Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Ginger Cookies

Here's my favorite new cookie recipe to wish you belated happy holidays. I can't seem to stop making these. They are the perfect winter cookie spiced with warming ginger and cinnamon. They are tender, soft and cakey on the inside with the slightest snap of a crust on the outside.

The original (gluten) recipe comes from Chez Panisse. But I spotted Shauna's gluten-free version on her site, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef and was inspired, as I am by so many of her posts and recipes, to try them. I love that they don't contain any xanthan or guar gums, commonly found in most gluten-free recipes, each of which have adverse effects on me.

I started with Shauna's version and then began experimenting. First, I traded the butter for coconut oil, and used mostly maple syrup with a little brown sugar instead of the white sugar. And I also tried it with brown rice flour and chia instead of the white rice flour.

These cookies are addictive and the perfect accompaniment for a cup of hot tea, eggnog or horchata. They also make a great whoopie pie, sandwich cookie or ice cream sandwich. I made a whoopie pie for the photo with an eggnog filling (1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons eggnog. If you're going dairy-free, try a nondairy eggnog or rice milk-based horchata). But I most like to eat them on their own. Straight, simple, comforting. And I must mention, if you have an unhappy tummy, the ginger in these will make you feel much better. Rx: cookie!

I've been making double batches of these and keeping the dough in the freezer. I bake up a cookie sheet full at a time for fresh hot cookies on demand. (I have to confess to eating the occasional dough ball straight from the freezer and in the heat of summer, I find them particularly refreshing that way.)

Plan ahead, these need to go into the freezer for several hours or overnight. But you can make them like I do and keep the dough in the freezer for cookies anytime. I use a #40 ice cream scoop from the restaurant supply shop to make even, perfectly round cookies. These scoops are inexpensive and seem to be more sturdy than most others that I've used.

Happy baking to all and to all a good night! And a big thank you to Shauna for turning me on to these incredible cookies!



Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup coconut oil, room temperature
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses


Measure out the flours and combine them in a medium-sized bowl. Add the chia, soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Whisk together to combine well. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup and brown sugar. With a mixer, (I used a hand mixer), cream together. Add the eggs, vanilla and molasses, and mix again until evenly incorporated.

Add the flour mixture, half at a time and mix until completely incorporated.

Transfer the dough to a covered container and put into the freezer overnight or for several hours.

Before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the dough from the freezer and using a #40 ice cream scoop, make as many dough balls as you want to bake. Place the dough balls on a silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheet and return the sheet to the freezer, while the oven warms up. When the oven is ready, move the cookie sheet from the freezer straight into the oven. Bake for 12 minutes. The cookies will look just slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven, but they will continue cooking on the sheet until they cool. Let cool completely on the sheet to firm up (or they'll stick and fall apart).

I think these have the best texture when eaten the same day or the next day after baking.

Note: once the dough has frozen, you can also scoop out your dough balls and freeze them in a covered container or ziptop bag for faster baking later on. Just remember to bake them straight from the freezer to hold their round shape.

Enjoy!

Adapted from Chez Panisse and Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.

Frozen Lime Pies with Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust

Pie seems like the perfect dessert for celebrating July 4th. Shauna James Ahern, of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, threw out an invitation to bakers and bloggers for a pie party today — to celebrate the fruits of summer by baking a pie and posting about it today. Over 1,000 people signed up! Take a look around the blogosphere today and get inspired to make your own pie. Also, check out #pieparty on Twitter.

Key lime pie has always been one of my favorites. When I saw that local jam-making extraordinaire Confituras had some lime curd at their farmers market table this weekend, I started thinking tart and tangy lime was the way to go.

I've always loved key lime pie with a sandy graham cracker crust. But the gluten-free graham crackers I've seen in the store are full of gums that make my head or tummy unhappy. So I first set about baking gluten-free graham crackers with Shauna's recipe. Note, Shauna is now baking without gums as well, but this is an older recipe where she used xanthan and guar gum. I substituted chia seeds instead and they worked very well. Chia seeds are good for you. They are high in Omega-3 fatty acids and unlike flax seeds, they don't have to be ground for your body to access their nutrients. They also keep longer than flax without becoming rancid. Chia seeds form a thickening gel when wet that is a good substitute for gluten as a binder to keep your baked goods from falling apart. Learn more about chia seeds here.

