Gluten Free Apple Cake

GLUTEN FREE APPLE CAKE

Ingredients: 

2 eggs  (or 2 Tbsp. flax or chia seed dissolved in 6 Tbsp. hot water)

1 ¾ cups pure cane sugar (C & H or Domino brand)

2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ cup grapeseed oil

6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. guar gum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*.   

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and oil.

Peel and slice the apples, adding to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep them from turning brown).

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and guar gum.  Add to the ingredients in the large bowl.  Mix well until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients.

Coat a 9x13” or two round 9” pans with cooking spray.

Pour mixture into prepared pans.

Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

Homemade Fruit Leather Roll Ups

 I've had several recipes for these floating around for quite some time, and I meant to make them for Mandie for school lunches last year, but had too many other things to make and managed to forget.  I unearthed my recipes last week, before we went to WI, and made up a batch for Mandie.  They turned out very well, with the same texture as the store bought organic variety I had gotten for the boys.  Now that I know how easy these are to make I will make sure she has some on hand for after school snacks and lunchbox treats!     I'm sure these could just as easily be made in a dehydrator, but since I do not own one or have the space for one, the low oven method worked out just fine!

My finished fruit rolls, ready to put in the container.

HOMEMADE FRUIT LEATHER ROLL UPS

2 lbs of fresh fruit, cleaned

1 cup unsweetened applesauce/pureed apple

Juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp. maple syrup, agave nectar, or honey

Preheat oven to 170*F.  Put ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Line 2 large jelly roll pans with parchment paper.  Spread fruit mixture evenly on pans, making sure to get as thin and even a layer as possible.  Place trays in oven until dry – anywhere from 6 – 24ish hours depending on humidity, checking every couple of hours or so.   When done they will be a bit sticky, and have the same texture as the store bought kind.  Cut into strips and store into an airtight container on the counter. 

This is how it should look after it has dried.

I personally found it was easy to use my kitchen shears to cut the dried fruit into strips.

I stored mine in a plastic container so that they would travel easily and safely.

Linked to: Allergy Free Wednesdays

Perfect Sandwich Bread

I have another bread recipe up on this blog, but I can't resist trying any new recipe that catches my fancy.   This one did, but of course I totally modified it and came up with my own mix of flours and grains.  Steve loves the texture of the whole millet and amaranth grains inside, and the dusting of teff grains on the top.  The kids say it has an amazing flavor and is yummy to eat even cold from the fridge (every other gluten/corn/dairy free bread I've ever made or eaten is honestly best either warm or toasted - so this is a HUGE plus).  My personal favorite features are how easy it is to whip up in my beautiful new KitchenAid and also how it slices perfectly without any crumbling! 

 

PERFECT SANDWICH BREAD

1 ½ cups sorghum flour

1 ½ cups millet flour

1 ½ cups tapioca starch

1 cup potato starch

½ cup amaranth or quinoa flour

½ cup brown rice flour

4 ½ tsp. guar gum

4 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbsp. + ½ tsp. active dry yeast

½ tsp. cream of tartar

4 Tbsp. pure cane sugar or raw sugar

3 cups warm water (I sub in 1 cup of bone broth)

½ cup grapeseed oil

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

4 egg whites, beaten with a whisk

¼ cup whole millet

2 Tbsp. amaranth grains

2-3 tsp. teff grains for dusting tops (optional)

What the dough should look like.  Pretty mixer, huh?

Grease two bread pans (I use the tall ones from King ArthurFlour) and set aside.  Turn oven on to 200*.  Put an ovenproof bowl of warm water on the lower rack.  Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a good stand mixer.  Whisk to combine.  Add oil, vinegar, egg whites, and warm water to the mixer as it runs on low speed.  Scrape down sides of bowl and turn mixer up to at least half speed and mix for 6-8 minutes until a semi-stiff dough has formed (may have to add ¼ cup more warm water, depending on humidity in the house).  Turn off the oven, leaving the water inside.   Divide dough between loaf pans, place in warm oven, and cover with a clean dish towel.  Let rise for 30 minutes.  Remove covered pans from oven to stove top to finish rising.  Remove water from oven. Preheat oven to 375*.  After 15 minutes, uncover pans,  and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, bread sounds hollow when tapped, and/or when a meat thermometer inserted in center reads 200*.  The outside will form a nice brown crust.  Cool the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove bread from pans and cool for another 10-15 minutes before cutting.  Cool completely before storing in a plastic bag.   Can be stored on counter top for 2-3 days, and in fridge for 10 days.  This bread freezes well.


