Tag Archives: gluten-free

Rhubarb Coffee Cake – Spring’s Gift

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Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Rhubarb Coffee Cake – photo by Nicholas Mann

Rhubarb – Spring’s Gift to Us

If you live in Southwestern Ontario look in your garden and you will see another of spring’s gifts – rhubarb. It is ready to cut….. and….. my favourite Rhubarb Coffee Cake works equally well with gluten-free all purpose flour! Thank you, again, Jayne for sharing this recipe with me. I am still looking and working on a muffin to take the place of my old reliable wheat version so if you have one that works I would love to try it out myself. The photo above is the version made with wheat flour and if you are able to use this just substitute 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 cup of all purpose flour for the GF flour and omit the xanthan gum. I used this photo because I could not do as nice a job as Nick did when he did the pictures for the cookbook and the cake does not look significantly different made with GF flour.

Already my husband, Cliff, is asking for rhubarb pie and luckily we can do that without wheat too. I just have to decide which one to make, strawberry rhubarb or rhubarb custard? If the weather turns us back indoors I will post a photo and recipe next week! Let me know if you have a preference for one of the pies.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake GF – Click here for pdf of recipe

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Cake:

1/2 cup margarine

1 1/4 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup applesauce, 113 g apple snack pack works

2/3 cup yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups GF all purpose flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp rice or GF all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp margarine

1/4 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Beat margarine and sugar until light then add eggs one at a time.

Stir in applesauce, yogurt and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together flour, xanthan gum and baking soda and stir into batter until combined.

Add rhubarb and beat a minute or two.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.

Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and margarine with a pastry blender or your

clean hands.

Add nuts if desired and sprinkle over unbaked cake batter.

Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched, a tester comes

out clean and cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Anne’s Favourites

 

Anne’s Favourites

Kale Salad

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Kale Salad

Joanne gave me this recipe along with my first bunch of kale. It was so simply delicious and nutritious I have been seeking it out ever since. This week our local grocery store, Knechtel Food Market, got in a case of kale so it seemed like a good time to post the recipe! As you see from this photo I have added some kalamata olives, halved and used a sweet onion because I was out of green and red onions!

Kale Salad Click here for pdf of recipe

This recipe was given to me along with my first bunch of kale by Joanne McDonagh and I have
been seeking it out ever since. Wonderfully simple, delicious and nutritious!
4 -5 kale leaves, large, with ribs removed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, diced
2 green onions or 2 Tbsp red onion sliced thinly
lemon juice
olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Massage washed leaves with ribs removed to minimize bitterness then tear into bite size
pieces.
Toss diced avocado with lemon juice and arrange over kale in a shallow bowl or plate. I have
a pasta bowl I like for this salad.
Spread tomatoes and onion over the avocado.
Drizzle with a little more lemon juice then olive oil.
Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and serve.
.
Serves 2 – 3
Anne’s Favourites
Kale Salad

Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake with Caramel Lemon Sauce

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Gingerbread Pumpkin Cake –
Gingerbread Cake

I was thinking I would have to wait until next fall to post the recipe for this delicious cake because it just has more appeal when it is cold and blustery outside but this week fooled me! Thoughts of trifle and spring were quickly replaced with Gingerbread and Stew on Monday morning but you will not regret trying this cake to celebrate the winter’s last blast (is that too hopeful?)!

A common problem with gluten-free baking is not having enough structure to support your creations so they compact as they cool. I found switching to the 9 x 13 pan let the cake bake evenly and I also tried the addition of a small amount of cocoa because for whatever reason chocolate cake is much more successful. With those amendments the cake was a success.

Even the less successful attempts with this cake were sought after when they were topped with the amazing caramel lemon sauce! Once you try the sauce you will want to think of other places it can be used. For sure use the leftover sauce with some bananas and ice cream!

