What's Your Favourite Birthday Cake?

As children one of the usual questions leading up to your birthday is what kind of cake would you like. As adults we don't usually hear this question. The reason is either someone is picking up something they already know we like, or you are making your cake yourself. When living a gluten free life the choices for store bought cakes is slim and you usually need to reserve several days or weeks in advance. If you decide to take the time to do it yourself you have a few more options. 

When someone asks me what my favourite cake is I never really know how to answer. My favourite is whatever I am currently in the mood for. This year I was thinking about one of my favourite ice cream flavours, mint chocolate chip, and thought about how I could transform that into a cupcake.  

                                                 

I know that cupcakes are all the rage these days and cupcake shops are popping up all over the place, but I do love cupcakes for birthday parties. For children's parties they are so much more convenient than having to slice a cake while children are staring waiting for their piece. For adults it is the perfect portion of cake and it is easy to share with others so you don't end up eating a whole cake (or nearly) yourself. And when working in gluten free mode, cupcakes are easier to deal with than a whole cake. 

To make a Mint Chocolate Cupcake I used the ever so handy Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devils Food Cake mix. I made the cake mix into a batch of cupcakes, 18 in all, cooking them for 20 minutes or until the top of the cupcake springs back when touched. 

Once the cupcakes were cooled I made a batch of Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing that I created last year. I made it a little thinner than before and divided a little less than half into a small bowl and stirred in a couple drops of peppermint oil. I piped the filling into the centre of each cupcake. I then took the remaining icing and added 2 more cups of icing sugar and whipped it until light and fluffy. I piped the icing on top of each cupcake covering the filling. I topped the cupcake with a York Peppermint Bite cut in half. It was the perfect hint of mint in the middle of the cupcake. 

Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

4oz of plain cream cheese

2 Tbsp softened butter

1 Tbsp milk

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 cups icing sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Cream cheese and butter together, mix in milk. Sift in cocoa powder, salt and icing sugar. Blend until smooth, add vanilla at end. 

The original icing makes a thick, almost pudding consistency, if you like a fluffier icing add more icing sugar and milk until you get the consistency you desire. 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies and The Oats Debate

Oats are a contentious topic when speaking about gluten free living as many people think that to be gluten free they need to avoid oats. Oats themselves are gluten free, but are usually processed in a plant that processes other regular grains. This processing produces an oat that is cross contaminated with the gluten from the other grains. And while the oats should be safe they can cause no end of problems for someone who needs a gluten free lifestyle. Fortunately there are several options on the market for pure uncontaminated oats for those individuals who can tolerate oats. Some individuals still have difficulty digesting the pure oats, so oats should be excluded when starting a gluten free diet and reintroduced slowly to ensure you will not have issues with oats. 

Luckily I have no issue with oats as I love oatmeal cookies. I have been thinking about my favourite oatmeal cookie for a week now and I have some friends that I know will need a little treat tomorrow so I did a little baking. The recipe was originally adapted from a Company's Coming recipe in their Most Loved Treats cookbook. I first made the original recipe when I was visiting family in Calgary and have since adapted it to be gluten free and fit my tastes, a little less sugar than it calls for and different additions. My oatmeal cookies are big, soft, chewy cookies full of cashews and dark chocolate. The perfect treat in one big cookie. 

                                                        

Elizabeth's Dark Chocolate Cashew Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Oatmeal Chip Cookies 

Company's Coming - Most Loved Treats

1 cup butter softened

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 lg eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour mix

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 cups pure uncontaminated oats

1 cup dark chocolate chunks

1 1/2 cups chopped cashews

This recipe is best done in a stand mixture as it is a very stiff dough. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat.

Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl. Add to butter/sugar mixture and stir well. 

Add oats, chocolate chunks and cashews and mix until well blended. Drop 2-3 Tbsp balls of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet about 2-3 inches apart. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes rotating cookie sheet half way through. Let stand on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Tonight's Dinner (and Tomorrow's Lunch): Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Lately I have been craving lighter foods, probably because it has been so hot out. I usually do not feel much like cooking when it is super hot and humid, sometimes I really don't feel like eating. So lately I have been eating a lot of quinoa as it can be eaten either hot or cold as a salad and is not a heavy feeling meal.

One night when I was deciding what I would do with the quinoa I thought about a greek salad I used to make with rice and wondered if I could make it with quinoa. I really did not want to follow the real recipe as it contained a mayo dressing which I am trying to stay away from. I thought about a balsamic  dressing instead. So I took the cooled quinoa and added a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of black pepper. Then mixed the quinoa around till the balsamic was soaked into the quinoa. I chopped cucumber and tomatoes really small, cubed some feta, and chopped chives (you could use green onion, I just love chives) and added it to the balsamic quinoa. I let it sit for about a half hour for the flavours to mingle. It was really great with the chicken I made, it was even better the next day for lunch. 

