GF DF Pumpkin Loaf

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

INGREDIENTS

Dry
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Wet
4 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 15-oz. can organic pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract

Add-ins
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Line a 9 x 5 in. loaf pan with parchment paper.
Stir the dry ingredients together. Whisk the wet ingredients together.
Pour the wet into the dry, stir until combined.
Stir in the add-ins.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.


Note: This is a very moist loaf.

Apple honey cake

Apple Honey Cake

Ingredients

5 apples

1 tbsp vegan butter 

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9 inch round pie pan.

Cut the apples into slices and toss with the lemon juice. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and add the apples. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring as needed.

Mix the rest of the ingredients (except the sugar) together.

When the apples are soft, stir in the honey and remove from heat. Add most of them to the batter (save about 12 slices). Pour the apple batter into the pie pan and shake the pan to distribute the batter evenly. Arrange the remaining apple slices on the top. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp sugar over the slices.

Bake for 1 hour.

Cool and serve.

Notes

I  used Miyoko's vegan butter.
Tastes great cold.

Adapted from Food 52's Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake: https://food52.com/recipes/804-rosh-hashanah-apple-cake

GF DF Chocolate Walnut Rugelach

GF DF Chocolate Walnut Rugelach (adapted from Gluten Free Girl)
For the dough:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp kosher sea salt
2 tsp xanthan gum
4 oz. coconut milk (the thick part)
4 oz. buttery spread
1 egg
1 tbsp water

For the filling:
1 1/4 cup walnuts
1 cup DF GF chocolate chips
1/4 cup apricot spread

Instructions

Combine the dry ingredients by putting them in a food processor and pulsing a few times.  Add the coconut milk and buttery spread and mix until it starts to form giant curds.

Divide the dough in half and shape each into a ball. Cover each dough ball with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for about 15 minutes so that they are hard enough to shape more easily.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a food processor and blend until it forms a paste. 

Roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper. Try to roll it out in the shape of a rectangle, but if the dough decides to go in different directions than planned, just tear off the offending pieces and smoosh them where they were supposed to go. Even it out again with a rolling pin. To make a nice rectangular shape, cut off the rough edges with a knife and save the extra dough bits for later.

Spread the filling over the dough, leaving about a half inch of space at the ends. To roll the dough, lift up the parchment paper a bit and encourage the dough to roll forward. Once the edge has lifted off the paper, use your fingers to gently roll the dough. Be careful not to roll too tightly or the dough might separate and leave little holes (which can be patched up with the reserved dough).

Make an egg wash by mixing the egg and water together. Brush the logs with the wash and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden brown. When the logs have cooled, cut them into slices. Tip: Run a sharp knife under very hot water. This keeps it from flaking so much when you slice them.

Share with friends.

Note:
The original recipe calls for potato flour.

Gluten-free Peach Cobbler

I found a healthy recipe for a GF cobbler at Roostblog that I adjusted to my tastes. The almond flour gives the cobbler a buttery flavor without actually having to add butter. It is a bit runny on the bottom from all the juices cooking under the crust, but it feels a lot healthier and fresher than my grandmother's gooey sugary filling.

Gluten-free Peach Cobbler 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
8-9 peaches
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp cornstarch

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients, then wet ingredients. Combine and form into a ball with slightly wet hands. Put the dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper and flatten with your fingers. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it a big enough circle to fit over a 9-inch pie pan. Chill for about a half an hour.

Heat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch pie pan.

Slice the peaches (peel them if you want to) and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Arrange in pie pan. Take the crust out of the fridge and remove the top piece of parchment paper. Turn the other piece with the crust on it upside down on top of the peaches. Peel off the parchment slowly and carefully and fix any pieces that may have broken off. If it doesn't fit, it's easily patched together.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Keep an eye on it because almond flour burns quickly. You might want to cover it for the last 15-20 minutes to keep it from turning too dark, or at least cover the edges with a ring of aluminum foil.

Let cool for 30 minutes. If it's too juicy, use a slotted spoon to drain it before you put it on the plate.

Derby Cake

Derby Cake

Ingredients

1 cup almonds
1 1/2 cups deluxe mixed nuts (unsalted)
1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup sugar
4 pieces of Ghirardelli chocolate baking bar, chopped
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp almond extract
3 eggs

Instructions

Finely chop nuts in blender. In a bowl, stir everything together. Pour into greased pie pan. Bake at 375 for 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes or so, but don't wait too long. It tastes best warm. 

