Recipe Index.

Delicious Inspiration Recipe Index

Coffee Cakes:
Apple Kuchen
Butter Cake
Butter Crumb Coffee Cake
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Sour Cream Cocoa Swirl Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Christmas Tree Coffee Cake
Cherry Streusel Coffee Cake
Toasted Pistachio Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Cinnamon-Crumble Jam Coffee Cake

Cookies/Candy:
Shortbread
Rugelach
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Election '08 Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies
Espresso Meringue Cookies
Simple Spice Biscotti
Gluten Free Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Espresso Dried Cherry Biscotti
Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Chocolate Biscotti
Cinnamon-Ginger Cookies (Biscotti dello Canella-Zenzero)
Peanut Butter Cookies
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Gingerbread Cutout Cookies
Spiced Orange Sugar Cookies
Peanut Butter Delights
Mocha and Toasted Almond Biscotti
Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Orange and Toasted Almond Biscotti
Molasses Oat Cookies
Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Coconut Almond Cookie Hearts
Cranberry Cornmeal Heart Cookies
Brownie Heart Roll-Out Cookies
Basic Biscotti
Brown Butter Shortbread
Fudgy Brownies with Mint Chips
Old Fashioned Soft Sugar Cookies
Teacakes with Springy Glaze
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sedgemoor Easter Biscuits
Cinnamon Toasted Almond Biscotti
Sand Dollar Cookies
Chewy Chili Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookies
White Chocolate Chip, Pistachio, Coconut, Dried Guava and Dried Pear Cookies
Wedding Shower Cookies
Tiny Sugar Saucers
Toasted Almond-Honey Ice Box Cookies
Chocolate Crackles 

Bars:
S'mores Bars
Apricot-Raisin Oatmeal Bars
Apple Streusel Cheesecake Bars
Apricot Bars
Chunky Jam Bars
 Chewy Date and Nut Bars
White Chocolate Chip and Toasted Pecan Butterscotch Blondies

Cakes/Layer Cakes:
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake with Mascarpone Cream Frosting
Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cheesecake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Revised and Improved)
Guinness Oatmeal Apricot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Gluten Free Orange Cornmeal Cake
White Chocolate Eggnog Mousse Cake
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Chip Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
Pumpkin Cranberry Cake with Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
Easy Spice Cake
Brown Sugar Angel Food Cake with Italian Meringue Frosting
Banana Cake with Cocoa Frosting
Banana Pistachio Cakes with Guava-Pear Compote
Sapelo Island Hard Time Cake
Honey Cake
Miss Emma Smith's War Cake 

Cupcakes:
Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Carrot Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Buttermilk Cupcakes
Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cocoa Espresso Buttercream
Chocolate Cupcakes
Orange Cupcakes with Orange Curd Filling
Chocolate Filled Gluten Free Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting  

Tarts and Pies
Dutch Apple Tarts
Cherry Tart with Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
Szarlotka - Polish Apple Tart
Heart-Shaped Butterscotch Tarts
Orange Buttermilk Chess Tarts
Ginger-Honeyed Apple and Apricot Phyllo Crunch Pie

Muffins/Breakfast
Apple Kuchen
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
Apple Muffins with Maple Pecan Streusel
Pumpkin Spice Scones
Date-Walnut Sticky Buns
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
White Whole Wheat Apricot Muffins
Ricotta Honey Oatmeal Muffins
Dried Cherry Buttermilk Scones
Mini Strawberry Muffins with White Chocolate Chips and Toasted Almonds 

Quick Breads/Loaf Breads:
Date Pecan Orange Bread
Pear Walnut Bread
Apple Spice Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Gluten Free Italian Herb Cheese Bread
Cornbread
Orange Poppy Seed Loaves
Nutella and Toasted Coconut Bread
Zucchini Bread

Yeast Breads:
Apple Kuchen
Date-Walnut Sticky Buns
Gluten Free Pizza Dough
Basic White Bread or Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Honey White Wheat Knot Rolls
Christmas Tree Coffee Cake
Irish Oatmeal Bread
Polish Easter Placek

Gluten Free:
Pavlova
Orange Cornmeal Cake
Espresso Meringue Cookies
Gluten Free Carrot Cake
Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Revised and Improved)
Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cheesecake
Gluten Free Vanilla Cake with Mascarpone Cream Frosting
Gluten Free Pizza Dough
Chocolate Mousse
Gluten Free Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
Gluten Free Italian Herb Cheese Bread
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake - using Featherlight Mix
Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Gluten Free Lemon Pie Bars
Chocolate Filled Gluten Free Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Cheesecake Ice Cream with Gluten Free Graham Crackers
Cinnamon-Lime Panna Cotta with Blueberry Sauce

Savory/Other:
Gluten Free Italian Herb Cheese Bread
Gnocchi Mac 'N Cheese

Gluten Free Baby Shower.

