Gluten-Free Pie Crust

Posted on March 8, 2013 by sparecake

Pre-baking I wasn’t too sure about this dough, but it actually makes a mighty fine pie crust! (Can you ever tell from tasting unbaked baked goods? Oh, yes, actually, cookie dough and cake batter are both often grand…) It doesn’t taste rice flour-y or feel gritty, and it stays crisp for days once filled. Nice!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 3/4 cup potato starch
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 egg and 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons very cold water

Combine the flours, potato starch, sugar, salt, and xanthan gum in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times to combine. Add the cream cheese and shortening and process until well blended, then add the remaining ingredients and process until a smooth dough forms.

IMG_5085To use immediately, lightly grease 2 9″ pie pans, then pat half the dough into each pan with wet hands. Get it as evenly spread across the bottom and sides of the pan as you can, then crimp the edges and prick all over with a fork.

I clearly did not make very nice edges.

I clearly did not make very nice edges.

Put in the freezer long enough for the oven to come to 425 degrees, then bake until the edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

A bit of cracking, not terrible.

A bit of cracking, not terrible.

To use the prepared dough later, form each half into a disk about 1/2″ thick, wrap in plastic, place in a freezer bag, and freeze. When ready to use, thaw for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature, then roll out to a 10″ round between two sheets of wax paper.

IMG_5109Place the pie pan up-side-down over the uncovered dough, then flip the wax paper, dough, and pie pan right-side-up. Remove the paper, straighten the dough, and prick all over with a fork, before returning to the freezer while the oven preheats and baking as above. I found this method much trickier. The dough got more evenly flat, but then tried to move all over while being flipped. And don’t even ask about moving the dough without putting the pie pan over it first! Yikes.

A post-flip mess.

A post-flip mess.

After some damage control.

After some damage control.

And baked.

And baked.

Next time I don’t think I’d let the frozen dough thaw as long, as it might have been easier to work with if it were still more firm. Either way, the finished product was pretty perfect, taste and texture-wise!

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

From The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking.

  • 1 cup white rice flour
  • 3/4 cup potato starch
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 egg and 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons very cold water

Combine the flours, potato starch, sugar, salt, and xanthan gum in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times to combine. Add the cream cheese and shortening and process until well blended, then add the remaining ingredients and process until a smooth dough forms.

To use immediately, lightly grease two 9″ pie pans, then pat half the dough into each pan with wet hands. Get it as evenly spread across the bottom and sides of the pan as you can, then crimp the edges and prick all over with a fork. Put in the freezer long enough for the oven to come to 425 degrees, then bake until the edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

To use the prepared dough later, form each half into a disk about 1/2″ thick, wrap in plastic, place in a freezer bag, and freeze. When ready to use, thaw for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature, then roll out to a 10″ round between two sheets of wax paper. Place the pie pan up-side-down over the uncovered dough, then flip the wax paper, dough, and pie pan right-side-up. Remove the paper, straighten the dough, and prick all over with a fork, before returning to the freezer while the oven preheats and baking as above.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

French Silk Pie

Posted on March 6, 2013 by sparecake

Super simple, not very many ingredients, but dang. This is one smooth, chocolatey delight.

IMG_5108Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 prebaked pie crust, cooled to room temperature (for homemade, try this crust, or this gluten-free one, which is the one shown here)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the cocoa and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla.

IMG_5092Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beating at high speed for 5 minutes between each addition.

20 minutes of adding eggs!

20 minutes of adding eggs!

Turn out into the crust and refrigerate until set. Mine was firm enough to top within half an hour.

IMG_5097While the pie sets, beat together the cream, remaining teaspoon of vanilla, and the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the pie filling.

IMG_5101You can chill the pie further, or eat right away.

IMG_5105Very, very yum.

French Silk Pie

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla, divided
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 prebaked pie crust, cooled to room temperature
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the cocoa and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beating at high speed for 5 minutes between each addition. Turn mixture out into the prepared crust and refrigerate until set.

