Archive for Desserts

Delicious Banana Bread

06/29/2011 at 11:02 pm · Filed under Breakfast, Desserts, Quick Bread ·Tagged , ,

It’s been a while…I know.  Pregnancy and working at 4 am most mornings kept me busy and so tired.  Now that that phase is over I am planning on resuming!

This recipe is a sure winner!  It’s light, flavorful, and low fat.  And best of all it’s gluten and dairy free!  I like to keep quick breads on hand for a fast breakfast or a not too sweet snack.

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup Better Batter Flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 8×4 inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl combine banana, baking soda, and applesauce.  Set aside.

Next combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  In another bowl, use your mixer to beat the egg, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy.  Add in the banana mixture and mix until well combined.  Lastly dump the flour mixture in and stir just until moistened.

Scoop into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

I covered the bread with foil for the last 10 minutes or so of baking so that it would not get overly browned on top.

This is a great recipe to use your toaster oven with!  Since you might not want to heat up your entire kitchen.

If you want to make this extra special add in some chocolate chips or chopped nuts.

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Peach n’ Blueberry Cobbler

10/06/2010 at 5:13 pm · Filed under Breakfast, Desserts ·Tagged , ,

My recent habit is to consume before I manage to snap a picture, like with the banana bread.  To my defense, I used the camera battery up on my darling little girl and promptly forgot to charge it.

Yesterday it felt more like fall around here since it rained and stayed in the low 70s.  I joyfully made a large pot of chili (my first of the season), corn bread muffins, and a light side salad.  And for dessert…this wonderful cobbler for me and my love.  Something about the change in the seasons gives us a fresh start and zest for life.  No matter where I am I always cherish the delights a new season brings, and fall happens to be my favorite!

Nothing is cozier than smelling the wonderful fragrances of baking fruit and sweet cinnamon!

Peach n’ Blueberry Cobbler

2 ripe peaches peeled and sliced

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tbs Better Batter Flour

2 tbs brown sugar (or more if your fruit is tart)

Topping:

1/3 cup Better Batter GF flour

1/3 cup GF quick cooking oats (I use McCann’s)

couple dashes cinnamon

3 tbs butter flavored crisco

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tbs sugar

Combine the fruit and sprinkle the flour and sugar over the fruit.  Stir gently to coat.

Next, in another bowl  combine flour and oats along with cinnamon, sugar and baking powder.  Mix and cut in Crisco until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Now for this next step I assembled the cobbler in two 4 in sized ramekins.  (Since it makes a lovely to servings for you and a friend!).  I just divided the fruit up and sprinkled the topping on top.  Voila!  You are done!

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden on top!

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Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse

09/21/2010 at 9:22 pm · Filed under Desserts ·Tagged , ,

I know that it’s been a while…lots has been going on, including sickness.  Now that all is well with the family I am able to divide my attention a little more.

I came upon this recipe from a fellow blogger.  Since going dairy free I have missed the creamy goodness of chocolate ice cream or mousse.  This recipe has satisfied this craving amazingly!!  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

This recipe comes from the blog Book of Yum.  Here is the original recipe.  I modified it slightly to fit my personal preferences.

1 ripe avocado

1-2 tbsp water

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/4 c. agave

Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary.  You can make this in the blender but you will probably will have to stop and scrape down the sides to ensure an even puree.

I have made this recipe by adding hazelnut liquor and reduce the water.  Very tasty!  I also have made this using confectioner’s sugar when I ran out of agave, just add enough water to get the consistency you want.  Once I added coffee flavor by adding half a package of Starbucks Via instant coffee.  It gave the mousse a lovely mocha flavor.  I have also successfully used half agave and half honey.  Find your favorite combination and let me know in the comment section.

You can see the sun glistening of this delightful treat!  It’s so creamy and good no one will ever be able to guess what it is made from!

