This is a really special angel-food cake, perfect for the coming berry and fruit season. Tetra-pak egg whites make this easy and don’t leave you with a dozen lonely egg yolks yearning to be made into pudding.
2/3 cup sweet rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
12 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup sugar
Combine flours, 3/4 sugar, salt, and xanthan gum.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla and almond until quite stiff. While beating, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture by hand. Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan. Gently cut through the batter with a knife to break air bubbles.
Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes. Invert immediately on the top of a bottle. Allow to cool completely before turning out.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Everyday Apple Spice Cake
This is a sweet, spongy, puddingy cake good served with ice cream, whipped cream, or butterscotch sauce.
Instead of dried cranberries and/or nuts, it is also delicious with a handful or two of diced rhubarb, fresh or frozen cranberries, or wild blueberries folded into the batter.
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 large apples, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Fold in apples and nuts and cranberries (if desired).
Pour batter into a greased 8” square pan. Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done in the centre.
Instead of dried cranberries and/or nuts, it is also delicious with a handful or two of diced rhubarb, fresh or frozen cranberries, or wild blueberries folded into the batter.
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 large apples, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture. Fold in apples and nuts and cranberries (if desired).
Pour batter into a greased 8” square pan. Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tests done in the centre.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Like most cakes with fruit or vegetable content, carrot cake adapts very well to gluten-free flour. The carrot adds lots of moisture and evens out the texture. You can also add 2 tbsp flaxseed meal to the recipe. For a slightly lighter cake, there's always the option of separating the eggs, beating the whites until stiff, and folding them in after folding in the carrots.
Gluten-free carrot cake rises best (though still not hugely) in a sheet pan (9x13”) rather than a tube pan.
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups white sugar
2 rounded tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs and fold until just mixed. Fold in carrots. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake tests done. Allow to cool before icing.
Cream-Cheese Icing:
6 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tsp grated orange rind (optional)
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
Soften and blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and orange rind. Stir in icing sugar until smooth.
Gluten-free carrot cake rises best (though still not hugely) in a sheet pan (9x13”) rather than a tube pan.
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups white sugar
2 rounded tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots
Whisk together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs and fold until just mixed. Fold in carrots. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake tests done. Allow to cool before icing.
Cream-Cheese Icing:
6 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 tsp grated orange rind (optional)
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
Soften and blend cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and orange rind. Stir in icing sugar until smooth.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
New Zealand Nana's Pavlova
With summer (allegedly) on the way, with its bounty of fresh fruits and berries, what better than a meringue?
This antipodean recipe comes from my friend Mark's nana and makes enough for an army. Mark's nana used malt vinegar, but for a gluten-free version, balsamic vinegar adds a hint of lovely caramel colour and mild flavour. Mark was pleasantly surprised by how well Canadian wild blueberries matched the New Zealand pavlova.
6 egg whites
3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cold water
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cornstarch
Beat egg whites until stiff. Add water and beat again until stiff. Add sugar slowly, one spoon at a time; beat again. Sprinkle vinegar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch and beat again. Spread on parchment paper on a pan and bake at 300F for five minutes. Turn oven down to 200F for 2 hours. Turn off the oven, and if possible leave the pavlova in the oven overnight to dry out.
Serve topped with lots of whipped cream and fresh or frozen fruit (strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, or whatever suits your fancy). Allow to sit topped with cream and fruit for one hour before serving.
This antipodean recipe comes from my friend Mark's nana and makes enough for an army. Mark's nana used malt vinegar, but for a gluten-free version, balsamic vinegar adds a hint of lovely caramel colour and mild flavour. Mark was pleasantly surprised by how well Canadian wild blueberries matched the New Zealand pavlova.
6 egg whites
3 cups sugar
3 tbsp cold water
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cornstarch
Beat egg whites until stiff. Add water and beat again until stiff. Add sugar slowly, one spoon at a time; beat again. Sprinkle vinegar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch and beat again. Spread on parchment paper on a pan and bake at 300F for five minutes. Turn oven down to 200F for 2 hours. Turn off the oven, and if possible leave the pavlova in the oven overnight to dry out.
Serve topped with lots of whipped cream and fresh or frozen fruit (strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, or whatever suits your fancy). Allow to sit topped with cream and fruit for one hour before serving.
Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
These "muffins" are cupcakes, really. They adapted surprisingly well to gluten-free flours -- the rice flour makes them a little crisper on the edges, but it’s a nice texture. The recipe makes 9 full-size muffins. I'm not sure how well they keep -- they got eaten up too fast at the potluck we brought them to!
75 g cream cheese
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brown rice or amaranth flour (or a combination)
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
Beat cream cheese and 2 tbsp sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.
Combine flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, oil, and milk and whisk. Combine wet and dry ingredients with a light hand.
Spoon 2 tbsp chocolate batter into each of nine prepared muffin cups, drop 1 tsp cream cheese mixture on top, then cover with remaining chocolate batter.
Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
75 g cream cheese
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brown rice or amaranth flour (or a combination)
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
Beat cream cheese and 2 tbsp sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.
Combine flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, oil, and milk and whisk. Combine wet and dry ingredients with a light hand.
Spoon 2 tbsp chocolate batter into each of nine prepared muffin cups, drop 1 tsp cream cheese mixture on top, then cover with remaining chocolate batter.
Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
A vegetarian delight, featuring oh-so-good for you (oh-so-expensive) quinoa. The almonds are a must for texture. Select peppers that are shorter than they are long. They will sit more easily in the pan as they bake.
*I used canned tomatoes for convenience, and I drained the tomato juice, seeds and all, and used it, topped up with veggie stock, to cook the quinoa. This was delicious.