While the pie sets, beat together the cream, remaining teaspoon of vanilla, and the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of the pie filling, then serve, or store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Gluten-Free Burger Buns

Posted on March 4, 2013 by sparecake

Here are some burger buns that were nicely sturdy – they didn’t crumble at all when being cut, and didn’t get soggy when holding sloppy joes. Pretty convenient!

IMG_5089Ingredients:

  • 2 cups brown rice flour
  • 1 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, rosemary or garlic seasoning, opt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water)
  • coarse salt or sesame seeds for the top (optional)

Combine the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and set aside briefly.

Combine the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, seasoning, if desired, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.

Stir the eggs, olive oil, and cider vinegar into the yeast/water bowl.

IMG_5079 Whisk the liquids into the dry goods until evenly mixed, and continue to stir a further 2 minutes.

IMG_5080Grease a baking sheet, or if you have it a muffin top pan. Spoon the dough into 6 well-spaced blobs on the sheet or pan.

IMG_5081Wet a metal spoon, then use the back of the spoon to smooth into a flattish circle shape.

IMG_5082Spray the tops of the buns with cooking spray, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise somewhere warm for 30 minutes. During the rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

IMG_5084Before baking, brush the top of the dough gently with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt or sesame seeds, if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until browned.

IMG_5088Cool on a wire rack.

IMG_5100As I mentioned before, these slice nicely for sandwiches (and I didn’t even cut my hand open, what a day!). I think with more experience at the smoothing stage, you could get these to be less lumpy, and even nicer looking, but for now they’ve definitely at least got taste and texture right!

IMG_5104I’ll be submitting this to YeastSpotting!

Gluten-Free Burger Buns

Adapted from Skinny GF Chef.

  • 2 cups brown rice flour
  • 1 cup tapioca starch
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, rosemary or garlic seasoning, opt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon of water)
  • coarse salt or sesame seeds for the top (optional)

Combine the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and set aside briefly.

Combine the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, seasoning, if desired, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.

Stir the eggs, olive oil, and cider vinegar into the yeast/water bowl.  Whisk the liquids into the dry goods until evenly mixed, and continue to stir a further 2 minutes.

Grease a baking sheet, or if you have it a muffin top pan. Spoon the dough into 6 well-spaced blobs on the sheet or pan. Wet a metal spoon, then use the back of the spoon to smooth into a flattish circle shape. Spray the tops of the buns with cooking spray, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise somewhere warm for 30 minutes. During the rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Before baking, brush the top of the dough gently with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt or sesame seeds, if desired. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until browned, then cool on a wire rack.

Posted in Bread | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Gluten-Free Pull-Apart Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

Posted on March 1, 2013 by sparecake

Other than one cake a few years ago, I think this was the first baked good I’ve made in a crock pot, and it came out nicely! IMG_5053 Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot starch (if you see this in spice jar sized jars, keep looking, it comes in bags the size most everything else Bob’s Red Mill sells comes in)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup whole milk, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is the size of small peas.

IMG_5043Whisk together the eggs and 3/4 cup milk in a small bowl, then stir into the flour mixture until it has the consistency of thick cake batter. Fold in the raisins.

IMG_5044Grease a 4 quart crock pot, or line with parchment. I found lining easier later, for pulling everything out of the crock pot. Drop the dough in golf ball-sized balls into the cooker. They will probably need to touch to fit in, which is fine.

IMG_5045Cover, but vent the lid with a wooden spoon or chopstick.

IMG_5046Cook on high for 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or on low for 4 – 4 1/2 hours, until they pass the toothpick test. The biscuits on the outside edges may be more browned than the center ones.

IMG_5047Turn off the heat, and remove the pot from the base. Let cool for several minutes. If you lined the pan, you can pull out the parchment and let the whole thing cool on a wire rack for several minutes.

IMG_5048While you wait, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk, the powdered sugar, and the vanilla, and drizzle over the biscuits.