Linked to Living Well Wednesdays      

Carob Syrup

I found a wonderful recipe for homemade chocolate syrup the other day, and decided to modify it for Mandie, so that she could enjoy "carob milk" when the boys are drinking chocolate milk.  When it was finished I poured it into a clean glass maple syrup container.  It has stored wonderfully in the fridge, and Mandie's loving having carob milk once or twice a day!

CAROB SYRUP

1 cup cane sugar

¼ cup carob powder

1 cup water

¼ tsp. homemade vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

Pour water in to a small saucepan and whisk in carob until dissolved.  Heat over medium heat, adding sugar and continuing to whisk.  KEEP WHISKING and watching the pot as it heats, as it boils over very easily.   Once mixture is boiling, turn heat to medium-low and whisk for 10-12 minutes until mixture is reduced and thickened.  Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla.  After 3 minutes whisk in baking soda.  It will foam quite a bit, but whisk until mixed and let cool.  Whisk once again, and pour into a glass jar (old maple syrup jars work well) and store in the fridge.  Use 1 Tbsp. syrup per 8 oz of hemp or hazelnut milk.   It also works wonderfully poured into freeze pop molds and frozen.  Mandie LOVES it!!!




Linked to Healthy Vegan Fridays     

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

I decided to surprise my kids with donuts when they got home from school today - since they had school and I did not.  They've been looking at the recipes I've looked up and wanting pumpkin spice donuts - so I created them from several recipes to be Mandie safe.  

Pumpkin Spice Donuts

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 1/2 tsp. Hain Featherweight Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. guar gum
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla powder
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup hot apple cider
Cinnamon sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Brush donut pans with oil (this recipe made 12 regular size and 12 mini donuts).   Whisk together dry ingredients.  Create a well in the center of dry mixture.  Add in oil, pumpkin, and hot cider.  Mix until just combined, but don't overmix or batter will be tough.   Add batter to cavity on pans so each is 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar.   Bake for 6 minutes then rotate pans in oven and bake for another 6 minutes.  Test with toothpick inserted in center.  Cool in pans for 2 minutes, then remove to rack to cool.  May top with icing, cinnamon sugar, or powdered sugar.    I topped donuts for everyone but Mandie with Enjoy Life chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar. 

Top: boys donuts with chocolate chips
Bottom:  Mandie's with cinnamon sugar

Crockpot Millet Hot Cereal with Apples and Pecans

 I made this to go with our biscuits this morning as a Mandie-safe alternative to oatmeal.  Steve and I thought that the flavors and texture are incredible - though we boosted the nutrition a bit further in ours by adding a Tbsp. each of coconut oil an chia seeds before adding some milk.  The kids added some brown sugar, but were not as crazy about it as I'd hoped they'd be.  In all fairness, Mandie is off of her Periactin in preparation for her allergist visit on 1/11, so her appetite has taken an EXTREME nosedive.  I will try this again after our visit, when she's feeling hungry again.

MILLET CEREAL WITH APPLES AND PECANS

(Modified from The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook)

2 cups allergen safe apple cider

2 cups hemp milk

1 cup dried millet

1 apple, diced

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup chopped pecans

½ tsp. salt

Grease a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Put all ingredients in crockpot and stir to combine.  Cook on high for 2 ½ - 3 hours or on low for 5 – 6 hours or until all liquid has been absorbed.  Try not to overcook as it can become mushy.

Serve with milk of choice.

Linked to Healthy Vegan Fridays