Pina Colada Fluff

So, the Monkey and I decided we would try several things from Pinterest. I have the ingredients for three items. We got to making one, because we had to pack him up for computer coding camp. Momma had a hard time leaving him there today, let me tell ya.

So for his last meal before living on a college campus for a week, I made him sloppy joes with fries and this pina colada fluff. He thinks even with some changes that he will still prefer green fluff (you know with pistachio pudding). I think we would drain the pineapple juice, and cut the coconut/marshmallows/pecans in half. We did make one change that would stay. Since we don't like vanilla pudding, we used white chocolate. Mmmmmm!

Half Birthday Dessert Pizza

The Monkey's birthday always falls around Thanksgiving. Last year with the move and  the craziness of December, we never got to the friend party. So we decided to host a half birthday party this past weekend. It was a beautiful day complete with a huge bounce house, pizza and eleven kids ranging in age from 4-10 plus one infant.

The Monkey had seen a dessert pizza in one of the cooking magazines that lay around our home. We ended up with something slightly different, but the results were phenomenal. I had kids asking for seconds and thirds. The base of it was Grandma Darling's Sugar Cookies pressed into three 9-inch pie plates. We were playing with it in this new form so really aren't sure how long to bake. Start with 10 minutes and add on until the edges start to turn golden. Cool and add white chocolate frosting, 2 tablespoons of corn free strawberry jam, and 4-5 strawberries cut like pepperoni. Coconut flakes are optional.

White Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter, softened
4 oz. white chocolate baking bar, melted (I used Hershey's)
3 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons almond milk

Beat butter until creamy. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave. Two minutes was just about right for just getting to the liquid phase. Again by 15 second intervals to ensure that you don't burn it. Add the powdered sugar by 1/2 cup increments. Beat in white chocolate. Milk should be added a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is creamy, but not soupy.

That's my green, jumping Monkey!

Ratio Rally Cobbler

 

About a week ago, I had the rare opportunity to be off on a Sunday morning. I got to attend church for the first time since Easter, and then went with my family to a farmer's market at a local orchard. I was excited to see what fruits might be available since I knew I needed something for this challenge. The only fruit there though were these Baldwin apples. Picked them up even though I had wanted to do something a little more exotic than apple cobbler.

 

Then my brain started whirling, and I thought why not add cranberries to the mix? Yes, I know traditionally cobblers are a one fruit wonder, but I decided to live on the edge. :) Heck, we went all out and this is a chocolate cobbler. Oh, yeah! 

For those of you unfamiliar with the Gluten Free Ratio Rally, I invite you to the inaugural post of pancakes. It is a simple idea of baking using ratios. This month we are hosted by TR of No One Likes Crumbly Cookies. Go check out all the other fabulous recipes from this month!

 

Apple-Cranberry Cobbler

1 1/2 Cups apples, peeled, cored, sliced thinly

1/2 Cup cranberries

1 teaspoon cinnamon

100 grams sorghum

60 grams teff

40 grams dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

120 grams coconut palm sugar
1/2 Cup butter, melted
8 ounces non-dairy milk

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter in a pie plate, and put in oven while putting together everything else. Combine apples, cranberries and cinnamon in a small bowl, and then set aside. In a larger bowl combine, sorghum, teff, cocoa, baking powder and sugar. Add milk slowly and stir until just combined.

 A lot of recipes I looked at said to just pour this batter over the top of the melted butter in your pan. I decided to combine it in. You can do it either way. Spoon the fruit carefully on the top. Place in oven and bake at 350 for about 75 minutes. Remove and cool.

Ratio Rally Bundt Cake

Have you noticed that I have been gone for awhile? I have become a crazy person in the last month or so by deciding to take on a third part-time job in addition to helping my mom with home-schooling and running my home business. Yes, I am insane. What precious little time I have had has been spent with the Monkey or sleeping. However, this past Sunday I got off at noon and was actually able to bake! I nearly swooned I was so excited!