Gluten-Free Banana Pear Cake

Gluten-Free Banana Pear Cake

Ingredients

2 cups white rice flour
3 tsp baking powder
dash salt
1/2 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs 
1 mushy banana
2 mushy pears
1 apple

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix the fruit, butter and sugar in a blender until smooth. Stir in the eggs.

I added a 1/4 cup of poppy seeds to this one.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the fruit mixture until blended. This would be the time to add coconut flakes, poppy seeds, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips or whatever else you have handy. Or not.

Pour into an 8x8 pan that has been well greased with coconut oil. Bake for 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for about 10 minutes, or as long as you can. Eat.
Then try to stop.

Note

This is a recipe that can be used for just about anything--cakes, loaves, cupcakes, etc. using whatever kind of fruit you need to get rid of. I've baked it with 3 bananas, with apples, with pears, with raisins, with nuts. It all tastes good.

I've also used different flours, but the rice flour seems to give it the best consistency. White rice flour mixed with brown rice flour works fine too. Skimping on the eggs doesn't work well. I tried it with egg replacers and the consistency wasn't as good, plus it was kind of goopy. I also tried using just egg whites without much success. Once I tried it without sugar at all, but it was pretty plain.

My advice--stick with the recipe for the first six ingredients, then mess around with the rest to your heart's content.

Gluten-free chocolate matzo

Gluten-free chocolate matzo

Ingredients

6 sheets of GF matzo*
1/2 bag of GF DF chocolate chips
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate

Supplies

an old honey or agave nectar bottle squeeze bottle
A double boiler  (I used a small pot and a medium metal bowl)

Instructions

Melt chocolate in double boiler. When it has completely melted (no chunks), pour the chocolate into the bottle. 

Arrange the matzo sheets in rows on a flat surface that you don't mind spilling chocolate on. Drizzle the chocolate over the top. Wait for it to set, then break into smaller pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

For a tutorial on how to make your own double boiler, see the pic at bakingbites.com. 


*I used Yehuda Gluten-Free Matzo-Style Squares, which were available at Whole Foods.

GF Hamantaschen

GF Hamantaschen

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour*
1 cup GF all-purpose flour mix
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup buttery spread, softened
1 tsp honey
6 tsp almond milk
a little olive oil 

Filling
2 small packages of blueberries
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp brown rice syrup or honey

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry.
Chill for 1 hour, but not much longer than that. I left mine in the fridge for 24 hours and it got positively flakey.

For the filling, put the blueberries and honey into a small pot and cook on low heat until the blueberries start to pop and the liquid is released. Add the cornstarch and whisk it in until it disappears. Cook for a few more minutes, then take off the heat and let cool. 

After waiting an hour, divide the dough in half and roll into 2 balls. Brush a ball with a little olive oil if it seems too crumbly, then roll it between two sheets of wax paper until less than 1/4 inch thick. I used a beer glass to cut them into circles. Twist the beer glass to release the dough.

Place dough circle on a cookie sheet and add about a teaspoon of the filling. Pinch one side together, then pinch the two other sides together. It may take a little creative pinching to do this, but remember that it can always be smoothed out when you're done.

*I have a feeling that the recipe would be less crumbly without the almond flour and would probably work just fine with just using 2 cups of GF all-purpose flour.

Hilarie's Cream Cheese Pie

Joel’s mother, Grandma Jan, taught this recipe to Hilarie, who then passed it on to me.

Cream Cheese Pie
(Thea & Hilarie)

Crust :
1 cup almonds
1 cup pecans
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp margarine
1 tsp olive oil

Blend everything except the olive oil in a food processor until it resembles a paste. If it looks too dry, gradually add the olive oil. Press into pie pan.

Filling:
2 8 oz. packages of Neufchatel cream cheese
½ cup white sugar
3 eggs
3 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla

Blend everything in food processor until mixture is smooth. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350˚ for 40 minutes or until done (insert a toothpick in the middle-it should come out clean). Remove pie from oven.

While the pie is cooling, use that 5 minutes to make the topping. Turn up the oven to 425˚.

Topping:
2 cups sour cream
1 tbsp sugar

Stir sugar into sour cream. Spread the topping over the slightly cooled pie and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and chill for 5-24 hours.

Hilarie's and Grandma Jan's recipe

CREAM CHEESE PIE
CRUST:
          METHOD:
          Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl. Press the crumbs into a glass pie pan that has been sprayed with Baker’s Joy™. You can buy a ready-made graham cracker crust shell.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:  (Note:  If you want a thicker filled pie, use a deep dish pie pan and double the filling below.)
          9 oz. of cream cheese
          1/2 cup white sugar
          3 eggs -added one at a time
          1 teaspoon vanilla
Blend all the ingredients for the filling until very smooth.  A food processor, blender or electric mixer is best. Pour the filling into the prepared graham cracker crust.  Bake at 350˚ in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.  Check after 20 minutes to see if the center is firm or is still liquid.  You can take a toothpick and put it in the center.  If it comes out clean, the pie is done.  If still liquid, bake for 5 minutes more.

TOPPING:
Mix 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 Tblsp.. sugar in 1 pint of sour cream (2cups).  Preheat the oven to 425˚.  Spread the sour cream topping on the cooled pie.  Return the pie to the oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Cool.  Refrigerate.

Congo Bars

Congo Bars 

Ingredients:

2/3 cups Earth Balance Natural Spread, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
2 3/4 GF Flour Mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3 egg replacers (Ener-G)
1 applesauce cup
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Hershey Bar, chopped into tiny pieces
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1/2 cup dried cranberries


Method:
Pour the melted margarine over the brown sugar. Prepare egg replacer, beating until slightly frothy, and pour over the brown sugar mix with the applesauce cup. Mix well. Add the vanilla and mix again. Mix the baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and flour. Add this slowly to the rest of it. If it is too dry, add water a little bit at a time to moisten it. Add the chocolate, cranberries, and nuts. The mixture will be thick and sticky to the touch. Spread evenly in an 11x7 pan. Cook for 25 minutes, let it cool in the pan and then cut into squares.

______________________
Hilarie's Congo Bars

CONGO BARS (Easy chocolate chip bars)
pan size: 10” by 15”
oven temp. 350 degrees
cooking time:  25 minutes

Preparation:  (1) Preheat the oven.
                  (2)  Line the pan with foil. Spray with Baker’s Joy™

INGREDIENTS:  2/3 cup margarine, melted
               2 1/3 cup (one package) brown sugar
               3  eggs
               2 3/4 cup sifted flour
               2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
               1 tsp. salt
               1 tsp. vanilla
               1 package (12oz.) chocolate chips
               1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

METHOD:  (1)  Pour the melted margarine over the brown sugar.
           (2)  Break one egg into a small bowl.  Check to be sure there are no traces of blood in the egg.  If clear, pour the egg over the brown sugar mix.
           (3)  Break the second egg into the bowl.  If clear, add it to the brown sugar mix.
           (4)  Break the third egg into the bowl.  If clear, add it to the brown sugar mix.
           (5)  Mix well until everything is blended.  Use a mixer or beat well by hand.
           (6)  Add the vanilla and blend well.
           (7)  Mix the baking powder, salt and flour together.  Add slowly to the above mixture.
           (8)  Add the chocolate chips and nuts (if desired).
           (9)  Use a spatula to spread the mixture in the pan.  The mixture will be thick and sticky to the touch.  Spread evenly in the pan.
           (10) Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
           (11) Cool in the pan.  Remove the baked dough and cut into bars.
           (12) Cover well with Saran Wrap™ to keep bars chewy.                         

Pumpkin coconut pie

Pumpkin coconut pie recipe (modified from Libby's recipe on back of can):

1 can pumpkin
12 oz. of a can of Thai Kitchen premium coconut milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients. Beat eggs in separate bowl. Add pumpkin, then dry ingredients, then the coconut milk (use as much of the thick coconut milk, leaving most of the clear milk).

Nut pie crust:


1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup almonds
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of butter

Put all ingredients in food processor until it becomes almost like a paste. Press into pie pan, being careful not to go to high. (The nuts like to brown a little more quickly than the pie, so it works perfectly if the nuts go just above the pie filling).

Pour pie filling into nut crust.

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F for an additional 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.