Upside down Apple Cake -- gluten-free, vegan, nut-free

My Bubbi Sarah was a tiny and tough old woman who came here from Poland when she was a young girl. She'd witnessed a tremendous amount of change in her life by the time she died after the new millennia at the age of 102, but one thing was constant -- her love of making the old traditional favourites for her family's eating pleasure. She'd make mandelbrot, poppy seed cookies, roasted eggplant, and her famous apple cake. With a nudge she'd say "Did you try the apple cake? It's good. I made it."

I miss that. So I always think of Bubbi Sarah when I bake an apple cake.

Now, I can't claim to hold a candle to her apple cake. This one is lovely, however. The cake is delicate, soft, spongey, and moist, with perfect integrity, and a light sweetness and spiciness. I'm sure Bubbi Sarah would have been baffled by my use of millet and buckwheat flours, but I like to think she would have enjoyed it.

If, like me, you are allergic to wheat, or if you simply want a change, this gluten-free, nut-free, vegan cake is wonderful.

I love the way an upside down cake looks, with a pretty pattern in apple slices on the now-top. I sprinkle coconut sugar liberally to affect a sort of caramelization on the now-top, and it's a thing of pleasing deliciousness.

equipment:
round 8 inch pan, coated with coconut oil and parchment
mixing bowl
mixing spoon
knife
cutting board
measuring spoons
measuring cups
whisk
oven


ingredients:

a)
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour

b)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp tonka bean powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

c)
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup warm water

d)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

e)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 apples, cored and sliced


directions:

preheat the oven to 345 degrees

1. prepare the apple and the pan
2. cover the bottom of the pan with parchment, then cover the parchment with coconut sugar sugar and apple slices (e)
3. combine the warm water and coconut oil (part c) and set aside
4. mix together the dry ingredients from a) and b) in a bowl
5. mix the ingredients from d) into the ingredients from e)
6. using a whisk, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients
7. pour the batter over the sliced apples
8. bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 345
9. cool and invert onto a plate

Date Cake -- gluten free, grain free, sugar free baby cakes

Delicious muffins fit for the lunchbox. I loves me some date cake ...

ingredients:

2 cups water
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup pitted dates

1 tbsp ground vanilla
3 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp saigon cinnamon (or 'regular' cinnamon)
3 tsp ginger
1 tsp sea salt


1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4  cup flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup shredded coconut

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup ground sunflower seeds

1 cup chopped apple -- or a little more -- I used 2 small pink ladies and diced them quite finely
1 cup raisins

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed

2. scoop into prepared muffin cups

3. bake for 40 minutes at 345

Apple and Raisin Muffins fit for School -- no gluten, no nuts, no sugar, no kidding

I'm a sucker for the good old fashioned simplicity of apple and spices. These are flavourful and wholesome, and definitely work as a quick meal or snack even if you avoid grains, gluten, processed foods, sugar etc. If you like yummy, try these. They store well in an airtight container in the fridge, and will remain moist and delicious for a week.

ingredients:

2 cups hot water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp ground vanilla
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 ground chia seeds
1 cup ground shredded coconut -- I whirled the coconut around in my coffee grinder
1/2 cup hemp hearts

4 eggs

1 cup ground raw sunflower seeds -- I used a coffee grinder for my raw sunflower seeds


2 cups diced apple -- I used medium sized royal galas -- organic -- and didn't peel them
1 cup raisins -- I used some small thompson raisins -- organic -- not the jumbo ones


directions:

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed.
2. scoop the batter into 24 prepared muffin cups
3. preheat the oven to 345
4. bake at 345 for 40 minutes

Apple Sauce School Muffins -- a gluten free, nut free, sugar free little treat

Fresh, delicious apple sauce muffins. How good does that sound?

ingredients:

1 3/4  cups apple sauce (I used homemade, but jar stuff is great. The kind without added sugar imho)
3/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
4 eggs

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon (don't replace this cinnamon with other if you don't have, just skip it, or use just a tsp)
1 tsp saigon cinnamon
1 tsp korintje cinnamon
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup ground shredded coconut
1 cup ground sunflower seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups organic thompson raisins (optional)


