously, who has a computer in their kitchen? So impractical!" You see, I can be a bit of a messy baker. I've never taken my laptop into the kitchen because I need to be able to use it again. While I try to conserve natural resources, I often print out a copy of a recipe for one-time use. My cookbooks are splattered with ingredients, even when I cover them with plastic wrap or prop them up in my acrylic bookstand. I just couldn't picture using technology like this fancy computer in my kitchen.

During class we used milk fondant and talked about the differences between milk fondant and Royal icing. I still prefer Royal. Bridget shared some great tips with us, like that she uses chilled butter and doesn't refrigerate her dough before rolling. (I've already tried this and it works, even with gluten-free dough.) We discussed the swirling technique I first tried last Christmas to make peppermint candy cookies. It was good to have an in-person demonstration in addition to the thorough instructions and photos Bridget has shared on her blog.

While Bridget was talking to us via Skype, it hit me that I could Skype with my sister while in the kitchen. We could do holiday baking together this year. She could watch me fail at making divinity again! We could visit while I cook. I love chatting while in the kitchen and it was fun having Bridget virtually in this class, why wouldn't it be fun to have my family in the kitchen?

At one point, Bridget's cat joined us, and then her little cutie dropped in to say hi. My staunch position on not having a computer in the kitchen was softening when I realized my family and friends could virtually join me for baking, chatter and wine.

We finished our cookie decorating and Cindy gave us each a pizza box to take our cookies home in. See, I told you she had thought of everything! I am excited to attend more classes there. The representative from Best Buy then announced it was time to draw for the all-in-one computer. I didn't mention one of us would be taking home one of these fancy gadgets, did I? Cindy and her assistant drew names and, well, guess what? I WON! I won a 23" Gateway all-in-one computer. Yep, me, the "no computer in my kitchen" naysayer won.

David from Best Buy offered to give me a quick lesson on how the computer worked. Somehow he managed to speak to me in a language I understand and showed me how absolutely simple this computer is to operate. It has a touchscreen, which is covered with a thick screen that cleans easily even when smeared by grubby kitchen fingers. It has a wireless keyboard and mouse, plus an on-screen keyboard. He showed me all sorts of applications designed to best interact with a touchscreen. He also told me it could be attached to a wall mount, like a flat screen TV. I was beyond excited at this point, me...the girl who one hour earlier would have told you a computer had no place in the kitchen. Now I had a great new tool with which to learn more about cookie decorating!

Oh, and about those cookies. They weren't gluten-free so I had to find a home for them. After the workshop and a beverage with the blogger gals, I dropped the cookies by to my friend Richard who lives in Lawrence. Richard was visiting his friends Katie and Mike, the folks from Truckstop Honeymoon, so I dropped the cookies by their house. What a fun surprise to find that my friend Mark was visiting from out of town. A little cookie silliness happened and I hit the turnpike for a quick drive home. (Why does Mark always ending up sharing a sweet on my blog? First donuts, then apples and now cookies? I must tell him he can have his own next time.)

Once home, I unpacked the computer. This took all of 5 minutes. There are no wires to connect, nothing at all to do except plug it in. I can't imagine how it could be simpler. The back of the computer has an easel-type stand, which was perfect to set the computer on my countertop.

For a couple of days, I used the computer atop my 1970's teal formica countertop and thought I would maybe buy a wall bracket for it. That thought would pop into my head between the moments when I was shouting across the house, "Check this out! I can use Pandora in the kitchen!" and "WOW! Would you look at this! I can blog FROM THE KITCHEN!" I am still captivated that I can type recipes into the computer while I am creating them, no more random pieces of scrap paper floating around with my illegible writing on them. I love pulling up a recipe to cook dinner, enlarging it on the screen and being able to read it across the kitchen. I am also enjoying making my shopping list on the computer and then pulling it up on my iPhone at the store. Things aren't entirely paperless here yet, but this new computer is sure helping me move that direction.

A few days after bringing home this new computer (I really think she needs a name, got any suggestions?), I was out shopping for food styling props at Vintage Market at Zona Rosa, because I'm going to start using some of what I learned in the food photography workshop I attended. New furniture for the kitchen wasn't on my list, but I stumbled across this Hoosier cabinet and thought it might be a good piece to store the new computer. I took some quick measurements, ran home to measure the computer and the available space in my little kitchen and discovered it just might work. I went back to the store, bought it, loaded it up and came back home to explain my latest craziness to my husband.

What a trooper that fella is. He got out some electric saw gadget and removed a shelf in the cabinet to make room for the computer. It's pretty much a perfect fit, not an inch of space on either side. And I've got some new storage space in the kitchen for other essentials. I might knock a little more paint off of the cabinet to make it a bit more shabby, but am already enjoying having the space and it puts the computer at a perfect height for me. A month ago you couldn't have convinced me that anyone had a true need for a computer in the kitchen, now I can't figure out how I made do without one.

So there you have it, my latest recommendation for baking supplies is an all-in-one computer. Thanks to Cindy from Sweet! for hosting such a fun evening and to Best Buy for the amazing new computer. And just in case you were wondering, I wrote this blog post from the kitchen. :)

Disclosure: While I won this computer, I was not further compensated, required or asked to write this blog post. The opinions and exclamations are my own. Yep, my enthusiasm is authentic, not purchased.

Sweet of the Week #42, Persimmon Butter Cookies

2011-11-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

Last week I made these cookies to celebrate November 11th, 2011. I met my friends Celeste and Mary for lunch to celebrate the day. I've been practicing my cookie skills...you can tell I still need lots of practice and a lighter hand with the disco dust. But that's not what I'm supposed to be telling you about...

My recipe for sugar cookies makes a lot. I had plenty of dough leftover from the 11.11.11 cookies. I usually freeze it (it keeps well in the freezer for a few months), but this time kept the extra in the frig to make cookies for my weekend treat.

These week's Challenge Ingredient is persimmon. I looked for fresh persimmons locally and did not find any. What I did find was a jar of persimmon butter at the farmer's market. I don't have a recipe to share for it, but did find this one from Saving the Season and the ingredients sound similar to what I could taste in the jar I bought. I decided to use persimmon butter with my butter-y sugar cookies to make petite sandwich cookies. After the recipe, I'll share some thoughts on this filling as well as other possibilities.

Butter-y Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks) or Earth Balance if dairy-free

2 eggs
2 t. vanilla bean paste
3cups of my favorite flour blend
1 1/2 t. guar gum
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 jar jam, jelly, preserves or fruit spread (persimmon butter used here)

Cream sugar and butter until fluffy using an electric mixer, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients separately, adding to the butter mixture one cup at a time. Mix well.

Split the dough into two equal parts. Place one part on top of a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top, roll the edges up and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with other half of dough. Instead of turning the dough out onto a floured surface, you can now roll it out between the pieces of plastic wrap and not add any additional flour to the already-perfect dough!

Cut into tiny 2" circles and place on Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake cookies at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes.

Move cookies to cooling rack. Once cool, spread a scant teaspoon of jam, butter or other filling on the flat side of one cookie. Top with another cookie. That's it!

I shared these cookies with two friends at two separate events. Both said the same thing, "These melt in your mouth!" And that they do. The moisture of the persimmon butter made the cookies softer and the cookies do melt in your mouth. These were a great treat over the weekend. I'm going to save my leftover sugar cookie dough from now on to make these little cookies and spread leftover butters and jams between them to make sandwich cookies.

Sweet of the Week #40i & #41i, Red Bean Paste and Pomegranate Muffins

2011-11-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

One of the challenge ingredients my friend Deanne suggested this year was red bean paste. I wanted to find a non-traditional way to use red bean paste, something beyond the Asian specialties that incorporate the ingredient, such as mooncakes or Daifuku.

Then Suzanne, who is currently on a quinoa kick, sent me this recipe from Green Cilantro. I took a look at it and decide I could de-gluten the recipe and perhaps make it vegan as well as incorporate another suggested Ingredient, pomegranate. I also removed refined sugar from the recipe, using coconut palm sugar instead. (To completely remove refined sugar, choose a dried fruit sweetened with fruit juice. The pomegranate seeds I used contained sugar.)

I had never seen dried pomegranate seeds before and paid $7 for a small bag at my local grocer. I will choose another dried fruit, such as cranberries or raisins, for future batches. The pomegranate seeds add a bit of crunch that I didn't care for in the muffins. That said, these are an incredibly moist muffin with a nice crumb. They have a slightly nutty flavor that I attribute to the quinoa flour. The result is a muffin that I would be proud to share with my friends at breakfast or for an afternoon nibble with tea.

Red Bean Pomegranate Muffins (makes 12 muffins)
Inspired by this recipe from Green Cilantro, which was inspired by this recipe from La vie in English

1 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup of quinoa flour
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 T. chia seed
1 t. baking soda
1 t. guar gum
1 c. almond milk
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 T. flax meal, dissolved in 6 T. hot water to make an egg replacement slurry (equivalent to 2 eggs)
1 1/3 cup mashed, cooked red beans (Azuki or Adzuki)
scant 1/2 cup dried pomegranate seeds or other dried fruit

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour blend, quinoa flour, coconut palm sugar, chia seed, baking soda and guar gum.

In a small bowl, whisk the almond milk, grapeseed oil and flax meal slurry.

Pour the liquid mix into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine. Add in red bean paste, stirring just to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup dried pomegranate seeds or dried fruit.

In a greased muffin tin (or you may choose to use muffin papers), pour 1/3 cup of batter into each cavity. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes. Using a cake tester or toothpick, test the center of a muffin. Toothpick will come out clean when they are done.

If you like Adzuki beans, check out the Adzuki bean burgers from Hillary's Eat Well. They are the first item containing the high-protein Adzuki beans I had tried and I really, really enjoy them. I cook their burgers in the toaster. Yum!

Sweet of the Week #39i, Green Tomato Citrus Marmalade

2011-10-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

I received 40 pounds (yes, FORTY pounds!) of green tomatoes from my friend Renee. Last week was a grand canning adventure.

In an attempt to ripen a few of the tomatoes, I put a few pounds in a brown paper bag. Several did turn red, enough to can curry ketchup and a salsa, which was very runny. It turns out green tomatoes forced to ripen become quite mushy. I also canned green tomato ketchup and a green tomato currant chutney. But my favorite was this, Green Tomato Orange Marmalade.

Maybe you are asking yourself how I am going to qualify this as a sweet. Well, it's got 5 cups of sugar in it, which makes is about as sweet as anything else you'll find here. Plus I needed to use one of my challenge ingredients. Tim had suggested I use Malt Extract from the homebrewer's store, but it contains gluten so I had to choose an alternate ingredient. While shopping in Columbia, Renee spotted pH strips in the homebrew section at Cool Stuff. Perfect! Remember when I blogged about the amazing canning class I attended? Well, there was much talk about pH levels in safe home canning and Renee, who manages an academic lab, had some great ideas about pH testing, including using these strips. It's a great fit for this week's sweet!

What I need to tell you is that this is not a perfect method for testing pH in your home-canned products. You should only can from recipes tested and verified by a canning authority. The pH level in canned goods is critical, especially when using the water bath method (as opposed to pressure canning). I share this recipe with the disclosure that I have tested it with pH strips, found it to be acidic, but do not have an accurate pH meter and have not submitted this for professional testing. Whew.

Here's how I used pH strips: I dipped one strip in the marmalade and it turned red (acidic). I dipped another strip in a mixture of baking soda and water (alkaline) and it turned blue. Low pH equals high acidity. To safely can, the pH level needs to be 4.6 or lower. In this case, I used green tomatoes which are very acidic. However adding other ingredients may reduce the acidity, so I wouldn't use this method with any concoction that I did not know to be quite acidic. I also would not recommend using this with anything that has a red or orange color, as it would make reading the strip difficult.

Wanna know what I do with this marmalade? I eat it on toast. I really like it on cinnamon raisin toast. I know that sounds like an odd combination but it is delicious! I also like it on a grilled cheese sandwich. It's kind of like tomato soup and grilled cheese all in one. I've even used this instead of sauce on pizza crust and topped it with caramelized onions and goat cheese. In a pinch, it makes a quick party treat, a bit poured over cream cheese or Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese and served with crackers.

Green Tomato Orange Marmalade (makes 10 1/2 pints)
2 oranges
1 lemon
1 cup water
4 pounds green tomatoes
5 cups sugar
1/4 cup crystallized ginger

Peel the oranges and lemon. Place the rind in 1 cup of water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the water.

Chop the tomatoes. There is no need to peel or core them. I do slice off the very top to eliminate the stem area. I used this gadget to chop the tomatoes. Place is large, heavy-bottomed stock pot with citrus rind, sugar and crystallized ginger. Cook over medium heat, covered, for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Remove lid in the last 30 minutes. Mixture will be bubbly and may pop, so proceed with caution. You may wish to continue cooking beyond 2 hours if the mixture has not yet reduced to a sticky marmalade consistency.

Can using the water bath method. If you are unfamiliar, I recommend this site from the University of Missouri Extension for instructions on how to water bath can. Process for 12 minutes in 1/2 pint jars.

I'd love to hear what you are doing with your end-of-season green tomatoes. Are you canning or freezing the last remnants of this year's crop?

Sweet of the Week #37i and #38i, Vegan Cheesecake Minis with Lychee Sake sauce

2011-10-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

This week's sweet is a variation on one of my favorite recipes, Raw Vegan Cheesecake. This variation isn't raw because I cooked the sauce, so it's just Vegan this time around. Super yummy.

Raw Vegan Cheesecake Minis (makes 12)

You will need 1 silicone muffin pan OR paper cupcake liners

Crust
1 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup Medjool dates

Blend almonds and dates in food processor until chopped into a crumbly mixture. Press 1 1/2 T. mixture into bottom of each cavity of silicone muffin pans (or cupcake-paper lined muffin tins).

Filling1 3/4 cups raw cashews, soaked in water (I soak them overnight, a couple hours will do)
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup coconut oil--liquified
1/4 cup water
1 t. vanilla bean paste
1/4 t. sea salt
1/2 t. Meyer lemon zest

Melt coconut oil by putting it in a glass measuring cup and floating the glass measuring cup in a bowl of warm water.

Mix all ingredients in the food processor until smooth. I let the food processor run for about 4 minutes.

Pour scant 1/4 cup filling on top of each crust. It will look quite runny. Cover and freeze overnight. While this is not a frozen cake, freezing it will solidify the coconut oil.

Remove from freezer and refrigerate. I like to bring this out of the frig about 30 minutes before serving.

Lychee Sake Sauce

I used canned lychee, fresh weren't available at my local market. I could only find them in a syrup, which was not HFCS, but still not a flavor I would not have chosen. I rinsed them very well before using in the syrup. There were approximately 21 fresh lychees in the can if you are looking for a fresh fruit equivalent.

