Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake

Well, I suppose it’s that time of year to dust off the cans of pumpkin languishing in the pantry. It’s time to dig out the jars of cloves and nutmeg that have been buried in the cupboard. I love pumpkin desserts, yet I‘m always perplexed as to why I don’t make them more throughout the year. For me, and I’m sure for most people, pumpkin treats have an unbreakable association with family and holidays.  Food is often about more than flavor. At times, food is about the memories and feelings surrounding it. So I guess a big pumpkin pie on a hot July day doesn’t have the same feel as it does right now. Enough rambling already…sheesh. I was looking for a nice little pumpkin cake to try out. I found this recipe and I made it without taking any pictures for my blog. My small family devoured this cake like we hadn’t eaten for weeks….I assure you we eat plenty. Anyway, I was “forced” to make this again to capture it for you to enjoy. This cake is soooo moist and delicious. This would be a great breakfast cake or even just something for people to snack on as you’re preparing your other holiday dishes. Let’s get to it.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bundt Cake:
adapted from All Recipes
Cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 can of pumpkin (15oz Libby’s or 2 cups fresh pumpkin)
4 eggs
2 cups GF flour mix plus extra for preparing the pan
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp each –ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
Cream Cheese Icing:
5 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces butter (4 Tbs)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tbs half & half or milk
I would start by measuring out the cream cheese and butter. Set them aside to come up to room temperature.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Next, whisk all your dry ingredients (except the sugar) together in a medium bowl.In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the sugar, pumpkin, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined. Next, beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and thoroughly combine them. Pour the batter into a large prepared Bundt pan. I prepared my pan by spraying it with Pam and lightly coating it with extra GF flour mix. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.I let the cake cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a plate or rack.To make the topping, whisk together the butter, cream cheese, powder sugar, and vanilla. Next, whisk in just enough half & half or milk to make the icing pourable. You don’t want it thick like frosting and you don’t want it so thin that it all runs off. I used about 3 Tbs of half & half. This gave the topping the consistency of molasses which pour easily onto the cake but also stuck to it and didn’t run all over.
Give the cake a little time to cool down and then pour the icing over it.
All that’s left to do now is cut a piece and relax. Even though we are in the giving and sharing season, you may be tempted to keep this all to yourself. Enjoy!!! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

I was going to do a post about apple crisp today. However, I have been having weird obsessive pumpkin cravings lately. And no, I'm not pregnant, thanks for asking. I came home from work this morning and decided to find a good pumpkin muffin recipe to go with my coffee. I turned to a reliable source for everything delicious; joyofbaking.com. Yet again, I was not disappointed. With the temperature outside spiraling downward and the cold, cold Oregon rain falling, a warm pumpkin muffin loaded with hints of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg was the perfect morning coffee companion.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
from Joy of Baking, modified to be GF
Makes 12 muffins
1-1/2 cups (195grams) GF flour mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
1 stick of butter (113g) softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup (75g) pumpkin puree (I use Libby's)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
Baking Directions
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 18-20 minutes
Start by whisking all the dry ingredients(the first 8)together in a medium bowl.
Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and the pumpkin puree. Make sure you are using plain pumpkin puree, not the pre-seasoned pumpkin pie filling.

Finally, mix in the dry ingredients a third at a time until thoroughly combined. If you are using chocolate chips, stir them in at the end. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line with paper cups a 12 muffin pan. Divide the batter equally and bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for a few minutes. Pour yourself a cup of fresh coffee and try not to devour all 12 muffins in one sitting. Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Coconut Bread with Pineapple Butter

This post is originally from October 2009. I am submiting this over at The Gluten Free Homemaker's Create a Quick Bread Challenge this month.
After documenting all the food that my family eats over the last nine months, I now realize that we consume more butter and sugar than some small developing nations. But hey, I'm on roll, why stop now? In high school gym class they always yelled; "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." Shouldn't that apply to food as well? As we head in to the weekend, I've got a nice little breakfast / anytime treat for you.