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. melt the coconut oil in the hot water
2. mix in the apple sauce
3. blend in the eggs
4. add the cinnamons, vanilla, ginger, and sea salt
5. stir in the chia, shredded coconut, and ground sunflower seeds
6. mix in the baking soda
7. add the raisins if you are using them
8. scoop into prepared muffin cups and bake at 345 for 45 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when poked lightly


makes 24 muffins

Sweet Potato school muffins -- nut free, gluten free, sugar free, yummy

In the interest of variety, I've come up with yet another perky little lunch  muffin. Try it. It's great.

ingredients:

2 cups water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

4 eggs

1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp korintje cinnamon
1 tsp saigon cinnamon
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 cup shredded coconut, ground
1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/4 cup ground chia
1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 cups shredded sweet potato
1 cup organic raisins

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine  coconut oil and warm water

2. add the lemon juice, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger

3. stir in the  chia seeds, flax meal, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, baking soda, and coconut flour
4. add the eggs and mix well

5. stir in the shredded sweet potato and raisins, and mix thoroughly

5. scoop the batter into prepare muffin cups

6. bake at 345 for 50 minutes

Carrot and Raisin School Muffins -- gluten free, grain free, delicious, moist, nut free goodness

In celebration of the season, I'm making carrot muffins. Which season? Carrot season! No idea what I'm talking about. But these are delicious, great for you, and school appropriate because once again they have no nuts. Sigh. They have that wonderful combination of spices that works particularly well for carrot cake. Moist, too. But go ahead and use a copious smear of butter. You know you want to ...

ingredients:

2 cups warm water

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 cup pitted honey dates

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp saigon cinnamon

1 tsp korintje cinnamon

2 tbsp carob powder

black pepper

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1/4 cup ground sesame seeds

1/2 cup ground flax meal

1 cup shredded coconut, ground

1 cup pumpkin seeds, ground

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2  cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup raisins

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the dates, coconut oil, and warm water and let sit for 15 minutes

2. puree with with a hand blender

3. add the eggs, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and carob, and blend again

4. stir in the baking soda, chia seeds, sesame seeds, flax meal, shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds

5. stir in the shredded carrot and the raisins

5. scoop the batter into prepare muffin cups

6. bake at 345 for 50 minutes

Toasted Seed Cookies with dirty little secrets -- No nuts, you crazy kids. Also, gluten free, grain free, and sugar free.

 When I made the toasted seed cookies last time, I doubled up on the seed toasting and grinding, so I had some containers of toasted and ground seeds all ready to go in the fridge.  This time, I decided to get darker and dirtier than last time. I'm weird like that. Anyway, these, too, taste great, and have nary a nut, grain, gluten, dairy, or sugar to boot.

Eat up and then let me know how much you like 'em.

ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup cooconut sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup flax meal

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground vanilla

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup carob powder

1 tbsp water

directions:

1. toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds for 30 minutes at 300 C.

2. toast the shredded coconut for 15 or 20 minutes at 300 C.

2b. If you need to toast your sesame seeds, do so in a dry pan over low heat on the stove top. You can grind these little cuties in a coffee grinder. BTW I used black sesame seeds this time, not white.

3. grind up the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut in a food processor or fancy blender. Mortar and pestle?

4. preheat the oven to 345

5. combine the coconut oil (melted), coconut sugar, and eggs

6. mix in the sea salt, vanilla, and cinnamon

7. add the flax meal and hemp seeds

8. add the baking soda

9. mix in the toasted seeds and toasted coconut

10. add the carob powder and ground and toasted sesame seeds along with 1 tbsp water

11. mix really well

12. put spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork

13. bake for 16 minutes

Makes 2 dozen or so depending on size. Store in an airtight container.

Saturday Morning with Friends Apple Muffins -- Gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

This hearty little muffin is neither graceful nor delicate. However, it is studded with apple and raisins, has lots of blood sugar stabilizing chia, and is a perfect rainy Saturday morning tea muffin. The cunning combination of flavours creates a satisfying and delicious treat.

A friend of mine yesterday was telling me about her daughter who has type 1 diabetes. I find it rather maddening that type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are both called diabetes, because they are not the same thing.

She was telling me that in type 1 diabetes, the body attacks and destroys its own islet (insulin producing) cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetics need to take insulin, but they also need to eat in a way that keeps their blood sugar levels as stable as possible, to prevent damage to the body caused by too high or too low blood sugar levels.

