Over the years, my diet has undergone upheaval after change after change after upheaval. My cooking and baking have had to stop and regroup and take on a whole new shape with each change. The first, over twenty-five years ago, was giving up dairy. Wow. That was earth-shaking for us. Almost our entire diet consisted of Mexican and Italian foods, and our fridge was heavily stocked with all kinds of dairy products at all times. Over time we adapted, until living dairy-free became our norm. Our kids grew up in a home that was almost entirely dairy-free.
About twenty years ago, I started having trouble with garlic, tomatoes, and chocolate. It took a while, but I was able to figure out which foods were the culprits behind my digestive distress. Giving up garlic and tomatoes was not easy, but I was able to make that change. Chocolate, though...that was a long, painful struggle. It took over two decades for me to reach the place where it rarely tempts me.
Nearly a decade ago, I hit another big change. After months of misery, I found a naturopath who ran blood tests to discover food intolerances. My results were surprising...and not surprising. My system was in a complete state of panic and had at least some reaction to every single food on the list. At the same time, I learned that I am insulin-resistant (a condition that often leads to diabetes).
These discoveries necessitated a comprehensive overhaul of my entire food world.
No eggs, dairy, wheat (or any wheat-type grain), soy, almonds, garlic, tomatoes, chocolate, peanuts, onions, asparagus, cranberries...
...greatly reduced intake of starches and sugars... not easy for a sugar addict like myself.
In time, I was able to adapt to this restricted diet. It has not been easy, but I have learned how to eat within those limited parameters.
As time passed, I found that more foods have started to bother me: sorghum, cashews, fresh greens...potatoes, bell peppers...
This has all been a profound challenge, and has taxed my ingenuity as I've adapted and invented recipes to make it all work.
And now.....now it is not a dietary change, but a life change that has thrown my baking another curve ball.
My husband and I have begun our life of living full-time in an RV (bumper-pull/travel trailer/pull-behind trailer). As someone who cooks and bakes from scratch (partly from preference, mostly of necessity- I cannot eat most prepared foods), this new living situation presents some stiff challenges.
For a trailer, the kitchen is good-sized......but for a baker? Wow. I'm working with about an eight-inch by sixteen-inch space on the counter, for all bowls, ingredients, mixing and shaping. And the oven is a typical RV oven- fifteen inches square! And it is a gas oven. I have used a gas stove/oven before...but that was about twenty-nine years ago.
So, here I am again, in a phase of comprehensive change, figuring out yet again how to make it all work. I have just finished my first attempt at tiny-space baking.
Oh, and I can't seem to find the baking sheet that I bought to fit this oven...so I baked scones on the pizza stone....which will take another level of adaptation and experimentation.
The scones are alright. The dough was far too wet, so they are very fragile, but the flavor is good. The bottoms burned but as long as I just eat the tops, they'll be fine. :)
It should be an interesting ride, continuing to produce food that I can eat, in tight quarters, under constantly changing elevations and conditions. :)
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Old-school Everything-free Cinnamon Walnut Scones
I am so excited to be back! It has been more than four months since I posted one of my own recipes. My life has undergone profound change in those months, but by the grace of God, I'm still here. :) I have been working with a number of recipes recently, but with each one there was still something that was not quite right. This, though, was all I could hope for. I've just had a delicious breakfast, and could not wait to share it with my blog people. :)
Thank you for hanging in there with me, during my long hiatus.
The basis for this recipe is a biscuit recipe I've been working on. I can no longer use the stick margarine I've relied on for baking. I realized that it contains pea protein, which my body does not appreciate. I had tried various things to replace it, but was not getting the results I wanted. Then I had a small epiphany. Lard. My Granny Grace, who was renowned for her wonderful pies, preferred to use lard in her pie crusts. I wondered whether lard would make a positive difference in my biscuits, and it did!
**for those who are vegetarian/vegan, this recipe can still work well, just by substituting a stick-margarine that works for you (such as Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks, my old favorite).
I felt good about the idea of using lard, since people from many different places read this little blog. I believe that lard will be far more accessible to people in other countries than the specific margarine that I use. At first, I used lard from the grocery store, which worked well but had a long list of preservatives. After doing some research online (my sister laughed when I told her I was searching for "healthy lard." Healthy is not an idea we usually associate with lard!) ...I found some good sources of lard that is from organically-fed, humanely-raised animals, and that has no mysterious chemicals added. It is much more expensive, of course, but I feel better about using it.
When we started trying to use foods and ingredients that are more healthful, we faced the dilemma of the high cost of better things. We decided to use those good things (like grass-fed beef) but to use less of them and eat them less often. We use the good beef, but we greatly reduced how often we eat it. I'll use the fancy, clean lard the same way. I'll buy the good stuff, but I'll be frugal in how often I bake with it.
The biscuit recipe has still needed tinkering, so I have not shared it yet.This morning, though, I used that recipe as my starting point and turned out some delicious scones.
Cinnamon Walnut Scones
(gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nightshade-free, low lectin)
Makes about eight 2 1/2" scones
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, so it is ready when you need it.
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut "brown sugar"
----------
1/2 cup lard (or vegan margarine)
----------
2 teaspoons buttery coconut oil, melted
----------
2/3 cup coconut milk beverage
--------
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together well. Cut in the lard (or margarine) with a pastry blender, or mix it in with your hands. With a fork, stir in the melted coconut oil. Add the coconut milk, and stir. When partway mixed, add the walnuts. Sir with the fork until just combined.
Dust a clean surface with a little millet flour. Scoop the dough onto the floured surface and gently gather into a ball. Pat the dough into a circle, about one inch thick. Using a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter, cut scones from the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches space between them. Gather up the scraps, gently combine, pat out, and cut more scones. Continue until all dough is used.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
**Waiting until now to preheat the oven allows the cut scones to rest before baking.
When oven is preheated, bake scones for 18-20 minutes, until just cooked through.
Remove to a cooling rack.
(If left on the pan, the bottoms will keep baking and get too dark).
Enjoy!
Notes:
-I use Azure Standard unifine millet flour. If you are in the U.S. you may have access to an Azure drop location. It is a nationwide natural foods co-op. Their millet flour is more finely ground, and less gritty, than that in stores. If you can't get Azure flour, then something like Bob's Red Mill will work.
-That little bit of coconut flour is important for the texture. It really does make a difference.
-The same is true for the xanthan gum.
-Coconut "brown sugar." I found this in a store on a recent trip. The brand is Big Tree farms, and it is called "Organic Brown Coconut Sugar." Coconut Sugar is supposed to be "low-glycemic," having less impact on blood sugar than regular sugar does.
-The lard I found, through Amazon.com, is from a company called Fatworks.
-The buttery flavored coconut oil makes a difference in the flavor. If I did not have food issues, I would use butter as the fat in these. Using too much of the buttery coconut oil would give it an artificial flavor, like movie theater popcorn. This little bit makes a subtle, but important, difference.
-The coconut milk I used is SoDelicious brand, unsweetened original flavor. At some point, I will probably try the recipe using the thicker canned coconut milk. That would be more of a "cream scone."
-These scones should have a reduced impact on blood sugar (as opposed to regular scones, made with refined wheat flour and refined sugar). The flours are both resistant starches, and the sugar is low on the glycemic index.
-Someday, when life settles down, I will learn how to calculate the nutritional content of my baked goods, and will add that information to my posts. I will also learn how to include a print function for my recipes. I know how much I appreciate it when others make their recipes easy to print!
-I stick with fairly small batches in my baking, generally only using a total of about two cups of flour, for a couple of reasons. 1) alternative ingredients are generally expensive. It is more cost-effective to bake smaller batches 2) even with these better, more healthful substitutions, large amounts of baked goods are not ideal for any of us. :)
-It feels so good to be back in the kitchen, and back to sharing recipes! :)
- If you are interested in the rough journey my family and I have been on these past few months, I've shared it through my other blog: https://thenourheartsbroke.blogspot.com/ If you just want to stop by and explore the recipes, then I am delighted that you are here. I hope you find things that work for you, that bring enjoyment to your life. :)
Thank you for hanging in there with me, during my long hiatus.
The basis for this recipe is a biscuit recipe I've been working on. I can no longer use the stick margarine I've relied on for baking. I realized that it contains pea protein, which my body does not appreciate. I had tried various things to replace it, but was not getting the results I wanted. Then I had a small epiphany. Lard. My Granny Grace, who was renowned for her wonderful pies, preferred to use lard in her pie crusts. I wondered whether lard would make a positive difference in my biscuits, and it did!
**for those who are vegetarian/vegan, this recipe can still work well, just by substituting a stick-margarine that works for you (such as Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks, my old favorite).
I felt good about the idea of using lard, since people from many different places read this little blog. I believe that lard will be far more accessible to people in other countries than the specific margarine that I use. At first, I used lard from the grocery store, which worked well but had a long list of preservatives. After doing some research online (my sister laughed when I told her I was searching for "healthy lard." Healthy is not an idea we usually associate with lard!) ...I found some good sources of lard that is from organically-fed, humanely-raised animals, and that has no mysterious chemicals added. It is much more expensive, of course, but I feel better about using it.
When we started trying to use foods and ingredients that are more healthful, we faced the dilemma of the high cost of better things. We decided to use those good things (like grass-fed beef) but to use less of them and eat them less often. We use the good beef, but we greatly reduced how often we eat it. I'll use the fancy, clean lard the same way. I'll buy the good stuff, but I'll be frugal in how often I bake with it.
The biscuit recipe has still needed tinkering, so I have not shared it yet.This morning, though, I used that recipe as my starting point and turned out some delicious scones.
Cinnamon Walnut Scones
(gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nightshade-free, low lectin)
Makes about eight 2 1/2" scones
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, so it is ready when you need it.
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut "brown sugar"
----------
1/2 cup lard (or vegan margarine)
----------
2 teaspoons buttery coconut oil, melted
----------
2/3 cup coconut milk beverage
--------
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together well. Cut in the lard (or margarine) with a pastry blender, or mix it in with your hands. With a fork, stir in the melted coconut oil. Add the coconut milk, and stir. When partway mixed, add the walnuts. Sir with the fork until just combined.
Dust a clean surface with a little millet flour. Scoop the dough onto the floured surface and gently gather into a ball. Pat the dough into a circle, about one inch thick. Using a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter, cut scones from the dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches space between them. Gather up the scraps, gently combine, pat out, and cut more scones. Continue until all dough is used.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
**Waiting until now to preheat the oven allows the cut scones to rest before baking.
When oven is preheated, bake scones for 18-20 minutes, until just cooked through.
Remove to a cooling rack.
(If left on the pan, the bottoms will keep baking and get too dark).
Enjoy!
Notes:
-I use Azure Standard unifine millet flour. If you are in the U.S. you may have access to an Azure drop location. It is a nationwide natural foods co-op. Their millet flour is more finely ground, and less gritty, than that in stores. If you can't get Azure flour, then something like Bob's Red Mill will work.
-That little bit of coconut flour is important for the texture. It really does make a difference.
-The same is true for the xanthan gum.
-Coconut "brown sugar." I found this in a store on a recent trip. The brand is Big Tree farms, and it is called "Organic Brown Coconut Sugar." Coconut Sugar is supposed to be "low-glycemic," having less impact on blood sugar than regular sugar does.
-The lard I found, through Amazon.com, is from a company called Fatworks.
-The buttery flavored coconut oil makes a difference in the flavor. If I did not have food issues, I would use butter as the fat in these. Using too much of the buttery coconut oil would give it an artificial flavor, like movie theater popcorn. This little bit makes a subtle, but important, difference.
-The coconut milk I used is SoDelicious brand, unsweetened original flavor. At some point, I will probably try the recipe using the thicker canned coconut milk. That would be more of a "cream scone."
-These scones should have a reduced impact on blood sugar (as opposed to regular scones, made with refined wheat flour and refined sugar). The flours are both resistant starches, and the sugar is low on the glycemic index.
-Someday, when life settles down, I will learn how to calculate the nutritional content of my baked goods, and will add that information to my posts. I will also learn how to include a print function for my recipes. I know how much I appreciate it when others make their recipes easy to print!
-I stick with fairly small batches in my baking, generally only using a total of about two cups of flour, for a couple of reasons. 1) alternative ingredients are generally expensive. It is more cost-effective to bake smaller batches 2) even with these better, more healthful substitutions, large amounts of baked goods are not ideal for any of us. :)
-It feels so good to be back in the kitchen, and back to sharing recipes! :)
- If you are interested in the rough journey my family and I have been on these past few months, I've shared it through my other blog: https://thenourheartsbroke.blogspot.com/ If you just want to stop by and explore the recipes, then I am delighted that you are here. I hope you find things that work for you, that bring enjoyment to your life. :)
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
What I'll be baking today...