Gluten Free Coconut Bread with Sweet Pineapple Butter:

inspired by: Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen modified to be GF

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, melted)

3 cups GF flour mix

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 Tbs baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Zest of 1 lemon (finely grated)

1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1-1/2 cups shredded coconut (toasted)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Sweet Pineapple Butter:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, softened)

4 ounces crushed pineapple (drained)
Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes Begin by toasting the coconut in a 350 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring periodically. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
While the coconut is toasting, whisk all the dry ingredients, except for the brown sugar, together in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, eggs, and lemon zest. Mix thoroughly. Next, slowly mix in the coconut milk.

Finally, stir the toasted coconut in to the batter. Pour the batter in to a greased 9x5 pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.
While the bread is baking, place 1 stick of softened butter along with 4 ounces of well drained crushed pineapple in to a food processor.
Pulse the butter and pineapple together until light and fluffy.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning out on to a cooling rack. Slice the bread, toast it, and top with pineapple butter and a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy with a cup of fresh coffee!!!

Gluten Free Doughnut Muffins

The theme this week for "Gluten Free Wednesdays" is muffins. Gluten free muffins are so easy to make and there are many flavors to choose from. I think my top three muffin choices would be; corn muffins, banana nut muffins, and blueberry. However, a newcomer to my muffin making repertoire could easily break into the top three favorites. I present you with the doughnut muffin. The flavors in these muffins taste just like a doughnut and by dipping them in butter and sugar, you ensure that the calorie count is right up there with a real doughnut as well. But they are oh so worth it. Let's get started.
Gluten Free Doughnut Muffins:
from Noble Pig modified to be GF
Makes 12 muffins
Muffins:
1-3/4 cups gf flour mix
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
Jam of your choice
Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Baking Time and Temperature:
350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes In a medium bowl, whisk together the gf flour mix, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the oil and milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into a well greased or lined muffin pan. Add a small scoop of your favorite jam, about a teaspoon each, to the center of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. While the muffins are baking, prepare the topping. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. In another small bowl, melt the butter just before the muffins come out of the oven.
While the muffins are still hot, quickly dip the top of the muffin into the melted butter followed immediately by a dip into the cinnamon sugar mix. Repeat for each muffin. Allow to cool slightly and then dig in to your little doughnut-flavored treasure. Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole

This week's theme for What Can I Eat That's Gluten Free is casseroles. I love the idea of throwing a few ingredients together and popping it in the oven for a simple meal. However, I rarely make casseroles. I didn't really grow up eating many casserole dishes, except for the occasional pot luck where the casseroles seemed to be more mystery than good eating. I am hoping to pick up some new and fresh ideas over at The Gluten Free Homemaker this week. For my contribution, I made a recipe that I got from my mother-in-law a few years back. This breakfast casserole is so simple and for my small family can serve us for a few days. It's also perfect for Easter and other family get togethers that involve breakfast or brunch.
Breakfast Casserole:
1/2 pound of meat (Bacon, Sausage, Ham, or a combination of any)
1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup green bell pepper (Chopped)
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I use 1%)
1/2 cup water
1 package (about 16 ounces) fresh hash brown potatoes or frozen hash browns-thawed
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dill weed
Baking Directions:
Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes Begin by cooking the bacon, sausage, or any other meat of your choice. Cut the meat into bite size pieces. While the meat is cooking, chop the onion and green pepper, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the 12 eggs, milk, water, salt, pepper, and dill weed. Add the meat, hash browns, cheese, onion, and pepper to the egg mix. Combine thoroughly.
Pour the whole mix into a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the mixture around in the baking dish to even it out. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving. The hash browns do a great job of holding this casserole together. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee!!!

Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Waffles

I must admit I have been a bit of a blog slacker lately. Little things like family, work and life in general seem to get in the way of devoting the time needed to keep this little gluten free recipe machine running. I do want to sincerely thank everyone who does find the time to stop by my blog and leave a comment or check out my recipes. I appreciate all the support.

