Early in my married life, I would delight in the sweet treats made by a family friend. One of these was Banana Cake. She gave me the recipe and I typed it onto an index card and put it in a little picture album where it has remained to this day. Actually, it is the only recipe from my early days that I still use on a regular basis. Upon going gluten-free, I knew this was one thing I would NOT be giving up so I tried it, substituting regular flour for my gluten-free blend, and it turned out great! So anytime you've got some leftover bananas that are past that "just right to eat" stage, bake up this yummy dessert.
Laura's Banana Cake
1 1/2 C sugar
2/3 C butter or butter substitute
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 C sour milk*
1 t vanilla
2 C gluten free flour**
1/2 t xanthan gum or ground flax seed
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C smashed bananas
Glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 T butter
1 t vanilla
Sour cream (start with a couple tablespoons and add more as needed)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl (I use the measuring cup I used to measure the milk), smash bananas until there are no more large chunks. In yet another bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients alternately with bananas, ending with flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out dry. While your cake is baking, mix up glaze and refrigerate until your ready to use. When mixing glaze, you want a loose consistency. This is not a thick icing. If you are using a thick sour cream (I use yogurt in a pinch), you can use milk after the initial sour cream to loosen it up a bit. Once your cake is completely cool, pour on glaze, spread over entire cake and sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. I'll post a picture the next time I make it.
*If you don't have any sour milk, sour milk by adding 1 t of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk. Any type of milk will work. I usually use almond or goat. You can also add a little yogurt or kefir to the milk instead. In a pinch, I have used yogurt instead of the milk.
** I make my own GF all purpose flour by combining 48oz of
brown rice flour, 24oz potato starch and 24oz tapioca starch. For a lighter blend, add an additional 24oz of starch. Mix well and store in an air tight container.
Printable Version: Laura's Banana Cake
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chip cookies evoke memories of lazy childhood days, baking cookies and gobbling them up the minute they came out of the oven. Hot and gooey and just right with a glass of milk. Gluten free chocolate chip cookies can be a bit of a challenge, that is until you discover the secret to perfect, just like wheat, chocolate chip cookies. Coconut Flour! The great thing about coconut flour is that you don't have to use xanthan gum, that ingredient that newbie GF bakers seldom have and for others, the nemesis ingredient that causes stomach problems almost equal to a gluten attack. Here is our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, courtesy of Let's Do...Organic Coconut Flour. We have made only a few little changes.
3/4 cup + 2 T brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
8 T butter or non-dairy alternative (we sometimes use coconut oil)
1 cup organic sugar (or 1/2 cup white + 1/2 cup brown)
1 egg or egg substitute
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts or pecan pieces (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend together butter and sugar until fluffy and well mixed. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter/egg mixture until smooth and well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop the dough by spoonful onto pre-greased cookie sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-12 minutes or until brown around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Makes 24 cookies.
*The cookies pictured above were made with coconut oil. They do bake up a little differently but are just as good! Enjoyed them with a glass of unsweetened, original almond milk for a dairy-free delight!
The original recipe does not include salt. These just aren't the same without it. Also, we don't use as much sugar as the recipe calls for. These are still plenty sweet with 3/4 cup of sugar. We also use about 1/2 the chocolate chips, more like 1/2 cup, sometimes a little more, depending on your chocolate craving that day!
Printable recipe here: Printable Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup + 2 T brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
8 T butter or non-dairy alternative (we sometimes use coconut oil)
1 cup organic sugar (or 1/2 cup white + 1/2 cup brown)
1 egg or egg substitute
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts or pecan pieces (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend together butter and sugar until fluffy and well mixed. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter/egg mixture until smooth and well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop the dough by spoonful onto pre-greased cookie sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-12 minutes or until brown around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Makes 24 cookies.
*The cookies pictured above were made with coconut oil. They do bake up a little differently but are just as good! Enjoyed them with a glass of unsweetened, original almond milk for a dairy-free delight!
The original recipe does not include salt. These just aren't the same without it. Also, we don't use as much sugar as the recipe calls for. These are still plenty sweet with 3/4 cup of sugar. We also use about 1/2 the chocolate chips, more like 1/2 cup, sometimes a little more, depending on your chocolate craving that day!
Printable recipe here: Printable Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Best Gluten-Free Cornbread Ever!
Ingredients:
2 cup gf flour*
1 cup organic yellow cornmeal
½ cup organic sugar
½ t salt
½ t xanthan gum
1 T baking powder
2 (farm fresh or cage-free) eggs
1 ½ cup organic milk**
½ cup vegetable oil + 2 T for pan
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place cast iron skillet*** in oven to heat as
oven preheats. About 5 minutes before
the oven reaches 400 degrees, add a couple tablespoons of oil to the skillet
and return to oven until desired temperature is reached.
2. In a large bowl,
combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix milk, egg and
oil. Stir wet ingredients into the dry
ingredients until well combined. Remove
skillet from oven, twirling around to make sure oil has coated entire bottom,
and pour batter into skillet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until
toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Notes:
*I make my own GF all purpose flour by combining 48oz of
brown rice flour, 24oz potato starch and 24oz tapioca starch. Mix well and store in an air tight container.
**I prefer to use sour milk.
You can make sour milk by simply mixing in a teaspoon of lemon juice or
vinegar to whatever milk you are using or use that milk that has started to go
bad! I have used cow, goat and almond
milk, all with great success. We prefer
goat.
***If you do not have a cast iron skillet, spray or lightly
grease a 9 inch round cake pan and do not preheat the pan.
Click here for printable version: Printable Best GF Cornbread Ever!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Brioche
I know most people are over their pumpkin pie cravings by now but for me, if it's cool outside, then it's still pumpkin baking time inside. This is another recipe inspired by Healthy Bread in 5. I made their Pumpkin Pie Brioche for the veggie co-op to rave reviews. However, I had already gone gluten-free by that time and never got to taste it. I determined that I would come up with a gluten-free version so I could see what all the hype was about. I ended up making it 2 ways...a regular gf pumpkin pie brioche and a gf pumpkin pie brioche with candied pecans. Yes...yes, I did say candied pecans and they are even better than you are imagining! The regular makes great toast and even better french toast. I also imagine it would make a really good bread pudding (I'm thinking with eggnog and rum). The one with the candied pecans is great just by itself with a nice hot cup of tea, with cream and sugar, of course.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Brioche (adapted from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day)
820 g or 6 1/2 Cups all purpose gf blend (or equal parts sorghum, tapioca*, potato)
2 T or 1/2 t yeast**
1 T kosher salt
2 T xanthan gum
3 t pumpkin pie spice (or 2 t cinnamon, 1 t ground ginger, 1 t nutmeg)
1 1/4 cup milk (I use almond) or water
3 T dry milk powder (if using water)
4 large eggs
1/2 to 1 cup sugar, honey, agave (depending on how sweet you want this)
3/4 cup neutral flavored oil or melted unsalted butter
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top
*If you use or have Expandex on hand, substitute 1/2 the tapioca for Expandex
**If you want this now, use 2T yeast and you'll have bread in a few hours. If you prefer to do a slow rise, use 1/2 t yeast and let sit out overnight, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or bake immediately.
Whisk together your dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (flour, yeast, salt, xanthan gum, spices, sugar, if using, dry milk powder, if using).
Combine liquid ingredients (eggs, honey, if using, oil) with the pumpkin puree and slowly pour into the dry ingredients. Mix with stand mixer with paddle attachment until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover (not air tight) and allow dough to rest for 2 hours if using 2T yeast or for 8-12 hours if using 1/2 t yeast.
When you are ready to bake, grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch nonstick loaf pan (or how ever many loaves you are making. I usually do all my baking at once to save on electricity as the baked loaves freeze well, just pre-slice.) Measure out 1.5lbs of dough into each pan. Smooth out the top of each loaf and cover and allow to rest for 90 minutes, if using refrigerated dough, or 40 minutes if using fresh dough. (I put mine in the microwave with a steaming cup of water.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Just before baking, sprinkle the top of each loaf with the raw sugar. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The loaf is done when caramel brown and firm. Remove from oven and allow to sit in pan for 10 minutes (really...don't try to take it out earlier. Set your timer for 10 minutes and then when it goes off, remove your bread, right then, don't get distracted and forget. Too soon or too late and you will have a hard time getting that bread out!) then remove to a rack. Allow to cool before slicing and eating.
