SS&GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Guiltless Gluten-Free Pleasures.

For me, this is all about adding healthier foods into what I bake and cook.  I’m all for a flaky pie crust, gluten free mac and cheese, or even fried okra once in a while.  Day in and day out, though, I want my food to be healthier in some way.

This month’s Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free! round-up is all about fabulous food made healthier.  These fun to eat ice cream sandwiches are my submission.

The round-up will go live on Thursday so make sure to come back for nearly thirty, maybe more, guiltless gluten-free recipes.

Making a Healthier Cake

My sweet potato cake is a cross between a gingerbread and a spice cake.  Here’s how it’s  healthier:

• Packed with beta-carotene and vitamin C from the sweet potatoes and carrots. You can’t taste the sweet potatoes, either.
• The creamy sweet potatoes add moisture and texture so the oil can be reduced.
• Cranberries have vitamin C and have been shown to improve cholesterol profiles, reduce the risk of cancer, and anti-viral properties.
• Palm sugar is reported to have high levels of potassium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin C.
• Blackstrap molasses contains manganeese, iron, copper, and calcium.

The sugar alternatives give you some nutrition instead of empty calories.

Simplifying the Process

When I’m baking sweet potatoes or even have the oven going for another dish, I often throw in a couple extra.  When they cool, I puree them, put them in a mason jar, and freeze them until later.  Roasted sweet potato puree has worked in any recipe calling for pumpkin.

A Reminder

Tomorrow I’m guest-blogging at Kitchen Stewardship for Spring Cleaning: Get the Gluten Out! Tomorrow’s Slightly Induglent Tuesday will be a special gluten-free edition with tips on going gluten-free or at least making your food a little healthier. Katie and I will also be giving away a bag of Tropical Traditions coconut flour.

Printer-friendly recipe

Two Bite Sweet Potato Ice Cream Sandwiches
makes about 90 1 inch x 1 inch ice cream sandwiches

1 cup roasted sweet potato puree
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup palm sugar
1/4 cup blackstrap molassas
1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup organic buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon aluminum free baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water, if needed

1/2 batch sugar-free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a 13 x 9 non-stick baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine sweet potato puree, carrots, palm sugar, blackstrap molassas, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together buckwheat, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined.  If batter seems thick, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Turn batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to spread it evenly.  Bake for 18 – 20 minutes until the center tests clean with a toothpick and the cake begins to pull slightly from the edges of the pan.

Set the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely in the pan.  Once completely cool, place cake on a large cutting board.  Trim the edges with a serrated knife. Use a ruler to cut one inch strips from the width of the cake.  Turn the strips on their side and cut them in half.  Cut one inch squares from the strip, again using the ruler to be exact.

Place matching sets of tops and bottoms in neat rows on a sheet pan.  You want to be able to match them up later.  Wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Use a rounded 1/2 teaspoon to scoop slightly softened ice cream onto the bottom of each mini-ice cream sandwich. Work quickly so the ice cream doesn’t melt.  Place the top on your sandwich and place back in the freezer until firm.