And yet…many people use the microwave every day.  Many people are cooking for 1 or two, or are in a dorm, or they’re in a rush…so I decided to take my ‘food snob’ hat off and give it a whirl.  I also really found the concept intriguing, because, well, I’d never really thought much about it before.

Since I’m allergic to egg and almost all recipes were egg-based, DH was the tester.  I made the chocolate cake with sorghum, and, as he put it, it looked like meat alternative.  Not in a good way.  I didn’t frost because I wanted an honest opinion of the cake.  The verdict–too chewy, but yummy.  DH ate all of it.

I didn’t want to give a unenthused review without a thorough trial, so I opted for the Extreme chocolate cake (picture above).  Extreme chocolate–where can you go wrong?  He loved it.  As I passed by, I remarked that the book said the cake served two…he promptly asked who was going to take it from him.

I planned to make a third, but DH has been away and another close friend is dead set against microwaving.  I do want to try out one of the rolls.  I’ll have to add it in afterwards to the review.

Overall, I would say it’s really quite a unique concept and absolutely fits a niche of people who want good, quick, easy GF baked goods.   Clean up was a breeze–I just popped the dish in the dishwasher, and poof!  Nutritionally the recipes were pretty decent, too.  Despite my innate love of my oven, I will use this again for DH because it’s easy, he loves chocolate, and I love him.

On the ‘cons’ side, a lot of the ingredients are things we don’t have handy–baby food, orange juice concentrate, apple sauce, etc.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Apples are one of my favorite foods.  Maybe it’s because I grew up in New York?  Either way, I’ve been an apple snob since I was a little kid.  Store bought apples can’t compare to Farmer’s Markets. Mac Intosh were my favorite for pies and eating.  But here in VA, they’re not that good.  Fortunately we still have Goldrush, Jonamacs, Liberty and more, even though they’re from states a little further out.

My favorite way to enjoy apples is…to just eat them.  But a very close second is an apple crisp. I’ve got a lot of recipes posted like this one and this is my current favorite version–gluten-free, sugar free and vegan.  And super delicious.  The pairing of the sweetness of apples and the tartness of cranberries is fantastic.

And you can substitute white or brown sugar if you prefer. Yummy one way or another.

Topping:
1 1/2 cups almond flour
2/3 cup chopped hazelnuts
pinch salt
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup coconut or palm sugar (or other sugar)
1/4 cup stevia powder

4 apples, pears or a combination, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup cranberries (or dried cherries)
¼ cup coconut or palm sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
a few grindings of nutmeg
1 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot starch

Prepare topping by mixing all ingredients. This can be premade and refrigerated or frozen.

Peel and chop apples thinly, combine with cranberries. Toss remaining ingredients together, and then mix into apples. Pour into a 8X8 glass dish.

Bake, COVERED for 25 min or so or until the apples start getting droopy and soft. Uncover and bake until browning, maybe 10 min more.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

I wasn’t terribly enchanted when I read the selection.  Deep frying?   Yuck.  (sorry!)  Now, since I’m gluten free, I couldn’t use the recipe given, and I started looking at recipes and realizing I could make BAKED doughnuts.  Then I got jazzed, and even bought a mini doughnut pan for the occasion. 

I used this recipe, substituted Better Batter GF flour and coconut yogurt instead of the buttermilk and yogurt.  I did a simple sugar/’cream’ glaze as well as just dipping in powdered sugar.

No joke, they went in record time.  And everyone enjoyed them so much I’m thinking of making them again this weekend.  I’m glad I went out on a limb and did this!

Please check out the other DB’ers for more and beautiful doughnuts!

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

I was surprised to see Elana’s recipe for Vegan Herb Crackers, especially since I had been planning on posting mine this week! Upon looking at the recipes, they’re quite a bit different so I figured I’d go ahead and share them. These are delicious, and keep well for a few days (but only if they’re hidden so I can’t find them).  I really love the rich flavor and the hearty texture.  Like Elana’s, these are vegan, but mine use Salba seeds to boost omega 3 content.

The only drawback (which I find with all almond flour products) they are so dense and rich, I can’t have anything rich with them, and I usually make tiny crackers–maybe 1 inch by 2 inch.

I did not give exact cooking times because depending on how I roll them, there always seems to be a range despite my best efforts. I’ve rolled some thick and some thin to try to figure out which I prefer, and I must confess, the crackers disappear and I still haven’t made up my mind, so I’ll leave that important question for all of you to ponder.

3 tablespoons of water
2 teaspoons ground chia or Salba seed

1 cup blanched almond flour
1.5 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend (mine has rosemary, thyme, basil, marjoram, etc.)
pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

Mix ground Salba with water, sit for 10 minutes. Combine almond flour through olive oil and preheat oven to 325. Thoroughly incorporate Salba gel, scoop into a ball and chill 5 minutes. Roll out very thinly between parchment paper or parchment and a Silpat. Cut into pieces with a pizza cutter and sprinkle with salt and pepper, pressing down slightly.

