But, I’m not going to tell you it’s the only high (higher) protein flour out there. It’s not.

And, I have to be honest. It’s quite calorie and fat dense. Yes, it’s low in carbs. So, if you’re a low-carber (and I’m not) then it might be a great option for you.

Our bodies need carbs, though. I’m not talking about refined, simple carbs. I’m talking about healthier complex carbs – fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans.  They help with energy, brain function, add fiber to our diets which assists digestion, and help our bodies digest other nutrients.

Enough of my babbling about our bodies and carbs. Let’s look at the flour facts.

Almond Flour

1/4 cup contains:
(...)
Read the rest of Grain-Free Orange Cake & Nutritional Content of Gluten-Free Flours

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2012. | Permalink | 29 comments | Add to del.icio.us

If you read my recipes often, you know I don’t use many nut flours. Yes, they’re delicious and full of healthy fats. My history of being overweight, though, keeps me from indulging too often. Nut flours, albeit low carb, are still calorie dense.

My body has never done well on low carb diets. I need nutrient dense carbs for energy, brain function, and a stable mood. So, for me, moderation is the key.

There’s something special about this cake, though. You won’t find any added fats. Just almond flour, eggs, coconut palm sugar, and some cocoa powder. Be careful not to over bake it; since there’s no oil or butter this cake can easily dry out.

The cake is completely dairy-free – if you need a dairy-free, casein-free topping try a thick, raw macadamia cream instead. Or, check out Go Dairy Free’s ricotta cheese substitutes.

Did I mention how light this cake is? It’s not dense like so many nut flour products. The whipped egg whites make it tender and airy. I brought this to a dinner with some girlfriends, none of which are gluten-free, and they all loved it.

It’s the perfect make-ahead cake. It needs to sit overnight slathered in honeyed ricotta to give it extra moisture.

Speaking of make-ahead desserts, you might also try these:

• Flourless Chocolate Torte
• Quinoa Raisin Cookies
• Chocolate Walnut Flourless Brownies

Other Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Recipes:

• Blueberry Coffee Cake from The Spunky Coconut
• Mini Chocolate Pavlovas topped with Fresh Berries from SS&GF
• Savory Grain-Free Crackers from Gluten-Free Goddess

Much love,
Amy

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Pavlovas are the perfect gluten-free dessert. No flour necessary. My healthy recipe makeover uses low-glycemic coconut palm sugar and a lower fat ‘whipped cream’ topping so you can indulge without feeling too guilty.

I love the way the meringue is crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and melts in your mouth.  Bite after luscious bite.

If you need a good make-ahead dessert, this is it. Make the pavlova bases the night before and leave them in the oven with the door cracked. Top them with whipped cream and fresh, juicy berries just before serving.

There are a couple tricks to making a successful meringue:

• Meringue isn’t a great idea on really humid days – it’ll pull humidity from the air and get soft.
• Make sure your bowl is clean with no traces of fat before whipping your egg whites. Wipe the inside of the bowl with a little white vinegar to cut the fat if necessary.
• Over-whipped egg whites are no good so watch carefully. They can go from perfectly whipped to dry and dull in seconds.

I made them a few times – the first time the oven temperature was too low. The second time it was too humid. I knew better but I did it anyway.  And the third time they were just right.

Blog Redesign Coming Soon…

Just a heads up – my new blog design should have been done ages ago but I had so many things going on that I couldn’t find the time or energy to finish it up. Well, the end is near. I’ll share a sneak-peek soon.

You’re going to love the new organization. It’s going to be so easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Printer-friendly recipe

Mini Chocolate Pavlovas Topped with Fresh Berries & Cream

makes 4 individual desserts

For the Chocolate Pavlovas:

4 large or extra large egg whites

1/2 cup powdered coconut palm sugar **see below**

1/2 teaspoon instant decaffeinated coffee

1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

For the Whipped Cream:

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

5 drops of liquid vanilla stevia, or to taste

For the Berries

4 – 8 strawberries depending on the size, sliced

12 blackberries

Make the Chocolate Pavlovas:

Preheat the oven to 300 degress F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper. Turn the parchment paper over. Draw or trace 4 (4-inch) circles on the paper. (I traced the lid to my tea jar.) Turn the paper back over so the ink doesn’t come in contact with your food.