I am not diabetic, I can't relate to the challenges that type 1 diabetes must pose. But, I am sensitive to the effects of sugar and carbs on my body. If I eat a piece of bread, even if it is whole grain, without protein of some kind, I can feel my heart racing, and I can get a headache, much the same way as I would if I eat sugar (for example in the form of chocolate) on an empty stomach. I like to try to combine any sweets with protein and fat, with seeds and nuts etc. This way, there are no blood sugar spikes, no racing heart, no nausea and headache.

These muffins are nicely sweet, with their scant coconut sugar, their raisins and apples, but the effects of these sweets are carefully mitigated by the pecan, almond, coconut, and flax, and wonderfully stabilized by the cinnamon and (especially) the chia. But it is still a yummy baked good. Because sometimes you need a yummy baked good with your tea.

ingredients:

3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 cup water
6 tbsp coconut sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
black pepper

3 tbsp chia seeds
6 tbsp flax meal
1 1/2 cup pecan meal
3/4 cup almond meal

1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp coconut flour

2 cup diced apple
1/2 cup raisins

24 very very thin apple slices
coconut sugar


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the coconut oil and warm water to melt it
2. add in the coconut sugar and apple cider vinegar
3. beat in the eggs when the mixture is cool enough
4. add the spices
5. add the flax meal and chia seeds
6. add the pecan meal and almond meal
7. add the baking soda
8. add the coconut flour
9. stir in the diced apple
10. add the raisins
11. scoop the mixture into 24 prepared muffin cups
12. top each muffin cup with a very thin apple slice and a sprinkle of coconut sugar
13. bake at 345 for 35 minutes in the upper half of the oven

Make sure you make enough, because when you put these out, your friends will sneakily eat them all by distracting you. "Look over there! Really. There really is an elephant outside your window. No, seriously. I'm not just trying to distract you! Hurry!" When you look, they will invariably pop the last muffin in their mouth, and then you will glance back after not seeing an elephant, and realize, once again, you've been had for a sucker.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies -- dairy free, sugar free, high protein

Elaine was waxing poetic about her love for pecan meal, so I was reminded of the oatmeal cookies I used to make that involved dates and pecan meal. Pecan meal and dates together do lovely things that put me in mind of brown sugar. Yes, alchemy afoot. These cookies use good things like ground nuts and coconut flour, some spelt flakes, chewy raisins, sweet spicy cinnamons, and fragrant ground vanilla. There is no cane sugar, although there is a little coconut sugar, which won't elevate blood sugar levels, to sweeten along with the dates and raisins.

The flavour is complex and yet homey, with a lot of the traditional oatmeal cookie about it. However, the ingredients elevate it to a health food, and make it a reasonable, high energy snack.

My three year old is crazy about these, and I myself find them seriously yummy. I'm not sure my husband would sit in the dark with a glass of milk and eat them by the dozen, but he does like them, too.

They are not gluten free because of the spelt flakes, but they are an updated twist on an old favourite. If you prefer oat flakes to spelt flakes, you can certainly use those. Or, you can try any other type of flaked grain you please, if you have a preference. I like spelt because of the texture, but pretty much any flaked grain will work here. To be honest, I used spelt flakes because we'd run out of oat flakes  ... I guess that just proves that I am an opportunistic cook.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 egg

6 tbsp coconut sugar

1/2 tsp ground vanilla

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp flax meal

1/2 cup pecan meal

1/2 cup blanched almond meal

1 cup spelt flakes (or large oat flakes or whatever flakes you fancy)

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 cup thompson raisins 

directions:

preheat your oven to 345

1. soak the dates in the warm water for 10 minutes, and then puree (I use a stick blender, but you can also use a food processor)

2. melt the coconut oil in the warm date puree

3. mix in your coconut sugar, your vinegar, and your egg

4. sitr in your cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt

5. add the flax, pecan, and almond meal

6. mix in your spelt flakes and your baking soda

7. mix in your coconut flour

8. add the raisins

9. place spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork

10. bake at 345 for 20 minutes

makes about 2 dozen (fairly large) cookies

yum!

Cornmeal Muffins -- Savoury or sweet, gluten free and dairy free.

Despite rarely using corn, I was still in the mood after our delectable chili con broccoli on polenta this week. So, I decided to make cornmeal muffins. I wanted to make them gluten free, and although they have 2 xl organic eggs, they are dairy free. These muffins are super versatile. I made this batch with some cinnamon and vanilla, and a little coconut sugar. But they could easily be make with some salt and pepper, a generous dose of chili powder, and a couple of handfuls of corn kernels thrown into the batter. Super yummy to go with soup, me thinks. I think these muffins would take blueberries beautifully, but I didn't add anything this time, because I wanted to make sure the texture of the pastry would be suitable.