Bake until browning, peeking after 20 minutes and turning the cookie sheet if your oven is uneven like mine.

Cool and enjoy!

I’m submitting these yummies to Simply Gluten and Sugar Free’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, which are extravaganzas of great and inventive (healthier) treats.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Okay, I admit, I’ve gotten carried away with Carol’s new book AND I’ve gotten a mess in the kitchen to prove it.  I’ve already made the cornbread and the Devil food cake as cupcakes, and the only reason I’ve been slowing down is that I ran out of sorghum flour!

I was so taken with the cupcakes because they looked JUST like the real thing, and the smell was just heavenly.  It’s so wonderful to be in a kitchen that smells like chocolate, isn’t it?  DH took a batch of 12 to his martial arts class, and there were 5 glutinovores present, including him.  And yet when I returned, there was just a crumb trail left and no cupcakes in sight.  I think that speaks for itself!  I did find that the recipe batter made more than 12 cupcakes, though.  I’d say it was closer to 16.

And if you do have the 1000 GF recipe books by Carol, check out the yellow cupcake recipe.  I think it was one of the quickest disappearing recipes I’ve ever made.

Cornbread overall is one of DH’s favorite foods, so I had to try it out!  I made it in cast iron skillet because I don’t have metal square pans, so that may have affected the time a bit. It was a little moister than the recipe we used to use, but we’ll be making it again soon for sure.

Stay tuned for decadent cookies and the crumb cake!  And I’ll also be giving away a bottle of Salba and picking a winner next Thursday.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

I LOVE lovelovelove this frosting.  It has a very intense chocolate taste. And no one will ever guess the ‘secret’ ingredient.  It’s also perfect for pre-making.  The longer it sits, the better the flavors meld.  I usually make a batch and put it in a pastry bag and leave it in the fridge to get firmer overnight and leave it on the counter to soften a bit before frosting. It’s the perfect topping for anything or anyone yummy.

And I’m not going to pretend it’s health food, but my goodness, that’s as close to ‘healthy frosting’ as possible, I think! I’m submitting this recipe to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, because despite tasting very indulgent, when the main ingredients are beans and nuts and you’re getting gobs of antioxidants from the cocoa, I feel I can stand behind them proudly as a dietitian.

A big thanks to Honeyville Farms.  I’d gotten a bag of the almond flour and it tasted funny (please do keep in mind that I’m the princess in the pea when it comes to food) and they replaced the bag, and the new stuff is super yummy as usual.  I love companies that stand behind their products.

1 can of cannelli beans (navy beans also work)
1 cup of agave nectar
1/2 cup macadamia butter
2 teaspoons vanilla powder/extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 teaspoons stevia concentrated powder
2 oz good quality unsweetened chocolate, melted (ahem! Sharffenberger)
1 Cup cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon mesquite powder–add into the cup of cocoa powder (optional, but yummy)
OR a 1/2 tsp almond extract
good pinch of salt

Put well washed, well drained beans in the food processor with agave and blitz until smooth. add in ingredients through stevia and combine well. Add in melted chocolate powder and other ingredients and process until smooth and very well combined. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate 2-3 hours (at least) before piping.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

I posted a recipe for Easy Almond Cookies a while back, but these…these are even easier.   I enjoy both and can’t say which I like better, the other have much more of a hearty texture while these are delicious wafer-ish almond cookies. Quite frankly, I’d be happy just to alternate!

They’re gluten free, vegan, sugar free, too, and they freeze very well, so do feel free to double (or triple) the recipe as you see fit.  And as far as (tasty!) cookies go, they’re pretty darn good for you.  Calcium, protein and iron from the almonds, omega 3s and fiber from the flax, yummy from the coconut sugar…

The recipe uses coconut or palm sugar, which I’ve come to really enjoy.  Most sites say you can replace it 1:1 with sugar, I find that it’s much less sweet.  But what it lacks in sweetness, it more than compensates with caramel-y goodness.  It’s also a sustainable and environmentally friendly food with a low glycemic load.  I just wish I could find it locally and then it would be just about perfect.

1/4 cup roasted almond butter
1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
1 Tablespoon agave
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or extract
a good pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and stir together well. Roll walnut sized balls and flatten with the palm of your hand and place on a silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 9 minutes, just until set when edges are just starting to brown slightly.
Allow to cool…seriously…or they will crumble. They harden in 10 minutes or so on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

I will be submitting this to Amy’s Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.  This week’s page is here. Like almost all of my recipes, they’re indulgent with a healthy-ish flair.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

Mmmm….

