gluten free Archives - Page 26 of 30

Mocha Mexicano & A Giveaway (Paleo, Gluten-free, Vegan)

November 3, 2013 By Becky 64 Comments

This mocha mexicano is full of warm spices, and packs a subtle punch thanks to a little cayenne pepper. It’s inspired by ingredients from Rodelle Vanilla and Taza‘s Fire Puncher chocolate.

This summer, my vegan & paleo strawberry ice cream was a runner-up in Rodelle Vanilla‘s Great American Ice Cream Contest, and the prize was a basket of Rodelle Baking Goodies. I asked the wonderful folks at Rodelle if they would include a few extra goodies for you all, and they said yes! I picked up a couple of other treats over at Taza Chocolate yesterday, and am beyond excited to bring you a vanilla and chocolate giveaway.

Prize basket

One winner will receive a prize basket including:

Two whole Madagascar Vanilla Beans from Rodelle
A 6-ounce bottle of Rodelle Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract
A 2-ounce bottle of Rodelle Organic Chocolate Extract
A 2-ounce bottle of Rodelle Anise Extract
Two discs of Taza Chocolate’s Organic Fire Puncher 70% Dark Chocolate Mexicano (2.7 ounces)
A bag of Taza’s Organic 55% Dark Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs (2 ounces)
A recipe card for Molten Spiced Chocolate cake and a Direct Trade pamphlet from Taza

Pumpkin & Pecorino Soufflé (Gluten-free)

October 30, 2013 By Becky 6 Comments

Me and pumpkin–it’s not over! Whenever I have leftover pumpkin in the fridge, I can’t stop myself from adding it to almost all things. This past weekend, I went to see my little sister, who’s 15, cheer at her high school’s last home game of the regular season. The game fell on my dad’s birthday, so I wanted to bring a little something sweet for the post-game celebration. Unfortunately, in addition to her dairy and soy allergies, my sister is also currently avoiding nuts, citrus, and chocolate as part of an anti-migraine diet. And, of course, I wanted whatever I made to be gluten-free.

Well, what was left that COULD go in these treats? Pretty much just pumpkin (and a few coconut products). I ended up making gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free pumpkin cupcakes, and while I didn’t think they were good enough to share with all of you, my sister really liked them.

The cupcakes only used a cup or so of pumpkin, so I was left with some extra, which was burning a hole in my pocket/fridge… Can that expression apply to food you really want to use up? Or is it only for money you’re dying to spend?

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cake Pops (Gluten-free)

October 27, 2013 By Becky 3 Comments

These pops were a huge hit at the Halloween party we went to last night–they were all gone about ten minutes after we arrived. One of my classmates said the pop was so good that she had to sit down! So, these might knock you right off your feet.

Cake pops take a little while to make, but they’re worth it! And, since there are no eggs involved, you can taste away all throughout the process. Wrapped in little bags, these pops would make great birthday party or wedding favors. There are endless possibilities for decorating them–you can dye sugar any color appropriate to the occasion, or extend the peanut butter theme by using crushed Reese’s Pieces or peanut butter cups.

Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Ganache (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free)

October 21, 2013 By Becky 10 Comments

Ben and I celebrated the two-year anniversary of our first date yesterday. In addition to being an important relationship milestone, I thought having an anniversary was a great excuse to bake. I asked Ben what dessert I should make for our special day, and he said, “Why don’t you make a cake?”.

It was such a brilliant idea, not only because cakes are the most majestic of all the desserts, but also because I have not posted any cakes on this blog yet. I’ve posted lots of cupcakes (too many, some might say), but no actual cakes.

I set off in search of a great paleo chocolate cake recipe to use, since I haven’t really made any paleo chocolate cupcakes that I could adapt (although these muffins came pretty close). When I found this recipe from Zenbelly Catering, I could tell it was a hit from the dozens of raving comments. Food blogs are the best! Try to find that many (or any) reader responses to a recipe in an actual print cookbook.

All those readers were right–this is an awesome cake! I made a few changes to the cake recipe, including adding some coffee to deepen the chocolate flavor. Don’t worry, the cake won’t taste like coffee (or coconut, or almonds–the flavor is pure chocolate!).

For the ganache, though, I wanted to try something a little different, so I added peppermint extract. If you don’t like mint and chocolate, you can just leave that out. Ben and I both loved it, but we are the kind of people who drink hot chocolates with peppermint schnapps all winter long. (Is it time for those yet? Almost? They are basically the only thing I like about cold weather).