1 20 oz. can lychees, drained and rinsed well
1 cup Sake (I used bubbling sake from Trader Joe's)
3/4 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Lychees will start to break down. Using an immersion blender (or high speed blender if that's what you have), blend until smooth. Continue cooking until mixture has thickened. Keep in mind it will thicken further as it cools, but you do want to cook it until it has reduced by at least 1/2.

Serve with a drizzle of sauce.

Upcoming Gluten-Free Classes in the KC area

2011-10-16T08:46:00.001-07:00

I am teaching two gluten-free classes coming up very soon....join me!

Tuesday, November 8^th: Holiday Baking

6 to 8:30 P.M. Liberty Hy-Vee Club Room

Join us and learn how to make your favorite holiday goodies gluten-free! We’ll make sugar cookies, chocolate crinkles, peanut butter kiss cookies, Chex mix and more! You’ll sample everything we make in class plus take home a box of cookies to share. Dairy-free options will be included for all recipes. Sign up at Hy-Vee Customer Service or call 816.792.3210. $25.

Thursday, October 27^th: Gluten-Free Pizza

6 to 8:30 P.M. Liberty Hy-Vee Club Room

You will learn to make a quick and easy pizza muffin perfect for lunchboxes or appetizers, a simple pizza crust and a yeast bread pizza crust. PLUS you will get to make-and-take a gluten-free pizza on the delicious Udi's pizza crust to take home! Dairy-free options will be included for all recipes. Sign up at Hy-Vee Customer Service or call 816.792.3210. Only $25, including take home pizza!

Hope to see you at these fun, informative classes. We always have fun in my classes, lots of laughs, tasty treats and information to take home.

A Bonus Sweet: Pumpkin Pie Spice Candied Almonds

2011-10-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

I've got a little bonus recipe to share with you. This doesn't contain any of the challenge ingredients on this year's list but it's so tasty that I thought you should have the recipe. Almonds, candied with pumpkin pie spices. So good! If you want your house to smell like Autumn, this will do it!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Candied Almonds
1 1/3 cups almond
1/2 cup sugar plus an additional 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 t. vanilla bean paste (or you could use 1/2 of a vanilla bean)
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch powdered ginger
pinch cloves
pinch allspice

Add 1/2 cup sugar, water, vanilla bean paste and spices to a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook over medium until boiling. Stir a lot! Add almonds and stir more. Stir, stir, stir...Once about 1/2 of the sugar has adhered to the nuts and a slightly grey-brown tinge has appeared, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Turn heat down to medium-low. Keep stirring! Stir more. Really, keep stirring! Once all of the sugar is dissolved and about 1/2 of the nuts have a shiny coating, remove from the heat and pour out into a Silpat-lined baking sheet. You could also use parchment paper.

Once the nuts are cool enough to handle, start breaking them apart. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container. They will keep for a couple of weeks but I doubt you'll have them around that long. Enjoy!

Sweet of the Week #36i, Jagermeister Cannoli with Pumpkin Filling

2011-10-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

When my friend Laurie suggested Jagermeister as an ingredient for this year's 52 project, I was concerned. I've never been a fan and wasn't sure how to incorporate it. Then it was Autumn, I was getting down to the nitty-gritty of the ingredient list and realized the black licorice-like flavor would go great with pumpkin! The Jagermeister cannoli was born!

You'll need to make vegan/dairy-free ricotta for the filling. Here's the recipe I use. You will also need cannoli forms or pieces of a dowel to wrap the cannolis around for frying, as well as a cutter to cut the dough. Here we go...

Jagermeister Cannoli Shells
1 3/4 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 t. guar gum
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs
2 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks (or butter if you eat dairy)
4 T. (1/4 cup) Jagermeister (this also works very well with spiced rum, such as Sailor Jerry)
1 egg white

Place flour, guar gum and salt in mixing bowl. Form a well in the middle, mix in eggs and Earth Balance. Blend all ingredients using a pastry cutter. Add Jagermeister a bit at a time until the dough comes together. I always use the full amount, whether using Jagermeister or rum. Divide into two equal balls. Roll each ball out between two sheets of plastic wrap (this eliminates the need for flouring the surface) until it is approximately 1/16" thick and cut with a 4" circle cutter. Roll each circle out into an oval and wrap around the cannoli form. Brush the edges with egg white and gently press to seal.

Fry in 350 degree oil. Do not fry more than 2 or 3 at a time, or you will reduce the oil temperature. Fry until just golden, a minute or so. Place on paper towels until cooled.

Pumpkin Cannoli Filling
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, just plain ol' canned pumpkin)
1/2 cup tofu ricotta (or regular ricotta if you eat dairy)
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch each of nutmeg, ginger powder, cloves
3 T. sweet rice flour

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients using a hand mixer. Mix until well combined and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before using.

Using a pastry bag or a frosting tool, fill cannoli shells with cooled filling immediately before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Sweet of the Week #34i and #35i, Pumpkin Pistachio Bundt Cake

2011-09-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

I am all about pumpkin this time of year. I love the warm, comforting foods of Autumn and pumpkin is without a doubt my favorite ingredient this season, following closely by squash and apples. This week I share with you a Pumpkin Pistachio Bundt Cake.

This cake is a slightly modified version of Kristen's recipe. Kristen is the brilliant blogger behind Dine and Dish. She's fun, witty, shares delicious recipes and has a great eye for photography. She is also a super kind gal, answering many of my blogging and photography questions. She shared her Pumpkin Bundt cake recipe in a guest post at I Am Baker. I've modified the recipe to include two of my challenge ingredients, pistachio oil and kaniwa, and have made it gluten- and dairy-free. Big thanks to Kristen for sharing what quickly became a favorite with my family, neighbors and friends!

About this week's challenge ingredients: I located Roasted Pistachio Oil on my recent visit to Jungle Jim's. It was $12 for a small metal container. It has a green color similar to grapeseed oil and a deep, roasted flavor that would be a great in many Autumn dishes. From the first taste of this oil, there is no mistaking that it comes from pistachios, the nut flavor comes through very clearly. I plan to use it on roasted Brussels sprouts this weekend. The second ingredient used this week is kaniwa flour. Kaniwa is an ancient seed, much like quinoa and teff, that is used like a grain. It has a high protein content. I paid $13 for a 1 pound box of this flour. When used in this cake, it caused the finished product to have a darker color, making it easily mistaken for a chocolate cake. I thought you might want to know that before you started experimenting with incorporating it into your recipes.

Pumpkin Pistachio Bundt Cake with Pumpkin Glaze
For the cake:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks or butter if you use dairy, softened
4 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup Amande, almond yogurt
2 T. Roasted Pistachio Oil
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup kaniwa flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon guar gum
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Roasted Pistachio Oil
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Use the gluten-free flour blend, not kaniwa, to flour your bundt pan.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat Earth Balance/butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Add pumpkin, almond yogurt, pistachio oil and vanilla. Mix on low until well blended. With mixer on low add flours one cup at a time, followed by all other dry ingredients. Pour batter into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake for 60 minutes until cake tester or knife inserted into center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool fully before attempting to remove from the pan. This is essential if you are using one of the super intricate bundt pans.

To make the glaze, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the powdered sugar until there are no lumps. This will be very thick. Continue whisking while adding in vanilla, pumpkin, cinnamon and Roasted Pistachio Oil.

Drizzle glaze over the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Enjoy!

Sweet of the Week #33i, Prickly Pear Cactus Cupcakes with Lime Frosting

2011-09-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

I've reached the place in the list of 52 Ingredients where I'm seriously challenged. Challenged both in finding the ingredients and in coming up with ways to use them. This week's ingredient, prickly pear cactus, was really tough to locate in my and even trickier to incorporate into a Sweet but I found a way. It is so tasty I know you'll want to try it.*

There are two edible forms of prickly pear cactus, the pink and red fruit that is often used in candies, jellies and cocktails and the paddles, called nopales. I incorporated both into this week's Sweet. On my recent trip to Jungle Jim's, I found nopales among the variety of cactus for sale in their product department. On-line I ordered prickly pear cactus applesauce.

The resulting cupcakes are a bit like an applesauce cake with a tangy kick, topped with an intensely lime buttercream frosting. While my husband always eats the Sweets I bake, he couldn't stay away from these. It was definitely one of the most interesting flavor combinations of the Sweets I have baked this year, one I would try again!

*For those of you thinking, "I'll never cook with prickly pear cactus," just replace the prickly pear cactus applesauce in this recipe with regular applesauce. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to make a delicious fall-inspired cupcake. Top with caramel or dulce de leche frosting.

Prickly Pear Cactus Cupcakes (Makes 12 Cupcakes)
6 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks (or butter if you use dairy)
1 cup coconut crystals or brown sugar
2 eggs (I use farm fresh eggs that weigh an average of 50g each in the shell)
1 t. vanilla bean paste

1 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/2 t. salt
1 cup prickly pear cactus applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with 12 papers.

In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and coconut crystals or brown sugar together until well-incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla bean paste.

Sift flour blend and salt together. Add into butter and sugar mix, blending until incorporated. Slowly add in prickly pear cactus applesauce.

Add batter to cupcake tins, filling each with a scant 1/3 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes. When tested with a toothpick or cake tester, a large crumb will appear. Delicious, moist cake!

Lime Buttercream Frosting
1 stick Earth Balance vegan butter-y stick (or butter if you use dairy)
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Zest of 1 lime
3 to 4 T. fresh squeezed lime juice

In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter for 2 to 3 minutes with lime zest until it is smooth. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. This will be very stiff, don't panic. Add lime juice 1 T. at a time until a creamy consistency is reached. With mixer on high, beat for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to incorporate air and make this frosting a little lighter.

Candied Grilled Nopales (optional, for garnish)
3 Nopales
1/4 cup agave nectar

Clean the cactus paddles using a large knife. Scrape gently to remove any needles that might remain. The ones I purchased were already pretty well cleaned, only a few needles needed to be removed. Proceed with caution though!

Place on hot grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Brush one side with agave, flip on grill and brush other side. Allow them to grill for a couple of minutes on each side. Cut into 1/2 wide by 3" long strips to insert into frosting on cupcakes for garnish.

Sweet of the Week #32i, Lingonberry Linzer Cookies, a flour adventure

2011-09-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

This week I'm sharing with you one of my favorite cookies, the buttery, flaky Almost Linzer cookie. These are an *almost* Linzer cookie because they do not include the traditional ground almonds. The ingredient I've chosen to incorporate from this year's challenge list is Lingonberry Jam. I used a jar from IKEA. I also used this week's sweet as an opportunity to try out a new gluten-free flour blend.

When I hear about new gluten-free products, I have a mixed reaction. My first reaction is that I want people to know they CAN bake gluten-free at home, they don't need the latest, greatest gluten-free product whether it be an expensive mix or fancy flour blend. I want to show them the way, help them understand life is going to be better, the food is going to be delicious and doesn't have to include pricey products with ingredients concocted in a lab. My second reaction is to check out the new product, to see if there really is something worth the expense, something so ground-breaking that this from-scratch baker is going to be converted. So here I am with my secondary reaction, checking out this new gluten-free flour blend with perhaps the best pedigree of any gluten-free product to hit the shelves.

There has been a bit of chatter in the gluten-free community about the latest gluten-free flour blend to hit the market, Cup4Cup. Developed by Chef Lena Kwak in partnership with Thomas Keller, it is purported to be a cup-for-cup replacement of all-purpose flour to make any recipe gluten-free. Most of the chatter on-line has been related to the price, $20 for 3 pounds. A handful of bloggers have written terrific reviews of the blend (here and here, for example). I wanted to try it myself, to see if it lives up to the Thomas Keller reputation as well as to see how it holds up in a side-by-side comparison with my gluten-free flour blend.

Currently, Cup4Cup is available at Williams-Sonoma. Soon it will be available at Bouchon bakeries. I drove to the Williams-Sonoma nearest me. The lovely sales clerk shared with me that they are also offering gluten-free cookie and brownie mixes ($20) and a waffle and pancake mix ($18) from Bouchon. I love pretty packaging and these are certainly that, but I also love baking from scratch so I passed on trying the mixes. I'm anxious to hear what others think about them. I bought one 3-pound bag of the flour, dropping $21.55 on the most nicely packaged gluten-free flour I've ever bought. I love the resealable zipper, stand-up pouch style bag.

Here's what you need to know about Cup4Cup: as I already mentioned, it is $20 for 3 pounds. It contains dairy, problematic for the growing number of gluten-free folks who also avoid dairy. It contains xanthan gum, an ingredient falling out of favor amongst many avid gluten-free bakers. The primary ingredient is cornstarch. It also contains many of the same ingredients as my flour blend, many basic flours found at your local grocery store. Here's the ingredient list (please note a sticker of revised ingredients was applied over the original list on the packaging, both are shown here :)

I baked two batches of Linzer cookies, one with my flour blend and one with Cup4Cup. I immediately noticed the dough made with Cup4Cup flour was much tougher, had a firmer texture. It pulled together in the bowl of the stand mixer very quickly. I always chill Linzer dough before rolling it out, however it would have been possible to roll the dough made with Cup4Cup without chilling. It made a dense dough more stiff and bread like than buttery cookie like.

The only difference I noted during baking was the batch made with Cup4Cup did not puff up as much while baking. The puffy appearance in the batch made with my flour blend goes away after removing the cookies from the oven anyway, so I didn't expect this to make much difference. The cookies looked very similar after baking, but it was the taste and texture I was most interested in.

To make sure I wasn't giving you a biased review of the two flour blends, I shared the cookies with several people: my husband John, my friend Renee who has a strong interest in food science and her family including fledgling-baker kids E & A, my fearless baker friend Deanne, Foodie extraordinaire Jenny, and two folks who make sure the gluten-free students at a local college are well-fed, Chef Jeremy and my friend Sheila. Each received two boxes, labeled #1 and #2. Each box contained a lingonberry jam filled cookie, a peach butter filled cookie (made and canned by Renee), and several cookies without filling. Here is their input:

From Sheila: I prefer #2. The #1 cookies were heavy, they broke apart into large crumbs. I liked how light the #2 cookie was, a smaller light crumb. #1 is more crunchy, hard. I ate a whole cookie of #2, which is unusual for me, I don't eat many cookies. It was that good. I would like a jar of lingonberry jam please.

From Renee, her husband Ed and E & A:

Comments made at our table during the cookie testing:

Box #1:

It's a little more dense than the other one (Ed and I agreed on this)

"It's better with the jelly" - E (not sure where he was going with this).

Ed thought cookies with filling from box 1 were better than cookies with filling from box 2. He didn't really say why - and I tried to get more information.

Box #2

It's lighter than the other one

It melts in your mouth - the other one doesn't

"2 is GOOOODDDDD" - A

It's "crunchier" - E

Random statements not related to box 1 or box 2:

"Wow, Johnna must be serious about her cookies" - E

"My conclusion is that the sample size is not big enough to make a decision. We need more samples for a definitive answer." - Ed - which translates to: "They were all really damn good and I wish my wife would make sugar cookies" :)

In a nutshell - they were all really good - the only major difference I could tell was in the texture - #1 seemed more dense than #2; #2 did seem more "melty". I couldn't tell any other difference between the cookies.