My wife really wanted a Belgian waffle maker for Christmas this past year. I wasn't real excited about adding another small appliance to our kitchen. I assumed that it would just be another dust collector taking up room in a cupboard. But, if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that my wife usually gets what she wants and she often chooses wisely. I can't believe I just put that in print. I hope she doesn't read this. Anyway, the waffle maker has made several appearances since Christmas. My wife would be more than content to make simple waffles with butter and syrup. I on the other hand, can not leave well enough alone. I can and must tinker with everything to try something new and different. The one thing I won't mess with is the basic waffle batter recipe. We use Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix and follow the recipe for pancakes or waffles. The pancakes are pretty good. However, the same mix made into Belgian waffles is outstanding.

All right, let's tackle this tasty Dinner/Dessert/Breakfast. First, you need to make up some Lemon Curd. This is so simple and I can't believe I've never made it before.
Lemon Curd:
from the Joy of Baking
3 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (avoid the bottled juice if possible)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs lemon zest
4 Tbs unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into small cubes)
In a stainless steel bowl placed over a pan of simmering water (double boiler), whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Stir constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling. The mixture will begin to thicken up, like sour cream. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Check the temperature of the mixture. It needs to cook until it reaches 160 degrees F. I just dipped an instant read thermometer into the mix. Once it reaches 160 degrees, remove from the heat and strain the mix through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl to get any little cooked egg pieces out.
Whisk the butter in until it is completely melted and stir in the lemon zest. Cover with plastic wrap. Push the plastic wrap down onto the top of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least an hour. This can be made a day or two ahead of time. The lemon curd will thicken a bit more as it cools. This makes about 1-1/2 cups of lemon curd.

Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Waffles:
from Crepes, Waffles and Pancakes!
Waffle Batter:
Make a double batch of Pamela's waffle batter
1 tsp lemon zest
Meringue:
2 egg whites (room temperature works best)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4-1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar (you can use regular white sugar as well)
Waffle Topping:
6 Tbs plain Greek or whole milk yogurt
6 Tbs lemon curd
small pieces of toasted meringue

For the waffles: add the lemon zest to the waffle batter, cook until golden brown.

For the Meringue: using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue whisking until firm peaks form. I then toasted pieces of the meringue over a gas stove burner using wooden skewers. Kind of like roasting marshmallows. A small kitchen torch would work a little better.
For the rest of the topping; mix equal parts of lemon curd and Greek yogurt together.
Spread a little lemon/yogurt mix over the warm, fresh waffle and top with some toasted meringue. Mmm, Mmm Good. Enjoy!!!

Not Yet!

I know, I'm right there with you. It's tempting to flick off the lights and close the door on Summer. School is back in session, the sky is offering up more gray clouds than puffy white ones, and all the great seasonal fruit is withering away. It's nearly time to dust off the hearty soup and chowder recipes from their Summer sabbatical. Almost, but NOT YET! Work with me here, this is an interactive post. Get up from your computer right now. Go pull 2 sticks of butter out of the fridge to soften up. Don't argue, just go. Wait! Wait! Wait! While you're there, set out 5 eggs and dig way in the back for a package with about 6 ounces of cream cheese. Everything needs to be room temperature. OK go, I'll wait........... Are you back? Did you even get up? For those of you who got up, you're one step closer to an incredible gluten free masterpiece. For those that did not get up, well, maybe the gloominess of Fall has already taken you over.

Some recipes have the power to lift me up out of my chair and force me to run amble out to the kitchen to see if I have all the ingredients to make right away. This recipe was one of those and it did not disappoint. Here's one more chance to hold onto Summer's fresh fruit bounty. So what is this amazing recipe you ask?

Gluten Free Blueberry-Lime Bundt Cake

inspired by Jen at Use Real Butter but adapted to be gluten free

Cake:

8 ounces butter (2 sticks softened)

2-1/3 cups GF flour mix

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp lime zest

6 ounces cream cheese (softened)

4 large eggs (room temperature)

1 large egg yolk (room temperature)

2-1/2 cups blueberries (room temperature)

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes.

