Life, Gluten Free

Grain Free Apple Cider Donuts

Ingredients:

2 cups Organic Apple Cider

1 1/4 cups Cassava Flour

1/3 cup Organic Cane Sugar 

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoons Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 eggs

3 tablespoons Avocado Oil

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:

Measure out 2 cups of the organic apple cider and simmer in a sauce pan over medium heat for about 15 minutes. This will reduce it and concentrate the flavors. Once reduced, measure out 1 cup and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin spice and salt).

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, 1 cup reduced apple cider, avocado oil and vanilla.

Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry. Add the apple cider vinegar as you do this, and mix until well combined.

Grease a donut pan with avocado oil. I use this silicone donut pan.

Use a spoon and evenly distribute the batter into each donut mold. This makes 6 donuts using the pan I have.

Bake donuts for about 15 minutes, until just golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean.

Remove the donuts and let them cool on a plate or a cooling rack.

Whisk the apple cider glaze ingredients together. Once the donuts are still just a bit warm, you can dip the tops into the glaze. 

Apple Cider Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup Powdered Sugar

2 tablespoons Organic Apple Cider

1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

We've also made these donuts and dipped them in a homemade marshmallow glaze!

Photo below. We hope you enjoy these grain free donuts.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (dairy-free, nut-free)

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This cake is essentially my pumpkin spice cake recipe, which can be found here. Except in boxed form! I spotted a gluten free non-gmo pumpkin cake mix at the store a while back. I decided to buy it just for a time when maybe I needed to make something quickly. Well that time came sooner than later! 

My daughter needed a couple of treats to bring to her homeschool program this week since there are a few birthday celebrations. I decided to go ahead and try out the mix I bought: Sun Flour Mills Pumpkin Cake Mix. 

I have to say, this is probably the first box mix that I was pleased with. Granted, I've only ever tried maybe three or four mixes.

I would definitely buy it again to have on hand for those moments when you need something quick.

So here's what I did:

I followed the directions on the box and combined all the ingredients (including 3 organic eggs) and I used an electric hand mixer to blend everything well. One thing I did add extra was more pumpkin spice (by Spicely) because we like a lot of spice.

This makes a lot of cake! My daughter wanted cupcakes, because who doesn't? I only have one cupcake pan that makes 12 cupcakes. This mix states it makes 32 cupcakes. So I used a round cake pan for the rest of the batter.

*One thing to note about this mix is that it rises pretty high. My cupcakes almost overflowed, which resulted in some crispy edges that my daughter really enjoyed.

Frosting:

1/2 cup softened butter (I used organic earth balance)

8 oz softened cream cheese (I used daiya dairy-free cream cheese)

2 cups organic powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine and beat on low speed until light and fluffy.

Tip: Have a cute helper assist you with the icing of the cupcakes!

 

Sophie's New Years Cake

Sophie's New Years Cake (Vanilla Pound Cake)

NO: gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, soy

Ingredients:
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup white or brown rice flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/3 cup organic sucanat (or sweetener of choice)

2 1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 cups of water (added to pureed banana)

Egg Replacing Ingredients (or use 2-3 eggs)

1 cup pureed banana

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon egg replacer

Preparation:

Add flour ingredients to one bowl. In another bowl, mix the sugar and oil ingredients. Mix together the egg replacing ingredients in a bowl of its own. Start to add the sugar and egg replacing ingredients to the dry ingredients. Blend using a mixer.

Add mix to two round cake pans or pans of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for about 40 minutes. Remember: every oven is different. Use a tooth pick or sharp fork to test to make sure the cake is done.

Coconut Vanilla Icing:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut butter

2 tablespoons raw honey

Preparation:

1 teaspoon vanilla powder (or use vanilla extract)

Soften the raw honey, coconut oil and coconut butter.

Add vanilla powder (optional or replace with other extract of choice).

Beat until creamy with a whisk.

Be sure cake is cool before slathering with the icing and enjoy!

*We sometimes use Artisana Coconut Butter, as linked above. But we often use our high powered tribest blender and blend shredded coconut to a butter consistency, which is what we did for this recipe. We also wrote the recipe after we made the icing, so pay attention while making the recipe and adjust if needed.

The cake was a hit! I hope you try it soon!

-heather

Coffee Cake Cobbler

Coffee Cake Cobbler
NO: gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin or 1/2 cup ground bananas (or a combination of the two)

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons egg replacer

1 teaspoon xantham gum

1/4 teaspoons himalayan salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)

Preparation:

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. 

Blend the wet ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Use an 8x4 pan greased with coconut oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend with a hand mixer.

It is going to be somewhat dry, it will not be like a cake batter.

You may need to add a bit of liquid (water or coconut milk) but expect the batter to be somewhat thick and sticky.

Spread the batter into the pan. 

Take chopped fruit (we used apricots) and put on the top of the batter.

Press into the batter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes until done.