Then disaster struck. Okay, not disaster. Just normal life stuff, and really the Monkey and Boo were pretty well behaved. The prep of the sweet potato and the apple-cranberry sauce took more time than I would have liked, and then....it came out half raw. Sigh. I took pretty pictures of the cake though. It looked fabulous!

Decided I should try again, still using the ratio for a cake using puree from one of the other ralliers, and just cook it longer. More like my granny's carrot cake. The ratio incidentally is 1:2:2:2:3 (fat:sugar:puree:egg:flour). So here I sit waiting for the second cake to come out of the oven while I type and prep to send the Monkey off to Sturbridge Village tomorrow for home school day. The way it smells I am betting it turns out fine. If you are interested in how others cakes turned out, head on over to our host's,  Adina of Gluten Free Travelette, post for her take on bundt cakes and the full list of participants.

Spiced Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Apple-Cranberry Sauce

100 grams sorghum
60 grams teff
20 grams potato starch
110 grams brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons all-spice
110 grams brown sugar
2 ounces melted coconut oil
4 ounces mashed sweet potato
2 flax eggs
6 ounces apple cider

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine sorghum, teff, potato starch, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and all-spice. Add melted coconut oil, mashed sweet potato, and flax eggs. Mix until combined. Add apple cider and ounce or two at a time mixing as you go. The batter will be fairly thick. Scoop out a 1/3 of the batter into your pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Spoon apple-cranberry sauce into the center of the batter all the way around. Reserve a little of the sauce for plate decoration. Scoop small amounts of the remaining batter on top and spread carefully. Don't want any sauce poking out. :) Smooth and pop into the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes. Let cool completely in pan before turning out onto plate. Drizzle glaze over the top and fill center with remaining sauce.

Apple-Cranberry Sauce

1 Cup fresh cranberries
1 small apple, cored, peeled & diced
1/4 Cup apple cider
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until a thick pie-filling like consistency is reached. Set aside.

Glaze

1/2 Cup powdered sugar
5 teaspoons apple cider

Mix together. Spoon or brush over the top of the cake.

Crock Pot Pineapple Cake (Review)

I first found Gingerlemongirl.com when the Monkey was diagnosed with his multiple allergies 2 1/2 years ago, and have used several of her recipes as is and as the basis for some of my creations. Since then we have become friends as well, and I was so pleased when she started testing for her cookbook, Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook. I got to take a small part in the testing, and then had to wait for the book to come out. 

Now that it has finally come out (I am not a patient person), I have the opportunity to review a recipe for you, and offer you the chance to try it out for yourself. You will so not be disappointed. Not because it is gluten free, which it is, but because it is an amazing collection of recipes for your crock pot. Period. Do you know anybody with a crock pot? Then they need this book. Onto the recipe....

Okay, I volunteered for this gig. I love helping out with cookbooks, and trying out recipes. It may well be an illness. Maybe. Carrie asked me if I wanted sweet or savory, and I told her to surprise me. She did with the perfect recipe, Right Side Up Pineapple Cake. How did she know of my insane love of pineapple cake?! :) It was perfect.

It went together beautifully. The instructions were easy to follow, and I had no problems. Well, unless you count the fact that my pineapple and cherries sank. :) It was all good though. I flipped it out onto a plate, and you can see them under the layer of cake. It was taken and devoured at the bi-annual church picnic and kick ball game. Thumbs up all around. This is the moistest cake I have had in a long time with or without gluten.

Blonde Bean Bunny Brownies

So, the idea popped into my head to do a more grown up non-chocolatey brownie, because I am not overly fond of the brownie. Sue me! I do the chocolate for my boy. With some research on black bean brownies, I decided to do a pseudo-blondie. They were kind of thrown together last minute as my plans for baking last week kept getting thwarted by work. I will say that I am pleased with them, and would only add some white chips and/or dried cranberries to them. Hmmm. I still have a can of beans in the pantry........