Hello! I am very close to having several recipes tested and ready to share. In the meantime, I thought I'd share a link to the recipe that I plan to try today, from another site. (I hope the link works!)
https://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/anti-inflammatory-coconut-and-sweet-potato-muffins-with-ginger-turmeric-cinnamon-and-maple-syrup.html?utm_source=LOTG&utm_content=54068-IMDN
This looks pretty good. I'll only need to switch out my millet & tapioca flour blend for the rice flour in the recipe.
It looks like a tasty, hearty, healthy recipe, very suitable for this crisp, blue-sky Fall day. :)
https://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/anti-inflammatory-coconut-and-sweet-potato-muffins-with-ginger-turmeric-cinnamon-and-maple-syrup.html?utm_source=LOTG&utm_content=54068-IMDN
This looks pretty good. I'll only need to switch out my millet & tapioca flour blend for the rice flour in the recipe.
It looks like a tasty, hearty, healthy recipe, very suitable for this crisp, blue-sky Fall day. :)
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Something Good
I tried a new thing today, experimenting with an idea I had, and I think I'm on the track of something good! :)
Along with everything else that has happened this summer, I realized that the butter substitute that I use (Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks) contains pea protein. My body seems to have very bad feelings toward pea protein. Which is a real shame, because there are so many yummy new dairy-free options that have pea protein in them- cream cheese alternatives, coconut-based yogurt and kefir- so good...and so not good for me. 😕 This realization brought my baking to a screeching halt, as I tried to figure out what to do now.
These Earth Balance sticks were the only butter substitute that really worked for me.
My muffin and biscuit recipes were all based on this.
Now what?!
I have tried several options- making oil-based muffins, which is working fairly well; making alternative-fat cookies and biscuits, which did not work well.
Last night, while watching the Great British Bake Off, I had a sudden inspiration.
I made a run to the store last night, and made my first experiment with the new idea this morning.
And it was good! 😄😄😄😄
I want to work with it a little big more, to be sure, but I am excited.
As soon as I'm confident that it works, and will work well for others, I will share it with you.
Along with everything else that has happened this summer, I realized that the butter substitute that I use (Earth Balance soy-free buttery sticks) contains pea protein. My body seems to have very bad feelings toward pea protein. Which is a real shame, because there are so many yummy new dairy-free options that have pea protein in them- cream cheese alternatives, coconut-based yogurt and kefir- so good...and so not good for me. 😕 This realization brought my baking to a screeching halt, as I tried to figure out what to do now.
These Earth Balance sticks were the only butter substitute that really worked for me.
My muffin and biscuit recipes were all based on this.
Now what?!
I have tried several options- making oil-based muffins, which is working fairly well; making alternative-fat cookies and biscuits, which did not work well.
Last night, while watching the Great British Bake Off, I had a sudden inspiration.
I made a run to the store last night, and made my first experiment with the new idea this morning.
And it was good! 😄😄😄😄
I want to work with it a little big more, to be sure, but I am excited.
As soon as I'm confident that it works, and will work well for others, I will share it with you.
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Back in the kitchen!
It felt so good to be back in the kitchen, experimenting and working toward delicious things. The results were interesting. I made plain scones with orange glaze and raspberry scones with vanilla glaze. Those sound delicious, right? Well...
I'm working on a big change in my baking, moving away from solid butter substitutes. The one I've been using for years has pea protein in it, which now, apparently, bothers my system. Nice. So, the big question is whether I can adapt my scone and muffin recipes to use oil rather than a solid fat.
Hmmm. The first batch I tried today came out like thick pancake batter. Okay. So I baked it in a cake pan. It came out fairly well, somewhere between a dense cake and a gluey scone. I had tried using a higher percentage of tapioca starch, but it would seem that was not such a great idea.
It got even more interesting on the second batch. I halved the liquid. Okay. Wow, that got thick. When I tried to fold in the raspberries, the dough felt incredibly stiff. I scooped it out onto the parchment lined tray and spread it into a circle. I came back a few seconds later to sprinkle it with some coconut sugar and the oddest thing had happened. That thick, stiff, resistant batter had sort of...flowed. It had softened and spread. I stood there for a moment, really puzzled, and then the lights dawned.
This scone mixture was a "non-Newtonian fluid!" Now, that makes me sound so fancy, but really, I have some really smart science-women among my friends, and I've learned cool stuff from them. A non-Newtonian fluid is like that glop (a.k.a. Ooblek, a.k.a. Goop) that you make with cornstarch and water. When you press it or hit it, it's instantly solid, but if you just let it sit in your hand or on a counter, it relaxes and flows.
That is what this scone dough was like! I think because of the high ratio of tapioca starch (which is similar to corn starch) it took on the characteristics of that fun substance from science class! So interesting.
Once baked, it seemed fairly normal. The texture still needs some work, but was better than the first batch.
So the first day back in the kitchen in a while felt pretty good. Though the scones need work, they are edible, the vanilla glaze was good on the raspberry ones, and the orange glaze is a thing of sheer beauty. I want to put it on everything!
As soon as I get the whole texture thing figured out with these scones, I will definitely share recipes with you all.
Thanks for stopping by. :)
I'm working on a big change in my baking, moving away from solid butter substitutes. The one I've been using for years has pea protein in it, which now, apparently, bothers my system. Nice. So, the big question is whether I can adapt my scone and muffin recipes to use oil rather than a solid fat.
Hmmm. The first batch I tried today came out like thick pancake batter. Okay. So I baked it in a cake pan. It came out fairly well, somewhere between a dense cake and a gluey scone. I had tried using a higher percentage of tapioca starch, but it would seem that was not such a great idea.
It got even more interesting on the second batch. I halved the liquid. Okay. Wow, that got thick. When I tried to fold in the raspberries, the dough felt incredibly stiff. I scooped it out onto the parchment lined tray and spread it into a circle. I came back a few seconds later to sprinkle it with some coconut sugar and the oddest thing had happened. That thick, stiff, resistant batter had sort of...flowed. It had softened and spread. I stood there for a moment, really puzzled, and then the lights dawned.
This scone mixture was a "non-Newtonian fluid!" Now, that makes me sound so fancy, but really, I have some really smart science-women among my friends, and I've learned cool stuff from them. A non-Newtonian fluid is like that glop (a.k.a. Ooblek, a.k.a. Goop) that you make with cornstarch and water. When you press it or hit it, it's instantly solid, but if you just let it sit in your hand or on a counter, it relaxes and flows.
That is what this scone dough was like! I think because of the high ratio of tapioca starch (which is similar to corn starch) it took on the characteristics of that fun substance from science class! So interesting.
Once baked, it seemed fairly normal. The texture still needs some work, but was better than the first batch.
So the first day back in the kitchen in a while felt pretty good. Though the scones need work, they are edible, the vanilla glaze was good on the raspberry ones, and the orange glaze is a thing of sheer beauty. I want to put it on everything!
As soon as I get the whole texture thing figured out with these scones, I will definitely share recipes with you all.
Thanks for stopping by. :)
Friday, July 27, 2018
Soon!
Hello, faithful readers <3
I am starting to get inspired to bake again, and hope to post something delicious for you all very soon.Thank you for being patient while I took a much-needed break.
~ Kristie
p.s. In case you want to know more about the hard loss that our family has suffered, I have written about it on another blog, thenourheartsbroke.blogspot.com
p.p.s. If you don't want to know more about the sad bits, I totally understand, and I'll see you back here soon, with a new recipe. <3 :)
I am starting to get inspired to bake again, and hope to post something delicious for you all very soon.Thank you for being patient while I took a much-needed break.
~ Kristie
p.s. In case you want to know more about the hard loss that our family has suffered, I have written about it on another blog, thenourheartsbroke.blogspot.com
p.p.s. If you don't want to know more about the sad bits, I totally understand, and I'll see you back here soon, with a new recipe. <3 :)
Friday, June 29, 2018
Taking a break
Dear readers,
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Our family has experienced a great loss, so I will be taking a break from my
blog for a little while.
I hope to be back before long.
Thank you,
~ Kristie
Thank you so much for stopping by.
Our family has experienced a great loss, so I will be taking a break from my
blog for a little while.
I hope to be back before long.
Thank you,
~ Kristie
Friday, June 22, 2018
"Everything-free" Cherry & Almond Muffins
My husband said that these are his favorite of my bakes, so far. I am happy with how they've been turning out, too, so I thought it was time to share the recipe with you. :)
I use sweet cherries, as I am not a fan of sour. The first time I made these, I used sweet Bing cherries. I pitted and chopped them, then spread them out on a baking sheet and froze them. That way, when I mixed them into the muffin batter, the cherry juice did not immediately turn the batter purple. It worked well, but it was time-consuming and the muffins took much longer to bake. I've made them again since then, using Bing cherries, but skipping the freezer and just putting the chopped cherries straight into the batter. This also worked well. They still looked fine and tasted good.
This time around, I used Rainier cherries. It feels extravagant to me to use these in baking, but there is a reason. :) I usually only buy Rainier cherries once or twice a year. They are only available for a short time during the summer, and they are far more expensive than our standard sweet Bing cherries. Rainier cherries are just delicious, so I look forward to their advent every summer.
When I saw them in our local grocery store for only 3.99 a pound, instead of eight or nine dollars a pound, I was happily surprised. I bought some, of course, and was excited to have them for a snack. I washed a small bowlful and sat down to savor this perfect summer treat. Imagine my disappointment when I bit into the first one and found it to be flavorless and sour! I ate them anyway, as I was very hungry and they were food, even if they did not taste good. What a let-down!
I don't like to waste food, but I did not want to eat any more of those Sour Cherries of Disappointment, so I decided to put them in muffins.
I made two batches of muffins this morning, as our daughter Heather and I are taking a little road trip. (We're going over to Idaho, to visit my husband's mom.) Given my food limitations (and hers) we travel with our own food for most meals.
Usually, I simply pit the cherries, chop them up, and stir them into the batter. Given how sour these are, I macerated them first- chopped them, added sugar, and let them sit. This draws out the juices, and will hopefully temper their sourness in the muffins.
I have a handy little gadget for pitting cherries. Recently, I have used it for removing the pits from Castelveltrano olives. It worked well for that, but it seems to have messed up the alignment of the pitting gadget. It still works pretty well, and makes it much faster to remove the pits (stones) from fresh cherries.
"Everything-free" Cherry & Almond Muffins
Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nightshade-free
Makes 12 regular-sized muffins
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit ~ 18-22 minutes
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon flax meal
see my post on May 4, 2018-Replacing Eggs: Flax Gel and Flaxmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup light agave nectar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
I use organic granulated sugar- it has more the taste and texture of raw sugar, which I like.
1/3 cup oil (I currently use a light avocado oil, or grapeseed oil)
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
see my post on March 3, 2018- Replacing Eggs In Baking
2 teaspoons almond extract
I can't tolerate almonds themselves, but so far, the extract does not seem to bother me.
Add-in:
1 cup sweet cherries, washed, stems removed, pitted and chopped
(as mine were sour, after chopping I added 1/4 cup sugar and let them sit while I mixed up the batter)
*1/4 cup was a little much. If doing this again, I'd only use 2 Tablespoons sugar.
~ a little more granulated sugar to sprinkle on top of the muffins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper baking cups.
(I prefer the If You Care brand of unbleached baking cups. They're supposed to be a more healthy option, but my favorite thing about them is that they peel off of the muffins easily.)
Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. When the wet and dry are about halfway mixed, add the cherries. Fold the cherries in until the batter is just mixed.
Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared tin. I like to use a cookie/ice-cream scoop. The one I use holds about two tablespoons of batter. Sprinkle the tops with a little bit of granulated sugar. This helps avoid the sticky tops that gluten-free muffins can have, after they are baked.
Bake for 18 minutes, then check by gently pressing on the top of a muffin. If it squishes, they need more time. If it gives a little, but does not stay dented, they should be done.
Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool. Remember that fruit like cherries or blueberries holds heat for a long time, so do let them cool a few minutes before eating. I have burned my mouth from being too impatient for fruit muffins. :)
Enjoy!
If you make these, I'd love to hear how they turn out for you.
P.S. One of my pet peeves is having to scroll past forty thousand photos of the same thing, to get to the actual recipe on a blog. Because of this, I usually only include one photo of my finished product. Today, though, I felt like doing more, as the cherries were so pretty, and I wanted to show the process and tools that I use. I hope you enjoyed baking with me. :)
Friday, June 15, 2018
"Everything-free" Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Sugar Glaze (gluten-free, vegan)
I love lemon-flavored things. They represent all the sweetness and sunshine of summer, to me. I needed a dessert to take to a church potluck last week, and decided to make these. They turned out well, and got good reviews.
Rather than full-sized cupcakes, I made mini cupcakes for the potluck. A box of gluten-free cake mix only makes one cake layer, or one dozen cupcakes. I wanted to spread the joy a little more evenly, without using a second mix, and I decided that a whole plate of mini cupcakes was the answer. They were very cute and looked most tempting. :)
One of these days, I hope to be able to make really good, from-scratch cupcakes. Until then, I am happy with the results I get from the Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mixes.
