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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

GLUTEN FREE ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES with Dairy-Free and Vegan Instructions


Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     These cookies are buttery and tender with a wonderful almond flavor.  With this blend of flours it is indistinguishable from the regular wheat version. I cut it out of a magazine many moons ago and today I decided to finally make it.  It is raining here on the Jersey Shore and it is a good day to bake.  
     I love the flavor of almond in cookies.  These crescents are soft, not too sweet and irresistible.  These have no eggs so they can be easily made vegan or dairy free, but I made the butter and cream cheese version today.  
     This is fairly easy to make.  You may want to add more almond extract if you prefer a stronger almond flavor...maybe 1/2 tsp. more.  I used less sugar than the original recipe since I tend to prefer less sweet desserts and these are dusted with powdered sugar when done.  
     

GLUTEN FREE ALMOND CRESCENT COOKIES
Makes about 60 cookies.

Ingredients

6 oz. Cream Cheese (for Dairy-Free or Vegan use non-diary cream cheese)
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter (for Dairy-Free or Vegan use non-hydrogenated non-dairy margarine)
3/4 cup Sugar (for Vegan use Vegetarian sugar - see "about vegetarian sugar" on the bottom of the post that this link takes you to)
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract (for Vegan or Dairy-Free use 1 tsp. of vanilla and 1 tsp. of Butter Vanilla emulsion, if you have it) 
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract (use 1 tsp. if you prefer a stronger almond flavor)
1 cup Sorghum Flour
1 cup Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup Chickpea Flour
1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt  (omit the salt if your butter or margarine is salted)
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 cup Slivered Almonds - finely chopped (comes to 2/3 cups when chopped)
1/4 cup Confectioner’s or Powdered sugar - for dusting baked cookies

     
Directions
  1.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat liners.
  2.   Chop the blanched slivered almonds in a nut grinder until finely chopped.  I ran the nuts through about 5 times.  After chopping there were 2/3 cups nuts.
  3.   In a small bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt and mix well.
  4.   In a large bowl add the cream cheese, butter or margarine, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and mix well with an electric mixer.
  5.   Add the flour mixture, all at once, to the sugar mixture and mix well.  
  6.   Add the nuts and knead into the dough.
    Nuts ready to be mixed into the dough.
  7.   With a scoop that measures 1-inch across scoop out balls of dough, 2-inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. 
    Dough with nuts mixed in.
  8.   Roll each dough ball into a rope shape and then shape each rope into a crescent shape.
    Tray of raw dough.  On right note the scooped balls of dough
    on the top, the ropes rolled from the balls on the bottom right and the
    ropes shaped into crescents on the left. 
  9.   Flatten each crescent slightly.
    Crescents slightly flattened.
  10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
    Baked cookies.
  11. Cool slightly on wire racks and dust with powdered sugar. 
    Dusting cookies with powdered sugar.
    1.       
  12. Cool completely and store in airtight containers or tins lined with wax paper.
    Crescents dusted with sugar.

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

GLUTEN FREE BANANA ROLL CAKE RECIPE with DAIRY-FREE INSTRUCTIONS


Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     There was a bunch of over ripe bananas in the store at a bargain price.  “Banana bread!”, I thought as I picked it up.  Lately I have been into making jelly roll type cakes, so I decided to try a banana cake roll.  This recipe only required one over ripe banana, so I actually did make banana bread cupcakes as well and froze them.  
     The cake is so good.  Moist and with a very strong banana flavor.  With the custard filling it was almost like banana cream pie cake.  I took the cake recipe from my Jelly Roll recipe and added a banana, omitted the water and used all vanilla extract (no almond).  It rose well and the sponge cake was springy.
     I used the custard filling from my Banana Cream Pie recipe.  Slices of just ripe bananas went perfectly with the custard filling.  If I had heavy whipping cream I would have whipped it.  I’m sure it would have worked well to cover the cake roll with the whipped cream or to just serve each slice with a dollop on top.