I wanted to make a whipped cream filling as suggested in the original recipe, but my coconut cream didn’t have enough time to set up in the fridge. Make sure you click on over to the original recipe if you want to try the cream layer for your cake–it sounds amazing! I’m all over that for our third anniversary, or the next time another cake-worthy occasion comes along.

Make Your Own Butter (plus Maple Spice Compound Butter)

October 12, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

When I was in kindergarten, my teacher brought in cream and we all made butter together. I loved it, and butter-making became a Thanksgiving tradition for me–every year I make my own butter and use a cookie cutter to make it into a turkey shape. I’ve also made butter with my own students and their families several times, and I’m always surprised at how many parents don’t know that you can easily make your own butter at home with just a jar and some heavy cream.

There is a bit of work involved, since you need to shake the jar like crazy for a while. It’s easy with a group because you can pass the jar to the next person if you get tired, but I can still get from cream to butter in 15 minutes or less when I’m the only one shaking.

Of course, there is an easier method: pour the cream into a big bowl and beat it with an electric mixer. However, there’s something really nice about doing it the old-fashioned way.

Maple Brown Butter Muffins (Paleo, Gluten-free)

October 6, 2013 By Becky 1 Comment

I’ve been having a lot of brownies for breakfast lately. First salted caramel brownies, and then some pumpkin cheesecake brownies that I’m still working on. I’m even willing to admit that one day, I had a salted caramel brownie sundae for breakfast. I’m not sorry–it was a fabulous day!

But, after a while, I started wanting something a little more appropriate in the morning. Something more like muffins. Because, even though we all know that muffins are really just naked cupcakes, they are totally a legit breakfast food.

I like these muffins because they are simple, easy, and delicious. There’s not even any streusel topping to worry about. The most complicated part is browning the butter, which adds a great richness to the muffins. However, you can use regular butter or coconut oil and still end up with scrumptious results. The best part is that these muffins are gluten-free, paleo, nut-free, and lactose-free if you use ghee, so hopefully most of your friends and family can eat them! Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Brownies (Gluten-free)

September 29, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

In case you missed it, you can make brownies (or blondies) from almond butter! It’s amazing–with just almond butter, honey, eggs, baking powder, and a few flavorings, you get a batter that actually bakes up into classic, fudgy, and delicious brownies. I have Elana at Elana’s Pantry to thank for that genius discovery.

And, as you may already know, every dessert gets better when you add salted caramel. I’ve already made several salted caramel treats (the sauce, cupcakes, skillet brownies, and peach bars), and thought it was time for a gluten-free salted caramel brownie. If you’d like to make this recipe paleo, you can make it with salted maple caramel instead of the regular salted caramel sauce. Either way, these brownies will be amazing.

We had friends over for dinner last night, and used these brownies as a base for brownie sundaes (the ultimate dessert, in my opinion). We started with the brownies, followed by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a generous drizzle of warm salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a sprinkling of chocolate chips. The sundaes were so distractingly good that no pictures were taken, so you’ll just have to trust me and make some yourself!

Roasted Vegetable Soup

September 22, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

I know what you’re thinking, but there is no pumpkin in this soup.

Parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes, yes, but no pumpkin. See? I’m branching out into other fall flavors.

This soup is sweet, creamy, and comforting. Roasting the vegetables with thyme and olive oil gives them great flavor (as does a generous splash of wine). In my opinion, though, serving the soup with a dollop of tangy creme fraiche and drops of rich olive oil is what really makes it so fabulous.

Here, olive oil is used for roasting the vegetables, sauteing the onion to make the base, and for finishing the soup. I love this olive oil as a finish because you can really taste the earthy goodness of it, which is a great counterpoint to the sweet roasted veggies. I hope you love this soup as much as I do!

P.S. Did you know there’s a lot of fraudulent olive oil being imported and sold in our country? Sometimes olive oil labeled as “extra-virgin” has lower-quality olive oils mixed in, or even other oils altogether (like canola). Tom Mueller has written a whole book about it called Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil. You can also read a blog post about it here.

Pumpkin Cake with Molasses Cream (Paleo, Gluten-free)

September 21, 2013 By Becky 7 Comments

It is only September 21st, and I may already be tired of pumpkin.

I mean, “tired” is a little extreme–I probably just need one week off, and then I’ll be ready to get back on the pumpkin train.