The cake this was developed from a recipe that appeared in the December 2011 Canadian Living magazine made with wheat flour.
Caramel Lemon Sauce
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/3 cup molasses, fancy
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
Caramel Sauce:
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
Beat brown sugar, oil, sour cream, molasses and eggs 2 minutes..
Stir in pumpkin, fresh ginger and vanilla until combined.
Sift flour,cocoa, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
and cloves. into pumpkin mixture.
Mix until combined then scrape sides of bowl and beat for another 3 minutes.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350°F for 50 – 60 minutes until cake is
pulling away from the sides of the pan and internal temperature has reached 200°.
For sauce: Melt butter with sugar and lemon juice over medium heat stirring until sugar is
dissolved and mixture begins to simmer.
Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook without stirring until amber coloured, about 5
minutes
Carefully stir in cream taking care that steam does not burn you. then continue to simmer
until thick, about 2 minutes. This sauce will keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Hot Cross Buns – Gluten-free Easter Delight

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Toasted Day Old Hot Cross BunsThese are the ones I tried today (March 9, 2013) with the 1/4 cup applesauce added. I like the extra moisture and taste :) These are the ones I tried today (March 9, 2013) with the 1/4 cup applesauce added. I like the extra moisture and taste :)<br

Hot Cross Buns – GF< Click here for pdf version of GF Recipe
Marion’s Hot Cross Buns (Wheat)< Click here for the Original Recipe with Wheat

I’m about 4 blogs behind getting posted but I had to bump these Hot Cross Buns to the top because they were so good and last year I thought I would never get another toasted, fruity Hot Cross Bun the way I like to make them with wheat (There is a great recipe for the wheat version in Anne’s Favourites pg 96 and I will attach the pdf). Once I got the hamburger bun (a future blog) recipe developed a lightbulb went on and I just knew they would adapt to this Easter treat! I wish I would have thought about the Maple Syrup as the glaze before writing Anne's Favourites because it worked perfectly

The English muffin rings are available at The Kitchen Cupboard and Icebox http://www.kitchencupboardandicebox.com in Listowel at a really reasonable price. I bought 3 packages so I have 12. They are great for gluten-free baking, giving you an easy form to spread the dough into and edges to bake which really helps structurally and that is what you are missing without gluten. I use them to make sandwich/hamburger buns also.

I can't wait to make these again on the week-end and will try adding ¼ cup of applesauce to the dough and see how I like that. If you try these please let me know how they turn out for you.

Hot Cross Buns – Gluten-free
3/4 cup milk, scalded
1/4 cup melted margarine
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp honey
2 cups GF AP flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup whey powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 eggs
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins, I like to use some golden
1/4 cup mixed peel
1/4 cup candied cherries
maple syrup to brush tops
Scald milk and let cool with margarine, water and honey while measuring remaining
ingredients
Sift together GF all purpose and sweet rice flour, tapioca and potato starch, whey powder,
salt, xanthan gum, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add yeast, eggs, cider vinegar and vanilla to lukewarm liquid ingredients.
Pour in sifted dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Scrape bowl and mix on
medium speed for 4 minutes.
During last minute of mixing add raisins, peel and cherries and combine thoroughly.
Scoop into 11 or 12 English muffin rings and spread as evenly as you can sealing to the
edges. Let rise uncovered for about an hour until it reaches the top of the pan
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes until nicely browned and internal temperature
is at least 200 degrees F. Brush immediately with maple syrup if glaze is desired.
You may pipe the cross on with some butter icing if you like.

Mincemeat Delights!

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Mincemeat Muffins – Winter Comfort

I love Mincemeat Pie, Tarts and Crisp (both Anne’s Favourites pg 243), and Mincemeat Muffins (pg 137).  I love the extra fruitiness of the filling Doreen and Kerri helped to develop while we worked together at Armstrong’s Bakery and I usually make a batch at Christmas and freeze what is left for muffins on those stormy winter days! We had a few of those in the last few weeks.

I have included the muffin recipe with the gluten-free flour but you can substitute a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose wheat flour and leave out the xanthan gum to make the regular version of these muffins.

Mincemeat Muffins  – click here for pdf copy of recipeMincemeat Muffins 057

Mincemeat Filling, Pie and Crisp – click here for pdf copy of recipe

Mincemeat Apple Pie

For a pot luck I made mincemeat apple crisp in a gluten-free pie shell and it was delicious! With the rich pecan topping and fruity mincemeat filling you forget it is gluten-free.

Tomato Dill Soup

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Tomato Dill Soup – A taste of summer to warm up your winter!

I had a difficult time making up my mind which food to post this week. It has been so busy since mid December that I have a number of photos ready but when I tasted this soup at lunch today it went right to the top of the list!