GLUTEN FREE BANANA ROLL CAKE

Ingredients

4 Eggs, separated
3/4 cups Sugar
1 Banana - very ripe or over ripe on the mushy side (if the bananas are not very ripe you can bake them with their skins on for 20 minutes per side in the oven at 350 degrees to make them more flavorful)
1 or 2 Bananas - just ripe (not mushy or brown)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
6 Tbs. Tapioca Flour
2 Tbs. Chickpea Flour
1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1-3 Tbs. Confectioner’s Sugar for dusting


Directions
  1.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Prepare a Jelly Roll pan (10x15x1-inch) by lining it with aluminum foil and greasing the foil well with butter or non-hydrogenated margarine.
    Jelly Roll pan lined with aluminum foil and greased.
  2.   In a small bowl add all the flours, sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon and xanthan gum.  Mix well and set aside.
  3.   Separate the eggs.
  4.   Whip the whites until stiff peaks form and set aside.
  5.   In a large bowl mash the banana well, add the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
  6.   Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and blend together well.
  7.   Fold the egg whites into the banana egg yolk batter.
    Folding whipped egg whites into the batter.
  8.   Spread the batter evenly in the prepared Jelly Roll pan.
    Raw batter spread evenly in prepared pan.
  9.   Bake about 10-12 minutes or until the cake is golden and it springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.  Be careful not to over bake or the cake will be dry.
    Baked cake in pan.
  10. While the cake is baking prepare a smooth dishtowel by spreading it out on the counter and dusting it well with confectioner’s sugar.
  11. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and turn it over onto the dishtowel dusted with powdered sugar.
  12. Peel off the aluminum foil.
    Peeling the foil off the hot cake that is turned out onto
     the dishtowel dusted with confectioner's sugar.
  13. While still hot roll the cake up in the dishtowel.  Rolling up the cake when hot keeps the cake flexible and it will not break when unrolling and re-rolling it to fill the cake.
    Rolling the hot cake up in a dishtowel.
  14. Set the cake (still rolled up in the dishtowel), seam side down, on a rack to cool completely. 
  15. Prepare the custard filling.
  16. Cut the just ripe bananas into 1/2-inch thick slices. I usually cut the banana at an angle.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
  1. Unroll the completely cooled cake.
  2. Spread the custard filling over the cake. I put a little more custard at the center edge and less at the outer edge.  This makes the roll easier to re-roll and it looks fuller.
    Spreading the unrolled (cooled) cake with custard filling.
  3. Put slices of banana evenly over the custard filling.
    Sliced bananas placed on the filling.
  4. Carefully re-roll the cake, make sure to roll it tightly enough so that there are no spaces or gaps.
  5. Move the cake to a platter and dust with confectioner’s sugar.  (If you want to cover the cake with whipped cream, do not dust with the sugar, spread the whipped cream over the cake and smooth it out with a rubber spatula.)
  6. Slice and serve.  If you like, you can serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
    Yummy slice of cake.
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Monday, May 13, 2013

GLUTEN FREE JELLY ROLL CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY AND WHIPPED CREAM FILLING





Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     This cake is moist, light and flavorful.  You can fill it with just jelly or use jam, preserves or fruit filling.  Whipped cream, frosting, pudding or whipped toppings can also be used to fill the cake either by themselves or with some fruit filling or jelly.  I found  this recipe, Grandma Chrs Jelly Roll, on food.com.  I converted it to gluten free, reduced the sugar and used some almond and vanilla extracts.  
     I just bought some organic strawberries so I decided to use them to make a cooked fruit filling and I also used fresh whipped cream to fill it.  The cake came out well.  The texture is indistinguishable from a cake made with regular white flour.  The strawberry and whipped cream filling has a rich natural flavor and is a fitting homage to Strawberry Shortcake.


