"Gluten Free" doesn't have to mean "Treat Free"

Cookies!

Well it has been some time since I posted a recipe that used alternative flours and I thought it was time for one. So I did some research and found a recipe I thought I could successfully adapt to be gluten-free. I found this recipe online and it is actually a King Arthur Flour recipe which has good reviews, so I gave it a whirl. I originally made these cookies for a friend who can't eat wheat, only to discover when I delivered them that she cannot eat oats either! Oh well, they were tasty and I am sure someone enjoyed them. I think next time I will make them simply as a cake-like raisin spice cookie without the oats. This is a recipe that is not just for people looking for a gluten free treat; if you like really moist spice cookies, these are for you! 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

make about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup butter(or Earth Balance buttery sticks)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar, to taste

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt*

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 large egg

3 tablespoons honey

3/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour (I used King Arthur)

1 tsp. xantham gum

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 cups raisins (golden or regular)

If you use salted butter, reduce salt to 1/2 level teaspoon.

Beat together the butter, sugars, spices, salt, baking soda, and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Then beat in the egg and then honey. Stir in the flour and xantham gum, then the oats and the raisins.  Cover the dough and refrigerate is for 1 to 2 hours, until it is thoroughly chilled.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop heaping  tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets (the cookies will spread a bit) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. You may want to consider switching the baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Cool on a rack for ten minutes or so, and then dig in. These are soft and chewy otameal cookies and not the crispy texture you often get with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Even so, I had a difficult time believing they were gluten free! enjoy,  yours in baking- p

Cinco de Mayo Chocolate Cake

Well, I needed to bake a dessert for a  Mexican themed potluck dinner and I  thought about a chocolate cake with either cinnamon or Mexican   vanilla to give it a more authentic flavor. I came across this recipe for “Mexican Chocolate Cake” online at epicurious.com and I made a few adjustments. The cake was quite easy to make and the fact that you mix it in a large saucepan is certainly unique. There is no need for an electric mixer and I do think you could easily experiment with some of the flavors. As you can see below, I chose to also add some cinnamon to the glaze recipe and I served each slice      with a dollop of whipped cream. The cake was moist and its flavor was complex. I hope you enjoy it.

The Cake:                                                                                                                      

* 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter  

* 1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder, I use Ghiradelli

* 3/4 cup coffee, can be hot or cold

* 2 cups granulated sugar

* 2 large eggs

* 1/2 cup buttermilk

* 2 tablespoons vanilla

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bundt cake pan well and dust with flour, knocking out the excess. Melt butter (2 sticks) in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in the cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in separately the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then slowly add to the cocoa mixture, stirring until just combined (don't worry if there are lumps REALLY!).

Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it...about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto serving plate.

The Glaze:

* 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

* 1/2 cup half-and-half

* 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

* 5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), broken into 1 inch pieces

* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Then whisk in half and half and sugar. Remove form heat and stir in the chocolate until melted. Whisk in the cinnamon an dlet cool for about five minutes to let is start to thicken. Then carefully spoon the glaze over your cake and let set for a few minutes before serving.

I suggest serving a slice with a dollop of whipped cream and maybe even a drizzle of Kahlua is you are so inclined.

Enjoy-

yours in baking- p

Toasted Coconut Streusel Coffee Cake

Another Java Hit creation, baked in a hurry on a Wednesday night for our Thursday morning gathering. At the time, the weather was still cold and dreary outside so I wanted to bake something as hope inspiring as a vase of sunny daffodils and I came across this recipe. The idea of coconut and streusel seemed a bit strange to me, but I was willing to give it a try. The cake is incredibly moist and even though I baked it the day before I wanted to serve it, it tasted great. My original plan was to make a chocolate ganache icing to drizzle on top to spark the idea that it was an "Almond Joy" coffeecake, but alas I did not have any heavy cream so I drizzled some melted white chocolate on top. Not only did it dress up the cake, the added sweetness was a nice contrast with the cake. The cake itself is not overly sweet as some baked coconut cakes can be. The streusel is sweet, of course, but there seems to be a nice balance between the cake, the streusel and the icing.

 

Toasted Coconut Streusel Coffee Cake

(from Epicurious.com)

1 bundt pan

For the streusel 

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cinnamon

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted lightly and cooled

 

For the cake  

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs 

1 tablespoon vanilla 

3 cups all-purpose flour 

2 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/4 cups sour cream 

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted lightly and cooled

Streusel:
   In a bowl stir together the brown sugar, the flour, and the cinnamon, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the coconut and put aside.

Cake:
   In a bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter, add the brown sugar, and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and the vanilla and beat the mixture until it is combined well. In another bowl whisk together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating the batter after each addition until it is just combined, and stir in the coconut.

   Spoon half the batter into a buttered and floured Bundt pan.  Sprinkle half the streusel over the batter and spoon the remaining batter into the pan, spreading it carefully over the streusel. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the tester comes out clean. 

   Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn out onto your serving plate. I melted four squares of white melting chocolate and drizzled it over the top. You might want to try a chocolate ganache drizzle and with a little fresh fruit on the side, it could even be served as a dessert! Enjoy!

yours in baking-

p