IMG_5049When they’re cool enough to eat without burning yourself, they should pull apart nicely into individual biscuits.

IMG_5051Yay, crock pot baking! Don’t have to pay nearly so close attention, as things are much harder to burn in a crock pot on low.

Cinnamon Raisin Pull-Apart Biscuits

From The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook.

  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot starch
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup whole milk, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, arrowroot, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the shortening until it is the size of small peas.

Whisk together the eggs and 3/4 cup milk in a small bowl, then stir into the flour mixture until it has the consistency of thick cake batter. Fold in the raisins.

Grease a 4 quart crock pot, or line with parchment.  Drop the dough in golf ball-sized balls into the cooker. Cover, but vent the lid with a wooden spoon or chopstick.

Cook on high for 2 – 2 1/2 hours, or on low for 4 – 4 1/2 hours, until they pass the toothpick test. The biscuits on the outside edges may be more browned than the center ones.

Turn off the heat, and remove the pot from the base. Set aside to cool briefly while you whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk, the powdered sugar, and the vanilla, and drizzle over the biscuits.

Posted in Brunch, Dessert | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Gluten-Free Cheddar Crackers

Posted on February 27, 2013 by sparecake

End of another month means another Daring Bakers post. Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flatbreads and Crackers! I went with gf cheddar crackers, which came out quite tasty. My only complaint was that using a white cheddar meant they didn’t have the Cheez-It orange I apparently want in my cheesy crackers.

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
  • 2-4 tablespoons ice water

Put all the ingredients except the water in a food processor.

IMG_4984Process in short bursts until it’s been processed for about one minute total. IMG_4985Add 2 tablespoons of the water and process (this time continuously) for 1-2 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball. If it hasn’t come together by the end of two minutes, add another tablespoon, and try again, adding the last tablespoon of water if needed.

IMG_4986Turn out and knead together briefly until all the bits stick together, then form into a ball. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for half an hour.

IMG_4987At the end of the half an hour, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. If you have small cookie cutters you want to use to make shaped crackers, then roll out the dough 1/3 at a time between two sheets of parchment/wax paper to 1/8″-1/16″, leaving the dough you’re not working on in the refrigerator. If you’re not using cookie cutters, it’s fast enough to roll out the whole amount of dough you don’t have to worry about rolling out in batches, it will all stay chilled. If you don’t have cookie cutters, just use a pizza cutter or knife and cut into squares, diamonds, or other shapes as desired.

IMG_4998Transfer the cut out shapes, or just the entire parchment you rolled out a non-cookie cutter batch, to a baking sheet, and bake until puffed and golden brown at the edges, 7-9 minutes.

IMG_5001Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. These may not look like much, but they’re a really solid starter cracker. I could see adding some herbs next time, or some more sea salt on top, and will definitely aim for the thinner side when rolling out the dough.

Gluten-Free Cheddar Crackers

From Free Eats.

  • 8 ounces grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
  • 2-4 tablespoons ice water

Put all the ingredients except the water in a food processor, and process in short bursts until it’s been processed for about one minute total. Add 2 tablespoons of the water and process (this time continuously) for 1-2 minutes, until the dough comes together in a ball. Add remaining water as needed until dough comes together.

Turn out and knead together briefly until all the bits stick together, then form into a ball. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for half an hour.

At the end of the half an hour, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough 1/3 at a time, leaving the remaining portions in the refrigerator, to 1/8″-1/16″ thick. Cut with small cookie cutters, transferring the cutouts to a parchment-lined sheet. Once all the dough has been rolled out and used up, bake until puffed and golden brown at the edges, 7-9 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Posted in Snack | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Chocolate Malt Truffles

Posted on February 25, 2013 by sparecake

Just a quick post today, about some delicious chocolatey goodness!

IMG_4819Ingredients:

Truffles:

    • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 5 tablespoons malted milk powder

Coating:

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons malted milk powder

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. When it reaches a simmer, whisk in the malt powder until no lumps remain.