Beat the egg whites on medium speed to soft peaks, or when the tips curl when the beaters are lifted out of the egg whites. Add the powdered palm sugar one tablespoon at a time while still beating the whites. Add the instant coffee. Beat the whites to stiff peaks, or when the tips stand straight up. Fold in the cocoa powder in two to three additions, taking care not to deflate the whites.

Divide the chocolate egg mixture between the four circles, then use the back of a spoon to spread out the meringue making it lower in the center than on the edges. Put the tray into the oven and immediately decrease the oven temperature to 250 degrees F. Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until meringue is set on the outside. Turn the oven off and leave the door closed for an hour.  Remove from oven and if necessary, let cool completely. Carefully remove from parchment paper.

Make the Whipped Cream:

Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream directly into the Greek yogurt. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the Greek yogurt, adding in the vanilla stevia to taste.

Assemble the Pavlovas:

Top each pavlova with 1/4 of the whipped cream and 1/4 of the berries just before serving.

**Powdered Palm Sugar: Blend 1 cup of coconut palm sugar with 1 tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch in a blender until it’s a fine power. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. If it clumps, sift before using.

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Chocolate Strawberry Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

To celebrate SS&GF’s 2nd birthday, I baked a gluten-free, refined sugar-free, healthy (well, healthier if you don’t count the frosting) cake to share with you.

It’s hard to believe that two years have gone by since I first started blogging. The blessings that have shown up in my life as a result have been more than I could have hoped for.  Here’s a handful of my biggest blessings:

• I’ve learned that failure is an inevitable part of success. I’m better today at learning from the failures instead of feeling bad because I didn’t achieve what I had hoped.
• Being the best Amy I can be has become a daily practice. Instead of comparing someone else’s outsides with my insides, I focus (and refocus…) on identifying and developing my unique gifts and talents.
• I published my first cookbook.
• I’ve been able to experience new foods and culinary points of view at the National Restaurant Association show, the Fancy Food Show, and presented at The Gluten & Allergen-Free Expo.
• My understanding of baking gluten-free & refined sugar-free had multiplied a hundred times over through interaction with you, learning from other bloggers, and good, honest practice.
• I’ve completed two semesters of baking & pastry arts classes, and haven’t had to eat anything that doesn’t work for my body.
• I’ve made life-long friends – some are my blog readers and others are fellow bloggers. This was an unexpected bonus!

Since you’ve been the most important part of my journey at SS&GF, I’d love to hear from you. To celebrate SS&GF’s 2nd birthday, share the two biggest blessings in your life.

If you’re reading this in an email click on through to www.SimplySugarAndGlutenFree.com and share with us. I want to hear from you, too!

Bloggers, feel free to leave a link to your blog so others can stop by.  FYI – all links have to be approved by me before they’re live in the comments so don’t fret if you include a link and your comment disappears.

About the cake…

This idea was shared with me a long time ago by one a friend on Twitter or Facebook – I can’t remember which. I finally got around to making it and it is divine. The strawberries keep the cake moist for days.

Use the back of a large serving spoon to get fun dips and peaks in the frosting

It’s healthier, too, because most of the moisture comes from the fruit. It’ll make the perfect Mother’s Day dessert.

Other Mother’s Day Recipes

• Fresh Fruit Tart with Pastry Cream
• Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake & Raw Cacao Nib Ice Cream
• Blackberry Kefir Smoothie (to start Mom’s day off with a bang!)
• Blueberry Lemon Scones

Printer-friendly recipe

Chocolate-Strawberry Layer Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
makes 1 8 inch cake; serves 8 – 10

1 1/4 cups Amy’s Basic Gluten-Free Flour Blend
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
3/4 cup palm sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

For Frosting:

2 recipes Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
enough sliced strawberries to cover the cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line an 8 inch round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly mist with cooking spray.