GLUTEN FREE JELLY ROLL CAKE
WITH STRAWBERRY AND WHIPPED CREAM FILLING

Ingredients
CAKE

4 Eggs
3/4 cup Sugar (I use Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals)
4 Tbs. Water
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1/2 cup Sorghum Flour
6 Tbs. Tapioca Flour
2 Tbs. Chickpea Flour
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1-3 tbs. Confectioner’s Sugar for dusting


FILLINGS
STRAWBERRY

2 cups (pint) Fresh Strawberries - cleaned and cut into large pieces
1/4 cup Sugar (adjust to taste depending upon the sweetness of the fruit)
1 Tbs. Tapioca or Corn Starch*  (*I have been using tapioca starch lately in place of corn starch due to a concern about whether corn starch is GMO free or GF safe.  I find it works the same as corn starch in sauces and baked goods.)
1/4 cup Water

     
WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbs. Confectioner’s Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

        
Directions
  1.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2.   Prepare a Jelly Roll pan (10x15x1-inch) by lining it with aluminum foil and greasing the foil well with butter or margarine.
  3.   In a small bowl add flours, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder and mix well.  Set aside.
  4.   Separate eggs.
  5.   Beat egg whites until they are stiff enough to stand in peaks. Set aside.
  6.   In a large bowl add egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and almond extracts and water.  Mix well.
  7.   Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and mix together well.
  8.   Fold the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk/flour mixture.
    Folding stiff egg whites into the batter.
  9.   Spread the batter evenly into the prepared Jelly Roll pan.
    Raw batter in the foil lined jelly roll pan.
  10.   Bake until the cake is golden and springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.  Approximately 12-15 minutes depending upon the oven.
    Baked cake.
  11.   While the cake is baking prepare a smooth dishtowel by laying it out on the countertop and dusting it well with confectioner’s sugar.
  12.   When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and immediately invert the cake on to the prepared dishtowel.
  13.   While still hot roll the cake up in the dishtowel starting from the narrow end.
    Hot cake partially rolled up on
     a dishtowel dusted with confectioner's sugar.
  14.   Allow the cake (still rolled up in the dishtowel) to cool completely on a rack, seam side down. I usually line the rack with paper to prevent the rack lines from indenting the cake.  Rolling the cake while hot and allowing it to cool while rolled up will prevent the cake from breaking when you fill it and re-roll it.
    Cake rolled up in a dishtowel cooling on a rack.
  15.   To prepare the strawberry filling, first clean and cut the strawberries into large pieces.
    Strawberries, cleaned and cut into pieces.
  16.   Add the strawberries, sugar, tapioca or corn starch and water to a large saucepan.  Mix well.
    Strawberry mixture cooking.  Note that the liquid is still cloudy.
  17.   Cook over medium heat stirring often and crushing some of the fruit with the back of the spoon.  The filling is done when the corn or tapioca starch is no longer cloudy.  Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool completely.  Set aside.
    Completely cooked strawberry filling.
    Note that the cloudiness is gone.
  18.   Whip the heavy cream until slightly thick, add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until thick.  Do not over beat or you will have butter.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
  1.   Unroll the cooled cake.
    Cooled cake unrolled.
  2.   Spread the strawberry filling evenly over the cake.
    Cake spread with strawberry filling.
  3.   Top with the whipped cream and do your best to spread the whipped cream evenly over the strawberry filling.  It will not be perfect to look at, but will taste great.
    Whipped cream spread as evenly as possible.
    (Looks like pizza.)
  4.   Re-roll the cake.  Carefully roll the cake making sure it is rolled tightly enough so that there are no spaces or gaps.  Trim the ends if you like a more finished looking cake.
  5.   Move the cake to a platter and dust with confectioner’s sugar.
    Cake dusted with confectioner's sugar.
  6.   Cut into pieces to serve.
  7.   You can freeze the cake or pieces of cake and then thaw at room temperature before serving.  A slice will take about 20-30 minutes to thaw and a whole cake will take about 1-1 1/2 hours.   
**A thank you to the Baking Beauties and Allergy Free Alaska for hosting a GF Tuesdays link up event!
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Monday, May 6, 2013

GLUTEN FREE BISCOTTI WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS with Dairy Free Instructions



Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I was at the hairdresser last week and another client had baked biscotti.  They smelled so good.  I could not try one, but that started my craving.  
     Biscotti (singular is Biscotto) are twice baked cookies that originated in Italy.  Since they are dry, they are traditionally dunked into coffee or sweet dessert wine.  The original recipe contained no fat and were very hard.  Now a days they vary in ingredients and textures and are made with all sorts of additions, some with baking powder, some with butter or oil, some with nuts and flavorings, etc.
     I found a recipe on food.com that got rave reviews, Kittencal’s Almond Biscotti, so I made that one with some revisions.  Besides converting the recipe to GF I also reduced the sugar, used macadamia nuts instead of almonds and added some chocolate chips to half the batch.  The biscotti came out great.  Nice and crisp.  Firm enough that you can bit them and they don’t fall apart, but not so hard that you could break a tooth.  These are fairly easy to make and no mixer is needed.
     The first time I made these I used butter with one half the recipe and oil with the other half.  I also accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder and I had to throw out the whole batch as the cookies tasted fine with the first few chews and then had a bitter aftertaste from the baking soda.  I actually preferred how the oil version came out so I made the second (successful) batch entirely with oil.
     You can use different nuts and/or additional add-ins such as dried cranberries, white, milk or dark chocolate chips, currants, candies fruits, etc. as desired.  A total of 2 cups of add-ins is suggested.



GLUTEN FREE BISCOTTI WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Ingredients

1 cup Sorghum Flour
1/2 cup - plus more as per instructions Tapioca Flour - ** If using OIL add an additional  1/2 cup of tapioca flour.  If using melted BUTTER add an additional 1/4 cup of tapioca flour to the recipe.
1/4 cup Chickpea Flour
2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
1/8 tsp. Sea Salt
1 cup Macadamia nuts lightly toasted.  If you prefer almonds use 3/4 cup whole unblanched ones.
1/2-1 cup  Chocolate Chips (optional) - mini chips work well
2 Eggs
1/2 cup  Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.)
1/3 cup Oil or melted butter or margarine.
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Almond Extract
2 tsp. Orange Zest  (I used the zest from 2 oranges.)
1 Egg white to brush the top before baking (optional...I did not use this)

     
Directions
  1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2.   In a small bowl add the flours, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and nuts and mix   well.  If using chocolate chips add them at this time and mix well.  Set aside.
    Dry ingredients with nuts.
  3.   In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, oil or melted butter or margarine, vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest.  Mix well.
    Orange zest added to wet ingredients.
  4.   Add all the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix in.  The dough will be thick and sticky.
    Mixing the dry into the wet ingredients.
  5.   Divide the dough in half.
    Completely mixed dough.  It is thick and sticky.
  6.   I put half the dough on the baking sheet and then added the chocolate chips to the other half at this point.  If you want to use chips in the entire batter add them with the dry ingredients.
    Adding chocolate chips to half the batter.
  7.   Scoop half the dough onto one side of an ungreased baking sheet.  Try to spoon or scoop it out onto the pan in a log shape.  Scoop the other half onto the other side of the baking sheet.  The dough is too sticky to shape with your hands so use a spatula to shape and spread each portion of dough into a log about 3 or 4-inches wide and 12-inches long.  
    Unbaked dough shaped into two 12-inch long logs.
  8.   The dough will spread while baking so leave a few inches between the loaves.
  9.   If desired brush the tops with beaten egg white.  (I did not do this.)
  10.   Bake the loaves for 20 minutes until the center is firm to the touch and not mushy.
  11. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.  If not cool enough the loaf will crumble while slicing it.
    Baked loaves.
  12. Transfer each loaf to a cutting board and, using a sharp serrated knife, slice each loaf diagonally into 3/4 inch slices.
    One loaf cut diagonally into slices.  Each loaf made about 12 slices.
  13. Place the slices, cut sides down onto the baking sheet and return to the oven. 
    Once baked slices on baking sheet about to go back into the oven for the second baking.
  14. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, turning the slices over half way through.  The slices should be lightly browned.
    Twice baked slices, nicely browned.
  15. Cool on a rack.
  16. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  

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