Let's throw this masterpiece together. Start by placing the granulated sugar and lime zest in a food processor and pulse for 10-20 seconds

Here's where some of you may be ahead of the game. Take all that room temperature butter and cream cheese and mix it together for about a minute. Next add the lime-sugar and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk to the butter/sugar mix one at a time until thoroughly incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the GF flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mix into the mixer. Finally, stir the blueberries into the batter.

Prepare a 12 cup Bundt cake pan by greasing with butter and flouring with GF flour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a rack for at least 10 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.

The glaze is easy, mix the lime juice into the powdered sugar. Here's where I struggle. You're supposed to let the cake cool completely before applying the glaze. Seriously, how can I possibly wait for this thing to cool completely? I don't have that much patience.

All that's left to do is dig in. By the way, if you happen to top your piece of cake with fresh whipped cream, you may just take it to a whole new level. Enjoy responsibly!!!

Breakfast for Dinner

For this week's breakfast themed What's for Dinner? Wednesday I made omelettes. I have only tried to make omelettes once or twice in the past and the results were not that good. It was either too runny, overcooked, or it stuck to the pan. Recently though, I stumbled across a technique that made all the difference for me. The possibilities for omelette fillings are infinite. Here's how I made them:

Prep all your vegetables, meat, and cheese. I used red and green bell peppers, spinach, bacon, green and white onions, and extra sharp cheese.

In a small bowl, combine 3 eggs, 2 tbs of milk, and a pinch of salt and pepper together. Mix well with a fork. Next use 1 Tbs of oil or butter to grease a 10" pan. Turn on the oven broiler set to high. Pour eggs into the pan and swirl around until the bottom of the pan is covered. Cook on the stove top over medium heat. Don't stir the eggs but tip the pan up after a few minutes to check the eggs, they should be cooked on the bottom and a bit runny on top. At this point, add all the filling ingredients you want. Remove the pan from the stove top and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Remove from the oven and fold onto a plate. Top with a little extra cheese and serve with hash browns. Quick and easy. Enjoy!!!

Ready for the weekend

It's that time. You wake up Saturday morning, desperately thinking of what to fix for breakfast. You're tired of dried bits of gluten free cereal. Bacon and eggs, while never out of style, just isn't appealing. Why not try some coffee cake? Settle in, read the paper, and brew up a cup of black gold.

WARNING: If you have an aversion to large doses of butter and sugar, you may want to skip this breakfast option.

Best Ever (seriously,) Gluten Free Sour Cream Coffee Cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks at room temperature, separate 2 Tbs out for the topping)
2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream (we use low fat... not that it makes a difference in this recipe)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups gluten free flour mix

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

Topping:

1/3 cup gluten free flour mix

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbs melted butter (use the 2 Tbs reserved from the 1 cup above)

Bake in a 9x13 baking dish at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes

I usually prepare the topping first. Melt the butter and combine with flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl until the mixture has a coarse texture. Set aside. Then whisk together the dry ingredients for the dough (2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp salt) in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Next, cream the butter and sugar together

Add 1 cup of sour cream, 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla.. Mix well. Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, salt mixture until thoroughly combined

Grease a 9x13 baking dish and spread half the batter in the pan with a spatula, top with half the brown sugar topping mixture. Repeat with the other half of batter and topping mixture. Note: the dough/batter is very sticky. Use patience and spread it slowly with a spatula. If you do it too fast the batter will stick to the spatula and be difficult to spread.
Bake at 350 F for 30-35 or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Brew up that coffee, send the kids away, grab the paper, and relax. Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Today is my birthday and my wife, knowing that I'm a sucker for anything sweet, made me gluten free chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. We use Pamela's Baking and Pancake mix for our pancakes then just add chocolate chips or blueberries to the batter after it's poured on the griddle. These pancakes are incredible. Here's the recipe:

Gluten Free Pancakes

2 cups Pamela's Gluten Free Pancake Mix

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of water

2 Tbs of oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Add blueberries or chocolate chips to taste