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Birthday Baby

07/31/2010 at 7:57 am · Filed under Desserts ·Tagged ,

The cake turned out beautifully.  Just what I was hoping to get.  At Baby Lu’s party we invited a few of our closest friends, “aunts and uncles” to Lu.  We had a great time and she loved all the attention!

I have a confession to make…I tried making this cake with agave.  It didn’t work.  I was sad but I wanted a good tasting cake not a hard flat thing.  So I remade the cake with only hours to spare.  I sure was glad that I had made the flowers ahead of time!

So this is the recipe that I used.

Chocolate Banana Cake:

2 cups granulated white sugar

1 3/4 cups Better Batter GF flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 mashed ripe banana

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven.  Grease two 8 in round cake pans.  Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. You will notice that the batter is quite thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost with icing of choice.

Serves 16 people.


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A new way to use a mix

07/27/2010 at 9:25 pm · Filed under Desserts, Muffins ·Tagged ,

Life just got busier!  My little girl turned one, we had parties, and I started working away from home.  The last week has been a game of getting ready for one event and catching up on things left to the wayside.

I do want to share a delicious recipe that will work when time is short.  It start by using a convenient pancake mix that can be purchased at Trader Joe’s.  Enjoy!

Blueberry Cake Muffins

1 Trader Joe’s GF Pancake Mix

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 c. milk (almond milk or rice milk)

¼ c. applesauce

¾ c. sugar

2 tbs. oil

1 c. blueberries

Grease 16 muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium size bowl combine Pancake Mix with baking powder.  Make a well in center of flour mixture and add in the rest of the ingredients, except blueberries.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).  Fold in blueberries

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

Makes 16 muffins

Stay tuned for pictures of the Birthday cake!

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Oh my…

07/17/2010 at 10:50 am · Filed under Desserts, Information ·Tagged ,

My wonderful husband got out early today to get a few things done, which left Baby Lu and I without a car.  Not a problem since I didn’t have too much on the agenda for today, until I discovered that we were out of milk and out of half and half.  Quite a little problem for me since I love my coffee in the morning with some kind of dairy in it.  I decided to take a walk with Baby Lu to the grocery store since it is only about a 15 minute walk.

We got out early, and boy it still was hot, over 90 degrees!  I sure was glad to get into that air conditioned store.

On my way through the last aisle I picked up a small container of plain yogurt for Lu.  She was getting impatient so I handed her the container and off we went to the checkout line.

Now mind you she was in our jogging stroller, and I could not see her.  I nearly forgot to pay for the yogurt and looked under the canopy expecting to find it on the side, forgotten and uninterested.  Instead…I found her eating it!  She had somehow managed to open the container and was dipping her hand in and scooping up mouthfuls.  I stared at her in shock, she grinned while she said, “mmmm, mmmm…mmmm.”

To say it was a mess would be an understatement.  It was ALL over her and the stroller.  Her hands, face, legs, and (previously clean) shirt were covered with the white goo.

Of course, I didn’t bring the diaper bag because it was supposed to be a “quick trip.”   I was mortified as I still had to pay for the groceries while lots of people where walking by laughing or shaking their heads.

Oh my…

Trying to get more at home

On to some food…

I don’t know about you but this heat does not make me want to be in an even hotter kitchen.  For meals we have been using our wonderful grill.  Grilled chicken thighs, thin steaks and fresh vegetables have been our plates this week.

I did however get started on Lu’s Birthday cake.  With less than a week away and a busy week ahead of us I wanted to get started on the flowers that will adorn her cake.  I picked up these darling plates and Birthday themed decorations and I thought it would be cute to have the cake be matching the already whimsical theme.

Sugar flowers, if done correctly, will last a very long time.  I didn’t want to bother with buttercream on the day of the party if it is going to be hot.

I made a simple royal frosting using meringue powder.

3 tbs meringue powder

1 lb confectioners’ sugar

5-6 tbs lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients.  Mix 7-10 minutes at medium speed until icing loses its sheen.