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, or a combination of vegetable stock and tomato juice
5-6 small- to medium-sized peppers -- all red, or a mix of red, green and/or other colours
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, diced
1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tbsp herbes de Provence
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced*
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup old Cheddar cheese, grated
Cook quinoa in vegetable stock until the water is absorbed and the disturbing little curlicues have emerged from the grains of quinoa. (A rice cooker works equally well for quinoa.) When cooked, pour the quinoa into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the tops off the red and green peppers. Discard seeds and core, and dice remaining tops.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add diced mushrooms, jalapeno pepper, and reserved diced pepper tops. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cook until vegetables are just tender.
Stir vegetable mixture, diced tomatoes, lemon juice, and toasted sliced almonds into the quinoa. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, reserving 1/4 cup to sprinkle on tops of peppers. Taste mixture and adjust seasonings.
Spoon mixture evenly into prepared peppers, mounding the mixture if necessary. Sprinkle each pepper with a little bit of reserved cheese. Place in 8" glass baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until peppers are almost tender. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes, until peppers are tender and topping is nicely browned.
Makes 5-6 servings.
*I used canned tomatoes for convenience, and I drained the tomato juice, seeds and all, and used it, topped up with veggie stock, to cook the quinoa. This was delicious.
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, or a combination of vegetable stock and tomato juice
5-6 small- to medium-sized peppers -- all red, or a mix of red, green and/or other colours
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups mushrooms, diced
1/2 to 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tbsp herbes de Provence
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced*
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup old Cheddar cheese, grated
Cook quinoa in vegetable stock until the water is absorbed and the disturbing little curlicues have emerged from the grains of quinoa. (A rice cooker works equally well for quinoa.) When cooked, pour the quinoa into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the tops off the red and green peppers. Discard seeds and core, and dice remaining tops.
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add diced mushrooms, jalapeno pepper, and reserved diced pepper tops. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cook until vegetables are just tender.
Stir vegetable mixture, diced tomatoes, lemon juice, and toasted sliced almonds into the quinoa. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, reserving 1/4 cup to sprinkle on tops of peppers. Taste mixture and adjust seasonings.
Spoon mixture evenly into prepared peppers, mounding the mixture if necessary. Sprinkle each pepper with a little bit of reserved cheese. Place in 8" glass baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until peppers are almost tender. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes, until peppers are tender and topping is nicely browned.
Makes 5-6 servings.
Gluten-Free Multigrain and Seed Loaf
This is the opposite end of the spectrum from fluffy, light white bread with a chewy crust. The loaf is dense and moist, full of smooth seeds, slightly chewy on the inside with a "biscuity" crust. I want to call it "European," but I'm not sure why! This is the kind of bread you want to eat warm with cheese or honey or jam. If you use this bread for a sandwich, use it when it is fresh and top it with bright, crisp flavours -- cheese and whole-seed mustard and lots of sprouts and grated carrot and slices of tomato and cucumber.
I don't have an adequate test for the "doneness" of gluten-free yeast bread. I've tried a thump on the bottom, but I can't get an accurate reading from it. I've tried a poke in the centre with a cake tester, but I don't trust the results -- it's not enough confirmation of doneness when the tester comes back clean. Sadly, I've often ended up cutting the loaf in half when I'm pretty sure it's done, looking at the middle, and putting it back in the oven if it's too gooey. This ruins the middle two pieces, but it's better than ruining the whole loaf, and I find if I eat the middle bits right away, as soon as the bread has cooled a bit, I am not disappointed. Be sure to note the correct cooking time for the loaf for your oven, and this should save you some work if you try the recipe a second time.
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Additional seeds for topping, if desired.
Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan.
Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine brown rice flour, amaranth flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, whole flaxseeds, sesame seeds, xanthan gum, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
Using an electric mixer, beat warm milk and butter into the flour mixture. Add egg and vinegar and beat again. Add yeast and water mixture and continue beating until well-combined. The dough will be heavy and moist.
Press into the prepared loaf pan, evening out the top. Sprinkle the top with additional sunflower, flax, or sesame seeds, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the bread. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough creeps to the top of the pan, about one hour.
Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Turn out on a rack to cool, and slice when cool enough to handle, but still warm. Serve fresh, if possible. Keep leftovers well-sealed in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Makes 1 loaf.
I don't have an adequate test for the "doneness" of gluten-free yeast bread. I've tried a thump on the bottom, but I can't get an accurate reading from it. I've tried a poke in the centre with a cake tester, but I don't trust the results -- it's not enough confirmation of doneness when the tester comes back clean. Sadly, I've often ended up cutting the loaf in half when I'm pretty sure it's done, looking at the middle, and putting it back in the oven if it's too gooey. This ruins the middle two pieces, but it's better than ruining the whole loaf, and I find if I eat the middle bits right away, as soon as the bread has cooled a bit, I am not disappointed. Be sure to note the correct cooking time for the loaf for your oven, and this should save you some work if you try the recipe a second time.
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 cup lukewarm milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Additional seeds for topping, if desired.
Lightly grease a 9x5" loaf pan.
Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water. Sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine brown rice flour, amaranth flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, whole flaxseeds, sesame seeds, xanthan gum, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
Using an electric mixer, beat warm milk and butter into the flour mixture. Add egg and vinegar and beat again. Add yeast and water mixture and continue beating until well-combined. The dough will be heavy and moist.
Press into the prepared loaf pan, evening out the top. Sprinkle the top with additional sunflower, flax, or sesame seeds, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the bread. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough creeps to the top of the pan, about one hour.
Preheat oven to 375F. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Turn out on a rack to cool, and slice when cool enough to handle, but still warm. Serve fresh, if possible. Keep leftovers well-sealed in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Makes 1 loaf.
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