From Deanne:
#1 tasted ok, but the texture was a little gritty, and when you held a bite in your mouth, or followed it with a sip of coffee, it became sort of slimy and had a gel texture, which I found off putting.

#2 tasted better — more "browned" and baked, and the texture was softer and smoother, and it didn't have the gel mouthfeel.

Hands down #2 were better.

From Chef Jeremy:
I like the texture and flakiness on # 1. The flavor was about the same on both.

From Jenny:
I taste tested them on Friday then brought them home to my son Tastie, so he and I could taste them again this weekend. He and I are both in agreement that the #1 cookies were much better, when compared to the #2 cookies. But, I have to say in all honesty, Johnna, your cookies, both sets were delicious. I cannot get over how delicious gluten free baking can be. Truly, loved and enjoyed every single bite of every single cookie.
Here were our tasting notes:

#1 – Softer, creamy texture. Big butter flavor. Cookies were crisp on the bottom and held together better. They also seemed much sweeter on the palate.

#2 – Crumbly, with a grainy texture. Nice butter flavor, but there was an aftertaste to the flour that was unpleasant. They were not as rich and crisp as #1 cookies. They were much drier with a mealy texture, it was gritty like eating a cookie made with sand compared to #1. These cookies were also much saltier and not as sweet as #1.

From John: The #1 cookie is heavy and gets pasty in your mouth, it sticks to your teeth. The #2 cookie has a small crumb and a sweeter flavor. More of the #2 cookies please.

From me: My review is very biased, I knew which flour the cookies were made with. I'm not opposed to spending a lot of money on a delicious Sweet, many of my recipes require more than $20 in ingredients, but I don't understand spending this much money on flour. I also have a strong dislike for the flavor of xanthan gum in a buttery sweet, I can smell it while the goodie is still in the oven. That said, I tried to keep an open mind while testing these cookies. I tested over and over again, went to the gym to work it off, and then tested again. I much preferred the flavor of #2, it tasted sweeter and had a better butter flavor. #1 maintained the firm texture I noted when mixing the dough, it had a large crumb, not the small, delicate crumb I like in a Linzer cookie.

And now, the big reveal:
Cookie #1 was created with Cup4Cup flour.
Cookie #2 was created with my gluten-free flour blend.

While I don't think this is conclusive evidence that either of the flour blends is the perfect fit for every baking need, I do think it shows you can easily blend your own gluten-free flour at home for a mere 80 cents a cup as opposed to the $1.88 per cup Cup4Cup costs and get a result that is pleasing to many. It certainly didn't please everyone, two of the taste-testers preferred the cookies made with Cup4Cup flour. To make a more conclusive decision, I would need to bake a wider variety of goodies, perhaps pie crust, a cake, a quick bread. Because I'm pleased with my own blend and also on a baking budget, I probably won't do that.

For those of you who enjoy food math, here's some information on my flour blend, Cup4Cup, the basic Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour blend and Gold Medal All-Purpose flour:

Cost:
Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Blend: $0.95 per cup (priced from the BRM website)

My Gluten-Free Flour Blend: $0.80 per cup (priced using BRM products, full retail price)

Cup4Cup: $1.88, $2.05 per cup with tax where I live.

Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour (not gluten-free): $0.12 cents per cup

Basic Nutrition, Calories:
Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Blend: 100 calories per 1/4 cup, 22 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 3 grams protein

My Gluten-Free Flour Blend: 143 calories per 1/4 cup, 33 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 0 grams sugar, 0.6 grams protein

Cup4Cup: 120 calories per 1/4 cup, 26 grams carbs, 0 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 2 grams protein

Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour (not gluten-free): 110 calories per 1/4 cup, 22 grams carbs, less than 1 gram fiber, 0 grams sugar, 3 grams protein

And because you read this far, here's the recipe for you. Enjoy!

You will need two cookie cutters, one large and one pretty small. I used a 3" circle and a 0.75" flower. In the past, I have used stars, hearts, squares, any basic shape will work. My favorite place to get cookie cutters is Off the Beaten Path. They ship around the world and if you are in the Kansas City area, you can drop by to pick up your order and browse.

Almost Linzer Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks) or Earth Balance if dairy-free*
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla bean paste
3cups of my favorite flour blend or Cup4Cup
1 1/2 t. guar gum (eliminate if using Cup4Cup flour)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 jar jam, jelly, preserves or fruit spread (I used IKEA lingonberry and peach butter this time)

*if you are dairy-free, please be aware that Cup4Cup flour is NOT dairy-free. Please use my gluten-free flour blend instead.

Cream sugar and butter until fluffy using an electric mixer, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients separately, adding to the butter mixture one cup at a time. Mix well.

Split the dough into two equal parts. Place one part on top of a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top, roll the edges up and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with other half of dough. Instead of turning the dough out onto a floured surface, you can now roll it out between the pieces of plastic wrap and not add any additional flour to the already-perfect dough!

You will need to cut out half of the dough in solid large shapes (I used a 3" circle) and the other half will be cut out first with the large circle and then cut a little flower out of the middle. This is tricky! If you do this on the counter and then try to move them, you may lose the shape.

Here's the trick to this: place the dough (rolled out) onto your cookie sheet. Cut the large circle out and remove the excess dough. Now cut the small shape out in the middle. By cutting them out on the cookie sheet, you can preserve the shape.

Bake cookies at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes. I suggest baking the full circles separately from those with the center cut-out, as they will cook a bit quicker.

Move cookies to cooling rack. Once cool, warm the jam in the microwave for 30 seconds to thin it a little bit. If it is too thin, let it cool a little before using. Spread a scant teaspoon of jam on top near the center of a full circle. Place a cutout cookie on top. You may add a bit more into the cutout in the center to fill the hole.

Have you tried Cup4Cup flour? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Baking in Kentucky...with bourbon, y'all.

2011-09-02T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky the last few years, getting to spend a couple weeks of my Summer working in Kentucky. While I've worked all over the country and quite a bit of the world, I really enjoy Kentucky. The folks are friendly, the food is comforting and delicious and there's bourbon, lots and lots of bourbon.

While in Kentucky, my baking takes place in a tiny hotel room kitchen. The kitchen facilities are limited and I pack a few essentials, like a muffin tin and baking basics. I should perhaps write another blog post about what I pack in my baking bag when I travel out of town, it's a small but mighty collection that allows me to bake just about anywhere. What I don't pack when I go to Kentucky is bourbon. There's no need because the liquor stores in Kentucky have a bourbon selection as large as the wine selection in many areas of the country.

This year's Kentucky Baking Adventure recipes contain Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon. Like most bourbon distilleries, Four Roses has a long and interesting history, including multiple changes in ownership and a long stint of blended whiskey production (not legitimate bourbon), primarily for export. For the last 9 years, Four Roses has been a bourbon-specific distiller, aging all of their bourbons in new white oak barrels.

You may remember last year I shared one of my bourbon baking creations with my friend Pam and Trooper Brown. This year Trooper Brown dropped by again and brought friends. Oh the pressure! Nothing like folks who really know their bourbon judging my baking. The verdict from those in the know was that the Not-Derby-Pie Cupcakes were the best of the two, both were good. And I gotta tell you, both were very bourbon-y. Enjoy!

Not-Derby-Pie Cupcakes
Makes 22 cupcakes
(Derby Pie is a chocolate, pecan, bourbon pie. The name is trademarked by Kern's Kitchen and they fervently defend it. These are NOT-Derby-Pie and aren't really pie at all, they are cupcakes with a frosting inspired by the proprietorially-named pie the Kern's make.)

CAKE

1 cup bourbon
1 stick plus 1 T. Earth Balance Vegan Butter-y Stick
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
2 cups almond meal/flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
2 1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin tins with 22 cupcake papers.

Combine the bourbon and Earth Balance, chopped into small pieces, in a large sauce pan. Heat to melt. Remove from heat, whisk in cocoa and brown sugar.

In mixer bowl, mix Better Than Sour Cream and eggs with vanilla extract. Add bourbon mixture. Whisk together flours and soda in separate bowl and then mix into liquid mixture. Pour a scant 1/3 cup of batter into cupcake papers and bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into center of cupcake should come out clean. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

FROSTING
1 1/2 sticks Earth Balance Vegan Butter-y Stick
1/2 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
22 whole pecans for garnish

Using hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter-y sticks for 2 minutes. Slowly add the the powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla extract. With mixer on low or by hand, mix in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips.

Frost cooled cupcakes using your preferred method. I knife-frosted these and sprinkled a few extra chocolate chips on top then added a whole pecan piece to the top.

Mint Julep Cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes

1 cup of Johnna’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend

1 1/4 cup of almond flour (Bob’s Red Mill is preferred)

2 teaspoon baking powder

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 ¼ Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream

1 stick butter or Earth Balance, melted and allowed to cool

2 t. vanilla bean paste

1 t. mint extract

1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flours and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream eggs and sugars in stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until a pale yellow color is reached. Incorporate Better Than Sour Cream, melted Earth Balance, vanilla bean paste, mint extract and bourbon. Slowly add in flour mixture, mixing well on medium until batter is smooth.

Insert cupcake papers into pans, fill with a scant 1/3 cup batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean when done.

Mint Julep Frosting

1 Stick Earth Balance Vegan Butter-y Stick, room temp

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 t. mint extract

1/4 cup Bourbon

1 T. fresh mint, finely chopped

Optional: Sugared Mint Leaves for garnish

Using hand or stand mixer, beat butter for a minute or so, just to break it up. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time. Incorporate mint extract. Slowly add bourbon a splash at a time, stopping when the frosting consistency you like has been reached. Gently stir in the chopped fresh mint. Ice cupcakes with the method you prefer. I knife frosted and added a sugared mint leaf on top.

A word about using fresh mint in the frosting: the oil in the fresh mint added a nice hint of mint right after mixing up the frosting. By the next morning, the mint flavor had grown in the frosting, making it very mint-y. If you prefer a milder mint flavor or are making your cupcakes in advance, you might want to reduce the amount of fresh mint or eliminate it.

Sugared Mint Leaves

Fresh mint leaves, removed from the stems and washed

1 egg white, beat with a fork until opaque

1 cup fine granulated sugar

1 t. mint extract

Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet

Mix sugar and mint extract in a bowl. Brush each mint leaf with egg white then sprinkle with sugar. If you prefer, you can dip the leaf in sugar. Lay in a single layer on baking sheet and allow to dry. If you are in a humid location, you can put them in the oven on the lowest temperature (the lowest for me is 200 degrees) for about an hour.

For my gluten-eating cupcake fans:

This information is for my cupcake eating fans in Kentucky who do not eat gluten-free or dairy-free. Here's what you can use from your kitchen to make these cupcakes. I cannot guarantee it will be as delicious though.

For my gluten-free flour blend, substitute all-purpose flour in the same amount

DO NOT substitute all-purpose flour for the almond flour. You need almond flour for these recipes to work.

Regular dairy sour cream or ricotta cheese may be substituted for the Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream.

Unsalted Butter may be substituted for the Earth Balance Vegan Butter-y Sticks.

Sweet of the Week #31i, Hatch Chile Cornbread Muffins

2011-08-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

This post is for my friend Suzanne, who recently told me not everyone is cut out for from-scratch baking and reminded me that some people will always prefer baking with mixes. This week I used not just one but TWO mixes to make a Sweet. Next week, I'll go back to baking from scratch. I can't explain it, but using a mix felt more complicated to me than measuring out ingredients from my own canister set.

This time of year is travel-heavy for me. I spend a fair amount of time working away from home, which means seeking out places safe for me to eat. It also means I spend a lot of time figuring out things I can cook in a hotel room with limited kitchen facilities. Sometimes I have really limited resources, only a small microwave and refrigerator. Other times I have a cooktop with a couple of burners. Recently I was treated to a hotel room with a range, full size refrigerator, dishwasher and a few pieces of bakeware.Whoo hooo!

As surprising as this may be, I had a muffin pan in my suitcase, along with a can of fire roasted hatch chiles. TSA loves me, really they do. I made a quick visit to the nearest Whole Foods and bought a few necessities to bake cornbread muffins. In about half an hour, a hotel room was converted to a place that smelled a little like home. Ahhh....

About this week's ingredient, Hatch chiles. My friend Mary is a native of New Mexico. She shared two cans of authentic Hatch chiles with me. If one is lucky enough to snag a dinner invitation to Mary's house, she may make layered enchiladas and use wonderful sauce created with hatch chiles. In her cookbook collection are countless recipes for cooking with chiles. I asked for her help in using Hatch chiles in a Sweet and stumped her and her network of New Mexico bakers. There weren't a lot of options and I was absolutely stumped by this ingredient. I started thinking about things in which I like chiles and thought about cornbread. Then I thought about a really sweet cornbread I used to like eating, back in the gluten-filled days.

The really sweet cornbread I used to like eating came from a long-gone restaurant in Leawood, Kansas, the Uptown Diner. It was rumored that they made their cornbread with a yellow cake mix. Now you know why I baked with a mix this week! These muffins are sweet and have a very cake-like texture with a smoky aftertaste from the chiles. They are my favorite from-a-mix treat so far! While I wouldn't usually think of cornbread as a Sweet, these definitely qualify.

Hatch Chile Cornbread Muffins

Makes 14 muffins

1 3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix (this is half of a mix)
1 1/2 cups Pamela's Classic Vanilla Cake Mix (this is half of a mix)
3 eggs (I use farm fresh eggs, averaging 50 grams each)
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1-4oz. can fire roasted diced green hatch chiles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl (I stirred by hand, no mixer in the hotel room kitchen). Lightly oil a muffin pan. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, put batter into each muffin cavity. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes. These will very lightly brown, but not much.

I had these muffins with a delicious Black Bean Pumpkin Chili my husband made from this recipe. He made the following changes:
Substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth
Substituted 8 oz. crumbled tempeh for the cooked turkey
Cooked on the stovetop instead of in a slow cooker (hotel room cooking, no Crockpot in the luggage)

If you'd like to know more about Hatch chiles, visit this website about their upcoming festival!

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

2011-08-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

This week's Sweet doesn't include one of the 52 Ingredients on the list. It's an added extra, for good reason. It is full of love and thoughtfulness. If I could find them on the shelves in the baking aisle at the market, I would add hugs, too.

This week's Sweet is Creamy Peanut Butter Pie, a favorite of Mikey, husband of blogger Jennifer Perillo. Last week Mikey passed away suddenly, a heart attack. Jennifer asked that we, the food blogging community, celebrate Mikey's life today by making this pie.