In late August, we threw my sister-in-law Rachel a baby shower on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  The next two posts will be recipes of the food I made - gluten free pizza dough and chocolate mousse with gluten free cinnamon shortbread.

It seems like a lot of gluten free baked goods come in boxes and bags these days because those who need to avoid wheat find it easier or more convenient, just like the people who buy regular cake and brownie mixes.  I hate to be so snobbish, but I always prefer making things from scratch and I can't stand mixes.  They don't allow you to control anything!  I'd much rather figure out a real recipe and perfect it.  So upon first search for "gluten free pizza crust/dough" you get a lot of links and sites for mixes to buy.  Once you start getting into the recipes, many had reviews such as "gummy, not fluffy at all..." etc, etc.  Then I visited one of the tried-and-true recipe websites, Epicurious.  Lucky for me, I found a gluten free pie dough recipe that had (mostly) rave reviews.  We had all the gluten free flours in the gluten free pantry so I decided to use this one.

It. is. amazing.  I know the comparison for gluten free stuff is always "does it taste like the real thing?!" and this one really does, it might be even better.  The thing anyone baking gluten free yeast breads should remember is that the doughs will always be more sticky and wet than regular bread dough.  It's just the way gluten free bread works, don't add more flour or it WILL be tough and gluey.  I found the best way to work with this dough was to use wet fingers and a greased offset spatula to spread it on the parchment paper.

Anyway, if you're looking for an amazing gluten free pie crust recipe, THIS IS IT.  Top it with anything, I swear you'll love it.  I roasted eggplants, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, mushrooms and red peppers a few days before the shower and then spread pesto and the veggies over the par-baked dough and topped with mozzarella cheese (I also did a pesto/tomato/mozzarella as well as pesto/chicken/roasted veg/mozzarella).  A note on quantities:  I doubled this recipe and made it twice to get four rectangular-sized pizzas that I cut into 8 generous pieces each (I had to serve about 20 people, every piece of the 32 pieces were gone at the end of the shower...)  If you're just serving a few people, this recipe as-is should be fine.

Gluten Free Pizza Dough
Adapted from Epicurious
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast (or 1 package)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flours, xanthan gum and salt.

Heat the milk and 1/4 cup of water in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop until it reaches 100 degrees F.  Stir in the yeast and sugar.  Add this to the flour mixture along with the egg whites and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Using the paddle attachment, beat until the dough is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes on medium.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and throw in a baking sheet as well.  The baking sheet needs to be really hot so that when you put the pizza dough on, the bottom will start cooking immediately, therefore it doesn't get soggy or underbaked.

Scrape the dough onto either one large piece of parchment or two smaller pieces (depending on if you want one large pizza or two smaller ones) and form into a rectangle, circles, or any shape you can manage, using wet hands and a greased spatula.  The end formation should be about 1/4 inch thick.  Drizzle the dough with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 20 minutes or until the doughs look puffier and slightly risen.

Transfer the pieces of parchment with the dough on them to the hot baking sheet.  Place into the oven and bake until the bottom is crisp and the dough is set, 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size.  The crust is now parbaked and can be cooled completely and frozen for up to 1 month, tightly wrapped.  Otherwise, use your toppings of choice and put back in the oven until the cheese is melty and golden brown or the toppings are warmed through.

Gluten Free Birthday Cake.

For those who don't know, I bake a lot of gluten free things because my sister-in-law Rachel is gluten intolerant.  She and my brother, Andy, come over nearly every Sunday and it's always nice to be able to offer them something gluten free for dessert and I love experimenting with gluten free baking.  Anyway, she's about to pop any day now with a baby boy:

This cake wasn't made for her birthday, but it was for my mom's birthday and when Andy and Rachel come over we like to do everything gluten free.  This is my go-to gluten free vanilla cake and hopefully anyone else who bakes gluten free will take notice - it's SUCH a great, foolproof recipe.  I do believe I even forgot the xanthan gum when I made this batter into cupcakes for one of Rachel's baby showers but it still came out delicious as always.  The mascarpone cream and fresh fruit were there to dress things up a bit, (plus my mom loves fresh fruit) but this cake, frosted with good old buttercream frosting, is perfect for any gluten free occasion.