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Sugar Glaze
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free
Makes 12 cupcakes, or 24 mini-cupcakes + one shallow cake layer
Heat oven: 325 degrees Fahrenheit for dark or non-stick pans, 350 for shiny pans
Line cupcake tin with baking cups, line bottom of cake pan with parchment paper
Cake
Dry ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix
*contains potato and rice ingredients
Fat and wet ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance soy-free butter substitute
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup flax gel (egg replacer)
see my post on May 4, 2018-Replacing Eggs: Flax Gel and Flaxmeal
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil (also egg replacer)
see my post on March 3, 2018- Replacing Eggs In Baking
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest (zest of one large lemon)
2 teaspoons lemon extract
(I used extract, as using fresh lemon juice does weird things to the texture)
(optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla)
( I used vanilla powder, which does not darken the batter the way vanilla extract does.)
Glaze
when cakes are completely cooled
1 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
2 tsp- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
The directions on the box mix say to use the "all-in-one" method of mixing the batter- dumping everything in at once. I have tried it this way, and adding the fat first, then the liquids. I don't see a big difference either way, so I do what the box says. :) Continue beating until the batter is nice and smooth, about one or two minutes, usually. Do not over-mix, as this will result in dry, crumbly cupcakes.
I like to use an ice-cream/cookie dough scoop for putting the batter in the cupcake tin. This is neater than using a spoon, and makes it easier to get equal amounts of batter in each cup.
Bake:
In pre-heated oven, the mini cupcakes took 12 minutes, at 325 degrees;
the shallow 8" cake layer took 15 minutes.
After removing from the oven, let sit for just a couple of minutes in the pan, then remove and set on a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before glazing.
Glazing:
Once cupcakes are completely cooled, make the glaze. Put something (like a plate, or a sheet of parchment paper) under the cooling rack, to catch any drips or spills. Spoon a little bit of glaze onto each cupcake or cake and spread just to the edges. This glaze recipe made enough that I was able to add a second coating of glaze to all of the cupcakes. Let set until glaze is no longer wet.
Enjoy! :)
Rather than full-sized cupcakes, I made mini cupcakes for the potluck. A box of gluten-free cake mix only makes one cake layer, or one dozen cupcakes. I wanted to spread the joy a little more evenly, without using a second mix, and I decided that a whole plate of mini cupcakes was the answer. They were very cute and looked most tempting. :)
One of these days, I hope to be able to make really good, from-scratch cupcakes. Until then, I am happy with the results I get from the Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mixes.
Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Sugar Glaze
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free
Makes 12 cupcakes, or 24 mini-cupcakes + one shallow cake layer
Heat oven: 325 degrees Fahrenheit for dark or non-stick pans, 350 for shiny pans
Line cupcake tin with baking cups, line bottom of cake pan with parchment paper
Cake
Dry ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix
*contains potato and rice ingredients
Fat and wet ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance soy-free butter substitute
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup flax gel (egg replacer)
see my post on May 4, 2018-Replacing Eggs: Flax Gel and Flaxmeal
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil (also egg replacer)
see my post on March 3, 2018- Replacing Eggs In Baking
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest (zest of one large lemon)
2 teaspoons lemon extract
(I used extract, as using fresh lemon juice does weird things to the texture)
(optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla)
( I used vanilla powder, which does not darken the batter the way vanilla extract does.)
Glaze
when cakes are completely cooled
1 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
2 tsp- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
The directions on the box mix say to use the "all-in-one" method of mixing the batter- dumping everything in at once. I have tried it this way, and adding the fat first, then the liquids. I don't see a big difference either way, so I do what the box says. :) Continue beating until the batter is nice and smooth, about one or two minutes, usually. Do not over-mix, as this will result in dry, crumbly cupcakes.
I like to use an ice-cream/cookie dough scoop for putting the batter in the cupcake tin. This is neater than using a spoon, and makes it easier to get equal amounts of batter in each cup.
Bake:
In pre-heated oven, the mini cupcakes took 12 minutes, at 325 degrees;
the shallow 8" cake layer took 15 minutes.
After removing from the oven, let sit for just a couple of minutes in the pan, then remove and set on a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before glazing.
Glazing:
Once cupcakes are completely cooled, make the glaze. Put something (like a plate, or a sheet of parchment paper) under the cooling rack, to catch any drips or spills. Spoon a little bit of glaze onto each cupcake or cake and spread just to the edges. This glaze recipe made enough that I was able to add a second coating of glaze to all of the cupcakes. Let set until glaze is no longer wet.
Enjoy! :)
Friday, June 8, 2018
"Everything-Free" Lemon Blueberry Muffins
For a while now, I've been tinkering with my muffin recipes. Since realizing that the butter-substitute that I've used is causing me some problems, I've had to reconsider my whole approach to making muffins. Switching to oil, rather than a solid fat, requires an entirely different balance of ingredients. The first few attempts were tasty, but came out with deep dips in the middles. I soldiered on, trying for the right balance of delicacy and strength.
The batch that I made this morning turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share it with you all.
These are sturdy enough to not sink in the middle, but still tender and moist. The flavor is good, and the balance of sweetness, to the tartness of the lemon, is about right.
"Everything-free" Lemon Blueberry Muffins
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nightshade-free
Makes 12 standard-sized muffins
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon flaxmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
*if you are corn-sensitive, there are recipes online for corn-free substitutes for baking powder.
I have done this at times, as our daughter is sensitive to corn, and it seemed to work fine.
1 teaspoon coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
*xanthan gum can be derived from corn. If you are corn-sensitive, it may be safer to use guar gum.
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup light agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1/3 cup sugar
(I use organic granulated, which is similar to turbinado or raw sugar. I like the flavor it gives)
1/4 cup neutral oil (I used grapeseed oil)
2 teaspoons liquid coconut oil
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
Lemons vary wildly in size, which could give greatly different results. Next time, I'll measure
so I know just how much I use. I would guess that I used about 2 teaspoons of zest this time.
These were quite lemony, almost on the edge of being too tart for me. Next time, I think I'll use
slightly less zest, and see if that gives a little better balance.
Add-in:
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
Topping:
A bit of granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with baking cups (I grew up calling them cupcake papers or muffin cups) . I like using the "If You Care" brand of unbleached baking cups, because it seems a healthier choice, but also because the muffins release from the cups so neatly.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients and begin to stir together. Add in blueberries, and stir until just barely combined. Scoop or spoon into prepared muffin tin. I use a cookie/ice-cream scoop that holds about 2 Tablespoons of batter. This makes the scooping part quicker and less messy.
Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of sugar. Gluten-free muffins can develop a gooey, sticky top once they cool. The little sprinkle of sugar helps to prevent this.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until the top of a muffin no longer squishes when gently pressed.
Remove from the pan and let sit on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Blueberries hold heat very efficiently. I have burned my mouth more than once from diving into a fresh blueberry muffin too quickly. :) If you leave them in the baking pan, the bottoms and sides keep baking, becoming dark and leathery. Dark and leathery are words that do not fit the sweet delightfulness of muffins. :)
Enjoy!
The batch that I made this morning turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share it with you all.
These are sturdy enough to not sink in the middle, but still tender and moist. The flavor is good, and the balance of sweetness, to the tartness of the lemon, is about right.
"Everything-free" Lemon Blueberry Muffins
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nightshade-free
Makes 12 standard-sized muffins
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon flaxmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
*if you are corn-sensitive, there are recipes online for corn-free substitutes for baking powder.
I have done this at times, as our daughter is sensitive to corn, and it seemed to work fine.
1 teaspoon coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
*xanthan gum can be derived from corn. If you are corn-sensitive, it may be safer to use guar gum.
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup light agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1/3 cup sugar
(I use organic granulated, which is similar to turbinado or raw sugar. I like the flavor it gives)
1/4 cup neutral oil (I used grapeseed oil)
2 teaspoons liquid coconut oil
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
Lemons vary wildly in size, which could give greatly different results. Next time, I'll measure
so I know just how much I use. I would guess that I used about 2 teaspoons of zest this time.
These were quite lemony, almost on the edge of being too tart for me. Next time, I think I'll use
slightly less zest, and see if that gives a little better balance.
Add-in:
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
Topping:
A bit of granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with baking cups (I grew up calling them cupcake papers or muffin cups) . I like using the "If You Care" brand of unbleached baking cups, because it seems a healthier choice, but also because the muffins release from the cups so neatly.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients and begin to stir together. Add in blueberries, and stir until just barely combined. Scoop or spoon into prepared muffin tin. I use a cookie/ice-cream scoop that holds about 2 Tablespoons of batter. This makes the scooping part quicker and less messy.
Sprinkle the top of each muffin with a pinch of sugar. Gluten-free muffins can develop a gooey, sticky top once they cool. The little sprinkle of sugar helps to prevent this.
Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until the top of a muffin no longer squishes when gently pressed.
Remove from the pan and let sit on a cooling rack for a few minutes. Blueberries hold heat very efficiently. I have burned my mouth more than once from diving into a fresh blueberry muffin too quickly. :) If you leave them in the baking pan, the bottoms and sides keep baking, becoming dark and leathery. Dark and leathery are words that do not fit the sweet delightfulness of muffins. :)
Enjoy!
Friday, June 1, 2018
Tuna Salad My Way :)
Fish and I are not friends. I have a hard time gearing up to eat fish. It was not always this way. I grew up in a family that loved to go fishing and I enjoyed fish pretty well. My favorite was when we went back-packing in our favorite wilderness area. Eating wild fish Whitefish, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout or Dolly Varden, caught from clean water, cooked over an alder wood fire.....that was tasty! The change came in my early twenties. It all started when I was pregnant with our second child. The fish department at the store where I did our grocery shopping smelled very bad, every time I was there. I think that the heightened sense of smell during pregnancy did not help the situation. Ever since then, I just can't stand most fish.
I've been trying, actually, because fish is so good for us. I can do salmon once in a while. I can handle albacore tuna, also once in a while. I used to enjoy fish-and-chips, but I can't eat it anymore. Sad. You could take just about anything, dip it in batter and deep-fry it, and I would be a happy camper. :) I miss all of the so-unhealthy, greasy and delicious fried foods! My body is probably grateful that I can't eat like that anymore! ;)
The only fish that I actually like is Orange Roughy. This, of course, is hard to find. They have been over-fished, so the harvest is restricted. I'm not complaining. I'm glad they're trying to preserve the population and not let it get wiped out!
So, all of that being said, when I find a way that I can enjoy fish, it is cause for celebration. This salad works for me. I have it about once every couple of weeks. Today was actually the first time that I added cabbage to it, and I liked it a lot. It was nice to have the crunch of the cabbage, in counterpoint to all the softer things. :)
Tuna Salad My Way
1 cup chopped cabbage
(I had purple cabbage on hand, so I used that. I liked the color contrast)
5 ounces good albacore tuna, drained and broken up into chunks
1/3 cup sliced olives
I sometimes add a few "fancy" olives, such as Kalamata or Castelveltrano, for added flavor
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 - 2 teaspoons lime juice
(I love lime. You can, of course, substitute lemon juice or a vinegar that you like)
1/4 teaspoon salt
~as I was enjoying my lunch, I thought that some shredded carrot would probably be good in this. It would boost the nutrients, and add another pretty color. For those who can eat them, some green onions would probably be good. Or chopped celery or cucumber. :) Or diced bell pepper. The possibilities are many. :)
Friday, May 25, 2018
Could-be-vegan Broccoli Salad
Something savory for a change, after all those sweet baked goods and breakfast foods. :)
Lunch can be a particular challenge, in the "everything-free" life. Any time I come up with a new option, it's pretty exciting. Last summer I had a sudden salad epiphany, and came up with three or four adapted recipes in one day. This is one of them.
Could-be-vegan Broccoli Salad
serves 2-4
Time: about ten minutes (plus 30 minutes if you cook bacon)
1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns
by the time they are trimmed, this probably amounts to 3/4 - 1 pound of usable broccoli
(3/4 pound thick bacon or good ham)
-ham- I like to cut a thick ham steak into cubes of about 1/2"
- bacon- I bake bacon, a useful tip that I learned from my mom. (Thanks, Mom!) :)
~ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay bacon slices out on a heavy, sided baking sheet.
For thick bacon, I do 12-15 minutes on the first side, turn the slices over, and bake
for about 8-12 minutes more. I dislike floppy bacon, so my aim is cooked-but-not-
burned. If you like softer bacon, reduce the cooking time. Drain bacon on paper towels.
This saves cleanup of the stovetop, reduces grease-spatter burns on the cook, and
produces bacon slices that are nice and flat, and evenly cooked.