I don't know Jennifer personally. I read her blog, I enjoy her writing, she has such a great way with words. She spoke at Eat, Write, Retreat, the food blogger conference I attended in May. She was one of the many friendly faces that made the conference an affirming experience for me. Her words were among those that impacted me at the conference, encouraging all of us to put down the cookbooks and create for ourselves. I feel more free to do that now. And her words since Mikey's passing have also impacted me. "Make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on." It is easy to get caught up in life, in the noise of all that surrounds us, and forget to really hug those who matter to us, to make time for pie. Today I am making time hugs and pie. Join me, will ya?

A year ago this month, my next door neighbor Lonnie passed unexpectedly. His wife Janey has shown me in the past year what true strength and hope look like. I know it has been a struggle for her, pushing hard to create a new normal for herself, for the family she and Lonnie created together. Today, in one of our frequent over-the-fence chats, I said I should get going, I needed to run to the grocery store to pick up a few things. Janey asked what I was baking, a question she often asks me. I told her I was making a peanut butter pie and then shared with her why, knowing she would have a real understanding of Jennifer's challenge. Janey said to me, "If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it." I think sharing pie is part of the "through" part.

Have some pie today. Hug your family, your friends, your neighbors. Share some pie with them, too. We'll all be better for it.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie
For the chocolate cookie crust, I used this recipe, the Chocolate Sable Cookies from the Miette cookbook. I substituted a gluten-free flour blend. Otherwise, I baked directly from the recipe. My cookies did not turn out square, instead they baked up into cute little circles of crunchy chocolate goodness. I will bake these again for use in pie crust.

For the pie filling, I used Jennifer Perillo's recipe in Mikey's honor. I used super fresh whole cream and butter from my favorite local dairy farm, the "good" peanut butter that required stirring to incorporate the oil floating on top and Green & Black's chocolate. This isn't the time to scrimp on ingredients, this pie deserves to be special, full of only the good stuff. I topped the pie with a chocolate drizzle and a few more chopped peanuts.

Sweet of the Week #30i, Wild Rice Blueberry Muffins

2011-08-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

This week's Sweet is a blueberry muffin made with wild rice. It's gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, vegan, free of refined sugar and has only a tiny bit of oil. It is full of natural sweetness and packed with flavor. It still amazes me how much of the "bad" stuff can be removed from a recipe and still produce such a great Sweet!

About this week's Ingredient...It has been within the last year that I discovered wild rice. A recipe in the Crazy Sexy Diet book by Kris Carr called for wild rice, so I went looking. I found out it is not actually a rice, but a grass. Wild rice is also called water oats and Indian rice. Most of the wild rice I have seen in the grocery store comes from Minnesota. I had no idea!

Trader Joes has a pre-cooked Wild Rice packet, which is super helpful for me, as traditional wild rice takes about an hour to cook. I used pre-cooked in this recipe, however you could also cook up your own if you've got some spare time or don't mind heating your house up cooking on your stovetop. It's nearly too hot to bake here right now and stovetop cooking is pretty much off limits here, so pre-cooked it is!

If you are familiar with the flavor of wild rice, you'll notice it in this recipe. If you are not familiar with wild rice, you may not notice it in these muffins at all. It doesn't even stand out much in the cooked muffins, it blends in nicely with the blueberries. I love the little punch of protein wild rice adds to the muffins!

This week's recipe is a modification of this recipe from CookEatShare. I am not very familiar with this website. According to their information page, it is not operated by a real person and all of the recipes shown on the site are from copyright-free sources. Some recipes on this site were credited to real people, this one was not. Should you know of the real person who created the recipe from which I started developing my own variation, please let me know. I'd love to give them credit here!

Wild Rice Blueberry Muffins
(Makes 15)

1 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

2 T. flax meal mixed with 6 T. hot water (this is a slurry to replace 2 eggs)
4 oz. unsweetened applesauce (this is one snack size cup of applesauce)
1 T. oil (I used grapeseed)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup cooked wild rice
3 T. maple syrup
1 cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 425 degrees. (I know this is h-o-t for a muffin, it works!)

Whisk dry ingredients together in bowl and set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, combine flax meal slurry, applesauce, oil and almond milk. Add wild rice and maple syrup. Slowly add in dry ingredients, mixing only low until a thin batter forms. Add in one cup of blueberries, stirring gently by hand.

Lightly grease muffin tins. Add a heaping 1/4 cup of batter to each cavity. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in pan, before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Sweet of the Week #29i, Battenberg Cake

2011-07-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

This week's Ingredient is Marzipan. A paste made with almonds and sugar, marzipan is used to make filled chocolate, adorable sculptures of fruits, vegetables and animals and to frost cakes. I chose to frost a cake.

I used German marzipan, which is sugar ground with whole almonds and then partially dried. There are many other varieties of marzipan. French marzipan is made with sugar syrup as opposed to granulated sugar. Swiss marzipan, Konisberger, is made with almonds, powdered sugar, egg whites and lemon juice. I chose German marzipan because it was available. Marzipan can also be made at home if you have the time.

After making this cake, I wondered why I didn't choose to make some cute little animals or attempt to make a fruit basket with marzipan. I'm a sculptress of many mediums, but my mind didn't relate sculpting to food. I may use the leftovers to make some sculptures like this or this. So many possibilities!

The cake I made is Battenberg cake, a traditional British cake that is made with a light sponge cake in both pink and white or yellow. Most often the layers of cake are coated with apricot jam, then wrapped in a thin layer of marzipan. The cake displays a checkerboard pattern, two by two, which represents the four Battenberg princes. The cake was created for the 1884 wedding of Queen Victoria's granddaughter, who married Prince Louis of Battenberg. It seems to be a very proper little cake!

I did not have apricot jam in the pantry, but I did have kumquat jam leftover from this Sweet, so that is what I used. It made a delicious cake. A one-inch thick slice was just enough sweetness to satiate my cravings for a few days.

Sour Cream Sponge Cake
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs (I use farm fresh eggs which weigh an average of 50g each in the shell)
1 1/4 cups Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
1 stick Earth Balance vegan butter-y stick, melted and allowed to cool
2 t. vanilla extract1 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup of almond meal/flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. guar gum
Red or pink food coloring

Kumquat or Apricot Jam
1 box, 5.64 ounces Marzipan
powdered sugar for dusting

In bowl of stand mixer, cream together sugar and eggs. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until a light yellow color is reached. Add Better Than Sour Cream, melted butter and vanilla extract. Slowly add in dry ingredients, mixing on medium until a smooth batter comes together.

In an oiled 9" square baking dish, add half (approximately 2 cups) of the batter. This will be used for the white/yellow cake.

Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring to the remaining batter and mix well. I used the McCormick NEON! food coloring.

In a second oiled 9" baking dish, add the pink cake batter.

Bake at 350 until done, 22 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Cut four identical size pieces of cake. I cut 1.5" strips that were approximately 8" long (I trimmed off the ends). You may wish to level your cake, as this cake does rise in the center a bit.

On a surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll out Marzipan until it is very thin. Spread with a thin layer of jam.

Spread a thin layer of jam on each surface of the cake pieces. Stack them in the center of the marzipan, pink beside white on the bottom topped with white beside pink on the top, creating a checkerboard pattern.

Pull the marzipan up around the sides, meeting on the top. Gently crimp the edge. This will be the bottom of your cake. Trim ends if necessary and remove from rolling surface onto serving plate. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. You may dust with a bit of powdered sugar or roll the entire cake in fine granulated sugar if you like.

Slice into 1" pieces. This cake is very sweet, a little slice goes a long way! Enjoy!

Sweet of the Week #28i, Orange Oregano Shortcakes with Blackberry Orange Quark

2011-07-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

This week's recipe was inspired by this recipe from Stephanie of Desserts for Breakfast. Her blog is full of gorgeous photos of breakfast goodies that are just as well-suited for dessert after dinner. Hop on over and check it out. Then come back over here and try these delicious shortcakes!

About my quark recipe: This is my first attempt at making a vegan/non-dairy quark. I love the texture of traditional quark, thicker than sour cream and not as thick as cream cheese. This recipe comes close, but is probably best described as a sauce, not quark. It's a great non-dairy substitute for quark, however I'll continue working to perfect the texture. I'd like it to be just a bit thicker, yet retain all of the wonderful citrus flavor from the orange juice.

Alrighty...here you go, one of the most full-flavored recipes I've offered so far this year. I couldn't imagine what oregano was going to be like in a Sweet...and now I can't imagine why I waited so long to try it!

Orange Oregano Shortcakes
Adapted from This Recipe at Desserts for Breakfast

(Makes approximately 12 shortcakes)

2 T. orange zest
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 t. guar gum
1 T. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1 T. dried oregano, ground works better than powdered
4 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks, cold
1/3 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.

In mixing bowl, mix orange zest and sugar with your fingers. Add flour blend, guar gum, baking powder, salt and oregano. Mix to combine.

Using your pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter with the dry mixture. Mix until it pieces are about the size of small tapioca pearls.

Add coconut milk and almond milk, mixing until just combined. This is a very thick dough, no need to overmix.

Split dough into 12 equal cakes, each shaped roughly into a round disc. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes. They will be lightly browned on top when done. Remove from oven, cool on a cooling rack.

Blackberry Orange Quark
1 pkg. extra firm silken tofu
3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (I used juice from the oranges needed for zest in the shortcake recipe)
2 T. Sugar
1 handful of fresh blackberries (I used 7)

Mix in food processor or high speed blender until well combined. Refrigerate for one hour before using.

Assembling:
Place one shortcake on a plate. Top with a dollop of Blackberry Orange Quark, a few fresh blackberries and a dusting of powdered sugar if you'd like. I also add a sprig of fresh oregano from my garden for garnish.

Sweet of the Week #26i and #27i, Alfajores

2011-07-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

This week's Sweet includes two of the 52 challenge ingredients, macadamia nut paste and dulce de leche. Actually, it includes vegan dulce de leche made with macadamia nut paste. Still counts, right?

I made alfajores this week. Alfajores are a traditional Arabic treat that has found its way to Spain and Central and Southern America. The variation I created most resembles the Peruvian version, a sandwich cookie of sorts with a dulce de leche filling rolled in coconut and dusted with powdered sugar.

This week's recipe is a modification of this recipe, created by Joel Luks of Vegan Good Eats. I have removed the gluten and made a few ingredient substitutions. Visit his website, it's full of delicious recipes and beautiful food photos!

Alfajores Cookie Recipe
(Makes approximately 25 sandwich cookies)

I used this recipe to make the cookies. I followed the recipe exactly except for substituting one cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend for the 1 cup of flour. Otherwise, this recipe is good to go as written. The instructions and accompanying photos at Vegan Good Eats are spot on; follow along and you'll end up with 50 beautiful little cookies!

Vegan Dulce de Leche
I started with this recipe, however modified it to fit an ingredient on my challenge list, macadamias. This recipe makes more than enough for the cookies. I'm saving the leftovers for ice cream or donut filling or waffle topping or...well, it's another sweet I might eat right off of the spoon. It's delicious!

1 cup macadamia nut paste (process macadamias in food processor on high for several minutes until they turn into a butter. I used 0.62 pounds of macadamias, $12 worth, to make 1 cup of butter/paste.)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
3/4 t. cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture pulls from the sides of the pan, somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes for me. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. The mixture thickens as it cools. My modification of this recipe worked best at room temperature.

Assembling cookies
You will need 1/4 cup or so of finely shredded coconut and a few tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Pair cooled cookies that fit well together. On first cookie, spoon a generous teaspoon of dulce de leche. Cover with second cookie and lightly press together. Roll the edges in shredded coconut. I put mine in the refrigerator for a few minutes to set up before serving.

Sweet of the Week #25i, Honey Lemon Garlic Cupcakes

2011-07-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

This week's challenge ingredient is Garlic. I'd really like to visit the Gilroy Garlic Festival sometime, but couldn't get there in time for inspiration to use this ingredient.

I did wait for local garlic to become available at my favorite farm. I pondered how to best feature the flavor of garlic in a Sweet and decided to combine it with local honey and lemon. The resulting treat is a delicious, moist cake that will melt in your mouth, a tart glaze on top and a honey garlic brittle that reminded me of the Bit-O-Honey candy bar, only with a touch of garlic. The brittle was my favorite part, but everyone on this week's tasting squad really liked the cupcake. It's one of the best lemon treats I've made.

You will need to follow four recipes to make these cupcakes. First, the actual cupcake. Then you will make a Garlic Simple Syrup which will be used to brush the top of the cakes after baking. Then you'll make a super easy lemon glaze for the top and finally, the honey garlic brittle.

Oh, hey, speaking of honey! My friends at Honey Ridge Farms are offering up a nifty discount, 10% off any of their products. Just enter discount code HRF10 at checkout. And now, the recipes...

Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes
Makes 18 cupcakes

1 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup of almond flour (Bob's Red Mill is my preference)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. guar gum

2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup local honey
1 1/4 cup tofu ricotta cheese--Recipe Below
2 t. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1 stick Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks, melted and allowed to cool
2 T. fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flours, baking powder and guar gum. Set aside.

Cream eggs, sugar and honey in stand mixer for 2 to 3o minutes until a pale yellow color is reached. Incorporate tofu ricotta cheese, melted butter-y stick, vanilla bean paste or extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Slowly add in the flour mixture, mixing well on medium until batter is smooth.

Insert cupcake papers into pans, fill with scant 1/3 cup of batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle will come out clean when these are done.

Tofu Ricotta
2 boxes of extra firm silken tofu, 12.3 ounce boxes
1/2 cup plus 2 T. raw cashew pieces, ground fine (I use a coffee bean grinder)
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. sea salt

Mix 3/4 of the tofu, crumbled, with the cashew pieces, lemon juice and salt in food processor until it is very smooth, like a nice buttercream frosting. Add in the remaining crumbled tofu and process again. This will be smooth with just a touch of graininess due to the cashews. Refrigerate for at least one hour prior to use. You will not need the whole batch for the cupcakes. The remainder will keep in the refrigerator for about one week.

The Honey Garlic Brittle was inspired by this recipe from Emerils.com. Modifications have been made to make this work best for my application, including changing the water/sugar ratio in the simple syrup. Bam.

Garlic Simple Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar and garlic slices. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, strain out garlic and reserve for use in the brittle.

Honey Garlic Brittle
*Note: This will work best if the humidity is relatively low. If it is extremely hot and humid, you may end up with puddles of something very similar to the Bit-O-Honey candy bar, chewy, gooey and dental work removing. You'll miss out on the brittle part but it will still taste great!

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup local honey
1 t. salt
1 T. Earth Balance vegan butter-y stick
1/4 t. baking sodo
reserved garlic from simple syrup recipe

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the reserved garlic slices from the simply syrup recipe. Set aside.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

In a medium saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar, 4 or 5 minutes. Add corn syrup, local honey and salt. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Continue stirring until mixture reaches 290 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from heat, add in butter, garlic puree and baking soda. Stir until butter is completely melted.