Tonight I just ate the quinoa salad as my main course as it is a healthy, hearty meal without being heavy. It really does not need any meat to go with it as quinoa is a complete protein itself. My balsamic quinoa salad is very low fat as the only fat is a little olive oil in the cooking of the quinoa and the feta cheese. It is also full of vegetables. It is simple and can be changed in countless ways with whatever vegetables you like and have on hand. The best thing about it is it keeps exceptionally well and makes a fantastic lunch for the next few days. I have made it ahead some evenings without having it for dinner specifically to take to work for lunches the next couple days. 

Elizabeth's Balsamic Quinoa Salad

1/2 cup quinoa

1cup boiling water

1Tbsp olive oil

Cook quinoa according to directions on my posting How to Cook Quinoa without the chicken stock and bay leaf. Cool quinoa completely.

Add 2-3 Tbsp of a good balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of black pepper to taste and mix until completely absorbed. 

Add:

4 small/baby cucumbers (finely diced)

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (finely diced)

4 oz feta cheese (diced)

3 Tbsp of chopped chives (or green onions if you prefer)

Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 30 minutes for flavours to mingle and serve or portion out for future meals. 

                                                  

First Gluten Free Paying Customer

This weekend I had my first paying client for gluten free goodies. I was asked to make gluten free cupcakes for a baby shower for a co-worker who is gluten free and I was excited to help her celebrate in this way, even if I was not going to the shower. I have made goodies for co-workers before and I have taken them to potlucks and such, but I have never been paid for the work. The idea of being paid for my work came with new challenges. Every time I make something I put my whole heart into it and as a perfectionist I always scrutinize my work and want everything to be perfect. But this time was different as everything needed to be perfect. I did not want to have someone pay me for a product that was not perfect. 

Friday night I did a trial run to make sure the recipe was good and I had my baking time down so it would all go smoothly in the morning. I knew they would taste good as I have made the recipe as a cake before, just not cupcakes. I had a vision for the decorations and I really hoped it would work out as I wanted it to.

                                              

The only thing I worried about was how much to charge. I have tried to price homemade craft items before and failed. It can be tricky as you never really get the value of your time in a dollar amount, especially if it takes you a really long time to make something. You end up charging more than anyone would ever pay for something. I then decided it is just better to give crafty items as gifts, not sell them. But with baked goods there are so many on the market that I had a pretty good idea where to start at. I could not start myself at the top as this was my first experience, but I needed to cover my costs and make a little for my time. 

Everything worked out perfectly in the baking and decorating. I was very excited to find really cute cupcake boxes to transport my creations as I have transported cupcakes before with disastrous results and I needed them to arrive safely. I was very pleased with how the experience turned out and I really hope our Mommy-to-be enjoyed the cupcakes. 

                                               

                                               

Gluten Free Lemon Tarts

Today we had another bake sale at work and I yesterday morning I was home and bored so I thought I would bake something to bring to today's bake sale. I had some leftover lemon curd in the fridge and thought if I made a batch of pastry I could make mini lemon tarts. 

                                                

I used my Perfect Gluten Free Pastry recipe and rolled it into 1/2 inch balls and then rolled those out to 1/4" thick circles. I used my 1/2 cup stainless steel measuring cup to cut out circles that fit perfectly into my mini muffin pan. I fluted the edges of the circle as I worked the dough into the muffin cups to give the tarts a little personality. I chilled the tart shells in the freezer for a 5-10 minutes and when frozen I gave the tarts a twist in the pan to ensure they would not stick. I baked them for 15-20 minutes at 350, until they were golden brown. I then filled them with the leftover lemon curd that I had reheated in the microwave for a few minutes to make it fluid again. They were so nice and tart, just the perfect little treat. 

                                                 

     

Tonight's Dinner: Homemade Pasta

I have had the best day today.

Today I played in my kitchen and made fresh homemade gluten free pasta. I have wanted to try and make gluten free pasta myself for a long time. Yesterday at the grocery store all I could think about for dinner was lasagna. I used to make a killer lasagna with the fresh pasta sheets you can get at the grocery store, before going gluten free. Since then I have always made my lasagna with the brown rice noodles. They tend to soak up the sauce and usually end up overcooked in the lasagna and don't reheat very well. What I really wanted for dinner tonight was a lasagna I used to make, one that was very saucy. To do this I thought I would try and make my own gluten free pasta.