So, plain with just a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, they are simple and homey tasting, perfect with a cup of tea, and could take a little butter or honey beautifully.

Unlike some cornmeal muffins, the coconut flour keeps these ones nice and moist, and the texture is light and delicate, with that lovely cornmeal crunchiness.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

2 cups water

2 xl organic eggs

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp ground vanilla

2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/4 cup flax meal

1 cup almond meal

1 cup organic cornmeal

4 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

optional, to be added at the end:

1/2 cup blueberries (frozen are fine --  add them at the end when they are still frozen fully)

and add 5 minutes to the baking time

or 

1/2 cup corn kernels -- these you can defrost before using

(eliminate the vanilla and cinnamon, increase the sea salt to 1 tsp, add some black pepper, and 1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder)

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour warm water over the coconut oil to melt it

2. add the apple cider vinegar, and eggs (makes sure the water is not too warm)

3. add the coconut sugar, if using

4. mix in the spices and sea salt

5. add the flax meal

6. add the almond flour

7. add the corn meal

8. add the baking soda

9. add the coconut flour

10. finally, when the batter is fully mixed, add the blueberries or corn kernels if you are using any

11. scoop into 24 prepared muffin cups, and bake at 345 for 25 to 30 minutes (in the upper half of the oven), until the muffins feel resiliant to the touch

12. remove the muffins from the muffin cups shortly after taking them out of the oven

Gluten Free Brownies Again -- Agave Free this time.

The recipe I posted last week for gluten free brownies, while delicious and gluten free, contains some agave. Now, it does only contain a couple of table spoons, but some people are very sensitive to many sweeteners, including agave. For this reason, I've come up with a gluten-free brownie recipe that uses a little coconut nectar, a little coconut sugar, and some dates for sweetness. The texture of these brownies is soft and fluffy and fudgey all at the same time, and they taste rich and chocolatey. For me personally, although I can't eat much agave before I feel it, the quantity in the baked goods I make doesn't usually have any ill-effects on me. However, if you are someone who tends to hypo or hyper glycemia, or if you are just quite sensitive to fructose, this second version might sit better with you.

I've changed the recipe in a few ways, because the flavour would necessarily be different with a different sweetener. I've increased the pecan meal, because pecans and dates do something magical when they are used together in a recipe that, while not quite alchemy, is more than the sum of its parts.

If agave is your sweetener of choice, then the first version is the one for you. But because different folks have different ingredients in their cupboards, and different likes, I'm leaving both recipes in. Enjoy!

ingredients:

14 pitted honey dates (1/2 cup packed)

6 pitted prunes (1/4 cup packed)

1 cup hot water

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

2 tbsp coconut nectar

2 tbsp coconut sugar

2 xl organic eggs

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp ground vanilla bean, or 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp finely ground chia seeds

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1/2 cup pecan meal

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut flour

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour the hot water over the prunes and dates in your mixing bowl and soak for 10 minutes

2. add the coconut oil, coconut nectar, and coconut sugar

3. puree with a stick blender until smooth

4. when cool enough, add the eggs and vinegar, and puree again

5. stir in the sea salt, cinnamon, and vanilla

6. add the chia seeds, and blend with the stick blender

7. mix in the raw cacao

8. mix in the pecan meal and almond meal

9. mix in the baking soda

10. mix in the coconut flour last

11. scoop the batter into 12 prepared muffin cups

12. sprinkle the tops with a little coconut sugar (optional)

13. bake at 345 for 30 minutes in the upper half of the oven

14. cool in the cups, and then remove to a cooling rack

15. store in an airtight container

Gluten-Free Brownies -- A fudgey, satisfying, dairy-free, sugar-free treat

The thing about brownies is that they are the sort of treat that some people love beyond reason. There have probably been fist-fights -- possibly even duels -- over the virtues of fudgey brownies vs cakey brownies, with nuts or without, frosted or unfrosted ... Needless to say, people are so passionate about their brownies, that it's not the sort of treat you're allowed to monkey with. People are not going to accept a pale imitation of a brownie. If you are going to remake it into a virtuous version of its former self, it had darn well better not taste like it.