Carefully pour the mixture onto the baking sheet. Spread out evenly with a spatula. Let cool completely before breaking into shards.

Lemon Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice by stirring.

To Assemble Cupcakes:
Allow cupcakes to cool about halfway, they should still be a little warmer than room temperature when you start assembling.

On a cooling rack, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops of the cupcakes with the garlic simple syrup. Not only does this add garlic flavor to the cupcakes, it will also help to keep them moist.

Next, add a generous teaspoon of Lemon Glaze to the top of the cupcakes. If the cakes are still slightly warm, this will help the glaze to spread more easily.

Allow the glaze to set up and the cupcakes to cool to room temperature.

The final step is to insert a shard of the honey garlic brittle into the top of each cupcake.

Sweet of the Week #24i, Broinhas Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-07-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

This week's ingredient is corn. My husband suggested corn after eating the sweet corn ice cream at Glace.

I waited to feature corn until it was in season in my area. I bought fresh sweet corn, the Ambrosia variety, from the Davis Farm near Lexington, Missouri. A friend of theirs grows corn in the Missouri River Valley, just above the area that is flooded right now. Ambrosia sweet corn is also called Peaches & Cream. It's a bi-color corn and has a very sugar-y flavor, perfect for use in a Sweet! You can find the Davis' at the Briarcliff Farmer's Market under the red tent. This week they had beautiful peaches and blueberries, too.

This week's Sweet requires two recipes. The first is for Broinhas, a traditional Brazilian corn cookie. My variation on this cookie is not overly sweet and has a shortbread texture. I made these larger than the traditional size to make them work in an ice cream sandwich. This cookie is a perfect compliment to fresh fruit and cream or to be eaten with ice cream. The second recipe is a non-dairy sweet corn ice cream. It, too, is mildly sweet and has a creamy aftertaste like 'real' ice cream. The ice cream and Broinhas paired made a terrific hot day dessert!

Broinhas (Brazilian corn cookies)
(Makes 10 large cookies)

1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance Vegan Butter-y Stick
1 egg
1/4 cup demerara sugar plus additional for topping (refined sugar may be used)
1 cup gluten-free cornflour (not cornmeal)
1 cup cornstarch
1 t. baking powder
1/3 c. finely shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.

In bowl of stand mixer, combine Earth Balance butter, egg and demerara. Mix until well combined, 2 to 3 minutes.

In a second bowl, combine cornflour, cornstarch, baking powder and coconut. Add to bowl of stand mixer, mixing until just combined.

Divide dough into 10 equal balls. Place on baking sheet and flatten with the palm of your hand, then press with a fork. Sprinkle with a bit of demerara sugar.

Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes, until a light browning occurs. Cool on a rack.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream
(Makes more than you will need for 5 ice cream sandwiches)

1 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for a minimum of 3 hours, I prefer overnight
2 3/4 cups fresh sweet corn, cut from ears and divided (2 cups and 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 T. vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup agave nectar
pinch of sea salt

Soak cashews then drain water. Place cashews, 2 cups of sweet corn, coconut milk, water, vanilla bean paste, agave nectar and salt in blender. Blend until a very smooth mixture is achieved. Soaking the cashews longer will help reach a smooth texture more easily.

Once blended, transfer to the bowl of your preferred ice cream maker. I use the KitchenAid stand mixer attachment. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of corn, whole kernels. Start the ice cream maker, follow manufacturer's instructions. In the KitchenAid bowl, it took approximately 25 minutes. This makes a soft serve ice cream texture. For making ice cream sandwiches, I froze it overnight to firm up a bit more.

To asssemble ice cream sandwiches, place one cookie on a flat surface, top with a scoop of ice cream and a second cookie. Gently press down. I wrapped extras in plastic wrap and stored them in the freezer.

Sweet of the Week #23i, Chocolate Banana Coconut Curry Donuts

2011-07-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

This week's Ingredient is Curry. In our vegetarian household, we use several varieties of curry frequently to make entrees. This is the first time I have used curry to make a sweet. I chose to incorporate coconut because I really enjoy coconut curry. It translated well into a sweet!

Curry is a generic term for a spice blend. The curry powder I used in this week's recipe contains coriander, fenugreek, termeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper and ginger. It is a mild blend, resulting in a bit of spicy flavor without any heat in the donuts. A spicier curry blend would be fun to try with this recipe!

Just in case you aren't a donut fan (there's got to be at least one of you out there), I made a batch of these into muffins. I think the batter makes a better donut but realize you might not have donut pans. The muffins had the same flavor, just didn't hold as much moisture.

Chocolate Banana Coconut Curry Donuts
(Makes 18 donuts or 12 muffins)

3 large eggs (I use farm fresh eggs, weighing an average of 53 grams in the shell)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup coconut crystals
1/2 cup sucanat
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
2 T. coconut milk
1 T. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 t. guar gum
1 1/2 t. curry powder
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli this week)
1/3 cup finely shredded coconut, unsweetened

additional 1/4 cup coconut, unsweetened, coarse cut
1/2 t. curry powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease donut pans or muffin tins, or line muffin tins with papers.

In bowl of stand mixer, blend eggs on low. Add canola oil, mixing until blended. Add coconut crystals and sucanat, beating until smooth. Add bananas, coconut milk and vanilla.

Add flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, guar gum, salt and curry powder. Mix until batter is smooth. Add finely shredded coconut, mixing until just incorporated.

In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup coarse cut coconut and 1/2 t. curry powder. Toss to coat coconut with curry.

Fill each cavity of the donut pans with 3 T. of batter. If making muffins, fill muffin tins with a scant 1/3 cup of batter. Sprinkle top of batter with coconut and curry mix. Bake donuts for 11 minutes at 350 degrees, muffins at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted into center will come out clean when done.

Toasted S'More Stuffed Strawberries with a Twist

2011-07-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

When I saw this post from Jasmin Fine at 1 Fine Cookie, I thought these would be a fun treat to share at a 4th of July gathering. The recipe could easily be modified to be gluten-free and (this is the biggie) it included a vegetarian marshmallow recipe!

Here's what I used to create these:
Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
Kinnikinnick S'moreables gluten-free graham style crackers
Fresh strawberries
Marshmallow fluff recipe from 1 Fine Cookie
Kitchen Torch

I made the marshmallow fluff first. It was super easy and incredibly tasty. This is the best use of eggs and sugar ever. Seriously, ever.

Then came cutting and prepping the strawberries. A little time consuming, but not nearly as tedious as the cherry pitting I did last week.

Next came Chocolate Hazelnut Butter and graham cracker stuffing of the strawberries, following be a smear of that gooey marshmallow goodness.

If you directly compare my version to the 1 Fine Cookie version, you'll notice I neglected to roll the strawberries in graham cracker crumbs after coating them with Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. It was an oversight on my part. I was in a hurry to get to the marshmallow fluff! I did include graham cracker crumbs on the inside of the strawberries and also added some to the marshmallow fluff. They were still plenty graham cracker-y, even with my omission. I used a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow goodness on the strawberries. It worked beautifully with the strawberries inverted in a mini muffin pan.

I really liked the flavor of the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter and it made these a little quicker to make than making a chocolate filling. The marshmallow fluff is divine, so much better than the stuff in a jar from the store. The recipe makes a good quantity, more than enough for the strawberries. We smeared the leftovers onto graham crackers with more of the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter to eat while watching fireworks.

Thanks again to Jasmin Fine at 1 Fine Cookie for sharing this recipe. The strawberries were a hit, not a single one left to bring home from the party!

Pie Day, err...um...Pie Week!

2011-07-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago some of my favorite bakers started talking about #pieday on Twitter, a day when we would all share a pie we had baked on Twitter, Facebook, on our blogs. Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl wrote a beautiful post about Pie Day, set for July 5th. It was exciting to see so many people talking about pie. You know I love a good pie!

As I tried to decide what pie I would make for Pie Day, I shared my enthusiasm for the day with friends, inviting several to join the Facebook Pie Day event. Several times (ok, not just several, MANY times) friends said to me, "Oh, I can't make pie crust." Or, "My grandma made the best pie crust. I don't even try." And the comment that really gets me fired up, "Oh, there's no way to make a gluten-free pie crust."

Oh, but there is! Not only can you make a gluten-free pie crust, you can make one that is delicious and easier to work with than gluten-full dough. Or you can make it with gluten-free store bought cookies or graham crackers or nuts and dates. I decided the best way for me to approach Pie Day was to make more than one pie, bake with more than one person and share the little that I know about gluten-free pie making with my pie crust-phobic friends.

The first pie I made for Pie Day was a Mochaccino Pie with a Chocolate Cookie Crust. It's rich with chocolate and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. It's also gluten-free and vegan.

The second pie I made for Pie Day is a Chocolate Kumquat Icebox Pie with a Sour Cream Crust. It's gluten-free, dairy-free and is packed with the unique flavor of kumquat marmalade.

Next up, I made Raspberry Button Pies with my friend Deanne. She did so well with pie crust, even though she said it was not her forte. I actually think it may be--she worked with my basic pie crust like a pro! She made the pie filling, a microwave jam made with fresh raspberries.

My final Pie Day adventure, Apple and Cherry Pies, was a shared afternoon of baking with 6 and 9 year-old aspiring bakers, the children of my friend Renee. To all those who fear making pie crust, you have to check this out. These kids had never made pie before and made gluten-free, lattice-topped apple pies. If they can do it, so can you!

The little cuties went on two make a second pie, Cherry Pocket Pies. Homemade filling and crust made for the perfect treat for the 6 year-old A to take to a sleepover, because even 6 year-old kiddos love pie and want to tell their friends all about Pie Day.

Pie Day, or Pie Week as it turned out, was great fun. I really enjoyed the time spent with friends in my kitchen, baking one of my favorite treats. Thanks to all of the amazing bakers who came up with this fun idea. I vote to make this an annual holiday!

Apple Pie and Cherry Pie with Renee, E and A

2011-07-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Rounding out my Pie Day baking adventures, I invited Renee and her cuties E & A over to bake pie.

E is a nine year-old aspiring baker. On our recent Foodie Field Trip, he told me more about fondant than I have learned from years of watching the Food Network and Cake Boss. While on our Foodie Field Trip, I was talking with him about pie crust. He said to me, "You know what would be really cool? If we could make our own pie crust, not the store kind." The look of excitement on his face when I told him we could do just that made my day. This was going to be fun!

If ever there was proof that gluten-free pie crust can be made by anyone, here it is. E and A both made an apple pie with a lattice crust. Their very first pies have a gluten-free lattice crust. Pretty impressive! This crust is very forgiving, can be re-rolled if necessary and held together pretty well even when stretched, pulled and folded as we figured out how to create a lattice-topped pie.

We used my basic pie crust recipe to make 7" pies. I spotted the 7" pie pans at Sur la Table the night before our baking adventure and thought they would be a good size for little hands. They worked perfectly! I will use the pans again, they worked great with kids and are the perfect size for a gift to a small household.

After making apple pies, we made Cherry Pocket Pies. Renee helped make the cherry pie filling, which would have been much quicker if we had a fancy cherry pitter, but instead I pitted 5 pounds of cherries by hand. I probably ate about 2 pounds of the 5 in the process. There are benefits to all of this pie-making far beyond the actual pie eating!

Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and place inverted pie pan over the top, centered on the dough. Gently pull up on bottom plastic wrap and turn it over along with the pan. This results in your crust easily flipping right into the pie pan. Remove the bottom (now top) sheet of plastic wrap and press crust into the pan. For this pie, we left the excess around the edge to tuck up over the lattice strips when we were finished. We used this tutorial to learn how to make a lattice-topped pie.

To make the Cherry Pocket Pies, we used a pocket pie maker from Williams-Sonoma. (Here's an apple one, the star one is no longer on their site.) It does not work well for me, nor does the pineapple one or the regular round plastic one I bought at Sur la Table. I end up using it like a cookie cutter. Perhaps there is a trick to this? We cut out star shapes, placed half of them on a Silpat-lined baking sheet, spooned in a bit of cherry pie filling, brushed the edges with egg wash and topped with another star-shaped piece of dough that has a tiny star cut out to vent the pie while baking. We then fork crimped them shut, brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with a little bit of sugar.

Apple Pie Filling
6 to 7 Green Golden Apples
1/2 cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup coconut crystals
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cut apple into wedges using an apple gizmo if you have one. We then cut each of those wedges into 3 pieces. Place in a large bowl and mix with all other ingredients. Fill pie crust with apple pie filling, then follow instructions for lattice top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes for a 7" pie.

Cherry Pie Filling
8 cups (approximately 5 pounds) of fresh cherries, pitted
1/2 cup water
Juice of 2 fresh lemons
1 cup granulated sugar
4 T. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1/2 t. almond extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, bringing mixture to a boil. Reduce to a slow simmer and cook for another 10 minutes or so, stirring every minute or so. Add almond extract at the very end.

If using for star-shaped pocket pies, add a generous tablespoon of filling to each pie, top with crust and fork crimp shut. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Extra pie filling can be frozen for another day, used on top of cheesecake or waffles.

From one baking adventure with kids, I learned a lot and had more fun than I thought was possible making pie. There was giggling from all of us, finger licking of pie filling and lots of peeking in the oven while we waited as patiently as we could for pies to finish baking.

As we finished putting everything away in the kitchen, A said to me, "Whew! All done! Now, can I go pet the black chicken?" Just like that, she was off to the next adventure, but not before telling me which cherry pies were hers to take to a sleepover. I'm so glad I got to spend the day baking with these little cuties and their mom. The time spent baking with them was the perfect conclusion to my week-long pie marathon and a reminder of the value in teaching kids to bake. I'll be doing that again soon!

Raspberry Jam Pocket Pies

2011-07-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Deanne came over to make pie during my week-long pie baking marathon. She is the first person I really shared my kitchen with last year and it was a new experience for me. I'm used to my kitchen being my domain, there's not usually anyone to dance with while I bake. I've discovered I enjoy having baking company!

Deanne always brings great baking ideas and a well-packed stash of ingredients and baking goodies to make it happen. This time around she mentioned she is not good at pie crust. I hoped to change that thinking with a good gluten-free pie crust and I think I did! This pie crust is super easy, works every time as long as you use COLD water and butter and keep the crust cold when working with it.

Another great thing about this pie crust is the unlikelihood of overworking it. When I was a gluten eater, I worked with pie crust as though I had one shot to roll it out, one chance to get it right. If I overworked the dough either mixing it with the pastry cutter or by rolling it too many times, I risked the gluten really taking hold, making the dough tough and not so tasty, the terrific flakiness would be lost. I had it down, though. Making a terrific pie crust has been in my skill set since my teen years when my home economics teacher Sylvia Anderson taught me the ins and outs of good pie.