Usually I’m not big into breakfasts.  Well, I was, ages ago, but since giving up most simple carbs and dairy and eggs…not so much.  A bowl of millet on occasion is quite delightful, but hands down, my favorite is Chai Breakfast Cake.  I haven’t posted it sooner simply because I always forget what I add in and change it around, but this time I was a good note taker.  And while I like it as is, I plan to try taking about the salba the next time around and see how the consistency changes.  As posted below, it has a sticky consistency that I like, but I think I’d like it the other

In addition to being a simply decadently delicious, vegan, sugar free treat, (and a good source of protein, too!) it’s also a perfect to bake up the night before, which can be challenging in gluten-free land.  So enjoy, and tell me what you think.

For those who are so inclined to play:

hazelnuts are delicious, cacoa nibs are heavenly, and I’m getting hungry!

3/4 cup strong chai tea
½ cup  agave
1 tsp almond extract
1 TBSP vanilla extract

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa flakes or quick cook GF oats
1 cup almonds
2 T cornstarch/arrowroot
2.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp stevia
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tsp ginger (use more for a spicier cake)
pinch cardamom
1 T ground Salba/chia
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Grease a 8 inch round pan and pre-heat to 325.

Boil a cup of water, add in 3 bags of Chai tea and steep for a good 10 min or so.  Remove bags, measure out 3/4 cup.

Grind the almonds, and arrowroot in a food processor until you have a coarse ground meal, but no nut butter.  Add in the quiona flakes and pulse 30 seconds more.  Add salt, stevia, spices, and Salba and then the tea and agave and mix for 1 min.  Mix in coconut, allow the batter to stand 10 minutes.

Add batter to the pan and bake until browning on top and a toothpick comes out clean–mine took about 30 min but our oven has been temperamental so please do check as you go.

Enjoy!

I will be submitting this to the Simply gluten and Sugar Free’s Slightly indulgent Tuesdays (although I think it’s more than slightly indulgent!)

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

I stumbled by Amy’s blog and Slightly Indulgent Mondays event and this seemed like a good fit, and a good excuse for me to post another recipe! It’s indulgent because, hey, it’s a chocolate cake. But with the sources of fat from olive oil, pecans and eggs, it’s much kinder on your body say, the standard cake with butter and loads of sugar. It’s dairy free and low glycemic. And, like all of my recipes, the ingredients are wholesome, healthy gluten free foods, just with a rockin’ taste. And now no sugar. Life is good.

Also, of course, check out the other fun recipes entered, too!

2 cups of pecans
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup olive oil
1 TBSP mesquite + the rest of a 1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp stevia powder
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave nectar

Grease a 9 inch springform, line with parchment and dust the sides with cocoa powder. Grind pecans into pecan meal in a food processor, add in cocoa, stevia, salt, vanilla, oil land yolks and grind a minute more.  Add the agave last and BRIEFLY let it mix in. Whip whites to stiff peaks, and gently fold the pecan mixture into the whites

Pour batter into the pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Allow to cool a good 10 minutes before unmolding from the springform. You can frost or not, depending on your mood. I made a simple macadamia cream/cocoa ganache and sprinkled raw cacao on top.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

Perfect timing for me, because my husband’s birthday is in August, and the boy was deserving of a big gorgeous cake, don’t ya think? So the elements of the dobos were a sponge cake, frosting, and the caramel topping.

Of course, some things never change, and a gluten free cake was a must. I used the Better Batter sponge cake recipe, which worked beautifully. It was a little dense, but largely bakers’ error–I didn’t sift the flour into the mix, and as soon as I did it, it was obvious how important it was. But the cake was excellent and kept well.

For the frosting, I made a luscious, chocolate hazelnut vegan sugar free frosting based in (don’t tell!) navy beans. I do have rough ideas, but often am not good enough about writing down what I do when I’m adding in things madly and my hands (and mouth, to be honest) are covered in chocolate. I’ve made it 3 times, and it’s always worked well enough to spread and be super yummy, but if it’s thick enough, it can be whipped and pipes beautifully. I need to figure out the proportions, but the main ingredients are cocoa, navy beans, hazelnut butter, agave and some mesquite and cinnamon. Good stuff! and if you want more details (from the notes I have) drop me a line, but I’m not sure it’s accurate

You may notice the lack of caramel topping. Actually, it’s hiding. I burnt myself on the first one, and the second one didn’t seem to really harden well. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I did sprinkle the crumbs on top, and DH felt that it was his obligation to eat the remaining sugary pieces…so it was all good.

All in all, what a fun cake! I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge. It kept beautifully for a few days and I got such a kick out of making a normal looking traditional birthday cake. To see the artistic and creative stylings of other DB’ers, please check out the blogroll.

©2012 Gluten Free Goodness. All Rights Reserved.