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (I like my salad creamy- start with 3/4 cup and add more to your taste)
I currently use Follow Your Heart brand soy-free vegenaise. It does have pea protein in it,
which apparently bothers my tummy somewhat. I'm trying Dr. Gundry's Lectin Shield
capsules, to help my body cope with the pea protein. It does seem to help.
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
(a sprinkle of black pepper- although the broccoli is already "peppery" in taste, so this
is not really necessary.)
Wash, trim, and chop the broccoli. I chop mine fairly small, so the salad is easy to eat. Cube the ham or chop the bacon into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli and meat. Add the mayo, salt and lemon juice and stir well until combined. ~ Store in the refrigerator. That's it! Enjoy. :)
**For those who can eat them, other veggies would probably be tasty in this- such as bell peppers, or onion. Sometime, I'll try it with a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.
**This could easily be made completely vegan. I image that chopped mushrooms would make a good substitute for the meat. Chunks of tempeh might be an interesting option, too.
**This could also be made nightshade-free, if there were a suitable substitute for the mayo. I recently tried an avocado-based mayo-alternative recipe. At first try, it just seemed like pungent guacamole. Not very appetizing. If I get that recipe to a point where I enjoy it, I'll try it in this salad.
Could-be-vegan Broccoli Salad
serves 2-4
Time: about ten minutes (plus 30 minutes if you cook bacon)
1 1/2 pounds broccoli crowns
by the time they are trimmed, this probably amounts to 3/4 - 1 pound of usable broccoli
(3/4 pound thick bacon or good ham)
-ham- I like to cut a thick ham steak into cubes of about 1/2"
- bacon- I bake bacon, a useful tip that I learned from my mom. (Thanks, Mom!) :)
~ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay bacon slices out on a heavy, sided baking sheet.
For thick bacon, I do 12-15 minutes on the first side, turn the slices over, and bake
for about 8-12 minutes more. I dislike floppy bacon, so my aim is cooked-but-not-
burned. If you like softer bacon, reduce the cooking time. Drain bacon on paper towels.
This saves cleanup of the stovetop, reduces grease-spatter burns on the cook, and
produces bacon slices that are nice and flat, and evenly cooked.
1 cup vegan mayonnaise (I like my salad creamy- start with 3/4 cup and add more to your taste)
I currently use Follow Your Heart brand soy-free vegenaise. It does have pea protein in it,
which apparently bothers my tummy somewhat. I'm trying Dr. Gundry's Lectin Shield
capsules, to help my body cope with the pea protein. It does seem to help.
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
(a sprinkle of black pepper- although the broccoli is already "peppery" in taste, so this
is not really necessary.)
Wash, trim, and chop the broccoli. I chop mine fairly small, so the salad is easy to eat. Cube the ham or chop the bacon into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli and meat. Add the mayo, salt and lemon juice and stir well until combined. ~ Store in the refrigerator. That's it! Enjoy. :)
**For those who can eat them, other veggies would probably be tasty in this- such as bell peppers, or onion. Sometime, I'll try it with a mix of broccoli and cauliflower.
**This could easily be made completely vegan. I image that chopped mushrooms would make a good substitute for the meat. Chunks of tempeh might be an interesting option, too.
**This could also be made nightshade-free, if there were a suitable substitute for the mayo. I recently tried an avocado-based mayo-alternative recipe. At first try, it just seemed like pungent guacamole. Not very appetizing. If I get that recipe to a point where I enjoy it, I'll try it in this salad.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Cinnamon Applesauce Waffles
This is my current work-in-progress. I think that the texture could still use some fine-tuning, but overall I'm happy with these. :)
I wanted to see if it would work to use applesauce as an egg-replacer in waffles, rather than the flax gel I've been using. This changes the liquid-to-dry balance, so I added more millet flour as well as a bit of flaxmeal. I had thought that they might turn out floppy, but they have a good level of "crisp." As with all gluten-free waffles that I've made, they're fairly hard when they first come out of the waffle iron, but after sitting for a bit they soften somewhat- becoming crisp rather than crunchy.
Cinnamon Applesauce Waffles
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, soy-free, nightshade-free, corn-free
In our waffle maker, which makes four large squares per batch, this makes close to two batches,
so.....about seven individual waffle squares.
First thing:
3/4 cup milk alternative
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
~combine and let sit
Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
1 Tablespoon flax meal (regular, or golden)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons liquid coconut oil
1/3 cup oil (I used a mild avocado oil)
(2 teaspoons vanilla)
2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry, along with the milk-vinegar mixture. Whisk well until smooth. Let sit while the waffle iron heats.
As with all gluten-free waffles and pancakes, I oil the cooking surface for each batch. Currently, I use a standard baking spray to oil the waffle iron.
When the waffle iron is ready, scoop or spoon batter onto the hot surface and bake according to instructions for your particular waffle baker.
I put these onto a cooling rack once they're done. If they sit on a plate, the undersides get very soggy. I actually prefer the texture if they sit on the rack until they're cool, and then I butter them and reheat in the microwave.
If you have any leftovers, they're best stored in the refrigerator. You can reheat in either a toaster or a microwave.
Enjoy!
*I've been steering away from vanilla lately, as it's frightfully expensive right now. Vanilla does make things tasty, but this recipe would work fine without it. I think that next time I make these, I'll leave out the vanilla and add a little coconut nectar instead. Agave nectar or honey would probably be good, too.
I wanted to see if it would work to use applesauce as an egg-replacer in waffles, rather than the flax gel I've been using. This changes the liquid-to-dry balance, so I added more millet flour as well as a bit of flaxmeal. I had thought that they might turn out floppy, but they have a good level of "crisp." As with all gluten-free waffles that I've made, they're fairly hard when they first come out of the waffle iron, but after sitting for a bit they soften somewhat- becoming crisp rather than crunchy.
Cinnamon Applesauce Waffles
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, soy-free, nightshade-free, corn-free
In our waffle maker, which makes four large squares per batch, this makes close to two batches,
so.....about seven individual waffle squares.
First thing:
3/4 cup milk alternative
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
~combine and let sit
Dry ingredients:
1 1/4 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
1 Tablespoon flax meal (regular, or golden)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons liquid coconut oil
1/3 cup oil (I used a mild avocado oil)
(2 teaspoons vanilla)
2 Tablespoons coconut sugar
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry, along with the milk-vinegar mixture. Whisk well until smooth. Let sit while the waffle iron heats.
As with all gluten-free waffles and pancakes, I oil the cooking surface for each batch. Currently, I use a standard baking spray to oil the waffle iron.
When the waffle iron is ready, scoop or spoon batter onto the hot surface and bake according to instructions for your particular waffle baker.
I put these onto a cooling rack once they're done. If they sit on a plate, the undersides get very soggy. I actually prefer the texture if they sit on the rack until they're cool, and then I butter them and reheat in the microwave.
If you have any leftovers, they're best stored in the refrigerator. You can reheat in either a toaster or a microwave.
Enjoy!
*I've been steering away from vanilla lately, as it's frightfully expensive right now. Vanilla does make things tasty, but this recipe would work fine without it. I think that next time I make these, I'll leave out the vanilla and add a little coconut nectar instead. Agave nectar or honey would probably be good, too.
Saturday, May 12, 2018
"Everything-free" Not-banana Muffins
"Everything-free" is our family's word for things that fit my food world. The list gets long- wheat-free, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, soy-free, banana-free, almond-free, corn-free, potato-free, rice-free... Calling things "everything-free" just makes it simpler. :)
I have been working on my muffin recipes recently, trying to solve a problem. Since realizing that the butter substitute that I use has been bothering me, I have had to switch from a creamed solid fat method to using oil in muffins. The first result was that they all have a deep dip in the center. This is not a deal-breaker for eating them, but it does make them less attractive. To put a recipe out, without solving this issue, didn't feel right.
This specific recipe was born through a totally different experiment. I was making something else, and used coconut nectar as the sweetener. With the first bite, I thought, "This almost tastes like banana." The creative part of my brain perked up at that and started humming busily. I have missed banana bread so much. Yes, bananas are part of the long list of foods that bother me in one way or another.
After a couple of batches and a little tinkering, I have come up with something that I like.
They do not taste like banana, but they have the texture and moistness of a banana muffin, and the coconut sugar and nectar give it a similar fruity sweetness. I made the final version this morning, and we like them!
Of course, a person could easily substitute honey and granulated sugar for the coconut sweeteners. They would still be quite tasty, but would lose the resemblance to banana. Molasses would also work well, and would probably make them reminiscent of bran muffins. In fact, that is an experiment that I will probably make myself, in the near future. I also miss bran muffins. :)
The other reason that I chose to use coconut sweeteners is that I'm trying to reduce the glycemic impact of my baked goods. Sugar is a deeply important part of the chemistry of baking. A person can't just yank out the sugar and expect the same results of texture and flavor. Coconut sweeteners do still impact blood sugar, but less severely than regular granulated sugar.
Muffins, in my world, fall into the same "happy comfort food" family that includes pancakes and cupcakes. There is just something about these foods that makes me happy. :)
"Everything-free" Not-banana Muffins
wheat-free, gluten-free, oat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, banana-free, soy-free, almond-free
350 degrees - 18-20 minutes
12 muffins
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1/4 cup flaxmeal
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Wet ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/3 cup light neutral oil (I used a light avocado oil)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
Add in:
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups. *
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk together well.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
~to melt the coconut oil, I scoop some into a small dish and heat it in the microwave.
In our microwave, it only takes twenty or thirty seconds to melt this little bit of oil
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. When about halfway combined, add the walnuts. Stir until the ingredients just come together, with no more clumps of flour. Spoon or scoop into the prepared tin. I like to use a ice cream/cookie dough scoop for this.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. I have found that in our oven, 20 minutes is just a little too long.
Turn the muffins out onto a cooling rack. If they stay in the hot tin, the outside will continue to brown and will get tough. Enjoy!
*I like to use the If You Care brand of baking cups. They're made from unbleached paper. I like knowing that they're free of chemicals, and they have a great added bonus. With regular muffin papers, the muffins often stuck to the paper and got torn apart when we tried to peel the paper off. With the If You Care brand, the papers come off neatly!
I have been working on my muffin recipes recently, trying to solve a problem. Since realizing that the butter substitute that I use has been bothering me, I have had to switch from a creamed solid fat method to using oil in muffins. The first result was that they all have a deep dip in the center. This is not a deal-breaker for eating them, but it does make them less attractive. To put a recipe out, without solving this issue, didn't feel right.
This specific recipe was born through a totally different experiment. I was making something else, and used coconut nectar as the sweetener. With the first bite, I thought, "This almost tastes like banana." The creative part of my brain perked up at that and started humming busily. I have missed banana bread so much. Yes, bananas are part of the long list of foods that bother me in one way or another.
After a couple of batches and a little tinkering, I have come up with something that I like.
They do not taste like banana, but they have the texture and moistness of a banana muffin, and the coconut sugar and nectar give it a similar fruity sweetness. I made the final version this morning, and we like them!
Of course, a person could easily substitute honey and granulated sugar for the coconut sweeteners. They would still be quite tasty, but would lose the resemblance to banana. Molasses would also work well, and would probably make them reminiscent of bran muffins. In fact, that is an experiment that I will probably make myself, in the near future. I also miss bran muffins. :)
The other reason that I chose to use coconut sweeteners is that I'm trying to reduce the glycemic impact of my baked goods. Sugar is a deeply important part of the chemistry of baking. A person can't just yank out the sugar and expect the same results of texture and flavor. Coconut sweeteners do still impact blood sugar, but less severely than regular granulated sugar.
Muffins, in my world, fall into the same "happy comfort food" family that includes pancakes and cupcakes. There is just something about these foods that makes me happy. :)
"Everything-free" Not-banana Muffins
wheat-free, gluten-free, oat-free, egg-free, dairy-free, banana-free, soy-free, almond-free
350 degrees - 18-20 minutes
12 muffins
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1/4 cup flaxmeal
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Wet ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut nectar
1/3 cup light neutral oil (I used a light avocado oil)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
Add in:
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with baking cups. *
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk together well.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
~to melt the coconut oil, I scoop some into a small dish and heat it in the microwave.
In our microwave, it only takes twenty or thirty seconds to melt this little bit of oil
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. When about halfway combined, add the walnuts. Stir until the ingredients just come together, with no more clumps of flour. Spoon or scoop into the prepared tin. I like to use a ice cream/cookie dough scoop for this.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. I have found that in our oven, 20 minutes is just a little too long.
Turn the muffins out onto a cooling rack. If they stay in the hot tin, the outside will continue to brown and will get tough. Enjoy!
*I like to use the If You Care brand of baking cups. They're made from unbleached paper. I like knowing that they're free of chemicals, and they have a great added bonus. With regular muffin papers, the muffins often stuck to the paper and got torn apart when we tried to peel the paper off. With the If You Care brand, the papers come off neatly!
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Living with food intolerances: What "convenience food" looks like in my world.
What does "convenience food" mean in a world of very limited food options? This was on my mind today, as I came up with something to have for lunch. For me, pretty much every prepared food item will not work.
The list of things that bother me includes: wheat and all wheat-type grains (rye, barley, oats-even gluten-free oats), all dairy, eggs, soy, almonds, sorghum, tomatoes, garlic and onions.
This effectively eliminates not only "normal" convenience foods, but almost all of the alternative options as well. Many gluten-free alternatives contain dairy and/or eggs, and almond flour is the darling child of the gluten-free world just now. Many allergen-free choices use garlic and onion, as they give the flavor a significant boost.
Essentially, my health is least affected when I only eat foods that I prepare for myself.
That gets old.
I not only have to cook from scratch, but I also have to make the elements I use in cooking. I compound my own flour mix. Any bread alternatives, I have to make for myself.
I make my own "hummus." Not being able to handle garlic or sesame/tahini rules out pre-made hummus. More recently, garbanzo beans are off my "good" list. Once you take the beans, garlic and tahini out of hummus, you are left with...lemon juice, olive oil and salt. ;) So...I make my own, using black beans and a few other tweaks. I'll share the recipe sometime, as even my friends who eat "normal" food really like my non-hummus. :)
It was lunchtime, today. I was rather hungry, as I'd waited too long to start giving thought to lunch. I have very few quick, simple options, and they just were not sounding good. My blood sugar was dropping, and I just needed to get some food into me. Then I remembered my treasure trove...
That is what convenience food means to me now. :) This is the result of planning ahead, so that when I'm traveling, or even just hit with a bad case of hungry at home, I have a few things that can be ready quickly, and that will not make me sick.
When I make a meal that works well, and there is plenty of it, I take out a portion, put it into a vacuum-sealable bag, and set it in the freezer. Once frozen solid, I seal each meal with our FoodSaver vacuum sealer. That thing was one of the best investments we ever made! What you see in the picture here is a serving of fish and vegetable chowder, some roast beef with mashed sweet potato and roasted broccoli, and my greatly-simplified version of Chicken Adobo with Cauli-mash and (again, because it's one of my few veggie options) roasted broccoli.
It's a good thing that I like broccoli so well. ;)
For lunch today, I grabbed a package with two pieces of my "pizza," thawed it in the microwave and, in just a few minutes, I was having lunch. I put "pizza" in quotation marks because, aside from being cut into triangles, I'm not sure that anyone else would recognize it as pizza. I wish I'd remembered to snap a picture, so you could see it. If I make some this weekend, I'll try to remember to do that. :) It does have a crust (gluten-egg-dairy-etc.etc.-free), but the toppings are a sci-fi range of gray, purple and funky greens. Instead of sauce, I use my homemade not-hummus. I top it with a mix of special olives (natural black and green, Castelveltrano and Kalamata) with chopped artichoke hearts.
There is no "cheese" on my pizza. I have tried various vegan cheeses, and found them all to be fairly gross. There are few that truly fit my entire list, and I just don't find those appetizing. With the hummus base, the toppings stay on pretty well so I don't miss the cheese very much.
My pizza toppings might sound fancy, but it's a sort of psychological tactic that I use, to help myself cope with my limited food world. The list of things that I really should not eat is just...so...long... that I can get depressed over it. There are a few things that I can have, that feel like treats. Coconut based ice cream is one, along with certain "fancy" olives, and artichoke hearts for my pizza. Having these few special things, that I truly love, goes a long way to help me deal with the frustration of food limitations.
I have thought about making "convenience foods" for myself on a larger scale. For me, though, the idea of setting aside a whole day (or even several hours) to do long-range planning and broad meal-prep is just too much. My energy resources are rather limited, so I really cannot do a "marathon" approach to any aspect of life. Having found the method I described above has made a great difference, and helps me to feel hopeful. (Feeling hopeful=very important in this world!!) Rather than hours on my feet making mountains of food to store, I prefer this way, which only takes a few minutes at a time. Before I serve the meal, or as I put the food away after dinner, I simply stuff one or two servings into the vacuum seal bags and put them into the freezer. Later that night, or the next day, I seal the bag, write the date and the contents on it, and put it back in the freezer. Easy-peasy. :)
I don't often dip into my store of meals the way I did today. I kind of hoard them for travel. It is just so hard to eat on the road, and this really does help. I can heat something in the microwave and take it along in a thermos for my lunch, or heat it up for dinner wherever I'm staying. Even if I'm visiting family or close friends, the food issue is still a problem. As hard as it is for me to plan meals that work for myself, it is nearly impossible for others to juggle all the different factors and come up with food that fits my parameters. It makes life so much easier if I just take along a few meals. I've been on this journey for several years now. Assuming that it is my job, and not anyone else's, to feed me makes the situation simpler. :)
The list of things that bother me includes: wheat and all wheat-type grains (rye, barley, oats-even gluten-free oats), all dairy, eggs, soy, almonds, sorghum, tomatoes, garlic and onions.
This effectively eliminates not only "normal" convenience foods, but almost all of the alternative options as well. Many gluten-free alternatives contain dairy and/or eggs, and almond flour is the darling child of the gluten-free world just now. Many allergen-free choices use garlic and onion, as they give the flavor a significant boost.
Essentially, my health is least affected when I only eat foods that I prepare for myself.
That gets old.
I not only have to cook from scratch, but I also have to make the elements I use in cooking. I compound my own flour mix. Any bread alternatives, I have to make for myself.
I make my own "hummus." Not being able to handle garlic or sesame/tahini rules out pre-made hummus. More recently, garbanzo beans are off my "good" list. Once you take the beans, garlic and tahini out of hummus, you are left with...lemon juice, olive oil and salt. ;) So...I make my own, using black beans and a few other tweaks. I'll share the recipe sometime, as even my friends who eat "normal" food really like my non-hummus. :)
It was lunchtime, today. I was rather hungry, as I'd waited too long to start giving thought to lunch. I have very few quick, simple options, and they just were not sounding good. My blood sugar was dropping, and I just needed to get some food into me. Then I remembered my treasure trove...
When I make a meal that works well, and there is plenty of it, I take out a portion, put it into a vacuum-sealable bag, and set it in the freezer. Once frozen solid, I seal each meal with our FoodSaver vacuum sealer. That thing was one of the best investments we ever made! What you see in the picture here is a serving of fish and vegetable chowder, some roast beef with mashed sweet potato and roasted broccoli, and my greatly-simplified version of Chicken Adobo with Cauli-mash and (again, because it's one of my few veggie options) roasted broccoli.
It's a good thing that I like broccoli so well. ;)
For lunch today, I grabbed a package with two pieces of my "pizza," thawed it in the microwave and, in just a few minutes, I was having lunch. I put "pizza" in quotation marks because, aside from being cut into triangles, I'm not sure that anyone else would recognize it as pizza. I wish I'd remembered to snap a picture, so you could see it. If I make some this weekend, I'll try to remember to do that. :) It does have a crust (gluten-egg-dairy-etc.etc.-free), but the toppings are a sci-fi range of gray, purple and funky greens. Instead of sauce, I use my homemade not-hummus. I top it with a mix of special olives (natural black and green, Castelveltrano and Kalamata) with chopped artichoke hearts.
There is no "cheese" on my pizza. I have tried various vegan cheeses, and found them all to be fairly gross. There are few that truly fit my entire list, and I just don't find those appetizing. With the hummus base, the toppings stay on pretty well so I don't miss the cheese very much.
My pizza toppings might sound fancy, but it's a sort of psychological tactic that I use, to help myself cope with my limited food world. The list of things that I really should not eat is just...so...long... that I can get depressed over it. There are a few things that I can have, that feel like treats. Coconut based ice cream is one, along with certain "fancy" olives, and artichoke hearts for my pizza. Having these few special things, that I truly love, goes a long way to help me deal with the frustration of food limitations.
I have thought about making "convenience foods" for myself on a larger scale. For me, though, the idea of setting aside a whole day (or even several hours) to do long-range planning and broad meal-prep is just too much. My energy resources are rather limited, so I really cannot do a "marathon" approach to any aspect of life. Having found the method I described above has made a great difference, and helps me to feel hopeful. (Feeling hopeful=very important in this world!!) Rather than hours on my feet making mountains of food to store, I prefer this way, which only takes a few minutes at a time. Before I serve the meal, or as I put the food away after dinner, I simply stuff one or two servings into the vacuum seal bags and put them into the freezer. Later that night, or the next day, I seal the bag, write the date and the contents on it, and put it back in the freezer. Easy-peasy. :)
I don't often dip into my store of meals the way I did today. I kind of hoard them for travel. It is just so hard to eat on the road, and this really does help. I can heat something in the microwave and take it along in a thermos for my lunch, or heat it up for dinner wherever I'm staying. Even if I'm visiting family or close friends, the food issue is still a problem. As hard as it is for me to plan meals that work for myself, it is nearly impossible for others to juggle all the different factors and come up with food that fits my parameters. It makes life so much easier if I just take along a few meals. I've been on this journey for several years now. Assuming that it is my job, and not anyone else's, to feed me makes the situation simpler. :)
Friday, May 4, 2018
Replacing Eggs: Flax Gel and Flaxmeal
I use various egg-replacers, depending on what I'm making. I like the applesauce/coconut oil combination very much, for muffins and pancakes. This gives a lovely moisture and softness.
Soft is not what you want for waffles, so I chose to use flax egg-replacers.
Flax Gel
Add flax seeds to water, bring to a boil, lower heat and continue boiling for 2 minutes. Strain out seeds. Store gel in the refrigerator.
Making the gel:
Use a ratio of 1 cup of water: 1 Tablespoon of flax seed
Either brown or golden flax seed; both work well. The golden seems to have a more mild flavor.
Eggs are usually about 1/4 cup each, so it would make sense to use 1/4 cup of flax gel per egg in a recipe. When I made waffles using flax gel, I only used 1 Tablespoon per egg, and it worked well. I'm not sure why that is, but that is what worked.
For each egg:
If you try this for other recipes, start with 1 Tablespoon of gel per egg replaced, and add more if needed.
When freshly made, the gel is easy to measure. Once refrigerated, it gets interesting. It develops a texture more like egg white. When I tried pouring cold flax gel into a tablespoon, all of the gel *blooped* out! I think that whisking it up with a fork would probably help. Thankfully, I was able to rescue the gel and still use it, so it was more funny than frustrating. :)
I usually add some melted coconut oil with any egg replacer (the yolks have saturated fat, which can be important for texture), but the waffles seemed fine without it. Another time, I'll try adding it and see if it makes a difference.
Flax meal
Flax meal can work well as an egg replacer, if it fits the character of your project. If I am making a light vanilla cupcake, I do not use flax meal. It is like adding wheat germ or bran to the mix. It alters the texture, and you definitely see the flecks of meal in the final product. It has worked well for me in chocolate cake and cupcakes, and more hearty pancakes or muffins.
When I used flaxmeal in the waffle batter, I didn't like it as well. Curiously, they baked less evenly. They didn't crisp up as well, and softened more quickly.
For each egg, use:
1 Tablespoon flax meal and 2-3 Tablespoons of water.
Sometimes, I mix the flax meal and water together, and let it sit before adding with the dry ingredients. Sometimes, I add the meal with the dry ingredients, and the water with the other liquids. I have not seen a dramatic difference in results. Either way seems to work just fine. If I add them separately, I do let the batter sit for a few minutes, so the flax meal can become hydrated.
Soft is not what you want for waffles, so I chose to use flax egg-replacers.
Flax Gel
Add flax seeds to water, bring to a boil, lower heat and continue boiling for 2 minutes. Strain out seeds. Store gel in the refrigerator.
Making the gel:
Use a ratio of 1 cup of water: 1 Tablespoon of flax seed
Either brown or golden flax seed; both work well. The golden seems to have a more mild flavor.
Eggs are usually about 1/4 cup each, so it would make sense to use 1/4 cup of flax gel per egg in a recipe. When I made waffles using flax gel, I only used 1 Tablespoon per egg, and it worked well. I'm not sure why that is, but that is what worked.
For each egg:
If you try this for other recipes, start with 1 Tablespoon of gel per egg replaced, and add more if needed.
When freshly made, the gel is easy to measure. Once refrigerated, it gets interesting. It develops a texture more like egg white. When I tried pouring cold flax gel into a tablespoon, all of the gel *blooped* out! I think that whisking it up with a fork would probably help. Thankfully, I was able to rescue the gel and still use it, so it was more funny than frustrating. :)
I usually add some melted coconut oil with any egg replacer (the yolks have saturated fat, which can be important for texture), but the waffles seemed fine without it. Another time, I'll try adding it and see if it makes a difference.
Flax meal
Flax meal can work well as an egg replacer, if it fits the character of your project. If I am making a light vanilla cupcake, I do not use flax meal. It is like adding wheat germ or bran to the mix. It alters the texture, and you definitely see the flecks of meal in the final product. It has worked well for me in chocolate cake and cupcakes, and more hearty pancakes or muffins.