This is definitely my “go to” soup. I especially look forward to making it if I still have a mixture of tomatoes and dill leaves frozen from summer’s bounty. With the tomatoes already peeled this soup is just a matter of chopping some onions and garlic and putting things together. It only needs to simmer for a half an hour so you can make it right before you eat it.

Tomato Dill Soup – click here for recipe pdf

Tomato Dill Soup – Anne’s Favourites pg 52

1               Tbsp butter

1               Tbsp olive oil

1               onion, chopped

2               cloves garlic, crushed

2               Tbsp GF all purpose flour or potato starch

4               cups chicken stock, homemade or low sodium

12            medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped, 7 – 8 cups
OR 2 cans (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

2               Tbsp fresh dill or 2 tsp dry

1               Tbsp white sugar (omit sugar if using canned tomatoes)

1/4          tsp baking soda (omit if using canned tomatoes)

1               tsp salt, or to taste

1/4          tsp pepper

Cook onion and garlic in butter/olive oil mixture until soft.

  • Add flour and stir until smooth.
  • Slowly stir in broth and bring to a boil.
  • Scald and peel tomatoes and cut into small pieces then add to broth mixture.
  • Add dill, sugar, salt, pepper and baking soda.
  • Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve 6

My Royal Birthday Cake

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Queen Elizabeth Cake

Queen Elizabeth Cake – page 205, Anne’s Favourites

The year I published the cookbook my husband made the “Queen Elizabeth Cake” as another test on the final copy and because I requested it for my birthday. It was perfect and I loved it and looked forward to many more. I thought now that he had the idea and the an easy to follow recipe it could become an annual event. Sadly, the Celiac situation gave him the excuse he needed to leave cake making behind. I did not give up so easily and decided I would still have a Queen Elizabeth Cake for my birthday. It was a few days late and I had to make it myself but it was absolutely delicious!

Queen Elizabeth Cake Gluten-free – Click here for printable copy.                       See recipe below

Queen Elizabeth Cake – gluten-free adaptation from Anne’s Favourites Pg 205

  • 1 cup dates, chopped
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1 tsp GF baking powder
  • 1/2 cup coconut, desiccated
  • Topping:
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 2/3 cup coconut, shredded or flaked
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
    For the cake pour boiling water over dates and baking soda then let cool.
    Beat butter with sugar until smooth then add egg and vanilla mixing until combined.
    Sift GF flour, xanthan gum and GF baking powder together.
    Stir in flour mixture and coconut until blended.
    Add cooled date mixture stirring until smooth.
    Pour into a greased 9 x 9 inch pan.
    Bake at 350°F for 35 – 40 minutes until springs back when touched lightly and internal temperature has reached 200 degrees F.
    Meanwhile for the topping  mix brown sugar, butter, milk, coconut and walnuts in
    a saucepan.
    When cake comes out of oven bring topping ingredients to a boil and let simmer for
    3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    Spoon hot topping mix as evenly as possible on warm cake (see pg 192), spreading with two forks, and return to oven with broiler on.
    Broil until icing bubbles and turns golden brown. This only takes a few minutes so
    watch it carefully!

Holiday Favourites that are already gluten-free

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Holiday Date Balls

This is my first gluten-free Christmas and I was looking through my cookbook to see which recipes for holiday baking were the easiest to adapt to my new diet. I was pleased to see I only needed to ensure my crisp rice cereal was gluten-free to adapt the Holiday Date Balls to be suitable for Celiacs.                        

Take care not to overcook them or they will be hard on your teeth!

Holiday Date Balls – click here for printable recipe

Holiday Fruit Balls

  • 1/2       cup butter melted
  • 2          cups white sugar
  • 2          eggs
  • 3          cups chopped dates
  • 1/4       cup candied red cherries
  • 1/4       cup candied green cherries
  • 3          cups gluten-free crisp rice cereal
  • coconut for coating

Melt butter in saucepan and add sugar and eggs, stirring quickly so eggs do not cook.

Add dates and cook for 7 minutes or until dates are cooked, stirring often.

Add cherries in last minutes of cooking.

Add rice cereal and stir to combine.

Cool until able to handle then form into balls

Roll in shredded coconut or coating of choice and store in an airtight container.

  • Other Coating Suggestions:
  • ground nuts
  • icing sugar