IMG_4815When the mixture has just reached a boil, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is well combined.

IMG_4816Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for several hours until firm.

Whisk together the cocoa and malt powder for the coating. I actually found that this made way more of the coating mixture than I needed, so you might try starting off with just half. I used my leftovers for hot chocolate, but the proportions were off and it wasn’t chocolatey enough.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out some of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a ball.

IMG_4817Roll in the cocoa/malt mixture to coat.

IMG_4818Set aside, and repeat with remaining chocolate. I think keeping these fairly small is good, as they’re quite rich.

IMG_4820Store in the refrigerator to keep firm. Easy, tasty truffles!

Chocolate Malt Truffles

From Savory Simple.

Truffles:

    • 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 5 tablespoons malted milk powder

Coating:

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons malted milk powder

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. When it reaches a simmer, whisk in the malt powder until no lumps remain. When the mixture has just reached a boil, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is well combined. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate for several hours until firm.

Whisk together the cocoa and malt powder for the coating. Using a tablespoon, scoop out some of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in the cocoa/malt mixture to coat, then set aside, and repeat with remaining chocolate.

Store in the refrigerator.

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Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on February 22, 2013 by sparecake

I know that from the name, these should be weird, possibly gross. They’re not, though! You don’t notice the taste of egg in the cookie, they’re just big, thick, firm chocolate chip cookies. (If you don’t notice it, what’s the point? Texture? Maybe? No idea, it just works!) They’re good enough that the goalie on my floor hockey team, who usually don’t take any cookies, had a second!

IMG_5041Ingredients:

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, de-shelled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used minis, but that’s not necessary)

Preheat the oven to 350 with a rack on the center shelf. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a food processor and pulse briefly. Add the butter and pulse until coarse and crumbly. To speed things along, I cut the butter into roughly 1/2 tablespoon chunks, but don’t bother getting too finicky about it, since the food processor cuts way faster than you do.

IMG_4993Add the sugars and eggs, and pulse again until mealy looking.

IMG_4994IMG_4995Add the vanilla and pulse again until the mixture just begins to come together, then transfer to a large bowl.

IMG_4996Stir in the chocolate chips, then divide the dough into 16 balls. You might as well use your hands to stir in the chips, since you’ll be using them to shape anyway. Gently flatten the balls, and place them well spaced apart, 8 to a baking sheet.

IMG_4997Bake one sheet at a time for 15 to 20 minutes (mine took 20), until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

IMG_4999The recipe notes that the texture improves as you let them cool, and is even better if you freeze the completely cooled cookies and let them thaw. After eating one still warm, I froze the rest, and they were nicely firm when they were back to room temp later.

IMG_5000This could be my new go to chocolate chip cookie!

Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Chip Cookies

From The Daily Cookie.

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, de-shelled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 with a rack on the center shelf. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a food processor and pulse briefly. Add the butter and pulse until coarse and crumbly. Add the sugars and eggs, and pulse again until mealy looking. Add the vanilla and pulse again until the mixture just begins to come together. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the chocolate chips, then divide the dough into 16 balls. Gently flatten the balls, and place them well spaced apart, 8 to a baking sheet.

Bake one sheet at a time for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. For best texture, once cooled completely, freeze and then thaw.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Broccoli and Cheddar Clover Rolls

Posted on February 20, 2013 by sparecake

My friend Catie loves to bake, and makes tons of healthy baked goods, but has always been scared of baking with yeast. I like baking, including with yeast, but maybe sort of hate healthy things a bit. So for Christmas this year, I got her a book neither of us would like, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and then went to visit her in Michigan at the end of January to bake something from the book with her. The rolls were a success, and hopefully the start of lots more yeast baking!

IMG_4713Ingredients:

  • 15 ounces (about 5 cups) raw broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups water for cooking the broccoli
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
  • oil for greasing the muffin tin
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese for sprinkling on the buns (we added more in the dough, and why wouldn’t you?)