I've always loved the comforting, homey flavor of graham crackers. But I have to say, these are better than any graham cracker I've had before. They are a little lighter in color than the store-bought crackers I grew up with. But they have a much fuller, rounder flavor than those. Since I was using these in a crust, I wanted the flavor to compliment the lime pie I was planning to make. So I reduced the cinnamon and added a bit of brown sugar to Shauna's recipe. This recipe makes enough for a regular nine-inch pie or four five-inch tarts, with a few cookies left over for chef treats. Next time, I'll be making at least a double, if not triple, batch of these. They were that good. It's feels like such a treat to rediscover an old favorite like graham crackers that I haven't had since going gluten-free. And these are so much better. Thanks, Shauna! These would also be really good to make ice cream sandwiches with.

For the filling, I had the Confituras lime curd. I have had this lime curd and their Meyer Lemon curd before, so I knew what a treasure it is. (I made Meyer Lemon curd tartelettes with gluten-free shortbread crust here.)

The Confituras lime curd is a perfect balance of tangy, tart and sweet. It's very challenging not eat it all straight from the jar. Having the curd already made gave me a shortcut (and less time over a hot stove in Austin's triple-digit heat — can I get an amen?) If you want to make your own lime curd, I would recommend this recipe from David Lebovitz.

Given the Texas heat, a frozen pie held great appeal. So I looked to Emily Luchetti's frozen key lime pie recipe. In her recipe, you combine lime curd with whipped cream for the filling and freeze it before adding another layer of whipped cream on top to serve. Simple. And so refreshing.

Note: I realized after writing this that I made a major faux pas. I used a scale for measuring the graham cracker ingredients, but I used cup measures for the filling and topping. So sorry to be inconsistent. But in making the transition to gluten-free baking, I've come to rely on my scale more and more. Different flours can vary widely when using cup measures. You're much more likely to get a good result in gluten-free baking if you use a scale. Next time I make this, I'll measure out the filling and topping ingredients and add those measurements here in ounces.


Frozen pies



Gluten-free graham crackers:
1 teaspoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons hot water
2 1/2 ounces sorghum flour
2 1/2 ounces superfine brown rice flour (I use Authentic Foods)
2 1/2 ounces tapioca flour
2 1/2 ounces sweet rice flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 ounces (7 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold
3 ounces honey
2 ounces brown sugar
3 to 6 tablespoons cold water

Place chai seeds in a small bowl with hot water and stir together to combine. This will form a gel. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Process to combine.

Cut the cold butter into small chunks (about 1/2 tablespoon each) and put in the processor with the flours. Process in pulses until the butter is incorporated and becomes sandy and pebbly like cornmeal.

In a small bowl, combine the honey and three tablespoons of cold water. Add chia seed paste and stir together until uniform. Add this to the processor and whiz together for two to three minutes to combine. You're looking for the dough to turn into a ball. If necessary, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time, until it forms a ball.

Remove the dough from the processor, put in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Take out half of your dough and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment over the top and roll it out between the layers of parchment — this will keep it from sticking. Roll it to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into pieces or with cutters. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. (I baked the first half batch on a silpat-lined cookie sheet and the second batch on an unlined cookie sheet and both did fine. No sticking.)

Remove from oven and let cool completely and allow to firm up for at least 30 minutes.

Repeat with remaining dough on another cookie sheet.


For graham cracker crust:
10 ounces graham crackers (about 2 cups + 2 tablespoons)
pinch salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whiz cookies in food processor until you get uniform crumbles with no large pebbles.

Add salt and brown sugar to processor and pulse to combine.

Add melted butter and whiz together until butter is uniformly incorporated and texture is sandy and damp.

Pour out into a 9-inch pie pan or a bowl (if you're going to divide it into little pies or tarts, like I did).

Press crust into pan with your fingers firmly and evenly.

Bake for 10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely. (I mean completely. It should be cool, not warm to the touch.)


Frozen lime pie filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces lime curd (I recommend Confituras)

Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until peaks form.

Gently, fold in lime curd. You want to get it uniformly combined but not deflate the whipped cream. (Here's a video on how to fold, if you want a primer.)

Pour the filling into the crust. Freeze for at least four hours.