When I used flaxmeal in the waffle batter, I didn't like it as well. Curiously, they baked less evenly. They didn't crisp up as well, and softened more quickly.
For each egg, use:
1 Tablespoon flax meal and 2-3 Tablespoons of water.
Sometimes, I mix the flax meal and water together, and let it sit before adding with the dry ingredients. Sometimes, I add the meal with the dry ingredients, and the water with the other liquids. I have not seen a dramatic difference in results. Either way seems to work just fine. If I add them separately, I do let the batter sit for a few minutes, so the flax meal can become hydrated.
"Everything-free" Waffles!!! no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no soy ~ just waffle-y goodness!
Waffles are a thing of beauty. <3
In the nearly eight years since learning I needed to give up wheat and eggs, I had not had a really good waffle. For several years, I have used a gluten-free baking mix to make waffles. They were pretty good, but not really good. "Good enough" is often what we settle for, in the world of food intolerances. Sometimes, I really want more than just good enough.
Last weekend, I started thinking about yeasted Belgian waffles. I did some research and cobbled together several recipes into something that I thought might work. I mixed up the batter and let it rise overnight. Here's what it looked like next morning:
I cooked up the yeasted waffles, and they got mixed reviews. Our daughter Anna and her sweetie Zach were here, and thought they were pretty good. My hubby Lee didn't care for them so much. The yeast flavor is very strong, almost like a strong sourdough flavor. I won't make them for my hubby again, BUT next time I'm visiting my sweet mama and she makes her amazing sourdough pancakes for people, I will definitely mix up some of this batter for myself! :)
That experiment launched me on a Week of Waffles!
The next morning, I worked out a regular baking-powder recipe for, as we call things, "everything-free" waffles. They were good! :)
Granted, it has been a long time since I ate a "real" waffle, but these made me pretty happy. Gluten-free things tend to be more hard/crunchy than crisp, but after a few minutes they did soften more toward a crisp texture. Outer crunch, soft and moist inside- yum!
In less than a week, I have made waffles four times. First, the yeast-raised batch, then variations on the baking-powder idea. I tried one using a can of full-fat coconut milk (pretty good), one with coconut milk beverage (the one I liked best), one using flaxmeal to replace the egg (more hearty, less even texture)...oh! I guess I've made them five times! This morning, I one made more batch, to re-test the version I liked best. :)
This post will have the baking powder recipe. I'll make a separate post about making flax gel for egg replacement, so it's easier to find, and another day I'll share the yeasted waffle recipe. Because I used (coconut) milk soured with an acid (lemon juice), these are more like a buttermilk recipe, so that's what I'll call them.
"Buttermilk" Waffles
In a large, square Belgian waffle maker, this makes 2 complete waffles, or 8 squares.
The recipe should double well; just don't quite double the salt.
To:
1 cup alternative milk (I use Coconut Dream unsweetened original shelf-stable "milk")
add:
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
(I've been using the kind from a bottle. If I wanted to make actual lemon waffles, I would go for
fresh lemon juice, use more of it, and add some zest. With this amount of juice, the waffles don't
taste of lemon to me, at all.)
Let the milk sit and "sour" while your mix up the rest of the ingredients.
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
(I feel this cuts down on the gummy feeling you can get with tapioca starch)
2 Tablespoons sugar (I've been using coconut sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
(I've been taught that any time you use soured milk, you should add a little baking soda to work with it)
Whisk the dry ingredients together well.
Wet ingredients:
1/3 cup oil (I've been using a light avocado oil. Any neutral oil will do.)
3 Tablespoons flax-gel egg replacer *I'll post separately about this
Whisk together the oil and flax gel, then combine with the soured milk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together well, until completely combined and smooth. With wheat flour, you'd have to be more cautious in mixing so the batter wouldn't be tough. Gluten-free flours are not so finicky.
Allow the batter to rest while you heat the waffle iron.
When the waffle iron is ready, spray the top and bottom surfaces with baking spray (or oil them, using a natural-bristle pastry brush). Plastic bristles melt. (voice of experience) I have had numerous struggles with gluten-free things sticking to hot surfaces. I oil before every batch, to save on frustration.
I use a large scoop to portion out the batter. (Ice cream scoop/dough scoop. It's the in the picture of the yeasted batter. I think it holds about 1/2 cup. I put one scoop on each square of the waffle iron.
Let the waffle bake, without peeking. If you try to lift the lid too soon, you'll tear the waffle to bits. (Learned from impatient experience!) :)
Most waffle makers have a light that turns on or off, to let you know when it's ready. Another way to tell is by watching how much steam is coming out. If large amounts of steam are still pouring out, leave it alone. When the steam gets noticeably less, it's time to start checking.
If you pull these out when they're too pale a gold, they'll have soggy bits. Leave them until they're a nice, solid golden brown color.
Any that we're not eating right away, we put on a cooling rack so they don't get soggy. They reheat well in a toaster. They would freeze well, too.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
One of my favorite treats :)
This is not so much a recipe as an idea; a discovery ~ so it doesn't really fit a Friday post.
It's so delicious, though, and makes me so happy, that I want to share it!
One of the toughest adjustments for me, with our dietary changes, was the loss of ice cream. It is just so creamy and soothing; perfect on a hot day. We went through the changing cast of players on the alternative ice cream stage: rice, soy, etc. Some were pretty good, and some were not so good.
When people would ask me, "Is it good?" I would generally answer, "It is, if you haven't had real ice cream for a number of years. It's cold and sort of creamy." Good enough was the best I thought to hope for.
Then I discovered Coconut Bliss. This stuff is so aptly named! It is creamy and smooth and wonderful. When I eat it, I no longer miss "real" ice cream. I don't know how widely available it is. It's made here in Oregon, and I've seen it in neighboring states, but beyond that I don't know. Can you find it outside the Pacific Northwest?
It is much more costly than regular ice cream, but so are all the alternatives. As we made the shift to healthier, more costly food choices, we cut down on how much of them we eat. More expensive, but smaller portions. :)
One of the other really tough transitions for me has been giving up chocolate. I continued eating it for years after it first started to bother me, because I just loved it so much. Finally, the consequences got severe enough that I started to take it seriously. This meant no more chocolate ice cream, and no more chocolate sauce on vanilla ice cream. So hard! No other toppings could take chocolate's place. I like caramel, for example, but it is just sweet on top of sweet. It lacks that bitter undertone that balances the sweetness of ice cream so perfectly.
One day, I tried Coconut Bliss Cappuccino ice cream. Oh wow. Heaven in a spoon!!! It is just simple, cappuccino flavored coconut ice cream, but it is creamy and wonderful and it has that subtle bitterness that I missed so much. Once I tried that flavor, I no longer missed chocolate ice cream!
Even though I have found a brand of ice cream that I truly love, I am still very limited in my flavor choices. Most flavors involve chocolate. I love them (especially chocolate mint!) but they do me harm. There are a few flavors that don't involve chocolate, but I don't enjoy them very much. I mostly have vanilla, or occasionally cappuccino (because, really, I'm not supposed to have caffeine).
One of the things I have missed the most is peaches-and-cream ice cream. That was my most favorite flavor when I was growing up. Last year, thinking about my old favorite, I got enthused about making my own ice cream. I bought a couple of recipe books for making vegan, coconut-based ice cream. My mom passed on my grandma's old ice cream maker, so I didn't have to shell out big bucks for my experiment.
........
But I still haven't tried it. I just keep wondering whether I should invest the time in learning what Coconut Bliss already does so well.
Then, I made my discovery, which is the actual point of this whole post.
If I let my vanilla coconut-based ice cream soften, then I can stir in other things to give it flavor. Not that this is a new idea. I did this years ago, when the kids were growing up. I used to make mint-chip, and other flavors. The idea that was new, this time, was...using sorbet for the flavor.
This has opened up a whole new world of flavor options for me. In general, sorbet is a little "sharp" for me, almost sour...but if you mix some of it into creamy vanilla? Match made in heaven. I found some mandarin orange sorbet and mixed it into my ice cream. Orange Creamsicle! Another childhood favorite. :) I have tried, lemon, mango, raspberry, and even passionfruit- all delicious! The photo up above is of raspberry sorbet stirred into my vanilla ice cream. In my cute kitty-cat bowl. :)
Remember my longing for peach ice cream? Well! In December, our daughter Anna and I set out to make peach butter, with a box of peaches I'd bought at a farm. They tasted like actual, ripe peaches! So good. I messed up on the amount of liquid, and it just would not cook down to "butter." No problem- we canned it anyway. Now, I take some of that golden, cinnamon-peach sauce and stir it into vanilla ice cream.....it is delectable! So, so good! I have also stirred peach sauce into plain or vanilla coconut yogurt- also very good. :)
Since I now have such a simple way to enjoy different flavors, I may not dive into the world of making my own ice cream after all. This is just so good and so easy that I may just stick with spiffing up my vanilla Coconut Bliss.
Friday, April 27, 2018
Measuring Dilemma
I have a quandary. Or a dilemma. Or maybe just a puzzlement.
In a way, it has been answered, but in a way, some mystery remains.
Sometimes my batter comes out very thin and sometimes it is very thick- when using the exact same measurements from the same recipe. This has puzzled me for years.
I finally know why this happens.
For liquids, I use my glass Pyrex measuring cups. I have a one-cup, a two-cup, and a four-cup measure. A few months ago, I found out that the one-cup line is not consistent for all three of them! If I measure out one cup of liquid in then one-cup measure, and pour it into either of the larger ones, it does not come up to the one-cup line! The difference is a few tablespoons, which is enough to cause quite different results in baking.
When I made the pancakes from my earlier post, I used the smaller measure. I had a rather thin batter, which made thin, very moist pancakes. Yesterday, I used the two-cup measure, and had a thick batter. It made thicker, taller pancakes.
Here is the part that still puzzles me: though I now know which to use for myself, to get the results I want, I actually have no idea which measure is correct! This matters, when writing recipes for other people! If I say I used one cup of liquid, and you end up with an impossibly runny batter...that's not helpful. If I say to use 3/4 cup of liquid, and your batter is grossly stodgy and makes heavy, dry pancakes...well, that's not good either.
So, there is the dilemma. Of course, you can easily start with less liquid and add more until you get the consistency you prefer, but I would really like to know that I'm giving out good, helpful information.
Hmmm......I would imagine that, if I got a kitchen scale, I could weigh the filled measuring cup, and that would give me an idea of which is right! :) I do know the old rhyme of, "a pint's a pound, the world around." That being so, then a cup of water should weight eight ounces, right? I'll ponder this. I might just need to get a kitchen scale, in order to solve the mystery. Oh darn. ;) ;)
In a way, it has been answered, but in a way, some mystery remains.
Sometimes my batter comes out very thin and sometimes it is very thick- when using the exact same measurements from the same recipe. This has puzzled me for years.
I finally know why this happens.
For liquids, I use my glass Pyrex measuring cups. I have a one-cup, a two-cup, and a four-cup measure. A few months ago, I found out that the one-cup line is not consistent for all three of them! If I measure out one cup of liquid in then one-cup measure, and pour it into either of the larger ones, it does not come up to the one-cup line! The difference is a few tablespoons, which is enough to cause quite different results in baking.
When I made the pancakes from my earlier post, I used the smaller measure. I had a rather thin batter, which made thin, very moist pancakes. Yesterday, I used the two-cup measure, and had a thick batter. It made thicker, taller pancakes.
Here is the part that still puzzles me: though I now know which to use for myself, to get the results I want, I actually have no idea which measure is correct! This matters, when writing recipes for other people! If I say I used one cup of liquid, and you end up with an impossibly runny batter...that's not helpful. If I say to use 3/4 cup of liquid, and your batter is grossly stodgy and makes heavy, dry pancakes...well, that's not good either.
So, there is the dilemma. Of course, you can easily start with less liquid and add more until you get the consistency you prefer, but I would really like to know that I'm giving out good, helpful information.
Hmmm......I would imagine that, if I got a kitchen scale, I could weigh the filled measuring cup, and that would give me an idea of which is right! :) I do know the old rhyme of, "a pint's a pound, the world around." That being so, then a cup of water should weight eight ounces, right? I'll ponder this. I might just need to get a kitchen scale, in order to solve the mystery. Oh darn. ;) ;)
Cinnamon Bit Fry-cakes
Really, these are pancakes, but "fry-cakes" is just such a fun word that I had to use it. ;)
Usually, I cook pancakes on our electric griddle, but yesterday I just didn't feel like clearing the space and hauling it out. I fried these up in a ceramic-lined non-stick skillet...and they were so good! <3
Funny that when I cook them on a griddle, they're "pan" cakes, but cooked in a pan, they have other names. Some people call them hotcakes or flapjacks. Because they had that delectable crunch from being fried in oil, "fry-cakes" just fit the best.