Begin by bringing the 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan on the stove. Once the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cover the pot. There probably won’t be enough water to cover all the broccoli – that’s ok. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then transfer both the broccoli and the water it was cooking in to a food processor or blender and puree until pretty smooth.

IMG_4609You should get 3 cups of puree out of this. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl or lidded container, stir together the flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of water and the broccoli puree and stir in, until evenly mixed. Do not knead.

IMG_4611We also added some extra cheese at this point.

IMG_4618Cover the mixed dough (not airtight) and let rest until it rises and collapses, about 2 hours. You can then either use it right away, or refrigerate up to a week. This recipe makes three batches, so you can do them at different times over the week.

IMG_4620

After a while in the fridge.

On the day you want to bake, grease a muffin tin well. Separate out 1/3 of the dough and shape into a ball. Divide that ball into 8 smaller balls, and then each of those 8 into 4 even smaller balls. Put each group of four small balls into one muffin cup. It helps if you put them all in at once, because up at the top where it’s a bit wider they all fit in better than if you try and smoosh them one at a time into the bottom of the cup. We did some with 3 balls per cup, and some with 4, and the ones with 4 looked better at the end, I thought.

IMG_4704 IMG_4705Lightly cover with plastic wrap, then let rise 20 minutes for fresh dough, or 40 for refrigerated dough. During that time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with an empty pan on the bottom rack and a baking stone on the middle rack.

Sprinkle cheese over the risen dough, one cup per batch.

IMG_4707 IMG_4706Place the muffin tin on the hot baking stone, and put 1 cup of hot water in the empty pan in the bottom. (Use cast iron or a pan you don’t mind warping.) Bake 20-25 minutes, until browned and firm.

IMG_4708

The one on the left had 4 balls of dough, the one on the right 3.

The one on the left had 4 balls of dough, the one on the right 3.

Remove from the pans and cool slightly before eating.

IMG_4711Fairly simple, other than all the dividing, and tasty! My one suggestion is don’t take ones that are still steaming hot to the airport, as they do smell a bit cooked-broccoli-y, and your neighbors may not be into it. I’ll be submitting this to YeastSpotting.

Broccoli and Cheddar Clover Rolls

From Healthy Bread in Five Minutes A Day.

  • 15 ounces (about 5 cups) raw broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups water for cooking the broccoli
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1 3/4 cup lukewarm water
  • oil for greasing the muffin tin
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese for sprinkling on the buns

Bring the 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan on the stove. Once the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cover the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then transfer both the broccoli and the water it was cooking in to a food processor or blender and puree until pretty smooth. You should get 3 cups of puree out of this. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl or lidded container, stir together the flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of water and the broccoli puree and stir in, until evenly mixed. Do not knead. Add extra cheese during this step if desired.

Cover the mixed dough (not airtight) and let rest until it rises and collapses, about 2 hours. You can then either use it right away, or refrigerate up to a week. This recipe makes three batches, so you can do them at different times over the week.

On the day you want to bake, grease a muffin tin well. Separate out 1/3 of the dough and shape into a ball. Divide that ball into 8 smaller balls, and then each of those 8 into 4 even smaller balls. Put each group of four small balls into one muffin cup.  Lightly cover with plastic wrap, then let rise 20 minutes for fresh dough, or 40 for refrigerated dough. During that time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees with an empty pan on the bottom rack and a baking stone on the middle rack.

Sprinkle one cup of the cheese over the risen dough, then slide the muffin tin on the hot baking stone, and put 1 cup of hot water in the empty pan in the bottom. Bake 20-25 minutes, until browned and firm.

Remove from the pans and cool slightly before eating.

Posted in Bread | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

Posted on February 18, 2013 by sparecake

The other day my mom asked me to use some shrimp she’d gotten from the farmers’ market. I think she was probably picturing some garlic-y shrimp with rice or something, but there was good looking cheddar in the fridge, which was calling to me way more.