For serving:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
zest of one lime (preferably organic)

Whip cream until peaks form, and dollop on top of each slice of pie (or tart) and sprinkle with lime zest.



Gluten-free graham crackers adapted from Shauna James Ahern, from her Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef blog. Filling recipe adapted from Emily Luchetti's A Passion for Ice Cream.

Heidi Swanson's Baked Oatmeal

When I was a little girl, I remember cold, winter days at my grandmother's house. While she cooked, she'd set me up on a stool in front of the stove, then take one of her handmade quilts, warm it in front of a heater, and wrap it around me. I felt like a princess sitting high up on that stool with a soft, warm quilt pulled around me. She didn't know it then, but she set a standard for me about what real comfort means. I always hope that some of that comes out in my cooking.

This baked oatmeal dish is all about that kind of comfort. It comes from Heidi Swanson, of 101 Cookbooks fame. Swanson's beautiful blog is one of the first I started reading years ago. I have long admired the spare, clean, natural look of her photos. Her food is real, unprocessed and breathtaking. Swanson's recipes are vegetarian-based and have again and again introduced me to a flavorful world of unprocessed, nutrient-dense natural foods. Good for you really can taste good and look good.

Swanson's first book, Super Natural Cooking, is a favorite. So I was very excited this week to receive her just released second book, Super Natural Every Day. As soon as I cracked it open, I started marking pages with recipes to try:

• frittata with asparagus, goat cheese and potatoes
• summer squash soup with red Thai curry and coconut milk
• rice salad with spinach, basil, goat cheese, walnuts and cherry vinaigrette
• ravioli salad with olives, cilantro and pepitas (I've got to learn to make gluten free pasta!)
• yellow split peas with serranos, greens and parmesan
• kale salad with sesame and coconut
• chanterelle tacos
• boiled eggs seasoned with dukkah (an Egyptian spice blend)
• spinach chop with harissa, eggs, almonds and lemon
• roasted chickpeas
• quinoa patties
• sparkling panakam (an Indian beverage with ginger, cardamom and lime)

There are plenty of gluten-free recipes in this book and most of the rest could easily be adapted.



First up, I decided to try Swanson's baked oatmeal. In the version in her book, she makes it with berries, bananas, and walnuts. But she suggests you use this as a guide and switch out with whatever fruits and nuts you like. We just planted two little peach trees in our yard in the last couple of weeks. And boom, just days later, there are a couple of peaches dangling from the branches, soft and fuzzy, growing a little bigger each day. So I've had peaches on the brain. I know it's a little early for peaches. I'm dying to try this recipe with the fresh strawberries that are out now at the farmers market, with Confituras strawberry and vanilla jam drizzled on top. But the barometer has been bouncing up and down this week and triggering migraines for me, so that means no berries right now (a migraine trigger food). I'm hoping to try out that version soon. So with peaches on my mind, I decided to try it with defrosted frozen peaches and almonds.

First, I have to warn you that the smell of this cooking will turn your whole house into a comfort zone. This is the kind of smell real estate agents should have wafting from the oven of open houses. It will torture you while the oatmeal is baking.

Another ingredient note: Swanson's recipe calls for milk, but I used rice milk. If you're using almonds as your nut, almond milk would probably be great too. To keep it gluten-free, I used certified gluten-free rolled oats.

Swanson calls for an 8-inch square pan to bake the oatmeal. I used a deep dish pie pan instead. I think this made for a thicker layer and I had to cook it quite a bit longer to get the oats cooked all the way through in the center. Next time, I'd follow her suggestion or maybe make then in individual pans, which would make for quick reheating later for an express breakfast.

The smell of baking oats with vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, peaches and almonds will have you standing at the stove panting. And the dish lives up to the olfactory tease. It's light, fluffy, very flavorful and immensely comforting. I'm just glad I got some before my husband gets home starving from a morning playing ultimate (he plays ultimate frisbee).

As I mentioned, I want to try making this with fresh strawberries and Confituras strawberry vanilla jam drizzled on top, and a more fall-ish version with apples and pears with pecans.



Heidi Swanson's Baked Oatmeal

2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rice milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 10-ounce packages of frozen peaches, defrosted, drained and cut into chunks
1/2 cup toasted, salted whole almonds, chopped

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Butter or oil and 8-inch baking dish. Spread the peaches evenly in the bottom of the pan and set aside.