I then tinted the frosting bright colors to make my whimsical flowers.

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Berry Pie

07/11/2010 at 10:32 pm · Filed under Desserts, Information ·Tagged , ,

We only have a short season where fresh berries are available to us.  And with this small window I love using them in a variety of ways.

How many of us, since becoming gluten free, have not had a decent homemade pie?  Well this time you no longer need to pine…this pie is every bit as flaky and tender as any glutenous pie out there.

The ingredients are simple…berries, sugar, and flour.  I used a mixture between blueberries and strawberries because that is what I had on hand.  About 4 cups total.

1/4 cup Better Batter flour

1/2 cup sugar or agave (more or less depending on how sweet the berries are)

Really the secret is the crust…which I am not going to post here.  I do however, offer a cooking class on mastering gluten free pie crust.

Trust me you will not be disappointed!

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Which cake?

07/07/2010 at 12:14 pm · Filed under Desserts, Information ·Tagged

Alright everyone, cast in your vote…

My little girl is soon turning one and I am having a dilemma with the cake.

I have narrowed it down to a Strawberry Cake or a Chocolate Banana Cake.

The winning recipe will be posted here so you can share in the goodness.

The recipe will be made with real fruit, no artificial sugar, and be GF/CF

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Oreos

07/06/2010 at 3:44 pm · Filed under Cookies, Desserts, Information ·Tagged , , ,

Before you get too excited…I am not posting a recipe for homemade gluten free oreos.  To be honest I have never attempted to make them, probably because I would end up eating most of them in one sitting…

I just acquired my first package of Kinnitoos, made by Kinnikinnick.  They are a faux “chocolate sandwich creme”  to mimic the popular glutenous Oreo cookie.

I have to say, about 4 years ago Oreos were a delight to my soul.  I LOVED eating them, especially with milk.  And in the last 4 years I have not had any, even a gf version that was close.

I opened the package with glee and looked at the beautiful rows with eager anticipation.  I took a bite and…don’t get me wrong they ARE good.  But not as good as my memory recalls.

I started thinking about this little predicament…could it be that in my mind I have held these chocolate sandwich delights as something more grand than they actually are?  If I could eat Oreos would they still be my favorite, now 4 years later?  Or have I held on to the memory so closely, and secretly pined for this cookie, simply because it was in the forbidden category?

I have learned, in the last 4 years, that nothing is good enough to cheat for- because the results are always worse than the momentary delight.  That I can make anything that I want to eat and find it just as satisfying.


So, Kinnikinik’s “Oreos” are good!  My gluten eating husband says they taste, “just like Oreos.”  So, you won’t be disappointed with this GF/CF, egg free version.

I personally like them cold/frozen better.

Let me know if you have had these before or found a similar product that is just as good.

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Strawberry Shortcake bliss

07/02/2010 at 10:31 pm · Filed under Desserts ·Tagged ,

You know it is strawberry season when you can smell the rich aroma of these delightful berries in the air.  While walking through a farmers market I could not get enough of the wonderful fragrance freshly picked strawberries give off.  It was not a hard decision to purchase a bunch…but how to use them so their flavor would remain as light and sweet as the natural berry itself.

Normally strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit “cake” bottom.  However, a biscuit requires a lot of butter to achieve that flakey and moist texture that we all love.  I decided to go with something lighter.  So I revamped my favorite and most used recipe.  I also opted to bake it in a small round cake pan instead of doing the traditional individual “biscuits.”

The recipe was a success!  I hope your family finds it every bit as delightful as mine did!

1 1/3 c.Better Batter gf flour

3 tbsp sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs cold butter, cut in pieces

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. applesauce

Chopped fresh strawberries

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Pour in the milk and applesauce and stir with a fork to form a soft dough.  Spread into an ungreased 8-in round cake pan.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until top and edges are golden brown.  Cool slightly and cut into wedges.

Serve with fresh strawberries and ice cream or whipped cream.

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