Sift together the gluten-free flour blend, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.  Whisk until uniformly mixed.

Add grapeseed oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.  Gradually add 1/2 cup of palm sugar while mixer is running on medium speed until sugar and oil mixture is grainy.  Add egg and vanilla and mix well.  Add remaining palm sugar slowly and mix until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.  Fold in the chopped strawberries.  Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 – 40 minutes, rotating half way though, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes then remove pan from cake and let cool completely on a paper towel lined wire rack. (This prevents the wires from making impressions in your cake.)

Once totally cool, use a sharp, serrated knife to level the top of the cake if necessary.  Torte, or cut, the cake into two even layers.  Top the bottom layer of cake with a layer of whipped cream cheese frosting that’s as half as thick as the layers.  Place a single layer of strawberries on top of the frosting, then put add the top layer of cake. Finish frosting the top and sides of the cake.  Use the back of a large serving spoon to make playful dips and peaks in the frosting.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: To make this into cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350.  Line a standard cupcake tin with papers. Makes 12 cupcakes. You’ll only need one batch of Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting.

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 66 comments | Add to del.icio.us

Do you ever really want to be somewhere and you just can’t?  It’s one of those days for me.

My niece is celebrating her 14th birthday.  My heart really wants to be able to throw my arms around her, give her a big hug, celebrate her special day with her, and yes, make her a birthday cake.

When she was little, I used to take her to the library and we’d check out a huge pile of books and read them together.  We’d finger paint, color, draw, and when I made pancakes for breakfast I’d pull a chair up to the stove so she could drop the chocolate chips into the batter just before I flipped them over.

It’s hard to believe that nearly 8 years have passed since I moved.  There’s not a day that’s gone by that I don’t miss her.  Now when I’m home if I’m lucky she’ll let me take her shopping – if  she doesn’t have plans with friends.

I’m so proud of the young woman she’s become.  Allie is smart, hard-working, a truly gifted writer, tenderhearted, and responsible.  I miss the days she when she thought reading books with me was fun, but I can’t wait to see what life has in store for her.  She’s been blessed with so many gifts.  Whatever unfolds for her will be beyond her wildest dreams.

Though I can’t share this cake with her I made it for her anyway.  It’s not a typical birthday cake.  I wanted to make her something simple yet sophisticated, decadent, and bursting with flavor.  I know if she was here (or if I was there) she’d love every last bite.

Happy Birthday, Allie! I love you.

Printer-friendly recipe

Icebox Cake with Carob Chip Cookies
serves 8 – 10

adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

2 cups heavy cream, cold
12 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon liquid vanilla stevia
1/4 teaspoon instant decaf coffee granules
pinch of kosher salt
1 1/2 – 2 pounds gluten-free, sugar-free carob chip cookies

Put heavy cream, ricotta, cocoa powder, stevia, decaf coffee granules, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Mix on low until ingredients are incorporated, scraping down bowl if necessary, then gradually increase to high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks.

Put a single layer of carob chip cookies in the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.  Top with a layer of the whipped cream mixture, then repeat 3 to 4 more times until the pan is full.  Use an offset spatula to smooth the top so it’s level with the top of the pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  Save any extra whipped cream to repair any small defects once the cake is unmolded.  Run a small, thin offset spatula between the cake and the pan before removing the outer rim.  Serve cold garnished with slivers of carob if desired.

Note:  This  cake can be made with any type of cookies and the whipped cream can be flavored any way you choose.  I used a mix of carob chip cookies & carob-walnut chip cookies I made when testing recipes for my book.  They’d been tucked away in my freezer.  If you don’t have any leftovers, pick up your favorite gluten-free, sugar-free cookies or make your own.   Mary’s Gone Crackers makes N’Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that use palm sugar as the sweetener.  They’d make a fabulous Icebox Cake with Vanilla Whipped Cream.

This post is linked to Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday. Stop by her place for more good food!

© Amy for Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us