The reason is that I had to make this pumpkin cake four or five times. The first time, I tried to make a vegan version using flax eggs. I baked the cake for a long, long time, but it still did not set completely. It had a fabulous flavor, but it was like a pudding-cake. After cutting off a few slices, the rest of the loaf couldn’t even hold itself together, and slumped into the delicious pumpkin version of an old, dilapidated house.

The next time I made it, it ended up staying in the oven for over three hours (not on purpose). You can see it here (and I’d be thrilled if you followed me on Instagram!). The third time, I substituted molasses for the honey, and the cake was so dark that it looked burnt even though it wasn’t. I wanted a nice orange color, at least on the inside of the cake, so I tried a fourth time. I loved the molasses flavor, so I used it in the glaze, along with some creme fraiche (my new favorite thing). Finally, I got a cake I loved! It’s still very moist, but it hasn’t fallen apart yet. The molasses cream and pecans really take it over the top. If you’re not a nut person, you could try adding a similar amount of chocolate chunks. I added them to the first batch and it was fabulous.

So, hopefully you’re not tired of pumpkin! I promise to feature a different main ingredient in my next recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free)

September 17, 2013 By Becky 20 Comments

Did you know there was once a molasses flood in Boston? A five-story high molasses tank exploded on an unusually hot day in 1919 and surged through the North End, destroying a fire station and leaving a path of sticky destruction in its wake. Some say that when the weather is really warm, you can still smell the molasses on the city streets almost 100 years later.

I was fascinated by the molasses flood as a kid and did a report on it in elementary school. I think that was the last time I thought about molasses, though, because I almost never cook with it. But, while making a failed batch of pumpkin bread over the weekend, I ran out of honey and needed another sweetener. The molasses in the back of my cupboard seemed like just the thing, and it was (the pumpkin bread only failed because I asked Ben to watch it for me, and it ended up baking for almost three hours). Molasses has a spicy flavor that goes really well with pumpkin, and contributes to this ice cream’s rich orange color. I did a little research and there seems to be some debate as to whether molasses is truly paleo, but I’m sure that this ice cream would still be delicious if you added more honey instead, or even tried maple syrup.

Double Chocolate Cookies (Paleo, Gluten-free)

September 14, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

Week one of graduate school is over! I barely made it–there was so much reading for every class, and I had lots of training to do for my part-time job as a research assessor. On Friday I only had one seminar at eleven, so I got up early and made these cookies. I hated going a whole six days without posting–I’m going to need to work out a good schedule so I can post at least three times a week most of the time.

Anyway, these cookies. They are inspired by these mocha chip cookies, but have a lot less coffee. I couldn’t really taste the coffee in the finished cookies, but it does amp up the chocolate flavor and provide tiny bits of crunch inside the cookie. To be honest, I was aiming to make a crispy-edged cookie here, and that didn’t really work out. If you have tips for crispy paleo cookies, please share! However, the finished cookies were still too yummy not to share with you. They’re soft and kind of chewy, and they make a great before-class breakfast. I enjoyed mine with some coffee milk–mix a little cool coffee with a lot of cold milk, or use this delicious coffee syrup.

Grain-free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream

September 9, 2013 By Becky 9 Comments

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Grain-free Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Mocha Buttercream (Gluten free, Nut free) | acalculatedwhisk.com

Treat yourself to small batch of paleo-friendly, grain-free vanilla bean cupcakes with mocha buttercream! They’re made with coconut flour, so they’re also nut free.

I’ve really been craving a classic vanilla cupcake recently, and wanted to try my hand at making grain-free vanilla bean cupcakes. To me, vanilla beans are the epitome of classic elegance in dessert flavor form. I ordered half a pound of vanilla beans online months ago, used half of them to make a bunch of little bottles of homemade vanilla extract (find out how to do that yourself here!), and still have a bunch left. I highly recommend ordering beans online in bulk, since it’s much more economical and they’re likely to be much fresher than overpriced grocery store beans.

These cupcakes are light and fluffy, because they’re made with coconut flour instead of almond flour. Of all the paleo & gluten-free treats I’ve made, these may be the closest in taste and texture to their gluten-laden cousins. I highly recommend them! They’re also perfect for people with nut allergies or for bringing to birthday celebrations in nut-free classrooms. This recipe makes a very small batch (good for people like me with no restraint), but can easily be doubled.