IMG_4883Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup stone-ground grits
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the cup of grits. It turns out grits are the same thing as polenta, so if you’ve got that from making polenta bread or baked polenta with tomato and basil, you’re set.

IMG_4871Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed, 20-25 minutes. Stir once or twice during that time to avoid dry chunks in the middle. When it’s done, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese until well mixed.

Cheesy!

Cheesy!

Meanwhile, cook the chopped up bacon in a pan over medium heat until browned, then remove and drain. My general method for chopping up bacon is to use kitchen shears to cut it into bits over/into the heated pan.

IMG_4877Cook the shrimp in a little bit of the leftover bacon grease until pink.

IMG_4879Add the bacon back, along with the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and scallions. Saute for 3 minutes.

IMG_4880I added a lot, but not a full cup of scallions, because a) that’s SO MANY SCALLIONS and b) I refused to cut the ones that are trying to flower – I want to see how that turns out!

Buds!

Buds!

When both the shrimp and grits are ready, Food Network says to stir them both together, I thought it looked nicer served with the shrimp on top of a serving of grits.

IMG_4882This was really tasty – the cheese and bacon provide plenty of flavor to prevent the grits from being insanely boring (I don’t understand the Southern palate). It’s also fairly quick – if you have everything all prepped (the cheese grated, the shrimp prepared, etc.) you could get it done in about half an hour. Easy and delicious!

Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

From FoodNetwork.com.

  • 4 cups water
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup stone-ground grits
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced

In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the cup of grits. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed, 20-25 minutes. Stir once or twice during that time to avoid dry chunks in the middle. When it’s done, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese until well mixed.

Meanwhile, cook the chopped up bacon in a pan over medium heat until browned, then remove and drain.

Cook the shrimp in a little bit of the leftover bacon grease until pink. Add the bacon back, along with the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and scallions. Saute for 3 minutes.

When both the shrimp and grits are ready, either stir together, or serve in bowls with the shrimp atop the grits.

Posted in Dinner | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

GF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Posted on February 15, 2013 by sparecake

A few weeks ago my friend Mary Kate, of surviving the food allergy apocalypse, suggested I check out BabyCakes Covers the Classics, a gluten-free vegan cookbook. These cookies are from that!

Important contextual information: I'm a taco, Mary Kate's a burrito.

Important contextual information: I’m a taco, Mary Kate’s a burrito. That’s it for info.

A bit crispy at the edges, chewy in the middle.

The cookies in question, a bit crispy at the edges, chewy in the middle.

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
  • 1/4 cup ground flax meal
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, oats, flax meal, cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.

IMG_4867Add the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir until evenly combined.

IMG_4868Add the raisins and stir until evenly distributed.

IMG_4869Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the lined sheets, about 1″ apart.

IMG_4870Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake 7 more, or until lightly browned at the edges. I was concerned, when I was rotating them, as they looked super greasy at that point, but by the time they were done cooking they didn’t look/feel greasy. Mine were probably bigger than a tablespoon, but I forgot to set the second timer anyway, so they were cooked by however many minutes it was by the time I checked on them. Also, the book technically said bake ‘until golden,’ but they start off too dark brown for golden to really show up on.

IMG_4875Let stand on the pans at least 15 minutes before serving.

IMG_4874These were delicious even just by a general cookie standard, not a gluten-free cookie standard. They weren’t the most oat-filled oatmeal cookie I’ve ever had, but the flavor, especially with that much cinnamon, was perfect. A good start for experiments with this book!

Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

From BabyCakes Covers the Classics.

  • 1 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
  • 1/4 cup ground flax meal
  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup melted refined coconut oil or canola oil
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup raisins

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment.

In a large bowl, stir together all of the dry goods except for the raisins. Add the liquids and stir until evenly combined. Add the raisins and stir until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the lined sheets, about 1″ apart.

Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake 7 more, or until lightly browned at the edges.

Let stand on the pans at least 15 minutes before serving.

Posted in Dessert | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments