Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free » Dessert

Grain-Free Orange Cake & Nutritional Content of Gluten-Free Flours

Amy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

If you read my blog regularly, you know I don’t do a lot of almond flour baking. I love it. It’s delicious, moist, and fun to play around with. And, it has some health benefits too.

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:
(...)
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Christmas Cookie Round-Up

Amy — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:54:35 +0000

I thought I’d share some of my favorite Christmas cookies recipes just in case you’re still looking for something to bring to dinner this weekend. Or, maybe you’re like me and just like to bake cookies. If you’ve got kids at home, you might want to start the tradition of baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.

A plate of homemade Christmas cookies says ‘love’ in a big way.

May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah filled with love, joy, and a plate full of delicious gluten-free food.

And enjoy your Christmas cookies…I always do.

Much love,

Amy

Some Of My Favorite Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies….

Hallie’s Maple Pecan Tart

Amy — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:00:11 +0000

I’ve been perusing Hallie’s new gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free cookbook, The Pure Kitchen, for a while. That’s what I do when I get a new cookbook I really like – I sit down and read it, think about the recipes and the author’s cooking style, and then after I’ve spent some time with it I start cooking.

I’m sure you’ve seen Hallie’s recipes before – she’s the author of Daily Bites and has guest posted here more than once.

The introduction of The Pure Kitchen talks about ways to transition to a whole foods diet and how to, as Hallie says, ‘clear the clutter from your kitchen.’ Her recipes include everything from breakfast to dessert. Being a baker at heart, I scoped out all her baking recipes and I like how she thinks. Hallie uses some of my favorite nutrient dense flours. Her recipes are easy to follow, too.

Since the holidays are upon us, I decided to share her Maple Pecan Tart. Knowing that teff flour can have a little crunch depending on how it’s used, I was curious to see how her crust turned out. And, it’s been quite some time since I’ve had anything that resembles a pecan pie (one of my favorites!) so I couldn’t resist.

Her recipe is genius. It’s not cloyingly sweet like a traditional pecan pie. Instead, the filling and the crust bake together so it’s a little cake-like. It has just a hint of cinnamon and a nice crunch from the pecan topping. The teff flour is tender – no crunch at all. And, when you eat dessert you’re getting iron, calcium, and vitamin C.

So, I love this tart. What about Joe? He doesn’t like pecan pie. Not at all. In fact, that’s why I’ve never tried making one. I didn’t want a big ‘ol pie sitting around with no one to eat it. (Well, no one except me…)

He enjoyed this tart every bit as much as I did. I was thrilled, especially because I know it has some nutritional value.

Hallie said this tart makes a yearly appearance on her holiday table. I think it just might make a yearly appearance at our holiday table, too.

Make sure to put the The Pure Kitchen on your must-have list – it’s one of those books you’ll love having on your bookshelf.

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Hallie’s Maple Pecan Tart

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 1 9-inch tart; 6 - 8 servings

A perfectly balanced gluten-free pecan tart perfect for the holidays or any time of year. Reprinted from The Pure Kitchen by Hallie Klecker with permission from the author.

Ingredients

For the crust:

3/4 cup (102 grams) teff flour
1/2 cup (54 grams) arrowroot starch
1/2 cup raw pecans
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, room temperature (not melted)
3 tablespoons water

For the Filling:

1 cup raw pecans
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup dark maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Make the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Make the crust: in a food processor fitted with a steel blade combine the teff flour, arrowroot starch, pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Process until the pecans are finely ground.
Add the coconut oil and process until the mixture looks like damp sand. Add the water and process until incorporated into the dry ingredients and the mixture holds together with two fingers, 20 - 30 seconds.
Press the dough firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool the crust for at least 15 minutes before filling.

Make the filling:

While the crust cools, finely chop 1/4 of the pecans. Whisk the chopped pecans with the eggs, egg whites, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vinegar, vanilla, and salt in a medium mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
Pour the filling into the tart shell. Scatter the remaining 3/4 cup pecans over the top of the filling.
Bake the tart for 23 - 25 minutes, until the filling is puffed and golden brown. Cool in the pan before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/hallies-maple-pecan-tart/

Fig-Filled Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

Amy — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:30:39 +0000

It’s the final week of A Gluten-Free Holiday! This week is hosted by Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake and we’re sharing Christmas Desserts. She’s got two incredible gluten-free cookbooks to give-away and a gingerbread cupcake recipe that’s to-die-for – more details at the end of this post.

There are gluten-free cookies all over the blogosphere right now and I love it! It’s that yearly tradition that sparks nostalgic memories of my mom and aunt baking away, stuffing tins with cookies, and giving them to friends, teachers, and family.

My Grandma Ruth always brought a big platter of Christmas cookies as part of our dessert on the big day. She exchanged cookies with her neighbors, too, and those women could bake. I always ate more than my fair share of the baklava made by Mrs. K, her neighbor from Greece. I didn’t pass up the Russian Tea Cakes, either.

Over the years, I’ve built up my gluten-free, refined sugar-free Christmas cookie recipe stockpile. It’s been an adventure in learning, failure, and success. That’s all too often how it goes when converting recipes to their gluten-free counterpart.