My Dining Room Table

It was so much easier than I thought it would be. I found a recipe online that had several reviews that seemed easy. The recipe called for differing amounts of gluten free flours, but since most of the amounts are close to what is in my all purpose mix, I changed the different flours and just used the total of my all purpose mix. I used my stand mixer because I do not own a food processor. I put the dry ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer and mixed the eggs and oil in a measuring cup and slowly incorporated the wet into the dry while the mixer was on low speed. I had to add more water (6 Tbsp) than the recipe called for to get a smooth consistency on the dough. It took me a little bit of time to knead the dough to make it smooth, but in the end it was all worth it.

Actually rolling out the dough was a little trickier. I did have the pasta attachments for my KitchenAid stand mixer, I had received them as a bonus when I bought it and thought they would never get used (boy was I wrong). The only thing I found was if the dough got even a little bit dry, it crumbled when going through the pasta roller. Cut the dough into 8 balls instead of 4 and keep the extra ones covered with a very damp towel. This will keep them moist for rolling. Flatten the balls with a rolling pin before starting on the widest setting. Roll out until setting 4 or 5 on the attachment worked best for lasagna sheets. I did not boil the noodles, just let them dry for 30 minutes and then layered them into my lasagna.

I will definitely be trying this again. I am not sure I can go back to brown rice noodles again for lasagna.

Gluten Free Fresh Pasta Recipe
Adapted from Posting By Carol Kicinski

Ingredients
2 cups plus 3 Tbsp of all purpose gluten free flour mix
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large eggs
2-4 tablespoons water

Directions
Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade or stand mixer with paddle attachment. Pulse several times to combine. Whisk the olive oil and eggs together in a spouted mixing cup or pitcher. With the machine running, slowly add the liquid ingredients to the dry. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until it starts to form into a dough. It should be pliable and just a tiny bit sticky, not sticky enough to stick to your hands. In a stand mixer it will look crumbly, but when you press it together it forms a ball.

Scrape the dough onto a work surface and knead a few times to smooth it out. Divide into 8 equal portions and roll into balls.

Flatten one ball at a time slightly with a rolling pin to help it through the pasta rollers. Run the dough, 1 ball at a time, through a pasta roller until desired thickness is achieved or roll between two sheets of plastic wrap until very thin. The thinner the pasta is rolled, the more tender it will be. Keep the other balls covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out. If rolling by hand, flip the plastic wrap and dough over several times while rolling. Occasionally, lift the top layer of plastic wrap and replace it to help keep the dough from sticking.

Pull off the top layer of plastic wrap and cut into the desired width. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

The pasta can be cooked immediately, laid out to dry a little (for up to an hour) or frozen. To freeze, place the pasta in an airtight container or plastic storage bag. Thaw for about 30 minutes before cooking.

To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir a time or two to keep from sticking and cook for 2 – 5 minutes, depending on the width and thickness. Do not over cook. Serve immediately.

This gluten free recipe makes 4 servings or enough for one large 4 layer lasagna.

The Very Best Banana Bread

Growing up there were always bananas in the house for breakfast and snacks. I learned early that I was not a huge fan of bananas. It took longer to figure out why I did not like bananas growing up. I discovered there is a very small window as to the ripeness of a banana that I will eat. It needs to be just shy of hard and green, with some green on the skin. I know this is weird, but if it gets even a bit too ripe I will not eat them. For the longest time I would not buy bananas as I knew that they would be too ripe before I could eat them all. So now if I buy bananas there is a good chance there will be extra bananas that are too ripe for me that end up in the freezer.

Today when I was checking the freezer trying to find something for dinner there were several frozen bananas that I needed to move to find the meat and so I decided to make banana bread. I have been experimenting for the longest time to find a really great gluten free banana bread recipe. I think I have finally found it. Originally the recipe came from Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook, by Robert M Landophi. I have played with the quantities and flours to make it a bit healthier and reduced the sugar. This recipe makes a very light and tender banana bread. It is not a heavy, dense bread like some gluten free recipes that I have tried. Very nice on it's own, without having to be toasted.

The Best Banana Bread

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup quinoa flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter, at room temp

3/4 cup white sugar

2 lg eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 med bananas)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x5" loaf pan with parchment or waxed paper.

In a bowl combine flours, xanthan gum, baking soda, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until thoroughly incorporated and then mix in the mashed banana. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Unmold and cool completely.

This recipe can also be made into 12 muffins, filling muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter and baking for 25-30 minutes.