Grain Free Apple Cake

GRAIN FREE APPLE CAKE

Ingredients:

4 eggs  (or the equivalent in flax or chia goo)

 1 ¾ cups coconut sugar

½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup melted coconut oil

 2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

6 -8 medium Gala, Fuji, or Honey Crisp apples

1 cup coconut flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. guar gum

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*.   

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, syrup,  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 30 – 35 minutes.

This is an adaptation of the Grain Free Apple Cake recipe that I just posted.  I wanted a cake that I could eat, that was free of grain and refined sugar, as well as dairy, soy, and corn.    The cake itself is a bit crumbly - but oh so filling and yummy!   

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.

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      

Strawberry Pie

 Steve has been really craving Strawberry Pie lately, so last night I looked up the recipe (after he was wonderful enough to buy me 6 quarts of fresh berries!) and a pie crust recipe - and tonight I swallowed my fear of gluten free pie crust - and made the pie.  Of course I made it Mandie-safe - aside from the whipped topping.   It was a huge hit!  Everyone is eagerly awaiting the second slice tomorrow night!   The only thing I'd do differently next time is to cook the glaze a bit longer so it gets thicker.  As you can see, it was still a bit thin.   

STRAWBERRY PIE

2 quarts of strawberries, sliced

1 baked gluten-free pie crust*

1 cup water

¾ cup Pure Cane Sugar

1 Tbsp. tapioca or potato starch

Fill the baked pie crust with sliced berries until no more will fit.  Chill the full crust in the fridge for at least an hour.  Save the remaining strawberries.   At the end of the hour, put the berries in a medium saucepan with a cup of water.  Cook 4-6 minutes, til the berries are soft.  Put the water and berries in a mixer or food processor, and blend until smooth.  Pour back into saucepan, and whisk in ¾ cup of sugar and 1 Tbsp. of tapioca starch.  Cook on low until sugar and starch dissolve and mixture thickens.  Pour hot glaze over the cooled berries in the pie crust.  Chill for another hour, and serve plain or with Coconut Whipped Topping**.

*SUPER EASY GLUTEN FREE PIE CRUST

½ cup lard (may use shortening)

1 ½ cups brown rice flour

4 Tbsp. cold water

Preheat oven to 400* F.  Cut shortening into flour until crumbly using pastry cutter or a fork. Add water.  Work dough with hands until it’s soft and you can form into a ball.  Place dough into an 8” or 9” pie pan, and press it up the sides.  This works best using your fingers.  Using a fork, prick the bottom of the crust about 2 dozen or so times, to let air escape.   Place crust in oven and bake 12-16 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden brown.  Set on a wire rack and fill with strawberries.

** DAIRY FREE WHIPPED TOPPING

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled in fridge 24 hours

2-3 Tbsp. pure cane sugar or pure maple syrup

1-2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

Chill milk in fridge for 24 hours.  Chill metal bowl and wire whisk of mixer in freezer for 2-3 hours.  Combine milk with sugar & extracts and whip until creamy. Use in place of whipped topping.    

Stores well in fridge.

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Crepes with Cream Filling

YUM!

I originally made these for Mandie's Kindergarten class, as part of her international unit.  Of course, I made plain crepes, with cherry filling, for her for class.   They were amazing.  They reminded me of the waffle cones I used to love.         I got to looking at the recipe, wondering what would happen if I played with it a bit and made it more decadent, for fancy dessert....      Of course I had to add chocolate, and the homemade whipped cream recipe I have used forever was an amazing complement to it, especially since it can also be altered a bit.      The result is sheer heaven!

Chocolate Crepes 

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups chocolate coconut milk
2 Tbsp. pure cane sugar
1/2 cup gluten free flour mixture  - I filled a 1/2 cup with equal parts tapioca starch, sorghum flour, and brown rice flour, and added 1/4 tsp. guar gum
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. Hershey's Especially Dark Cocoa Powder
dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
dash of sea salt

Preheat the broiler.  Whisk together eggs and milk.  Whisk in sugar.  Combine flour mixture with cocoa powder, guar tum, and spices. Whisk in flour mixture, making sure batter is very smooth.  Add oil, vanilla, and salt.     The batter should be very thin.  If it is too thick, add more milk a bit at a time.     Wrap the handle of an 8 inch non-stick skillet with heavy-duty foil (unless you are lucky enough to have a metal handled one like I do).  Spray with cooking spray, and heat the skillet over medium-low heat on the stove.  Remove the pan from the stove and use an ice cream scoop to pour batter into pan.  Tilt pan quickly so batter covers entire bottom.  Return pan to the stove top and cook batter for 1-2 minutes.  Lift the edges up with a thin spatula to see when the underside is just starting to get brown. The top will be getting bubbly by this point.       Place the pan under the broiler for 60 seconds or until the top of the crepe is just starting to brown.   Remove crepe from pan to waxed paper and repeat process.  Re-spray your pan after every third or fourth crepe.  Cool on a cookie sheet. 

Easy Whipped Cream

2 cans full fat coconut milk
2-4 Tbsp. pure cane sugar
1/4 tsp. guar gum
Optional: almond extract, vanilla extract, orange extract, etc.

Add everything to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Use the whisk attachment and whip 2-3 minutes until frothy.  Chill before using.   
This keeps very well for up to 10 days in the fridge, or freezes for 3-6 months.

Ready to put under the broiler.

Cooling before filling with cream.

Add cream to the center or just to one edge, and roll up.

The finished crepes!  These would look nice with a dollop of cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Linked to Gluten Free Fridays 27 

 Almost Friday Thursday Blog Hop

 Weekend Whatever #60