**Variation** Pumpkin Pie Brioche with Candied Pecans
To make the candied pecans, in a nonstick saucepan heat 3 T butter, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 C sugar and 1 C of chopped pecans over medium heat for about 8 min until thick and bubbly. Spread out on a silicone mat or piece of parchment and cool in the fridge. Once cool, separate into little pieces and divide into 3 equal batches (I usually weigh out the whole batch and then divide equally). If you don't use this all at once, store in the fridge or freezer (just don't eat it all before you bake the rest of your dough!)
When your dough is ready, measure out .75lbs of dough into the pan. Take 1/2 of one of the batches and sprinkle on dough. Gently press down then put in the other .75lbs of dough. Sprinkle the other 1/2 of the batch on top, then press and cover with dough. Most of the candy should be under the dough. I usually do not add additional sugar to the top of the loaf when I bake it.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Brioche (adapted from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day)
820 g or 6 1/2 Cups all purpose gf blend (or equal parts sorghum, tapioca*, potato)
2 T or 1/2 t yeast**
1 T kosher salt
2 T xanthan gum
3 t pumpkin pie spice (or 2 t cinnamon, 1 t ground ginger, 1 t nutmeg)
1 1/4 cup milk (I use almond) or water
3 T dry milk powder (if using water)
4 large eggs
1/2 to 1 cup sugar, honey, agave (depending on how sweet you want this)
3/4 cup neutral flavored oil or melted unsalted butter
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top
*If you use or have Expandex on hand, substitute 1/2 the tapioca for Expandex
**If you want this now, use 2T yeast and you'll have bread in a few hours. If you prefer to do a slow rise, use 1/2 t yeast and let sit out overnight, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or bake immediately.
Whisk together your dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (flour, yeast, salt, xanthan gum, spices, sugar, if using, dry milk powder, if using).
Combine liquid ingredients (eggs, honey, if using, oil) with the pumpkin puree and slowly pour into the dry ingredients. Mix with stand mixer with paddle attachment until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cover (not air tight) and allow dough to rest for 2 hours if using 2T yeast or for 8-12 hours if using 1/2 t yeast.
When you are ready to bake, grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch nonstick loaf pan (or how ever many loaves you are making. I usually do all my baking at once to save on electricity as the baked loaves freeze well, just pre-slice.) Measure out 1.5lbs of dough into each pan. Smooth out the top of each loaf and cover and allow to rest for 90 minutes, if using refrigerated dough, or 40 minutes if using fresh dough. (I put mine in the microwave with a steaming cup of water.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Just before baking, sprinkle the top of each loaf with the raw sugar. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The loaf is done when caramel brown and firm. Remove from oven and allow to sit in pan for 10 minutes (really...don't try to take it out earlier. Set your timer for 10 minutes and then when it goes off, remove your bread, right then, don't get distracted and forget. Too soon or too late and you will have a hard time getting that bread out!) then remove to a rack. Allow to cool before slicing and eating.
**Variation** Pumpkin Pie Brioche with Candied Pecans
To make the candied pecans, in a nonstick saucepan heat 3 T butter, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 C sugar and 1 C of chopped pecans over medium heat for about 8 min until thick and bubbly. Spread out on a silicone mat or piece of parchment and cool in the fridge. Once cool, separate into little pieces and divide into 3 equal batches (I usually weigh out the whole batch and then divide equally). If you don't use this all at once, store in the fridge or freezer (just don't eat it all before you bake the rest of your dough!)
When your dough is ready, measure out .75lbs of dough into the pan. Take 1/2 of one of the batches and sprinkle on dough. Gently press down then put in the other .75lbs of dough. Sprinkle the other 1/2 of the batch on top, then press and cover with dough. Most of the candy should be under the dough. I usually do not add additional sugar to the top of the loaf when I bake it.
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