The cinnamon bits that I use are from the King Arthur Flour website. There are cinnamon chips available in some grocery stores, but I don't like them. To me, those just taste like Red-Hots candy; all heat and no real cinnamon flavor. They also usually contain trace amounts of dairy. The bits from King Arthur melt into pockets of delicious real cinnamon goodness when they bake, and they are now dairy-free! :)
Here's the link, in case you want to check them out:
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/cinnamon-sweet-bits
They also have these delicious things that they call "jammy bits," which are little gummy nuggets of fruit puree. When they're baked, they really do seem like little bits of real fruit jam. So good! :)
https://search.kingarthurflour.com/search?p=Q&view=grid&deftab=products&w=jammy+bits
Okay, now to the recipe...
This is a work in progress, like all my recipes, but especially so since I just made them for the first time yesterday. They were so good, though, that I wanted to share them right away.
Cinnamon Bit Fry-Cakes
Makes about 12 - four inch cakes
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon baking powder (I may try a little less, next time)
1 Tablespoon coconut sugar (other sugars would work fine; this is what I used and it was good)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Wet ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil (I used a mild avocado oil; any mild neutral oil will do)
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil
3/4 cup alternative milk (I use unsweetened original-flavor Coconut Dream coconut milk)
Add-in:
2 Tablespoons cinnamon bits from King Arthur Flour Company
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add them to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the cinnamon bits, then let the batter rest while you heat your skillet.
I used a ceramic-lined non-stick skillet. On our (glass-top) stove, I set the burner to medium at first, but turned it down about halfway through the batch.
Pour about two tablespoons of oil into your pan and heat on medium (or a little below medium) heat. To check if the pan is ready, drop a little bit of the batter into the oil. If the oil bubbles and sizzles around the edges, it's ready. Drop batter into heated pan carefully- about 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Flatten/spread slightly. Let them cook until the edges look set and the bottom is a nice golden brown. Flip and cook the other side, until it is also nicely browned and the cakes are cooked through. Add a little more oil to the pan for each batch. If the fry-cakes are getting too brown before the middle is cooked, lower the heat. If they take a super long time to brown, raise the heat.
With the "juiciness" from being fried in oil, I did not feel a need to butter these, but my husband liked them better buttered. Also, they were sweet enough that I did not want any syrup on them.
The cakes came out about 3 1/2-4 inches in diameter, and I ended up with about twelve cakes.
My mind is popping with other ideas, such as adding bits of walnut to these. Can't wait!
If you try them, please leave a comment and let me know how they turned out for you. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
What's good about my food limitations...
I am sort of like Pollyanna if, in addition to her perpetual optimism, she also had occasional bouts of anxiety and mild depression. :) ...which she did, actually, until all of her friends and loved ones gathered 'round to help her remember the reasons she had to be glad.
Having my food world grow more and more narrow has been difficult. I'm not a trend-follower, but someone seeking answers to my health issues and going with the things that seem to help.
Sometimes, it gets very hard.
So...I try (like Pollyanna) to find reasons to be glad.
Here is one reason that living within these parameters is good:
I can eat all the raw cookie dough I want, and have no fears about salmonella poisoning! :D
Because all of my baking is essentially vegan (because I don't do dairy or eggs), it is perfectly safe to sample when it's raw. :)
Anytime I take a pinch of cookie dough, I smile and think, "I couldn't do this if it had eggs in it!"
**
The salmonella thing is real, unfortunately. I used to be a cookie dough rebel, scoffing at the danger. ...until my sister's friend and both her parents ended up in the emergency room, severely ill with salmonella, from eating raw cookie dough. oh. Okay.
**
Why raw eggs can sit out in Europe, but not in the U.S.: I have seen and heard much debate on this subject. It can get pretty funny, with people here in the U.S. being portrayed as big egg "sissies" who are much too over-protective of their food. As it turns out, there's a good reason for keeping our eggs in the fridge. In Europe, eggs still have their natural waxy coating, so they are impermeable. They can safely sit out on a counter and not spoil. Here in the U.S. eggs are washed in such a way that the coating is removed, making it necessary to keep them cold to preserve freshness.
**
Who is Pollyanna? For those who may not know, Pollyanna is a character from a book by that name, written many years ago by Eleanor H. Porter. It was also made into a movie, decades ago, with Hayley Mills starring as Pollyanna, and I've just discovered that a new movie of the story was made in 2004. Essentially, Pollyanna was a girl who believed the best of people, and always tried to find reasons to be glad and thankful, even when life was hard.
Friday, April 20, 2018
Birthday Goodness (Vanilla Poppyseed Cake)
Birthday Goodness
*tiny miracle ~ I figured out how to add photos! :)
Vanilla Poppyseed cake with Caramel Orange Frosting
I am fifty years old today! I have actually been excited to reach this milestone birthday.
I simply love fresh starts and clean slates: new days, new years, and especially new decades. Stepping into a brand new half-century is, for most people, a once-in-a-lifetime event! :)
I usually bake my own birthday cake, because I love to do it. :) It is part of the fun for me. I debated about what to bake this year. Should it be the moist chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting that received such a good response from my family? Or what about the lemon cupcakes with lemon "butter"cream that they liked even more than the chocolate?
Those are both delicious, but I think I want to try something entirely new.
.....hours later.... That's what I did! It turned out pretty well. I still need to fine-tune the frosting, but it was pretty tasty. :) In fact, I'm enjoying another piece as I write this. :) The cake is a good texture- moist and tender. It's not as light as a wheat-based cake, but a great improvement over some gluten-free cakes I've had. It received enthusiastic thumbs-ups from my hubby and our son this evening, and requests for second helpings. :)
Vanilla Poppyseed Cake (with Caramel Orange "Butter"cream Frosting)
*gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan, etc. etc.
**contains nightshades**
I am just beginning the journey of learning to bake nightshade-free, so I don't have every recipe switched-over yet. This one starts with a mix that contains potato starch, and uses a butter-substitute that has pea protein in it. For those of you who have no trouble with those things, I hope you enjoy this bake. :)
**Each Betty Crocker box mix makes one layer! This is important to know ahead of time. Given the cost of gluten-free mixes, I tend to opt for making one layer, then splitting and filling it. In our small rural town, each gluten-free mix costs around five dollars, which is more than double the cost of a regular cake mix. Since we've been cutting back on sweets, having a shorter cake works better for us anyway. We still get all the yum-factor, but end up only eating half as much cake. :)
Ingredients for the cake:
1 box Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix
1 stick Earth Balance soy-free butter substitute, softened
(or 1/2 cup of the fat that works for you)
1 Tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 Tablespoon flaxmeal
(the brown type works fine, but I think the gold flaxmeal would be prettier in a light cake)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to: 350 (if using a shiny pan) or 325 (if using a dark or non-stick pan)
Prepare pan: lightly spray, oil or grease the bottom of the pan. I also cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. This helps reduce the chance of tearing chunks out of the cake when you take it from the pan later.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If using a hand mixer, the time suggested on the box should work well (a total of about 2 1/2 minutes). If you're using a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid, it will probably take less time.
*One of the benefits of gluten-free baking is that you don't have to worry about over-working gluten and toughening your finished product. I have learned, though, that over-mixing a gluten-free batter will put too much air into it, causing it to come out drier and more crumbly. Just beat the cake batter until it's nice and smooth. It will be noticeably thicker than usual cake batter.
Gently pour/scoop the batter into the prepared pan. You don't want to lose all the lightness you just beat into it, by being too rough at this point. :) Smooth out the surface of the batter and bake.
The box directions say to bake a 9x9 cake for 33-38 minutes. This will vary, depending on the altitude at which you live. If you have adjusted the temperature correctly for the type/color of pan you used, then the baking time should be close to what they suggest. I would check it a few minutes early, just to be on the safe side. (I used an 8x8 pan to bake my cake today)
Bake until the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan slightly, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If there is still gooey batter sticking to it, the cake needs more time. A gluten-free cake does not usually brown the same way a wheat-based cake does, but this one sure did. When this is done, it should be a nice golden brown color . If you press gently in the center, it should feel fairly firm. If it squishes, there's probably raw batter in the middle.
Let the cake sit in the pan for a few minutes, then turn it onto a cooling rack. If you used parchment paper, carefully peel it off. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Caramel Orange "Butter"cream Frosting
You can certainly make this just an orange frosting, which would be faster and easier. I do love the addition of the caramel, though. I used a homemade coconut-milk caramel. You may be able to find a ready-made dairy-free caramel, in larger towns than ours. Living in the "back of beyond," I am learning to make my own.
Here is what I did:
Coconut Caramel **totally dairy-free!!
**make ahead, so it's fully cooled when you use it
**be extremely careful when making caramel! Caramel burns are some of the absolute worst. It is like blistering-hot super-sticky glue. The only way to get it off is with very hot water, which would be agony on a burn. If I still had young kids at home, I would only do this when they were gone or sound asleep. You really have to give caramel close attention when it is cooking, and you really don't want any chance of tripping over a little person with a pan full of hot caramel! :)
1 can of full-fat coconut milk (the cans are usually around 15 ounces)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
I tried it with coconut sugar, and it worked pretty well. I do think it is better with a lighter sugar,
but it worked okay. With coconut sugar or dark brown sugar, you can't cook it quite as
long as with a lighter sugar. It can easily taste a little burnt. I think that in future, I'll go back to
using light brown sugar for this.
Put all ingredients in a small-to-medium, heavy-bottomed pan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring several times so the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, and cook until the mixture has darkened and reduced (thickened). Do not stir during the second part of the cooking. The recipe I started with said to cook for 20-30 minutes. With the coconut sugar I pulled it off at a little over 15 minutes and it still seemed a little dark. So- if you use a darker sugar, expect it to be done much sooner.
I learned a secret for this process, from Mary Berry on the Great British Bakeoff. (I love that show!) She said to listen to caramel; that it is very noisy to start with but suddenly gets more quiet when it is ready. The change is not quite so obvious with alternative caramel, but still helpful to know.
Making the "butter"cream frosting:
**totally dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, etc. etc.
**does contain nightshades, if you use the Earth Balance
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) Earth Balance soy-free "buttery sticks"- softened
2 Tablespoons Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening, softened
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
Zest of one medium-sized navel orange
1/2 cup-2/3 cup coconut caramel
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt
(I added several tablespoons of fresh orange juice, with was tasty, but made the frosting separate a bit. I then added a couple of tablespoons of tapioca starch, to counteract the splitting. It worked fairly well. In future, I'll try it with just the zest and see how that goes. This batch tasted good, but the texture might have been slightly better without the juice)
-Powdered sugar ~ probably about 2 cups
Most buttercream recipes call for at least 4 cups of powdered sugar. The result is far, far too sweet
for me! I always use much less. It can be tricky finding the right balance, so it doesn't seem like
you're just eating sweetened shortening. I start with about 2 cups, beat it in, then taste. If you want
it sweeter, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar at a time, until it hits the right balance for you.
**There are several organic powdered sugars out there. For our corn-free daughter, we find one of
the few organic brands that is also free of corn-starch. These tend to clump, so it's best to rub the
powdered sugar through a sieve before adding it.
The warm coconut oil and soft fats can make this pretty soft. Once it's beaten together, you can refrigerate it for a half hour to an hour, until it's a good consistency. If you want a lighter texture, you can beat it again once it has firmed up. If it gets too hard, just let it sit out at room temperature for fifteen minutes or so, until it's the right consistency for you.
For this cake, I just sliced it horizontally, spread a layer of frosting, added the top layer and spread frosting over the top. If I had wanted to do some decorative piping, I would have chilled the frosting again until it was a better consistency for piping.
I hope you enjoy experimenting with this! :)
*tiny miracle ~ I figured out how to add photos! :)
Vanilla Poppyseed cake with Caramel Orange Frosting
I am fifty years old today! I have actually been excited to reach this milestone birthday.
I simply love fresh starts and clean slates: new days, new years, and especially new decades. Stepping into a brand new half-century is, for most people, a once-in-a-lifetime event! :)
I usually bake my own birthday cake, because I love to do it. :) It is part of the fun for me. I debated about what to bake this year. Should it be the moist chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting that received such a good response from my family? Or what about the lemon cupcakes with lemon "butter"cream that they liked even more than the chocolate?
Those are both delicious, but I think I want to try something entirely new.
.....hours later.... That's what I did! It turned out pretty well. I still need to fine-tune the frosting, but it was pretty tasty. :) In fact, I'm enjoying another piece as I write this. :) The cake is a good texture- moist and tender. It's not as light as a wheat-based cake, but a great improvement over some gluten-free cakes I've had. It received enthusiastic thumbs-ups from my hubby and our son this evening, and requests for second helpings. :)
Vanilla Poppyseed Cake (with Caramel Orange "Butter"cream Frosting)
*gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan, etc. etc.