Blonde Bean Brownies

70 grams coconut flour

4 ounces melted coconut oil

4 ounces agave nectar

4 ounces white chocolate

2 flax "eggs"

1 can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed

splash of vanilla

1/8 chopped pistachios

Melt coconut oil in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Add white chocolate and microwave for an additional 90 seconds. Remove and stir until chocolate and oil are mostly combined. Add agave to this mix and then pour into the bowl with the beans. Using a hand held blender, puree the beans and liquid until smooth. Add flax eggs and vanilla, and blend some more. Stir in by hand the flour (my alternate to cocoa) and chopped pistachios. Bake in a greased whoopie pie pan at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or in a 9 x 11 greased pan for about 35 minutes. Cool completely.

Ratio Rally Brownies

This is the first of two posts. Yes, two! I had three great ideas, but only two fully worked out. :) This is the first as it established my ratio, and it was kid tested and approved. Not just by my Monkey, but by several kids at Awanas as we were in charge of snack that week.

So my ratio turned out pretty simple, which is something I like. 1 flour:2 fat:2 eggs (2 oz:4 oz:4 oz). For more fabulous recipes go and check out our host for this month, Mary Fran from FrannyCakes!

Triple Chocolate Brownies

4 ounces butter

4 ounces chocolate (chips, baking chocolate)

140 grams granulated sugar

70 grams teff

30 grams cocoa powder

2 eggs

50 grams chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate, butter and sugar together in a microwave safe bowl for about 90 seconds. Stir to determine meltiness. Return to microwave for another 30-60 seconds as necessary. Add whisked eggs, and stir. Add teff and cocoa until completely combined. Stir in chocolate chips, and pour into a greased 9 x 11 pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Rooty-Oat Breakfast Cookies

These cookies were an idea I had back in November when the SOS Kitchen Challenge ingredient was parsnips. Took me a couple of months, but Saturday's snow-in got them out of my head and into a bowl. The Monkey did not like them, and it didn't occur to me until my mom and sister pointed out that I did indeed put the coconut he accused me of in them. Yep, never occurred to me that the coconut oil would give a strong coconut flavor to these cookies. :)

These are a bit dry, which I think I will fix next time by adding an ounce more coconut oil. Or would you do that for me and let me know how it goes?!

Rooty-Oat Breakfast Cookies

4 ounces coconut oil, melted

2 ounces agave nectar

4 ounces (or 1/2 Cup) each grated sweet potato and parsnips or carrots

90 grams brown rice flour

45 grams tapioca starch

60 grams rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 Cup each slivered almonds, Sun maid fruit bits, Enjoy Life chocolate chips

drizzle of vanilla

couple of shakes of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl combine the coconut oil, agave, flours, and oats into a paste. Add the grated vegetables. Stir well. Then add fruits, chocolate chips and nuts. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out a dozen balls. Roll them and flatten slightly onto an un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly crisp on the sides. Cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet and remove to a cooling rack. Makes approximately 2 dozen.

Chocolate Shortbread

Remember how I was working on a chocolate shortbread that didn't quite workout? Yeah, I perfected it just after Christmas. Due to issues with my computer and uploading of photos combined with having to pack for vacation, I haven't had a chance to get it to you until now. So, I will just let you have it.

Chocolate Shortbread with Candy Cane topping

60 grams teff flour

60 grams brown rice flour

30 grams arrowroot starch

30 grams cocoa powder

60 grams brown sugar

6 ounces butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease and 8x8 or 9x9 square pan with cooking spray (ignore the round pie plate. the cookies weren't as firm as I would like in that). Set aside. In a large mixing bowl (preferably a stand mixer), combine flours, cocoa and sugar. Keep the beater running on low while adding the butter a bit at a time. Dump the batter into the pan, and pat it out with your hands. It should be fairly even in thickness. Bake for 20-25 minutes or the edges look a bit crispy. The dough will still be a bit soft to the touch. Top with candy cane topping.

Candy Cane Topping

3/4 Cup white baking chips

2 crushed candy canes

Dump the baking chips onto the shortbread, and let sit for 5 minutes. Taking a knife or spatula spread the chips out until they are all melted and fairly even. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes, and press them into the "frosting." Let cool for another 10-15 minutes, and then slice into 16 pieces. Enjoy!

