Gluten Free Owl Cupcakes

I forgot to post the owl cupcakes. Elisabeth & Brian made these gluten free cupcakes for Hilary's birthday.

GF Brownies with Peanut Butter Swirls

For the brownies, I started with a delightful, flourless recipe I found on the Whole Food's Website.

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons  sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (Since I was adding peanut butter, I didn't add nuts)

*1/2 cup honey peanut butter (I used Bee's Knees which is gf, but you can mix 1/2 TBS honey in regular or crunchy peanut butter)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter an 8-inch baking pan. Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Remove the blade and gently stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan.

Soften peanut butter in microwave for 20 seconds.  Drop by spoonfuls onto brownie batter.  Using a knife, swirl peanut butter.

Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into squares.

*A special note to those who are trying to make a gluten free treat, but aren't familiar with cooking gluten free. When using a jar of peanut butter, if it has been opened and a knife used to spread on wheat bread (this includes "white" bread also) the peanut butter is contaminated with wheat. It is not suitable for gluten free baking. Open a new jar to bake gluten free. Whomever you're baking for will appreciate it.

Gluten Free White Chocolate Cheesecake

This is a delightful cheesecake made by my nephew Kestrel. It is a no crust cheesecake so gluten free. Yay! I was in the kitchen "helping" him, but as I'm looking at the recipe he gave me, I'm quite certain that he did not follow the directions he gave me. Sigh. He bakes the way I cook, lol. I'm going to copy what he gave me and I'll come back and change it if necessary.

And this is the fine young man who created it.

4-8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sugar
4 eggs, separated
8 oz. white chocolate

Place the following in large mixing bowl: softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks. Mix thoroughly. Melt white chocolate-reserving 2 oz. or so for topping, and combine with cream cheese mix. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold in beaten egg whites, until blended.

Pour into a greased springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until center if fully cooked. Let cool.

Melt extra white chocolate chips in a saucepan with a little bit of sugar and milk. Pour over top and spread evenly.

For the cool design: while the chocolate on top is still warm, melt a small amount of dark chocolate in the microwave and pour in to a plastic bag, (or icing bag if you have one.) Make four or five circles, each larger than the last in the middle of the cheesecake spreading out. Once finished with the circles, with a toothpick, do a line from the outside in, then the inside to out. make 8 lines in all.

Chocolate Cake w/raspberry sauce

I was so excited when I pulled this cake out of the oven. It looked like REAL cake. I haven't had great success with gluten free baking, and GFCF is even more of a challenge. I'd like to try this one again, using dairy products. But if you baking without, this worked wonderfully!

1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa, if I'd used regular, I might have added up to 3/4 cup)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup coconut milk (use regular milk if you aren't dairy free)
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup mayonnaise
4 eggs

Mix dry ingredients together. Beat eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until mixed well. Add vanilla, milk, and flour into dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 inch cake pan or 2 round cake pans. Spread batter to edges and smooth evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-30 minutes. Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean when it is finished and cake will begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Let cool before icing.

Chocolate Glaze:
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup honey
1-2 TBS hot water
3 TBS dairy free margarine (or butter for dairy lovers)
Add chocolate, honey, and water to melted margarine. Pour or spread over cake. Place cake in refrigerator to set.

Raspberry Sauce:
1 pint of strawberries, + more for garnish
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS cornstarch
1 cup water
1/2 lime

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a pan. Add water and juice of half a lime. Heat over medium high heat. Add in raspberries and cook, stirring until sauce thickens. Strain through a fine metal seive to remove seeds. Cool in refrigerator until ready to use. Drizzle over cake, top with fresh strawberries and serve. Raspberry sauce can also be used over ice cream, pancakes, etc. Chocolate glaze can also be used as a topping, but thin with more water to make it pour easier.

Chocolate Chip Date Cake GF

My first attempt baking gluten free. The cake was a little denser than the original, but just as delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Crisco shortening

Dry Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Date Mixture:
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Topping:
3/4 cup gluten free chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 TBS sugar

Date Mixture:
Add dates and 1/2 tsp. baking soda to boiling water. Let sit while you assemble the rest.

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs. Alternately add dry ingredients and date mixture. Pour in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup nuts and sugar.

Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

The topping tends to sink down into the cake, but it doesn't affect the flavor.

My Birthday Cake

I like apple pie filling, but not pie so much. For my birthday cake, I made an apple-upside-down-cake, which is like coffee cake with apple pie filling.

Chocolate Cake w/hint of Raspberry

(Did I mention I broke my camera? Using an older camera, and couldn't get it to focus. Pictures might be sketchy until I get a new camera for Christmas, a hint to anyone who might be reading.)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
Mix sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. (If using mixer, beat on medium about 2 min.) Stir in boiling water. Pour into large greased & floured bundt pan. Be careful not to overfill.

Bake at 350 degrees approximately 35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Invert onto plate or wire rack after cooling 10 minutes. When cooled to room temperature or slightly warmer, add toppings:

Raspberry glaze:
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 tablespoons apple juice
1/2 teaspoon rum extract

Frosting:
2 squares baking chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine the glaze ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Brush over cake. Let stand for 10 minutes or until set.

Place chocolate in glass baking pan. Heat gently in microwave 10 seconds, and 5 seconds thereafter until melted. Do not overheat. Stir in cream. Cook 40 more seconds and stir or until thickened. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Let stand until set. Top with fresh raspberries if desired.

5 minute Chocolate Cake?

A friend shared a recipe for a 5 minute chocolate cake. I searched the internet looking for where it originated and couldn't find the source. I tweaked it a bit and it wasn't half bad. Now when I'm packing lunches in the morning and find I don't have a dessert, voila! Chocolate cake.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE CAKE in a mug

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBS cocoa (unsweetened)
1 egg white or 2 TBS egg beaters
3 TBS milk
3 TBS oil (butter would work, & I may try cutting down on this amount, but I also don't want it to stick in the coffee cup.)
2-3 TBS chocolate chips (optional)
1/8 tsp vanilla

Add dry ingredients to a large mug, and mix well. Mix in egg, oil, vanilla, & milk. Stir in chocolate chips.

Microwave on high 3 minutes (best if using 1000 watt microwave.) The cake might rise over the top of the mug, especially if not using a large mug. Grab a fork and enjoy, or turn mug upside down, place on plate and share with a friend or two.

Dump Cake

So easy!



1 can cherry pie filling
1 can crushed pineapple
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter

Spray a 9 x 13" pan with non-stick spray. Dump in cherry pie filling, then pineapple. Add dry cake mix. Top with coconut then pecans. On the top, grate the stick of butter over all. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Date Cake

Chocolate Chip Date Cake is a recipe given to me by my mother-in-law. Because it lacks icing, it is not overly sweet. But it is delicious! (I did make a few changes to adjust to altitude, etc.)

1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Crisco
1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour*
1/2 tsp. baking soda*
1/4 tsp salt*
*dry ingredients

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
sugar (about 1 TBS)

Date Mixture:
Do this step first to allow cooling while rest of ingredients are assembled

1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup cut-up dates
1 tsp. baking soda
add dates and soda to boiling water

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs & vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and date/water mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Top with 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup nuts and sprinle sugar over all.

Bake 25-30 minutes in 350` degrees F oven