We sprinkled some rice flakes (kind of looks like oatmeal) on a few of them but they mostly got crispy. They look neat though!

Enjoy!

-heather

Coconut Cake - Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free!

 

 

A new year's hopes unfolding,

as the winds of change come in

to gently brush the trees and awaken

the sprouts of spring.

 

And as the wind begins to slow

and fade away, with it, it gently

takes fragments of the past.

 

What is left are gentle hopes for

the new year intertwined with memories

of the last.

 

Sprouts of hope,

memories to last,

and the desires of things yet to be.

 

 

Coconut Cake 

NO: gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs 

Ingredients: 

 

1 cup coconut flour 

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup brown rice flour 

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/3 cup organic cane sugar (or sweetener of choice)

2 1/2  teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup safflower oil

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 cups of water (added when blending)

Egg Replacing Ingredients (or use 2-3 eggs)

8 tablespoons apple sauce

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon egg replacer

Preparation:

Add flour ingredients to one bowl. In another bowl, mix the sugar and oil ingredients. Mix together the egg replacing ingredients in a bowl of its own. Start to add the sugar and egg replacing ingredients to the dry ingredients. Blend using a mixer.

Add to two round cake pans or pans of your choice. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheight for 40-45 minutes. Remember: every oven is different. Use a tooth pick or sharp fork to test to make sure the cake is done.

Icing:

1 1/2 stick earth balance (or butter)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar (more if needed)

1 cup organic palm shortening (or more earth balance/butter)

Add water for desired consistency. Start with 2 tablespoons of water (that may be enough).

Water can help make the icing fluffy and more full, but if you put too much then it is watery.

Spread icing on the bottom layer of the icing and then sprinkle some shredded coconut before placing the other layer on top. Generously spread icing on the entire cake and sprinkle with shredded coconut.

Coconut Quick Facts: Coconut soothes the digestive system, improves immune system function, helps prevent tooth decay, supports thyroid function and kills fungus and yeast.

So what are you waiting for? Make some coconut porridge too!

Naomi at Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried started the "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free" event and it is just a blast to be a part of. Since I hosted this month, I will be posting the round-up near the end of this month.

Cupcakes for Sophie

I was enlisted to make 24 cupcakes and one birthday cake for the daughter of my mom's friend. Besides being gluten-free, the desserts also needed to be egg free and dairy free. As I was making them, Sophie wanted to help. My mom quickly grabbed some ingredients and got to work with Sophie to create something that she could eat too. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good either.

Her favorite thing was to "organize" them by taking them in and out of the cupcake pan and putting them into a dish and then back again to the cupcake pan!

As I started to put the frosting and sprinkles on the cupcakes for the little girl, I started to cry. Here I was, making cupcakes for other kids. I've never been able to make a cupcake or any baked treat for my own daughter, because of her allergies. It has been so hard with Sophie's allergies. Right then and there, I vowed to figure out how to make a cupcake or cake that she can have for her second birthday this February. The problem is that we haven't been able to find any oil that she can have, which is really critical to a good cake. I can't use apple sauce either.

 

Life with allergies is tough, especially when it is your own child. Somethings as simple as cake can be out of reach for children with allergies. 

But life goes on, and my daughter is happy and content. She ate her cupcakes, even though they really weren't that great and didn't have any frosting. I didn't let her see the ones that I was making, so she wouldn't be upset. 

But for her second birthday, someway - somehow, she will have a gluten-free cake. 

My heart aches, but I know someday she will be able to eat more foods. And I am thankful for how far she has already come.

Here are the cupcakes and cake that I made:

Organic, gluten-free, non-artificial sprinkles? Not out of reach! They are by Let's Do Organic! and you can find them at Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and other natural health markets.

-heather

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

A couple of days ago it finally snowed a relatively decent amount. It was enough for Sophie to enjoy sledding a bit on the hill by our house. Here is a picture of her all dressed, ready and waiting for us to hurry up! 

I had to come up with a recipe for chocolate cupcakes and cake that would be really, really good. My mom's friend wants us to make her daughter's gluten-free cupcakes to take to her class at school, and then a gluten-free white cake for her birthday party. She also needs it to be egg-free, so she came to the right place. I made this recipe and am really pleased with it. It made 12 cupcakes and 1 round cake. It would make 24 cupcakes just fine.

Since this was a test batch, I decided to make a chocolate ganache for us as the frosting.

The wet ingredients plus the cane sugar: 

I don't usually use cane sugar for us, but I had it because my mom gets a lot of stuff because she works with a broker for natural health companies and it is high quality cane sugar.

Ingredients mixed together plus the cocoa powder:
 

Here are the cupcakes before the ganache:

And the cake:

After the ganache hardens:

These came out tasting really, really good!

Cupcakes (makes 24, or a 2 layer cake, or 12 cupcakes and a 1 layer cake!)