**contains nightshades**
I am just beginning the journey of learning to bake nightshade-free, so I don't have every recipe switched-over yet. This one starts with a mix that contains potato starch, and uses a butter-substitute that has pea protein in it. For those of you who have no trouble with those things, I hope you enjoy this bake. :)
**Each Betty Crocker box mix makes one layer! This is important to know ahead of time. Given the cost of gluten-free mixes, I tend to opt for making one layer, then splitting and filling it. In our small rural town, each gluten-free mix costs around five dollars, which is more than double the cost of a regular cake mix. Since we've been cutting back on sweets, having a shorter cake works better for us anyway. We still get all the yum-factor, but end up only eating half as much cake. :)
Ingredients for the cake:
1 box Betty Crocker gluten-free yellow cake mix
1 stick Earth Balance soy-free butter substitute, softened
(or 1/2 cup of the fat that works for you)
1 Tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon poppyseeds
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
1 Tablespoon flaxmeal
(the brown type works fine, but I think the gold flaxmeal would be prettier in a light cake)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup water
Preheat oven to: 350 (if using a shiny pan) or 325 (if using a dark or non-stick pan)
Prepare pan: lightly spray, oil or grease the bottom of the pan. I also cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom. This helps reduce the chance of tearing chunks out of the cake when you take it from the pan later.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If using a hand mixer, the time suggested on the box should work well (a total of about 2 1/2 minutes). If you're using a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid, it will probably take less time.
*One of the benefits of gluten-free baking is that you don't have to worry about over-working gluten and toughening your finished product. I have learned, though, that over-mixing a gluten-free batter will put too much air into it, causing it to come out drier and more crumbly. Just beat the cake batter until it's nice and smooth. It will be noticeably thicker than usual cake batter.
Gently pour/scoop the batter into the prepared pan. You don't want to lose all the lightness you just beat into it, by being too rough at this point. :) Smooth out the surface of the batter and bake.
The box directions say to bake a 9x9 cake for 33-38 minutes. This will vary, depending on the altitude at which you live. If you have adjusted the temperature correctly for the type/color of pan you used, then the baking time should be close to what they suggest. I would check it a few minutes early, just to be on the safe side. (I used an 8x8 pan to bake my cake today)
Bake until the cake has started to pull away from the sides of the pan slightly, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If there is still gooey batter sticking to it, the cake needs more time. A gluten-free cake does not usually brown the same way a wheat-based cake does, but this one sure did. When this is done, it should be a nice golden brown color . If you press gently in the center, it should feel fairly firm. If it squishes, there's probably raw batter in the middle.
Let the cake sit in the pan for a few minutes, then turn it onto a cooling rack. If you used parchment paper, carefully peel it off. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Caramel Orange "Butter"cream Frosting
You can certainly make this just an orange frosting, which would be faster and easier. I do love the addition of the caramel, though. I used a homemade coconut-milk caramel. You may be able to find a ready-made dairy-free caramel, in larger towns than ours. Living in the "back of beyond," I am learning to make my own.
Here is what I did:
Coconut Caramel **totally dairy-free!!
**make ahead, so it's fully cooled when you use it
**be extremely careful when making caramel! Caramel burns are some of the absolute worst. It is like blistering-hot super-sticky glue. The only way to get it off is with very hot water, which would be agony on a burn. If I still had young kids at home, I would only do this when they were gone or sound asleep. You really have to give caramel close attention when it is cooking, and you really don't want any chance of tripping over a little person with a pan full of hot caramel! :)
1 can of full-fat coconut milk (the cans are usually around 15 ounces)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
I tried it with coconut sugar, and it worked pretty well. I do think it is better with a lighter sugar,
but it worked okay. With coconut sugar or dark brown sugar, you can't cook it quite as
long as with a lighter sugar. It can easily taste a little burnt. I think that in future, I'll go back to
using light brown sugar for this.
Put all ingredients in a small-to-medium, heavy-bottomed pan. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring several times so the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low, and cook until the mixture has darkened and reduced (thickened). Do not stir during the second part of the cooking. The recipe I started with said to cook for 20-30 minutes. With the coconut sugar I pulled it off at a little over 15 minutes and it still seemed a little dark. So- if you use a darker sugar, expect it to be done much sooner.
I learned a secret for this process, from Mary Berry on the Great British Bakeoff. (I love that show!) She said to listen to caramel; that it is very noisy to start with but suddenly gets more quiet when it is ready. The change is not quite so obvious with alternative caramel, but still helpful to know.
Making the "butter"cream frosting:
**totally dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, etc. etc.
**does contain nightshades, if you use the Earth Balance
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) Earth Balance soy-free "buttery sticks"- softened
2 Tablespoons Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening, softened
1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil
Zest of one medium-sized navel orange
1/2 cup-2/3 cup coconut caramel
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt
(I added several tablespoons of fresh orange juice, with was tasty, but made the frosting separate a bit. I then added a couple of tablespoons of tapioca starch, to counteract the splitting. It worked fairly well. In future, I'll try it with just the zest and see how that goes. This batch tasted good, but the texture might have been slightly better without the juice)
-Powdered sugar ~ probably about 2 cups
Most buttercream recipes call for at least 4 cups of powdered sugar. The result is far, far too sweet
for me! I always use much less. It can be tricky finding the right balance, so it doesn't seem like
you're just eating sweetened shortening. I start with about 2 cups, beat it in, then taste. If you want
it sweeter, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar at a time, until it hits the right balance for you.
**There are several organic powdered sugars out there. For our corn-free daughter, we find one of
the few organic brands that is also free of corn-starch. These tend to clump, so it's best to rub the
powdered sugar through a sieve before adding it.
The warm coconut oil and soft fats can make this pretty soft. Once it's beaten together, you can refrigerate it for a half hour to an hour, until it's a good consistency. If you want a lighter texture, you can beat it again once it has firmed up. If it gets too hard, just let it sit out at room temperature for fifteen minutes or so, until it's the right consistency for you.
For this cake, I just sliced it horizontally, spread a layer of frosting, added the top layer and spread frosting over the top. If I had wanted to do some decorative piping, I would have chilled the frosting again until it was a better consistency for piping.
I hope you enjoy experimenting with this! :)
Friday, April 13, 2018
Cinnamon Orange Walnut Pinwheel Biscuits
Like all of my recipes, these are a work in progress. Instead of waiting until I have them perfect (which may never happen) I'm sharing with you now, so you can enjoy them, too. :) I love these little bits of biscuity goodness! With my limited diet, it's especially nice to have a tasty treat now and then.
Cinnamon Orange Walnut Pinwheel Biscuits
Makes about a dozen biscuits ~ number varies, depending on how you assemble and cut them
-ahead of time, set out some butter-alternative to soften for the filling
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-line your baking sheet with parchment paper (not essential, but helpful)
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
~ whisk all dry ingredients until well mixed
Add:
1/2 cup fat of your choice (1 stick, if using "butter-style" margarine)
I've been using Earth Balance Soy-free sticks, which have worked well. Having recently
remembered that this has pea protein (which my body does not like), I am pondering what to use
to replace it. For now, I'm sharing this recipe as-is. Once I have a solution, I'll add updates.
1 Tablespoon Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening- gives a more "buttery" feel to the biscuits
It's important to have the fat cold, for biscuits. I take the Earth Balance straight from the fridge, cut it into chunks, then work the chunks into the dry ingredients with my hands. A pastry blender also works well. I've been using the Spectrum at room temperature, which has been working fairly well. It gets a little too hard if kept in the fridge.
~Work both fats into the dry ingredients. It's okay if there are still some smallish lumps of fat. It does not have to be a perfectly even texture.
Liquid:
two options:
1 cup plain vegan yogurt (I use SoDelicious coconut yogurt)
-or-
3/4 cup alternative milk (or a little more, if the dough is too dry)
I used Coconut Dream unsweetened original coconut milk
Whichever you choose, use a fork to stir the liquid into the dry ingredients, just until combined.
Turn the dough out onto a cutting board or counter that has been dusted with more of the millet flour-tapioca starch blend. Knead the dough together lightly and pat it out into a rough rectangle. Roll it gently until it is about 1/4" -3/8" thick, in a rectangle of about 9x12 inches.
Filling:
about 2 Tablespoons butter alternative, soft
I use Earth Balance soy-free stick margarine
cinnamon (maybe about a teaspoon~ adjust to your personal preference)
zest of 1 small orange
I use a small microplane grater to zest citrus, and it works very well
1/2 cup chopped or ground walnuts
I use my Pampered Chef nut grinder, on the coarse setting. You want these to be fairly small
pieces, as the dough is thin and fairly delicate
Gently spread the softened "butter" over the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon, orange zest, and walnuts. Of course, a sprinkle of sugar would be delicious, but I am really trying to cut back on sugar. It tasted just fine to me without the added sugar. If you do choose to add sugar, they may burn more quickly on the bottom, so watch carefully as they bake.
Gently roll dough into a "log." Whether you roll lengthwise or crosswise is purely personal preference. If you start with the long side, you'll have smaller pinwheels, but more of them. If you start with the short side, you'll have pinwheels that are larger in diameter and have more spirals, but fewer in number.
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into slices of about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Of course, all the variables of dough thickness, generosity of filling, direction of rolling, and thickness of the slices will determine how many you end up with. Carefully transfer slices to the lined baking sheet.
Leave a little space between them on the baking sheet, so they have a better chance of cooking through. I like dough, but doughy middles are a little unappetizing.
Bake:
-at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 20 minutes. I check mine at 15 minutes, just to be on the safe side. If your pinwheels are very petite, you might even check them at 12 minutes. They should be golden brown on the bottom, and cooked through the middle.
Transfer to a cooling rack, so the bottoms don't keep browning.
Cinnamon Orange Walnut Pinwheel Biscuits
Makes about a dozen biscuits ~ number varies, depending on how you assemble and cut them
-ahead of time, set out some butter-alternative to soften for the filling
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-line your baking sheet with parchment paper (not essential, but helpful)
Dry ingredients:
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
~ whisk all dry ingredients until well mixed
Add:
1/2 cup fat of your choice (1 stick, if using "butter-style" margarine)
I've been using Earth Balance Soy-free sticks, which have worked well. Having recently
remembered that this has pea protein (which my body does not like), I am pondering what to use
to replace it. For now, I'm sharing this recipe as-is. Once I have a solution, I'll add updates.
1 Tablespoon Spectrum palm-kernel oil shortening- gives a more "buttery" feel to the biscuits
It's important to have the fat cold, for biscuits. I take the Earth Balance straight from the fridge, cut it into chunks, then work the chunks into the dry ingredients with my hands. A pastry blender also works well. I've been using the Spectrum at room temperature, which has been working fairly well. It gets a little too hard if kept in the fridge.
~Work both fats into the dry ingredients. It's okay if there are still some smallish lumps of fat. It does not have to be a perfectly even texture.
Liquid:
two options:
1 cup plain vegan yogurt (I use SoDelicious coconut yogurt)
-or-
3/4 cup alternative milk (or a little more, if the dough is too dry)
I used Coconut Dream unsweetened original coconut milk
Whichever you choose, use a fork to stir the liquid into the dry ingredients, just until combined.
Turn the dough out onto a cutting board or counter that has been dusted with more of the millet flour-tapioca starch blend. Knead the dough together lightly and pat it out into a rough rectangle. Roll it gently until it is about 1/4" -3/8" thick, in a rectangle of about 9x12 inches.
Filling:
about 2 Tablespoons butter alternative, soft
I use Earth Balance soy-free stick margarine
cinnamon (maybe about a teaspoon~ adjust to your personal preference)
zest of 1 small orange
I use a small microplane grater to zest citrus, and it works very well
1/2 cup chopped or ground walnuts
I use my Pampered Chef nut grinder, on the coarse setting. You want these to be fairly small
pieces, as the dough is thin and fairly delicate
Gently spread the softened "butter" over the dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon, orange zest, and walnuts. Of course, a sprinkle of sugar would be delicious, but I am really trying to cut back on sugar. It tasted just fine to me without the added sugar. If you do choose to add sugar, they may burn more quickly on the bottom, so watch carefully as they bake.
Gently roll dough into a "log." Whether you roll lengthwise or crosswise is purely personal preference. If you start with the long side, you'll have smaller pinwheels, but more of them. If you start with the short side, you'll have pinwheels that are larger in diameter and have more spirals, but fewer in number.
Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into slices of about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Of course, all the variables of dough thickness, generosity of filling, direction of rolling, and thickness of the slices will determine how many you end up with. Carefully transfer slices to the lined baking sheet.
Leave a little space between them on the baking sheet, so they have a better chance of cooking through. I like dough, but doughy middles are a little unappetizing.
Bake:
-at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 20 minutes. I check mine at 15 minutes, just to be on the safe side. If your pinwheels are very petite, you might even check them at 12 minutes. They should be golden brown on the bottom, and cooked through the middle.
Transfer to a cooling rack, so the bottoms don't keep browning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)