Then when I removed gluten from my diet, I worried. I worried that good pie crust was a thing of the past. Now, without gluten, it is EVEN EASIER! That's right, dear readers, making a pie crust without gluten is even easier than with gluten. No kidding! This crust is forgiving, can be rolled a few times if necessary. I prefer rolling it only once to leave the chunks of butter visible in the dough, but when I have re-rolled, it's still a delicious buttery, flaky crust that convinces the pickiest of pie eaters.

So here you go, my favorite gluten-free pie crust. This is the dough I use to make 9" and 10" pies, mini pies, poptarts, hand pies and these adorable little button pies.

Gluten-Free Basic Pie Crust
Pie Crust
2 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 T. granulated white sugar
1 t. guar gum
1/4 cup shortening (I use Crisco sticks)
1 1/2 sticks of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup very cold water* (I believe this is the trick to a good pie crust, water and butter must be cold)
*I start with ice water and measure out 1/2 cup after the water has been with ice for a few minutes.

Extras
1 egg for egg wash
1/4 cup granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of pies

Mix flour, salt and sugar together. I do not sift the rice flour blend, however if you were substituting all-purpose flour, I would sift. Add Crisco and break up with a pastry cutter. Next add the butter and mix with pastry cutter. Begin adding the cold water, just a little at a time until you reach the texture of pie crust dough.

Divide dough into two equal balls and chill between two sheets of plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Instead of rolling out on a floured surface, I simply roll my dough between the sheets of plastic wrap. Roll out to the thickness of pie crust.

To make Button Pies, use a biscuit cutter or 3" circle cutter. Place half of circles on a Silpat-lined cookie sheet. Brush edges with egg wash. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of your preferred filling on center of circle. Cover with another circle of dough.

You may either press the edges together softly with your fingers or use a fork to crimp them shut. I prefer a fork. To make the button-hole appearance in these tiny little pies, I use the point of a knife to poke four little holes. These also serve as vents when the pie is baking, so even if you don't want them to look like buttons, you need to add some sort of vent holes in the top.


Almost ready for the oven!

Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle a bit of sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until lightly brown. These may be served warm or at room temperature. They also freeze and re-heat well in a toaster oven.

For the pies pictured in this post, Deanne made a microwave raspberry jam. I neglected to get the source of her recipe. It included fresh raspberries, sugar and cornstarch cooked in the microwave, quick and easy. I can also tell you it was divine with a nectarine. I used a bit of leftover pie crust to roll out one hand pie, filled the dough with a heaping spoonful of raspberry jam and a few thin slices of nectarine. What a tasty combination!

I like to fill button pies with just about any jam, jelly, marmalade, fruit or nut butter and fresh fruit I have handy. The pie crust recipe above freezes well. I recommend splitting one batch into a few discs (split one batch into 4 discs, each about 1/2 a regular pie) and thaw one out when you want to make 2 or 3 hand pies. It's a quick and easy way to have homemade pie any day of the week!

Sweet of the Week #22i, Chocolate Kumquat Icebox Pie with Sour Cream Crust

2011-07-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

The challenge ingredient used in this pie is Kumquat. I had heard of kumquats when buying citrus in the winter in Florida, but just assumed they were similar to tangerines. I was wrong.

Kumquats are a small citrus fruit, about the size of a tangerine, sometimes even smaller, however they most often are eaten peel and all. The peel is the sweet part, the pulp is a little tart. Unlike other citrus fruits, they have a short growing season and aren't available year-round in the U.S. To use fresh, I would have to wait until late November or December, which is very close to the deadline for this year's 52 project. Better to get moving now! I chose to use Kumquat Marmalade* from Kumquat Growers of Saint Joseph, Florida. As I mentioned earlier, the peel is sweet and I definitely wanted the sweetness. Marmalade was a better choice than jam for this reason. *If you want to try your hand at making Kumquat Marmalade, the lovely Gretchen at Kumquat-Blog has a recipe to share!

Just in case you were wondering what the kumquat tree looks like, here's a photo. I saw them in the garden center at our local Lowe's recently. I don't know if the trees would produce fruit. Growing up, we had a cute little orange tree and it would occasionally produce a few fruits about the size of a cherry tomato.

But enough about the kumquat, let me tell you about this sour cream crust. It is a mock sour cream crust, completely dairy-free. I have been quite attached to my traditional pie crust recipe, but this one runs a very close second. It's flaky, has a good buttery flavor and is slightly creamy. I think you'll like it!

Sour Cream Pie Crust (dairy-free)
1/4 cup Better Than Sour Cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, room temperature
1 1/3 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend

1 egg for egg wash

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (I used Baker's brand), melted

In bowl of stand mixer, mix Better Than Sour Cream and Earth Balance until well combined. Mix in the flour, stopping when all is combined. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on countertop, put pie crust dough on top of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc, about 6" round or so. Top with another piece of plastic wrap, fold in sides and cool in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

After dough has cooled, roll out between the sheets of plastic wrap. No need to add extra flour to the rolling surface when your dough is already perfect! Roll out large enough for a 9" pie crust. The crust will be of medium thickness as pie crusts go.

Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and place inverted 9" pie pan over the top, centered on the dough. Gently pull up on bottom plastic wrap and turn it over along with the pan. This results in your crust easily flipping right into the pie pan. Remove the bottom (now top) sheet of plastic wrap and press crust into the pan. Trim the edge, crimp it with a fork, pleat it with your fingers, do whatever you would like. This is your pie! I trimmed mine off along the edge of the pie pan and re-rolled the crust. I then cut out mini stars and placed them around the rim of the pie pan.

Brush your crust with egg wash. Using a fork, pierce the bottom of the crust a few times. Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes until it just starts to brown. Remove from oven.

With a pastry brush, brush the bottom of the pie crust with melted chocolate. Let cool in refrigerator while you make the filling.

Chocolate Kumquat Icebox Pie Filling
1-12 oz. package Mori-Nu Extra Firm Silken Tofu
1/2 cup coconut crystals
1/2 cup kumquat marmalade
8 oz. Better Than Cream Cheese
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Mix all ingredients together in food processor. Process until smooth then pour into cooled crust. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Pie keeps best in the refrigerator, remove right before serving.

My husband said this pie reminds him of the Terry's Chocolate Orange, the segmented ball of chocolate flavored with orange oil. We see these in our area around the holidays. He likes the dark chocolate variety best, which tells you this pie has a deep, rich chocolate flavor with a hint of citrus. And just like the Terry's Chocolate Orange, it wasn't around for long here. Delicious!

Sweet of the Week #21i, Mochaccino Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust

2011-07-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

I had fallen behind posting Sweet Treats for this year's 52 Project and was worried about catching up. I needed to do some serious baking! Then I heard about Pie Day from Gluten Free Girl. My worries subsided as I love making pie and knew I could make several to help me get back on schedule and participate in Pie Day. I've been absolutely giddy about pie for an entire week!

It's been Pie Central in my kitchen since last Sunday. Here's the first of several pie recipes I created in the last week.

This recipe features Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, an ingredient suggested by my friend Robert. In hindsight, I could have also used Tia Maria, the coffee liqueur, which uses Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee as its flavor base. This pie is very rich with both chocolate and coffee flavors. I enjoy using a bit of coffee in many chocolate recipes, as it deepens the flavor. The creamy filling in this pie has one of the richest chocolate flavors of anything I have made. It also is gluten-free and vegan. I hope you enjoy it!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Crust
2 1/4 cups crushed chocolate sandwiches cookies (I used 1 1/2 packages of K-Toos)
2.5 ounces vegan butter substitute (I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)

Crush cookies in food processor. Melt butter substitute. Add melted butter to crushed cookies. Pat into the bottom and sides of pie pan. This quantity will make one 8" pie pan or 5 to 6-4" mini pies. I used 4" pans for mine. Set pie pans in refrigerator to allow butter to harden, firming up the pie crust.

Mochaccino Pie Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup coconut crystals
3/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread (the kind in the tub)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 Tablespoon Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee fresh grounds plus a handful of beans
3 oz. baking chocolate (I use Baker's brand), melted and allowed to cool
1-12 oz. package Mori-Nu Extra Firm Silken Tofu
1 oz. chocolate of your choice for garnish

In bowl of food processor, combine granulated sugar, coconut crystals, Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread, vanilla bean paste, coffee grounds, melted baking chocolate and tofu. Blend until smooth.

Pour mixture into pie crust(s). Top with chocolate curls, swirls or shreds and a few coffee beans. Refrigerate overnight to set up. This pie should be stored in the refrigerator until immediately before serving. The crust is very sturdy, so if making smaller pies like the 4" pies in the photo, you may pop the entire pie out of the pan for serving.

The chocolate swirls on top of my pies were made by melting 1 oz. of 70% cacao chocolate and filling a small ziploc bag with it. I then snipped the corner of the bag just a tiny bit and piped whimsical swirls of chocolate onto parchment paper. I popped them into the freezer (still on the paper) on a cookie sheet to let them harden. Then I gently peeled them off and tucked them into the pudding mixture.

This pie would also make delightful tiny tarts or a pie-in-a-jar. Do you remember those awful little pudding desserts in a cup KFC used to serve? Perhaps they still do. This is like a million times better but I'd like to eat it at the same place as I ate those KFC things, at a picnic in the park or at the beach. No plastic spork, though; I'll bring a spoon.

Sweet of the Week #20i, Chai spice Sugar Cookies

2011-06-24T07:17:00.000-07:00

I love a good sugar cookie. When Christina suggested adding Chai to cookies, I wasn't sure how it would work out. I occasionally drink Masala Chai (the spiced tea most people refer to simply as Chai) and couldn't wrap my head around how the spice blend would work in a cookie. It worked very well, creating a cookie that has a gentle hint of spice that lingers after the last bite.

While there are many variations on Chai spice, I chose to use cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, ground black pepper and fennel seed. I did not use any dairy or actual tea in these cookies, just the blend of spices. The next time I make these, I may try using cloves instead of fennel. There are many possibilities! I think any combination of spices totaling 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons would be fun to try!

Chai Spice Sugar Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup Earth Balance vegan butter-y sticks (2 sticks)
1 egg
1 t. vanilla bean paste
3 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
1 1/2 t. guar gum
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cardamom
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t. fennel seed, ground in spice grinder

Cream sugar and butter until just incorporated in bowl of stand mixer. This is an important step--do not overmix. Overmixing butter and sugar can cause cut-out cookies to spread. Add egg and vanilla bean paste. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add dry ingredients one cup at a time to mixture in stand mixture.

Split the dough into two equal parts. Place one half on top of a cookie sheet sized piece of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disc. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top, roll the edges up and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with other half of dough. Instead of turning the dough out onto a floured surface, you can now roll it out between the pieces of plastic wrap.

Cut the cookies out and place on silpat lined baking sheet. Return to the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost with royal icing or serve unfrosted, both are good!

Royal Icing
3 egg whites
1 t. almond extract
1 t. cream of tartar
4 cups (approximately 1 pound) powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients in stand mixer on low for approximately 7 minutes, until smooth. It's important to not overblend, incorporating too much air or you'll have bubbles in your frosting.

My friend Tina came over and helped decorate these cookies. We had so much fun! I am not an expert at frosting sugar cookies (see photos). For really great instructions on a frosting technique I hope to learn more about, please visit these websites:
Sweetopia
What The Fruitcake?
Glorious Treats
University of Cookie
Bake at 350

Sweet of the Week #19i, Chyavanprash Cake

2011-06-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

This week's Ingredient is Chyavanprash, an Ayurvedic tonic with the consistency of a really sticky jam, almost tar-like. I spotted jars of it at my favorite yoga studio and asked Sarah, an Ayurvedic practitioner, for the scoop.

The ingredients in Chyavanprash vary depending on who makes it. I used the Banyan Botanicals variety and it contains 17 ingredients. Some brands contain as many as 80 ingredients. The common ingredient is amalaki fruit, sometimes called amla or Indian gooseberry. This fruit has the highest concentration of Vitamin C of any fruit and is a great antioxidant. Balancing the sour of amalaki is the sweet flavor of ghee and pungent flavors of spices such as cardamom and ashwaganda.

Sarah told me Chyavanprash is usually eaten by the spoonful after breakfast or dinner, not incorporated as an ingredient into a dish. In following Ayurvedic principle, it should not be heated beyond the temperature in a cup of warm water because it contains honey. Honey heated above 108 degrees Fahrenheit turns to a glue-like substance believed to be difficult to digest. So how would I bake with this? As a filling and frosting for cake, of course!

I chose to bake a layer cake free of refined sugar, dairy and eggs with a bit of ginger zing. Between the layers is a filling of Chyavanprash. Topping the cake is a refined sugar-free frosting created with coconut oil and milk, chyavanprash and raw local honey. Although the cake is vegan, Chyavanprash contains ghee so it is not vegan. This cake is very dense and a bit gingerbread-like. While the flavor is unusual, my tasting crew this evening enjoyed it and said they would eat it again!

Ricotta Ginger Cake (refined sugar-free, vegan)
1 cup teff flour
1 cup almond flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 1/2 t. baking powder

2 T. flax meal in 1/3 cup hot water (this is an egg replacement, it will be very gooey)
1 cup coconut crystals
1 1/2 cup tofu ricotta (recipe below)
1 stick Earth Balance Vegan Butter-y Stick, melted and cooled to room temp.
2 t. vanilla bean paste
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. fresh grated ginger root
1-9.4 oz. jar Chyavanprash

Combine teff and almond flour with baking powder and set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, add flax meal slurry and coconut crystals. Beat until well incorporated. Add tofu ricotta, melted butter-y stick, vanilla bean paste, lemon juice and grated ginger root. Mix for 2 or 3 minutes until all ingredients have blended together. Slowly add in flour blend, mix on medium for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add 1 cup of batter to each of four 9" round cake pans, lightly oiled. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. This is a very moist cake, however a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when cake is done. The surface of the cake will also appear dry when it is done, but wet just a couple of minutes prior to being done.

Allow cakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully remove each layer onto a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place first layer on cake stand/serving plate. Add a heaping Tablespoon of Chyavanprash to the layer and carefully spread using an offset spatula. Chyavanprash is very thick and challenging to spread, go slow so you don't damage the surface of your cake. Place the second cake layer on top of the first, repeat. Do this one more time, topping with the fourth layer of cake.

Tofu Ricotta
1 12.3 ounce box extra-firm silken tofu
1/4 cup plus 1 T. cashews, ground into a fine powder (I use a coffee bean grinder)
1 T. fresh lemon juice

Using a food processor, crumble 3/4 of the box of tofu into the bowl and add the ground cashews. Mix until the texture of a nice buttercream frosting is reached. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining crumbled tofu. This will not be perfectly smooth due to the nuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups. Will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Chyavanprash Frosting
(Adapted from this recipe by Maggie at She Let Them Eat Cake, a terrific gluten-free blog you should visit!)