 

1/2 cup potato starch

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 cup coconut flour

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

 

1 1/3 cup cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup oil or butter substitute 

2 1/2 cup water

 

Egg replacing ingredients (or 2 eggs):

6 tablespoon apple sauce

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon egg replacer

 

Mix dry ingredient in separate bowl. Combine wet ingredients plus sugar in a separate bowl.

Mix egg replacing ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine them and the wet ingredients with the dry. Beat with a mixer for about three minutes, stopping to scrape the sides.

Add to unbleached cupcake holders, or to a cake pan of choice (greased).

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until done.

Ganache:

1 cup enjoy life chocolate chips

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoon coconut cream

Add ingredients to a double broiler (a bowl over a pot with water on the stove works). Heat on medium to low, using a whisk to stir the ingredients as they begin to melt.

Drizzle on cupcakes and cake after they are completely cool but before the ganache cools.

Please let me know if you try this recipe. Then I would really be excited!

 

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my first gluten-free chocolate cake that's not from a mix. I tend to stay away from mixes, because I enjoy creating my own and also I like to add my own sweetener. I really like how it turned out but I do want to try another chocolate cake made with partly coconut flour.

For the sake of print-friendlyness, here is the full recipe. See below for my photo preparation!

 

Frosting Ingredients: 

8oz cream cheese (tofutti dairy-free, or similiar)

1/3 cup earth balance + 1 tablespoon (needed more after all)

1/2 cup organic powdered sugar + 6 tablespoons during mixing

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake Recipe:

Dry ingredients:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoons xantham gum

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Add later:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients in separate bowl:

1/2 cup apple sauce

1/3 cup agave syrup

1/2 cup organic cane sugar (not a wet ingredient, but you combine with these)

1/3 cup of coconut oil, liquified

Egg replacing ingredients (or 2 eggs):

6 tablespoons apple sauce

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp egg replacer

Preparation:

Add dry ingredients to a large bowl. 

Combine wet ingredients (minus the egg replacing ingredients) in a separate bowl as well. 

Let them sit while you prepare the egg replacing ingredients. 

Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the egg replacing ingredients. Stir well.

 Add the cocoa powder and after ingredients are mixed together well, add chocolate chips and lightly stir in.

Add to a 8 X 8 glass baking dish (greased with coconut oil) or cake pan of choice.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until tooth pick is inserted and comes out clean.

Egg replacing ingredients:

This is what it looks like. It starts to bubble up :)

Time to add the wet, dry, and egg replacing ingredients together:

I like to then add the cocoa powder:

 

Finish mixing ingredients together, then add the chocolate chips. 

For Frosting:

Add cream cheese and earth balance to a bowl:

Add powder sugar:

And begin to mix, adding 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar:  

Add vanilla extract and the remaining 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and beat fully:

After cake is fully cooled, frost and enjoy:

Eat a slice with some coconut ice cream :)

-heather

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Moist. Irresistible. Sweet.

Three words that best describe this gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free treat. Who'd have guessed there are so many missing ingredients? I'm not sure even the most hardcore "foodie" would know. It would be hard to detect what it doesn't have in it. 

 

I am thrilled to present this recipe to you because if you are like me, and not only have to be gluten-free but also have to be egg-free, then you must try this seasonal dessert. It even makes a great breakfast with a nice cup of Roobios tea or Coffee for your lovers of java. 

Recipe:

1 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon xantham gum

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup raisins

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (or fresh!)

1/2 cup of raw honey

1/2 cup organic cane sugar (although not wet, you will combine it with these)

2 tablespoons organic molasses

1/3 cup of grapeseed oil / coconut oil (I did half grapeseed and half coconut oil, for a total of 1/3 cup)

Egg replacing ingredients:

6 tablespoons apple sauce

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp egg replacer

(or use 2 eggs)

Preparation:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Rub a 8 by 8 glass baking pan with coconut oil.

Combine pumpkin, honey, sugar, molasses, oil, and egg replacer ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together well.

Add remaining ingredients (except for the raisins) to the wet mixture. Mix with a hand mixer. Stir in raisins.

Transfer batter to the greased baking pan and bake approximately 40 minutes or until a tooth pick is inserted and comes out clean. Cool before slicing.

Fall is in the air and it has an effect on people. At least those that pay enough attention to feel it. I think this may very well be my favorite season. But don't worry Winter and Spring, I love you too. But Summer, I really could do with less heat and more cool breezy days. 

 

Try this bread, even if you normally bake with gluten and eggs. You'll be pleasantly surprised. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

 

In fact, I wish I could develop some device to whisk you all a free sample. But that would require atoms to disappear and re-materialize, which might get tricky.

And to broaden your horizons even further, I have a fun fact. Did you know that Pumpkin is high in Vitamin A and C? So strengthen your eyes and boost your immune system with a slice of Pumpkin Spice Bread! How's that for inspiration. 

Enjoy.