Ratio Rally Cookies

A few weeks ago, my mother and I were discussing what cookies I could make for the cookie walk at our church's Snowflake Jubilee. I have made cookies for this event every year (this is the fourth year), and they rarely sell. Mom suggested a festive shortbread of some sort as she didn't have any shortbread yet. I do love shortbread, and needed something to play with for the ratio rally so I dove in.

The first batch was a by the book (Ratios) ratio of 3:2:1 (flour:fat:sugar) for a chocolate shortbread that was good, but not quite the flakiness that I look for in a shortbread cookie. Mom suggested increasing the butter/fat, and she was right. The new ratio was 3:3:1, and it makes the most heavenly cookie. So heavenly it shouldn't be in my house as I can't resist.

For more recipes from this month's Gluten Free Ratio Rally please go check out Caroline of The G-Spot.

Candy Cane Shortbread

60 grams coconut flour

60 grams white rice flour

30 grams arrowroot starch

60 grams powdered sugar

6 ounces butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and grease a 8x8 or 9x9 with cooking spray. Set aside. In your large mixing bowl (I used a stand mixer), combine flours and sugar. Keep the beater running on low while adding the butter a bit at a time. This is similar to how I make scones. Your batter should look like this....

Pat the batter down in the pan with your hands. It should be as even a thickness as you can manage. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The edges should be starting to turn brown. Don't worry that the dough feels a bit soft to the touch. It will be okay.

Candy Cane "Frosting"

3/4 Cup Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips

Dump on top of the warm shortbread, and let sit for about 5 minutes. Taking a knife or spatula spread the chips out until they make a lovely variegated frosting.

Let cool for another 15 minutes. Cut into 16 pieces of roughly the same size. Don't eat them all at once!

Ratio Rally Dessert Pizza

When I realized that this month's rally was pizza, I knew that it would be the perfect opportunity to try out an idea the Monkey and I had been cooking up for his birthday in November. He heard about dessert pizza's back in July, and nothing would be more perfect in his mind than to have English muffin pizza's for his birthday dinner followed by a dessert pizza (and cake).

So in to the fray with a couple of different ratios I went, and finally went with the one that worked for Jenn of Jenn Cuisine. Of course I scaled it down for me since I was just feeding the Monkey and I. Jenn's ratio was 10:1:4 (flour:oil: water). I broke it down to the base of 1=50 grams, and worked up from there. Don't ask me to figure the exact ratio right now. It has been an amazingly busy month already, and my brain hurts. Maybe I will ask the math nerd, i.e. the Monkey, tomorrow. Until then, remember that 1=50 grams, and you should be able to tweak to your hearts content.

For the rest of the delicious pizza's, please go and check out our host for this month Karen Robertson at Cooking Gluten Free.

Chocolate Pizza Crust (use at your own risk!)

100 grams white rice flour

100 grams sorghum flour

100 grams tapioca starch

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon coconut palm sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 ounces coconut oil, melted

4 ounces water

Weigh out flours and dump in mixing bowl. Add cocoa, cinnamon and sugar. Mix together. Add oil and water. Mix until combined. Divide in half. Press into oblong boat shape making sure there is a lip on the side. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Let cool and fill.

Note: Honestly, I think I over cooked the crust (note: 20-25 minutes is to long), and it is very shatter proof. Tasty, but hard on the teeth. Also, did it need yeast? I opted for no yeast, being a dessert pizza. Now I am not so sure, and I am out of time. Anybody want to take a run at it and get back to me?! :)

Ideas for fillings (garnered from friends and Facebook page): Fresh berries, berry sauce with a cobbler topping; Reese's using a combination of almond butter, chocolate peanut butter and chopped nuts; Lemon-Cream cheese custard with fresh sliced fruit; Custard, chocolate chips, apple pie filling and chocolate sauce (today's entry and the Monkey's concept).

Apple Pie Filling

2 apples

1/2 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Dump everything in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, stir constantly for 2-3 minutes or until filling thickens. Cool.