This is another cookie dough that you can roll out. After years of not rolling dough, or not rolling it successfully, I get a lot of joy from using my rolling pin to flatten the mix of ingredients. The frustration that came from ripped, hard-to-manage dough is gone. I don’t miss it one bit.

My favorite part of these cookies is the orange-flavored fig filling. It screams Christmas.

If you want a dairy-free version, use solid coconut oil instead of the unsalted butter. Your cooking time might be slightly different because coconut oil melts at a much lower temperature than butter, so watch your cookies carefully.

Do you have any favorite cookies from childhood? Have you been able to make any of them gluten-free?

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Fig-Filled Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour, 00 minute

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

A chocolate and fig gluten-free cookie with hints of orange. Perfect for gift-giving at the holidays.

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
2/3 cup powdered coconut palm sugar* *see note below*
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups Amy's Basic Flour Blend
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 cup whole psyllium husks
1/2 teaspoon instant decaf coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the fig filling:

1 3/4 cups chopped, dried black mission figs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of one medium orange, grated on a microplane

Instructions

Make the cookie dough:

Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the shortening and beat for several more minutes, until fluffy.
Add the powdered palm sugar to the fluffy butter mixture and cream until light and fluffy.
Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Scrape bowl as necessary.
Whisk together the flour blend, cocoa powder, psyllium husks, instant coffee, and salt.
Add flour to butter mixture in one addition and mix on the lowest speed until combined.
Divide dough into two portions and wrap each in waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Make the fig filling:

While dough is chilling, prepare the fig filling. Combine the chopped figs, water, orange juice, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Let simmer for 20 - 30 minutes uncovered until figs are very soft.
Puree in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Roll, fill, and bake the cookies:

If dough is very cold, let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or until it's easy to roll.
Flour a silicone dough mat or waxed paper with cocoa powder.
Roll each disk into a 12"x7" rectangle. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread each rectangle with half of the fig filling.
Place the cookies so that the long edge is facing the edge of your work surface.
Roll into a log.
Wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
Slice the chilled log into 1/4 inch cookies.
Lay cookies on prepared tray and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until cookies are set.
Let cool for several minutes on the tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container. These cookies also freeze well.
**To make Powdered Palm Sugar: Put one cup palm sugar with one tablespoon cornstarch in your high powered blender and whirl on high speed until powdered, about 2 minutes. If you don't have a Vita-Mix, make 1/2 of the recipe at a time in a clean coffee grinder. Store leftovers in an airtight container. If it happens to clump, sift it before using.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/fig-filled-chocolate-pinwheel-cookies/

A Gluten-Free Holiday – Christmas Desserts!

Make sure to stop by Maggie’s for more holiday desserts and the chance to win two gluten-free cookbooks:

You can also check out what the other GF Holiday participants are busy baking up for the holidays:

Ricki at Diet, Dessert, N Dogs made Black-Bottomed Almond Mousse Pie With Chocolate Ganache Drizzle
Alta at Tasty Eats at Home made Chewy Apple Cider Blondies
Kim at Cook it Allergy Free shared Caramel Apple Pie
Hallie at Daily Bites made Cranberries Cream Tart With Chocolate Crust

Much love,

Amy

Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Gingerbread Men

Amy — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:00:33 +0000

I have a cookie cutter fetish. I love all kinds – vintage, metal, holiday, everyday. I’ve got cutters for every holiday, too.

Naturally, I couldn’t let this Christmas go without making some of the season’s most iconic treats. My mom saw them when she visited recently and said how cute they are. I have to agree. Decorating them is just as much fun as rolling them out and cutting little people.

I decided to use buckwheat flour to give the cookies a nutritional boost and add that earthy flavor I love so much. Buckwheat is actually a fruit seed related to rhubarb, not a grain. It has lots of health benefits, too, including:

being rich in flavinoids, which when eaten regularly may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol
containing high-quality protein that includes all 8 essential amino acids
a high fiber content which is essential for reducing the risk of many diseases such as breast cancer and cardiovascular disease

I also threw in some psyllium husks, just like I did with my pie crust. It helps the cookies roll out easily and keep their shape when you transfer them to the baking sheet.

I decorated the cookies with the same frosting I used for my Chocolate Cut Out Cookies except I didn’t color it orange.

Do you have a kitchen obsession, something you can’t help but bring home when you see it?

Listen to Me & Kelly from The Spunky Coconut

Kelly had me on her podcast this week – we had so much fun chatting about food, cooking, pregnancy, and life. Listen here.

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Grain-Free Gingerbread Men

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies, depending on cookie cutter size

Grain-free gingerbread men that are easy to roll out and cut.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups buckwheat flour plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup psyllium husks
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil, not melted
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup blackstrap molasses

Instructions

Whisk together the buckwheat, psyllium husks, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, salt, and nutmeg.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the coconut oil and coconut palm sugar until light.
Beat in the egg until combined. Add the blackstrap molasses and mix until combined.
Add the flour in one addition and mix until combined.
Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
Use buckwheat flour to flour a piece of waxed paper. Dust the exterior of the dough with a little buckwheat flour.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter dipped in flour to cut out the little people. Re-roll scraps until all of the dough has been used.
Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes depending on how big your cookies cutter is.
Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If desired, decorate by piping on eyes, a smile, and clothes with decorator's frosting.

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/grain-free-dairy-free-gingerbread-men/

Much love,

Amy