1 T. vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified
2 T. Chyavanprash
2 T. raw local honey
1/4 cup coconut milk (from a can)

Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend with an immersion blender. This will be a very liquid-y mixture. Put mixture in refrigerator for around 30 minutes before frosting the cake. The longer it is in the refrigerator, the stiffer it will get as the coconut oil re-solidifies.

Sweet of the Week #18i, Gluten- & Dairy-Free Japanese Cheesecake with Bitter Gourd Sauce

2011-06-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

When I asked for ingredients for this year's 52 challenge, the suggestions I received fit into two categories: ingredients with which I am familiar, some I have even used, and ingredients with which I had no knowledge. This week's Ingredient, bitter melon or gourd, is the latter.

I had never heard of bitter melon or bitter gourd, which are the same thing. It was recommended to me by Sarah, who is an Ayurvedic practitioner. She shared with me the digestive benefits of bitter gourd/melon. She also reminded me that *bitter* is a word most of us don't embrace, we consider it a repugnant flavor, although many of us often eat items that are technically bitter, such as lemons, coffee, beer and unsweetened cocoa.

Unable to find fresh bitter gourd/melon, I used the canned variety. It was canned in brine, which may have contributed to the acidic taste. The texture was that of a limp pickle, the kind that sat in the back of the frig for too long. The texture is similar, which is probably because bitter gourd/melon comes from the same plant family as the cucumber.

In researching bitter gourd/melon, I discovered it is often combined with coconut, occasionally used in recipes with curry. I decided to make a sauce for a Japanese cheesecake in hopes the sweetness of the cake would compliment the bitter in the sauce. AND...it worked! I will make the sauce again, perhaps cook it down even further to use as a macaron filling. The cheesecake was also very good, just a bit shorter than I had hoped for. The texture was slightly crumbly, yet moist and the flavor was sweet without being too sweet. The sauce and the cheesecake together were so tasty that I ate the last piece for breakfast this morning, no way could I wait until lunch!

Short cake!

Japanese Cheesecake
8 ounces Better Than Cream Cheese, room temp
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated*
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 T. lemon juice
1 t. cream of tartar
2 to 3 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a cake pan with grapeseed oil and set aside. (I used a 9" cake pan, smaller would work to increase the height, but also would increase the baking time.)

In bowl of stand mixer, beat the Better Than Cream Cheese and almond milk until well-combined. Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 3 egg yolks, cornstarch and lemon juice. Continue mixing until smooth.

Using hand mixer in a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Return to the stand mixer and gradually add in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cream of tartar. Mix on medium to medium-high for 6 to 8 minutes.

Using a spatula, fold in the egg whites very gently.

Pour batter into cake pan. Place cake pan in a large roasting pan and put into the oven. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan, enough to come about 2/3 of the way up the cake pan. This creates a water bath.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake will come out clean when it is finished. Light browning may start on the top near the end of baking time.

Let cool before slicing and serving.

*I use farm fresh eggs. Each egg in the shell weighs an average of 53 grams. It was recently pointed out from a reliable source that farm fresh eggs and typical grocery store eggs may not be equivalent in baking recipes. I thought I should let you know. Now go, find a farmer and buy your eggs there. Or get yourself some hens!

Sauce before cooking

Bitter Gourd/Melon Coconut Curry Cheesecake Sauce
1 can bitter melon/gourd in brine (1 lb. 3 oz. can was used)
1 c. coconut milk in a can
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut shreds
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. curry powder

Drain bitter melon, rinse with water. Chop into 1/4" pieces.

In a small saucepan, combine bitter melon/gourd piece, coconut milk, coconut shred, sugar and curry powder. Cook over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring only occasionally. (If this was going to be turned into a jam, I would suggest not stirring at all.)

Using an immersion blender (or countertop blender if that's what you have), puree the mixture. It will not blend to a completely smooth mixture, but instead will be slightly lumpy. It's an unusual, yet delicious, concoction that would be tasty with cookies, on top of a waffle, as a cake filling.

Have you cooked or baked with bitter gourd/melon? I'd love to hear how you used it!

Eat, Write, Retreat, Re-Focus!

2011-05-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

While not my usual sharing of a recipe, this is from my gluten-free, vegetarian, obsessed baker heart. I share this in hopes that it helps you, my 17 readers, know where I'm headed. I also hope it gives you an opportunity to tell me how I can connect with you. Read on, intrepid food adventurers...

I've just returned from a trip to Washington, D.C. where I attended Eat, Write, Retreat!, a food blogging conference. I signed up for this particular conference, my first food blogging conference, for a couple of reasons. First, an intimate, hands-on learning experience was promised. Second, Gluten-Free Girl Shauna Ahern was speaking and very early on Wendy of Celiacs in the House signed up to attend. I knew I would be in good gluten-free company to learn more about food blogging!

Perhaps more important than what helped me decide to go to Eat, Write Retreat! is what I hoped to gain. I am at a crossroads in my food blogging journey and needed this conference to re-focus, to clarify what I am trying to accomplish. I hoped to gain knowledge that would help me make an informed decision about a DSLR camera, lenses, additional photography equipment. I hoped to figure out where I am headed, should I try to get sponsors, is what I'm doing here worth the time and money I invest in it? Who is benefiting? All of this gluten-free baking I do gets a little expensive. The time I invest is extensive and I do really enjoy it. I am so driven to help people eat well gluten-free, but am not reaching them. I went to Eat, Write, Retreat! in search of balance, in search of clarity, in search of purpose.

When I sat down to write about the conference, I began writing about each of the meals in detail, about each of the workshops, what I took from each speaker. It was turning into a blog post of prodigious length. I've decided I will write about some of the workshops, meals and restaurants I visited at a later time. I'll write about the four cupcake shops I visited, share with you the meal I had at Oyamel, tell you about the dream run, the bike rides and lengthy walks I went on through a stunning city, show you what I plan to do with the extensive amount of swag I toted home. But for now, I want to write about the take-aways, the goal clarification, the re-focus that occured.

First, about that fancy-pants camera I've been saving to buy. I've spent months visiting with friends in the professional photography business about my camera woes. One friend tells me constantly I am going to be just fine with the camera I currently have, yet I have asked him multiple times since for camera advice. At EWR, I learned he was right, I'm gonna be fine with my tiny little camera for now. I saw bloggers taking photos with iPhones, point-and-shoots and cameras that cost more than my first car. We all have our place in the blogosphere and I'm comfortable with my little corner of that world, low-quality photos and all. My food photos probably won't be featured anywhere, and that's perfectly fine with me. I just want to show folks who are learning to bake gluten-free what the finished product will look like. Yes, I want it to be beautiful and well-composed (outside of baking I am an artist by profession), but my primary focus is on food, not photos. I will continue annoying my dining companions by snapping photos of food, however I am going to try to be more in the moment and not make my husband wait so long that dinner becomes cold before I put the camera away.

Second, I realized trying to get paid for my blog might not be for me right now. My readership numbers are not high enough to be of great interest to sponsors, although I did leave EWR with sponsorship of some of my bakeware needs. I don't want to host giveaways on my blog. I don't want to ask my readers and friends to constantly vote for me in this contest or that (I did that once, it was awkward for me). I don't want to accept sponsorship from a company that is not a good representation of who I am. There was some talk at EWR about being true to your brand. Well, I am my brand. I'm Johnna, that's what you get when you come here, and I am going to stay true to who I am and what I want my blog journey to be. While I am definitely open to being paid to write, I need to make sure I am staying true to myself and my vision for my blog before moving forward. And by paid, I mean actual money. I don't need 6 cases of breakfast cereal in exchange for a post on my blog. I'm guessing you don't want to read that post either. I so appreciate all that I learned about this particular facet of food blogging. Casey and Robyn, the EWR producers, as well as the sponsors, seem committed to changing how food bloggers are regarded as writers. I so appreciate all that I gleaned from them. It feels as though a shift is occurring in the food blog community and at least for awhile, I am going to stand back and take it all in while I refine my direction.

And the third big take-away for me came from something Shauna, Gluten-Free Girl, said. While not a direct quote, she said something to the effect of, "If you have only 25 readers and love what you are doing, that is enough." Many times during EWR I felt smaller than a little fish in a big sea, more like plankton. Talk of companies sending products to be tested, talk of sponsorship, Klout scores, blog traffic in the thousands, number of comments on posts, it all had me feeling like a failure at times. I've been blogging for 3 years now and prior to EWR, had accepted product from one company, a company from which I initiated contact. I average 0.79 comments per post. I've got the baking part down, reaching my audience through my blog is the hard part. I came away from EWR knowing that I need to work harder at reaching my audience but also knowing that even if I reach one person who thought baking was a thing of the past after going gluten-free, I will have accomplished my goal. If I heard that someone actually used one of my recipes...well, I would just be over the moon.

Eat, Write Retreat! was just what I needed. I met amazing people and learned so much. The food bloggers at this conference were some of the most welcoming people I have met. It was truly enjoyable to spend time with them. Because of this conference, I am more clear on where I am headed, which right now is the kitchen. Baking remains my love, I am passionate about sharing my gluten-free baking with those who really need it. Blogging will remain my primary vehicle to share this information, even if it's a slow-moving tricycle on a 6-lane freeway. I'll keep trying to reach those who I most want to serve, to connect with. But first, I will bake!

Gluten-Free Food Drive for Joplin

2011-05-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Kansas City area readers, I need your help! On Sunday, May 29th, I am headed to Joplin, Missouri with *hopefully* a van full of gluten-free non-perishable food. I would love it if you could contribute.*

After several phone calls, I located Rita, the wonderful lady who recently started a Celiac support group in Joplin. She told me they had been meeting at a church that just happens to have a food bank. I will be delivering directly to that church's food bank, in hopes that it is the first food bank those with Celiac disease and gluten intolerance turn to when searching for gluten-free essentials.

Rita told me that even for those who still have their homes, this is a really hard time. She can't buy gluten-free bread anywhere nearby and probably won't be able to for quite some time. She has no local supplier of gluten-free flours, bread, cereal, etc...right now as their local health food store was closed (update: the local health food store re-opened on the 26th or 27th) and one of their grocery stores is simply gone. One grocery store remains on the far side of town from Rita and has a limited selection of gluten-free items. For those with utility outages, baking isn't an option either. It is not just those who have lost their homes that will need help in the coming months, but those who have lost their jobs, those who don't have a car to drive outside of the city to buy gluten-free products. Rita told me it would just be nice to be able to have coffee and a cookie.

Here are a few ideas of items to contribute:
Instant oatmeal (must be labeled gluten-free)
Thai noodle packets (again must be labeled)
gluten-free flours (specifically rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, almond meal, all-purpose GF blend)
Crackers, such as Blue Diamond Nut Thins
Bars, such as Larabars,gluten-free granola bars
gluten-free pretzels from Ener-G or Glutino
gluten-free pasta

(Granola has already been covered. The amazing folks at Udi's Gluten Free have a shipment on the way!)

If you would like to contribute, please drop me an e-mail at johnna@52sweets.com or give me a call at 913.486.0950.

If you are in the St. Louis area, check out this gluten-free food drive at Free Range Cookies!

*I am not seeking monetary donations or items other than gluten-free non-perishables. There are many organizations doing incredible work already and I encourage you to support the cause that most speaks to you. :-)

Sweet of the Week #17i, Lemon Pistachio Twist Donuts

2011-05-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

This week's Sweet is Lemon Pistachio Twist Donuts. My friend Deanne suggested pistachios, which I really like with lemon and I had great new reason to make donuts, a fun new pan! Like I ever need a reason to make donuts...

A new Sur La Table store recently opened in Kansas City and I snagged this great Wilton donut twist pan on my first visit to the store. I have the regular and mini donut pans but had never seen a bar-shaped donut pan. It may be the best $15 I've spent on kitchenware in the past several months.

I used the Babycakes Agave-Sweetened Plain Donut recipe from the new cookbook, Babycakes Covers the Classics. No matter how hard I try, there is no way I could improve upon this recipe. It's moist, cake-y, has the perfect amount of sweet without causing your teeth to ache and it held its shape perfectly as a bar. It worked very well in the new donut pan.

Twist Donuts
I used the recipe on page 128 of the cookbook. Scoop 3/4 of a cup of batter into each area of the donut twist pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Turn pan 90 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes (20 minutes total baking time). Test with a toothpick or cake tester. Let donuts cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert pan onto cooling rack and let donuts cool another 10 minutes before dipping in glaze. During the final 5 minutes of cooling time, mix the glaze.

Lemon Glaze
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Mix all ingredients together immediately before dipping. I mixed in a rectangular dish, which made it easy to dip a bar-shaped donut. This glaze will harden in 15 minutes or so. It's important to not mix it too far ahead of time. Dip each donut and flip back over onto the cooling rack. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Glaze will set up within just a few minutes.

I do think the Babycakes donut recipe works best in a traditional donut shape, but it did work nicely in a bar shape. I missed all of the crunchy edges that developed when I made traditional donuts with this recipe, but it didn't stop me from eating several. I am in love with this cookbook and so tickled to be baking really delicious donuts at home!


Fresh from the oven, steaming hot!

Inverted on the cooling rack

Glazed

Finished and ready to eat!

Sweet of the Week #16i, Chocolate Frangelico Cupcakes

2011-05-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

This week's Sweet Ingredient is Frangelico, suggested by Allison. But first, a story about eating gluten-free...

My friend Tina was planning a birthday slumber party for her adorable little girl. Tina asked me pointers, one of her daughter's friends is gluten-intolerant. She wanted to bake cupcakes for this young lady, wanted to make sure dinner was safe, gluten-free movie snacks were plentiful and the next morning's breakfast tasty. How AMAZING is Tina? I get really tickled when gluten-eating folks want to learn how to help the rest of us eat well, it is SO appreciated!

I offered to bake cupcakes in my gluten-free kitchen and Tina asked if she could come over and bake with me. Of course! Tina came over and we baked chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. She went to a lot of effort to make sure one gluten-intolerant guest in her home was well-fed. This warms my heart! And now I know whose house to go to for a slumber party! I hope Tina is the first in a long line of folks who ask for my help, or the help of others like me, in learning to cook and bake gluten-free.

Tina and I baked my basic almond flour, (root) beer and ricotta chocolate cupcake. I saved another batch for these, Chocolate Frangelico Cupcakes. Prior to making these cupcakes, I had never tasted Frangelico. Now I wonder where it has been hiding all of my life? It is a hazelnut liqueur (the original, according to the bottle) that is distilled with cocoa. Umm...yeah, it's liquid Nutella with 20% alcohol by volume, 40 proof. How can that be a bad thing?

The only downside of Frangelico was the price, my neighborhood liquor store only had a 750 ml bottle for $28. I found a smaller bottle for $17 on the other side of town.The gal at the liquor store commented that she really liked the bottle, shaped like a monk's robe complete with rope sash. I asked how she uses Frangelico and she told me she likes it straight, on the rocks. As I was pushing the exit door, she shouted after me, "Sip it, girl! But just drink it straight!" Finding the ingredients y'all suggested I use this year has turned out to be a really fun (and funny) part of this adventure!

Chocolate Frangelico Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
1 cup Virgil's Root Beer
1 stick plus 1 T. unsalted butter or Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli this week)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup coconut crystals
3/4 cup ricotta cheese or tofu ricotta
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
2 cups almond meal/flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup teff flour
2 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 c. Frangelico

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin tins with 22 cupcake papers.

Combine the root beer and butter, chopped into small pieces, in a large sauce pan. Heat to melt butter. Remove from heat, whisk in cocoa, brown sugar and coconut crystals.

In mixer bowl, mix ricotta cheese and eggs with vanilla extract. Add root beer/chocolate mixture. Whisk together flours and baking soda in a separate bowl and then mix into liquid mixture. Pour a scant 1/3 cup batter into each cupcake paper and bake for 22-25 minutes. A toothpick or cake test inserted into center of cupcake should come out clean. Cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Once cupcakes have cooled, use a toothpick to poke 5 or 6 holes in each cupcake. Drizzle approximately 1 t. of Frangelico over the top of each cupcake.

Frangelico Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (I used Earth Balance shortening)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or Earth Balance vegan buttery stick
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli this week)
1 t. vanilla extract
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons Frangelico

In stand mixer bowl, cream shortening and butter. Add cocoa powder and vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Beat on medium speed. When all of the sugar has been mixed in, add Frangelico one tablespoon at a time. Once desired consistency has been reached, beat on medium until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes.

Frost using your preferred method. I used my mechanical frosting tool and topped each cupcake with one whole hazelnut.

Sweet of the Week #14i & #15i, Chicory Donuts with Vosges Creole Candy Bar Frosting

2011-05-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

This week I used two of the ingredients from this year's list of 52, Chicory suggested by my husband John and chocolate from Vosges, suggested by my friend Allison. I baked chicory donuts with a chicory chocolate frosting. I often use coffee to add depth of flavor to any sweet that contains chocolate and thought chicory might work the same way, since it is often used as a coffee substitute. It seemed like a great pairing of ingredients.

I spent a few weeks pondering ways to use chicory and chocolate together, something cake-y seemed easy enough. Maybe a chocolate mousse, but probably not a cookie. I don't like the coffee taste in something with a cookie texture. What to make... And then I found a Vosges bar at their boutique in Las Vegas that contains chicory. Perfect!

I was in Vegas on a cardio-cation* celebrating my dear friend Michele's birthday which included time at Las Vegas Boot Camp, not just shopping for ingredients to bake with and eating those yummy durian cookies poolside! The trip also included eating at what is reportedly the best Thai restaurant in North America, shopping at Trader Joe's and going on a hunt for the best macaron in Vegas. Add to the fun a visit to the Vosges boutique and it turned into an amazing visit in a town I'm not usually fond of. Las Vegas, maybe we can be friends after all. *Michele's word for fitness travel, used by crazy people like us who will jump on a plane with a bike for an adventure race or carrying a backpack with nothing but marathon essentials inside.

My only past experience with chicory comes from a visit to Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. I occasionally spot their brand of Chicory Coffee at my local grocery store but have never bought it. When chicory was suggested as an ingredient for this year's 52 list, I started label reading and discovered that all of the cans of chicory on the store shelves were actually a chicory/coffee blend. Apparently it was used during the Great Depression when coffee was in short supply. I read mention of it being used in economically stressed areas and read yet another mention of it in Kris Carr's Crazy Sexy Diet, where it was suggested as a caffeine-free alternative to coffee.

Admittedly, I did not search too much to find pure chicory. I purchased a can of chicory/coffee blend at Trader Joe's. It has the smell of a dark roast coffee. The appearance is similar to a coarse ground dark roast with a few flecks of chicory, which is lighter in color than roasted coffee beans. It would be interesting to know what the percentage of coffee to chicory is in these blends.

So about the donuts...there is no original recipe from me to share this week. I used a recipe from the most amazing new cookbook, Babycakes Covers the Classics. I have blogged a few times about Babycakes (here and here and also here) and could not have been more excited when I heard their second cookbook would include donuts. Erin McKenna is my hero! The day I became gluten-free I bought two books, the original Babycakes book and Gluten-Free Girl. Both books are permanent fixtures in my library, one well-splattered with cupcake batter. Because I am avoiding refined sugar at the moment, I made the Agave-Sweetened Plain Donut on page 128. I substituted really strongly brewed chicory/coffee blend for the 1/4 cup of hot water the recipe calls for. Super easy, super quick and definitely a recipe I can't wait to make again!

I created the frosting on these donuts using the Vosges Creole Exotic Candy Bar. It is a 70% cacao bar with New Orleans style chicory coffee, cocoa nibs and Sao Thome bittersweet chocolate.

Chicory Chocolate Donut Frosting
1 Vosges Creole Exotic Candy Bar, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Combine chocolate pieces and almond milk in small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Return to microwave in 15 second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate is melted.

Dip warm donuts into chocolate frosting and place on cooling rack.

I tried really hard not to eat these donuts before the chocolate frosting had a chance to set up. I failed horribly. I made these donuts in both mini and regular sizes and enjoyed eating them both. A few managed to stick around long enough for the frosting to harden (some even made it to breakfast the next morning) and I have to say, I liked them better warm. Not that I didn't enjoy every last one of them...These donuts even smell like those Babycakes sell at their bakery. I can't wait to try more of the goodies in this new cookbook!

Baking Class Debut

2011-04-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I made my big baking class debut. I use the word BIG because I had practiced my baking class skills in my home kitchen with groups of 3 and 4 friends. That is a whole lot different than teaching 20+ people in a professional demonstration kitchen!

The new Hy-Vee in my little 'burb has a beautiful kitchen for classes. I had the opportunity a month before my class to use their kitchen, baking cookies for their Gluten-Free Gala. Their ovens are dedicated convection ovens, my home oven has convection but I prefer to use the standard mode. It was great to scope out the space, use the oven, check out what they did and didn't have and get an idea where everything would be. I was totally set...and then Curtis Stone came to town and rattled my plan!

Hy-Vee is working on a new healthy eating campaign with the charming Curtis Stone and he came to Kansas City to film commercials in the snazzy new kitchen where I would be teaching my baking class a week later. So what's that got to do with anything? Well, the kitchen is used nearly every day for cooking classes, community meetings, dietary seminars, etc...The staff at Hy-Vee frantically scrambled to get everything rescheduled and had to push my class back by an hour and a half. Thankfully, the folks who had pre-registered were very understanding. The only real challenge left was that I would now be teaching a 3 hour class in only 2 hours. Eek!

Long story longer, I managed to share all 6 of the recipes I had planned, but it was close and I ran over a bit. In two short hours, we made Oatmeal Creme Pies, Pineapple Poptarts, Nutella Poptarts, Chocolate Ale Salted Caramel Cupcakes, Lemon Ricotta Cupcakes, Choc-Toffee-Cran Cookies and Udilicious Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding, all while sharing lots of laughs. I can't imagine anyone went home hungry with all of the sampling we did!

Here's a short list of things I learned that will help me in future classes. It might help you, too, should you want to teach a baking class:
1. My usual countertop array of baking supplies looks like a mess in the viewing mirror in the kitchen. More mise en place prep would be helpful.
2. Less is more. Teaching fewer recipes, especially in 2 short hours, would have been better so I could have shown all of the details. I chose instead to share the recipe but not show the prep for items like icings and sauces.
3. Plan for a full day of baking prior to class. While I got all of my prep work done in plenty of time, I was a little shocked at just how much time I spent baking batches of each recipe prior to the class.
4. Always have a great sous chef. My friend Sheila, who has worked in the restaurant and special event business for many years, was a terrific help. Having an extra pair of hands to tidy up the counter, round up a misplaced ingredient, remind me where I put the measuring spoons and be a step ahead of me proved invaluable.
5. Have as many mixing bowls as you think you will need plus oh...about 5 more. I thought I had plenty of bowls ready for each recipe I would be demonstrating, but somehow ended up short. Having a supply of extra measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatulas, mixing bowls and baking sheets will be on top of my list next time!

I did get terrific feedback from the class attendees and I learned a lot from them, too! Several mentioned that it is great to be with people who understand their food limitations and enjoyed being able to eat everything. Boy, do I get that! A few mentioned how expensive it is to eat gluten-free. And many mentioned wanting to attend a gluten-free bread class. I have heard you and am working on it. I would love to teach baking bread, but am a bit stymied when it comes to teaching how to make something that takes many hours. Quick breads, sure, but yeast breads? I'm working on it. :)

I owe a huge thanks to two amazing gals at Hy-Vee, Rachelle and Renae. Both were a great help during my class, checking on product availability in their store and beyond, helping me locate items in a kitchen that is slightly foreign to me and pitching in to lend a hand anywhere necessary. They were really terrific hostesses!

The biggest thanks I have to offer goes to my friends at Udi's Gluten Free Foods. I am a Community Ambassador for Udi's, which means I am a resource to the gluten-free community and share the joy of living and eating gluten-free with Udi's yumminess with those in my area. I've had the opportunity to share samples of Udi's products at events in my community but this was the first time I have taught baking featuring many of their products. I am very thankful for their support!

I would also like to thank the following companies for sending product samples, coupons and goodies for the class attendees. Everyone who attended went home with a hefty swag bag of gluten-free goodies!

Bob's Red Mill (my preferred flour source)

Arbonne, courtesy of Tina Campbell. (Arbonne has a very progressive gluten-free and vegan product line. Please check it out and contact Tina to order!)

Hodgson Mill, terrific flax seed meal for egg replacement and more!

Earth Balance, my preferred butter substitute for dairy free recipes

Pacific Foods, amazing hazelnut milk

Eden Organics, fruit juice sweetened dried fruits

And finally, an enormous thanks to all of you who attended my baking class. I hope you had as much fun as I did and left with new found gluten-free baking confidence!

Sweet of the Week #13i, Durian, Cashew, Bee Pollen, Chocolate Chip cookies

2011-04-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here's what I really want to call these cookies: Dairy Free, Gluten-free Durian chip, cashew, bee pollen, chocolate chip cookies made with no refined sugar except in the chocolate chips. I couldn't get all of that to fit on the title line. Delicious, cake-y, crunchy around the edges, travel well, so-good-I-can't-stop-eating-them, too. I need a longer title line.

So why the odd combination of ingredients you ask? Well, first Durian is my challenge ingredient this week. Second, I added local bee pollen because it reportedly will help the resident taste-tester/mountain bike rider with his seasonal allergy issue that arises deep in the wooded trails this time of year. I also was craving something with chocolate and nuts and happened to have an excess of cashews in the house. I wasn't sure if all of the flavors would play well together, especially being unfamiliar with durian, and was surprised at how tasty these turned out. I also like that they aren't overly sweet. After overindulging on Easter candy, I needed a break from so much refined sugar!

I bought Greenday durian chips at an Asian market. They have the texture of most dehydrated fruit chips and taste a bit like Juicy Fruit gum. One box contained about 1/2 cup of chips, most of those in tiny crumbs. I chose to use the chips because I was intimidated by the actual fruit. First, it is huge and second, it reportedly smells awful. One of my favorite restaurants has a NO DURIAN sign on their door, a nod to the durian restrictions in Southeast Asia. Perhaps I picked the easy way out on this ingredient, using the chips. Regardless the cookies turned out delicious. I suggest eating them poolside in Vegas with a fruity cocktail, perhaps pineapple juice and spiced rum.

Durian, Cashew, Bee Pollen, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 36 cookies

1 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free flour blend
3/4 cup teff flour
1 t. guar gum
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick ) Earth Balance vegan butter
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup coconut nectar
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 cup durian chips
1 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup bee pollen
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life dairy-free chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

In large bowl, mix together flour blend, teff flour, guar gum, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, whip the Earth Balance butter until fluffy. Slowly add in the coconut palm sugar and coconut nectar. Mix until well incorporated. Add in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract.

Next, add in flour mixture a bit at a time. Finally, add in the durian chips, cashews, bee pollen and chocolate chips. You may either do this with the mixer on low or by hand. Do not overmix or the durian chips will crumble into a powder.

Drop generous tablespoons full onto cookie sheets and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. These will get nicely browned on the edges, but quickly burn so keep an eye on the first sheet to adjust your baking time accordingly. Cool on racks. These are a sturdy cookie that pack well in lunch boxes or for travel snacks. Enjoy!

Cadbury Creme Egg Toaster Pastries

2011-04-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

I sure do like making homemade poptarts or toaster pastries or hand pies or whatever the right name is. We call them poptarts at our house. We also say Kleenex and Scotch tape.

I really should call them something else because they are nothing like the poptarts that come in a cardboard box. Instead, they are made with my flaky gluten-free pie crust and delicious fillings unlike any that come in a prepared, over-processed, preserved, artificially colored substitute for a real pie.

The night before Easter, I decided I wanted to make poptarts with Cadbury Creme Eggs.* Apparently you have to buy these eggs well in advance. The Easter aisles at the nearby Walgreens and CVS were barren of the good Easter treats, people were frantically trolling the aisles looking for their last minute Easter basket goodies. All I could find were the caramel Cadbury eggs. Oh well, that would work.

And then, there they were...hidden beneath a pile of other impulse items near the register, an entire unopened box of original Cadbury Creme Eggs. SCORE! I bought half a dozen of each and headed home to bake yet another treat with these eggs that I don't even really like. (Last year I made cupcakes with them.)

I used my pie crust recipe from here. I cut the dough using this nifty new Toaster Pastry Press gadget from Williams-Sonoma. The verdict is still out on this, I might like cutting my dough with a knife and sealing with fork tines better. I split each egg in half and placed it face up on the bottom half of the dough, topped it with another piece of dough and then brushed it with egg wash, adding a sprinkle of sucanat. They looked really tall when putting them in the oven, but after baking they are as flat as any other toaster pastry since the chocolate melts. Even after sealing with the toaster pastry gadget, I went around the edges with a fork because it didn't seem to seal well with so much filling.

I mentioned I am not a fan of the Cadbury Creme Egg but I really liked how they tasted in a poptart. I did not care for the chocolate caramel version (and I do like that flavor combination usually) but the traditional Cadbury egg made for an interesting poptart. Whatever the white part of the egg is made with stayed white after being baked and you could still tell it had a Cadbury egg inside the pastry. The chocolate caramel version just became a gooey mess of chocolate and oil. I'd stick with the regular version when making these again.


Before baking

*Cadbury Creme Eggs are gluten-free in my area of the U.S. They are not gluten-free everywhere, apparently not at all in Canada from what I can find on-line. Please read the box carefully before eating these. The printed ingredient list on the foil wrapper is almost impossible to read, however the display box has the ingredients and cross-contaminant list on the top.


Hot from the oven


Melted Cadbury Egg-y goodness