In my interest in offering more gluten-free options when it comes to baked goods, I thought a gluten-free brownie was in order. I thought the humble chia seed would provide some of what we need in texture, as well as in blood-sugar stability. The high protein flours include almond, pecan, and coconut, and the sweeteners will not send your blood sugar through the roof, make your pancreas cry, or lead to any hypo-glycemic comas. I try to make my baked goods as high in fiber and protein as possible because that will further counteract the effects of sweeteners on the body. 

That this version tastes wonderful, and feels like a fudgey, rich, decadent brownie in your mouth is essential. That it's actually good for you, and can be seen not as an empty calorie indulgence but as a wonderfully nutritious, whole foods indulgence is my reason for being. 

The North American food supply has decreased in nutrients so drastically that we truly don't have room for empty calories in our diet. (I have long believed this, and am now reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food -- electrifying.) Fortunately, that doesn't mean we can't have decadent treats along with our leafy greens and humble chickpeas. It just means we need to make careful choices when it comes to ingredients. Like these brownies.

I'm not a big chocolate eater, but I seem to have whetted my taste for cacao over the past month or so, and honestly these taste so good. So. Good.

ingredients:

12 pitted honey dates

6 pitted prunes

3/4 cup hot water

2 tbsp clear agave

1 tbsp coconut sugar

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 egg xl organic egg

2 tbsp chia seeds, finely ground

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 tsp ground vanilla (or 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract)

1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp raw cacao powder

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup pecan meal

1/2 cup almond flour

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour the hot water over prunes and dates in a bowl, and let sit for about 10 minutes to soften

2. add the agave, coconut sugar, and coconut oil and puree everything with a stick blender

3. add in the apple cider vinegar and the ground chia seeds and combine

4. add in the vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt, and mix well

5. add in the raw cacao and mix well

6. add in the coconut flour, and mix well

7. add the baking soda and mix well

8. add the pecan meal

9. add the almond flour, and stir well

10. scoop the mixture into 12 prepared muffin cups

11. sprinkle the tops with a little coconut sugar (optional)

12. bake at 345 for 30 minutes

13. allow to sit in the muffin cups to cool before removing

Baked Apples

I really like apples. I have fond childhood memories of going to orchards to pick our own machintosh apples. We'd climb the apple trees, and pick the ripest ones from the very top, their deep red skin and white flesh almost hot from the sun. Crisp and juicy they were, and we'd gorge ourselves on the drive home. Pesticides? What pesticides ;) Not that we didn't care about eating toxins, we were just joyfully oblivious.

Now I stick to organic apples, and often can find lovely organic royal gala at the Indian market up the street. When the apples are a little past their crisp prime, and have edged towards slightly mealy, the time for baking them is upon us.

This baked apple dish is practically an apple crisp without the crisp, an apple pie without the crust. For me, the best part of pie or crisp was always the apple filling, so it just makes it better having the apples with nothing else ;)

ingredients:

6 large royal gala apples (or medium if you prefer)

1/2 - 3/4 cup organic thompson raisins (depends on how much you like raisins)

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

1 tbsp cinnamon

pinch sea salt

a little freshly grated ginger

1 tsp ground vanilla

directions:

1. combine all the ingredients in an oven-proof casserole. I like to use my magnificent cast iron 'Nemesis' for this. It bakes fruit and vegetables beautifully.

2. bake at 345 for 60 minutes with the lid on

3. turn the heat off and leave in the oven (if desired) for another 30 minutes

Please note that cooking times will vary with the type of casserole used, and if you are using glass, the cooking time might well be shorter, and you should probably just remove it at the end of cooking, instead of leaving it in. I doubled this recipe, and it worked very well.

This is lovely on it's own, or topped with a little whole milk yogurt.

Lemon Baby Cakes -- Lemony Lusciousness for All My Friends

On the weekend I baked a banana bread that didn't quite achieve lift off, carrot baby cakes that marched to the beat of their own drummer in an unfortunately uncoordinated fashion, and these naughty little Lemon Baby Cakes that succeeded against all odds. Maybe I haven't completely lost my baking mojo.

We had the pleasure of tea with our neighbours Marla and Oliver, and my mother-in-law Kathryn and her charming husband Hendrik.

