May 21, 2010

Lighter Than Air Chocolate Cake

 Adapted from www.glutenfreemommy.com
This is a fabulous tasting cake and very easy to make!
I wanted a smaller cake so I  cut the recipe in half.

For cake layers:
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped-Ghirardelli is gluten free
6 tablespoons water
12 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar (I use xylitol)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder-Saco premium cocoa is gluten free

For filling:
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted (I put xylitol in my magic bullet and whipped it until it was a powder, you can also use a blender)
4 Tbs. Grand Marnier   (I used 4 tablespoons Saco Dutch Cocoa plus 1 tsp Vanilla)
 

DIRECTIONS:
To Make cake layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease four 9-inch circular cake pans and line bottoms of circles with a piece of parchment paper.

Melt chocolate, water, and cocoa in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm.
In your stand mixer, beat yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt until thick and pale for about 5 minutes.  Stir in melted chocolate until combined.  In a separate HUGE bowl, beat 12 egg whites until they begin to thicken and slightly hold peaks .  Add remaining sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into melted-chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites carefully. Spread batter evenly over four baking pans.   Bake until the cake has puffed and the top is dry to the touch, maybe 16 minutes.  I rotated my cake pans once to ensure they cooked evenly.  Once the cake is done, cool the cake pans on cooling racks for about 10 minutes.If you wish, sift cocoa powder over top of cake layers.  Then place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the cake pans. Place a cookie sheet over paper and invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper lining. For best results, place all of the layers in the freezer for at least 1 hours or until they are firm enough to be carefully lifted without breaking.

To make the filling:  In a clean large bowl, beat cream with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla until it just holds stiff peaks.

To assemble the cake:

Bring first cake layer out of the freezer (leave the others in the freezer until you are ready for them) and arrange on your cake plate, cocoa side down. Spread 1/4 of filling evenly over the cake layer. Bring the next cake layer out of the freezer, placing it gently over the filling, again cocoa side down. Repeat until the cake is assembled!

Keep cake in the refrigerator until serving time. 

Dark chocolate grated into curls with a vegetable peeler makes for an excellent garnish or sprinkle with chocolate chips.

May 12, 2010

Gluten Free Health & Wellness Seminar

June 12, 2010
  • 9:30am-4:30pm
  • Doors open at 9:15am
  • Pre registration required!!
  • Location:  NE Salem, Oregon
  • Cost: $30
             You will learn:
*What happens to your body when you eat gluten
*What food & non-food items to avoid
*Hidden sources of  gluten
*What non-specialty companies have gluten free products
*How to modify your recipes to be Gluten Free
*Gluten Free Mix recipes -  including Breads!
*How to cook Gluten Free and LOVE IT!!

Each attendee will receive a gluten free informational notebook
To register call: 503-364-5492 or click on view my complete profile to email me

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Adams Chunky Peanut Butter (If you can't have peanut butter try substituting almond, sesame butter, or sunbutter) I like to use 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup Honey, GF Brown Rice Syrup, Fructose, or Xylitol (I like using 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup Fructose)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 cup Enjoy Life Dairy Free, Soy Free, Gluten Free Chocolate Chips (optional)
12 Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Set aside the 12 Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. 
Mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Using a teaspoon drop dough 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. I like to press the cookie dough down with the palm of my hand then use a fork and press down in an X pattern on top of each cookie. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute.  Press one Ghiradelli chocolate chip in the center of each cookie and remove cookies onto a cooling rack. Makes 12 cookies.
The original recipe called for 1 cup sugar. I rarely use granulated cane sugar. (I only have some in the house right now to make humming bird feed)   I was able to reduce the amount of sugar and the cookies turned out great. Hint: If you use fructose your cookies will brown quickly so watch them carefully or they will burn. 

Almost Mrs. Fields Gluten Free Cookies


These cookies are not low fat or low sugar.  But if you have been wanting a great chocolate chip cookie you will love these!!  I adapted the recipe from a cookbook I bought years ago called, "Women's Circle Home Cooking." Below is the original recipe on the left. The ingredients I used  is in blue to show you how I altered the recipe.

1 cup   Butter                   1  cup        Earth Balance gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free,  Natural Buttery Spread
1 cup  Sugar                     1  cup       Fructose or Xylitol
1 cup  Brown sugar         1  cup       Coconut Sugar
2         Eggs                        2               Organic free range Eggs
1 Tb   Vanilla                    1 1/2 Tb     McCormick Vanilla
2 cups Flour                     2 cups      Gluten Free Flour Mix - see recipe below
2 1/2 cups Oatmeal        
2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats or Quinoa Flakes
1/2  tsp   Salt                     1/2 tsp      Sea Salt
1 tsp   Baking Powder    2   tsp         Rumford Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
                1 tsp   Baking Soda         1   tsp         Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
12 oz Chocolate Chips  10 oz Enjoy Life (gluten free, dairy, nut, egg, soy free) Chocolate Chips or Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips
1 Hershey's Chocolate Bar I omit this
3 cups Chopped nuts     I omit these

Gluten Free Rice Flour Mix:
Mix together 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1 Tb xanthan gum. 


Directions:
In mixer or by hand, cream butter and sugars together; add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. With mixer on low add flour mix, salt, baking powder & baking soda. When combined slowly pour in oats. Mix well then stir in chips. Preheat oven to 375. Drop dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes. Do not over bake. Cookies will be slightly brown around the edges. If you want crisper cookies let completely brown. Cool on wire racks and store in an air tight container.