I generally double this recipe so I can get 2 8 or 9-inch layer cakes or 24 cupcakes, but in this case I just split one 8-inch layer in half and filled it with fruit and cream.  It was big enough to serve at least 8 or 9 people generously.  (and as Nigella Lawson says, "...how else would you want to feed them?")

Gluten Free Vanilla Cake 
Adapted from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease an 8 or 9-inch cake pan, square or round.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients (white rice flour through salt) and set aside.

Combine the cider vinegar and milk and let the milk sit for a few minutes while you cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Add the dry ingredients and the soured milk alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix well and scrape the bowl with a large spatula, making sure everything is well combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and let sit for 15-30 minutes before baking.  Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, although check on the cake at 20 minutes, as I find this cake is often done before a half an hour is up and certainly check at the 15 minute mark if you use this for cupcakes.  Let cool completely before filling or frosting.  This cake also freezes well, just wrap it in plastic wrap twice and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.


Mascarpone Cream:
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on your taste
Vanilla extract

Using the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.  Stir in just enough sugar to slightly sweeten the cream and add a splash of vanilla.

Use on any vanilla cake or cupcakes, although I'm sure it would be great with chocolate as well.  What isn't? :)

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cheesecake.

I made this sucker for the 4th of July and it was gooood.  (That weekend was quite a whirlwind due to a family reunion and a birthday as well as the holiday so I did a lot of baking and quite frankly don't remember how many things I baked, but there was at least a sweet potato pound cake, tiramisu and cupcakes in the mix...) I also made a chocolate mayonnaise cake with Duke's Mayonnaise (a present from my North Carolina buds) but I must say, it was gone before I could get any pictures.  For anyone skeptical about mayonnaise in cake, it's just oil and eggs!  People at the party I took it to made faces when I told them what it was, but then when they put a forkful in their mouths, everyone said it was the best chocolate cake they'd tasted. I hope to make the cake again soon, that way it can have its own post like it deserves.

Moving on to the main star here, though - this cheesecake is gluten free, it's easy and it's delicious.  The crust is made out of gluten free brownies, the filling made out of rich cream cheese and melted bittersweet chocolate.  I added the whipped cream and raspberries on top, but they were just for show.  This cheesecake would do just fine on its own, no matter what the situation, for people who have to eat gluten free or not.

(This recipe is adapted from a book I go to more than any other when I need to bake gluten free, I highly recommend it to any Celiac or anyone who bakes or cooks for people with Celiac's.  The recipe is originally accompanied by a raspberry coulis, hence my inspiration with fresh raspberries on top here.)

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from 125 Best Gluten Free Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt

Fudgy Brownies for the crust:
1/3 cup chickpea flour (original recipe calls for yellow pea flour, never seen it)
2 tablespoons potato starch
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease an 8x8 square pan.

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl, whisking to make sure all the flours aren't clumpy. 

In a large microwavable safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth and shiny.  Add the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined.  Dump in the dry ingredients and stir well to eliminate any lumps.

Spread in the prepared pan and let sit for 15-30 minutes.  Bake the brownies for 20 to 25 minutes or until when a toothpick is inserted in the middle, a bit of crumb is sticking to it.  Let cool completely, then crumble and set aside.

Cheesecake:
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons sorghum flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
8 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate, cooled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray.  Press the brownie crumbs in the bottom and up the sides of the pan and bake for 10 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F.  In a large bowl using an electric mixer or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until very smooth.  Slowly and the sugar and sorghum flour and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.  Add the vanilla, salt and yogurt or sour cream, and finally, fold in the chocolate.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled brownie crust.  Bake the cheesecake for 10 minutes in the hot oven and then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees F. and continue to bake for another 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is just set.  Let cool at least 30 minutes before refrigerating at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Garnish as you'd like, and serve in thin slices with strong coffee.  Yum :)