Now, this was not without complications, and I'll tell you why. Marla and Oliver don't like their tea snacks terribly sweet, and Kathryn cannot eat dairy. So, the banana bread and carrot baby cakes were to fit that bill. And while my son is very much enjoying both the banana bread and the carrot cakes, I didn't feel they were good enough to offer guests with tea.

Well, I got lucky,  because in this case third try was indeed the charm.

The lemon cakes are light and delicate while being moist. The flavour is both sweet and tart, with the lemon enhanced with some orange zest (from organic oranges, of course). And they were a resounding success, enjoyed very much by all in attendance, especially when they were revealed to be free of dairy for Kathryn, and free of sugar for Marla and Oliver.

Now, I will state that these baby cakes did require a little more sweetner than others that I've made, because not only is lemon not sweet, it is the anti-sweet. And in order to make a cake that tasted like a cake instead of like a punishment, I used about 50% more sweetner than I usually add to my baked confections. However, they are often sweetened additionally by sweet things like dates, raisins, and apples. And the sweeteners in this cake are all quite low on the glycemic index, won't spike your blood sugar, and seem to be tolerated well by most people who have difficulty with sugar. And are much more nutritionally rich than sugar is.


ingredients:

2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup clear agave
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/4 cup coconut sugar

zest of an organic orange (or lemon)

1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon (I used ceylon cinnamon)
1 tsp ground vanilla bean
black pepper (a touch)
1 tsp sea salt

2 cups almond flour (I used JK Gourmet)
1/2 tsp  baking soda
1 cup kamut flour (whole grain and finely ground pasty flour)


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. warm the water a little, and add it to the coconut oil to melt it. Add the sweeteners, the lemon juice, and the zest
2. add the eggs, and mix well
3. add the ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, and pepper
4. add the almond flour
5. add the baking soda
6. add the kamut flour
7. scoop batter into prepared muffin cups
8. sprinkle the top of each muffin with a tiny bit of coconut sugar
9. bake at 345 for 30 minutes
10. remove from the oven, and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before removing from muffin cups
11. serve with a big smile and some yummy tea

Sugar Cookies -- lots of flavour, but no sugar

A couple of days ago I posted a recipe for sugar cookies made without sugar and without any grain flour. To be honest, these gluten-free cookies remind me a little of short bread cookies -- they have that kind of texture. Today I decided to make a sugar cookie without sugar, but in these I used some whole grain kamut flour in addition to almond flour. The texture is delicate and almost fluffy. They are pleasant and simple. Just the right kind of cookie to go with a cup of tea. And they partner well with the vanilla bean cookies from the other day -- different, yet charming in their own unique ways. The sweetener I have used is a clear, raw agave. I personally find cane sugar, whether organic or not, tastes great but disagrees with me. Agave is extremely sweet, so you need less of it, and I find it doesn't give me the headaches and racing heart I can get from cane sugar.

These aren't as sweet as the ones made with coconut flour and the reason for this is simple. Coconut flour absorbs so much liquid that you need very little of it, so that all the flavours and sweetners in the confection have much more potency. With these cookies, we are using twice as much flour, thus the potency of the sweetners and flavours are cut by half. If you followed this ramble, then it will be no surprise to you when I say the two cookies are different than each other.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup clear agave

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 eggs

1 tsp finely minced orange zest (optional -- or lemon zest -- or go crazy and try lime)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp cinnamon (I used ceylon cinnamon)

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup kamut flour

directions:

1. lightly melt the oil and combine with the agave

2. add in the vanilla and lemon juice

3. mix in the eggs (and zest if you are using)

4. add the sea salt, vanilla bean, and cinnamon

5. stir in the almond flour, followed by the baking soda

6. add the kamut flour last, and stir until fully combined

7. as with any recipe using a flour that contains gluten, try to stir it as little as possible, and work it as little as possible. This will prevent the gluten from 'activating', and limit the toughness that will ensue. All you pie pastry makers out there know what I'm talking about ...

8. wrap the dough in parchment and put it in an airtight container. Refrigerate until fully chilled.

9. divide the dough into quarters, and roll each piece between two pieces of parchment

10. cut with your favourite cutter, and place on a lined baking sheet

12. this recipe will fill two baking sheets

13. bake for a total of 14 minutes in the upper half of an oven that has been pre-heated to 345. If you are baking 2 sheets at once, switch their positions halfway through.

14. once the cookies have come out of the oven,  remove them from the baking sheets to cool on a cooling rack

15. store in an airtight container