Combine: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir together. Sprinkle over the peaches in the prepared pan. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine: maple syrup, rice milk, egg, half of the melted butter and vanilla. Whisk together completely. Slowly pour this over the oats and peaches in the pan. Shake or jiggle the pan gently to release any air bubbles.

Sprinkle the almonds on top.

Place the pan on a cookie sheet in the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until the center is cooked through and fluffy. Let cool a bit, then drizzle with a bit more maple syrup and the rest of the melted butter to serve.

Serves 6 as a stand alone or double that as part of a larger breakfast buffet.

Recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson. Check out more of Swanson's recipes on her blog, 101 Cookbooks.

P.S. My hubby got home just as I was finishing up this post. He came in, went straight to the stove, and still wearing his hat and backpack, stood at the stove gobbling this up by the spoonful. "Wow!" he responded when he came up for air.

Austin Bakes for Japan Photos

The Austin Bakes for Japan bake sale held in multiple locations all over Austin yesterday was a huge success! We raised over $11,000 for Americares relief work in Japan. Woohoo!



Bakers, bloggers, and businesses volunteered their time and goodies for the bake sale. All items were sold by donation and Austin donors really came through. The goal for the sale was $10,000 and we exceeded it! Thank you, Austin. It was great to see how generous Austinites were. My husband and I really enjoyed meeting fellow volunteers and all the folks who came by to make donations. Special thanks to Kathryn from Austin Gastronomist for masterminding this whole event and Lisa from Lisa Is Cooking for organizing the central location sale.



If you'd still like to donate, it's not too late. Online donations can be made here.

For more info about the sale and how much we raised, check out the Austin Bakes site.

Here are some photos I shot yesterday at the central location of the sale hosted by Foreign & Domestic restaurant where I volunteered. (And let me just say, I had a peek at their Sunday brunch menu and am itching to get back over there to try it.)

Volunteers at our location included a Japanese anime mascot (who brought cookies and directed street traffic to the site) and this adorable kimono-clad little one who also helped grab the attention of passersby.

Austin Bakes for Japan Bake Sale 4/2

Feed your sweet tooth! Austin Bakes for Japan, a fundraising bake sale to help survivors of Japan's earthquake and tsunami, will take place Saturday, April 2nd, from 10am – 2pm. Austin bakers and bloggers are taking part in the bake sale to benefit AmeriCares. Goods will be sold by donation, so buyers can pay what they can. Bake sale locations below.

Austin Bakes for Japan is part of a national movement of bake sales for Japan on April 2 with a goal of raising $10,000. Bake sales will be taking place the same day in 23 other U.S. cities including Boston, Washington, D.C., New York, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle.

Austin bake sale locations:

Downtown: Woof Gang Bakery Austin, 1204 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin

North Central: Foreign & Domestic, 306 E. 53rd Street, Austin

South: Hotel San Jose, 1316 South Congress Avenue, Austin

East: Nomad Bar, 1213 Corona Drive, Austin

West: Shops at Mira Vista, 2785 Bee Cave Road, Suites 336 & 341, Austin (10am-5pm)


If you're interested in providing baked goods or volunteering, contact Kathryn Hutchison at austingastronomist@gmail.com.

P.S. I'll be donating gluten-free goodies to the bake sale. Maybe this chocolate almond toffee?

Gluten-Free Meyer Lemon Curd Tartelettes

This is the time of year in Austin when Spring is on our doorstep. While we may still get a few nights around freezing in March, we're also having lots of bright, sunny days near 80 degrees and the trees are starting to bud out. It's time to start thinking about what's going into the garden in the next few weeks. But if you don't live in Texas, you might still be facing that last bit of chill. This little tart will give you a taste of Spring with its bright, sunny flavors.



Last weekend at the farmers market, I spotted Meyer Lemon Curd at the Confituras booth. They had mentioned it was coming weeks before and so I'd been keeping an eye out. I'm so glad I didn't miss it. I tried a sample... not because I questioned whether or not to get some, but because I couldn't wait to taste it. It knocked my socks off. A Meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and an orange, with a sweeter, less acidic, rounder flavor than an ordinary lemon. It is one of my favorite flavors. Like most citrus, you'll usually find them in season in late winter. But they taste like bright sunshine to me. Just the antidote to too many chilly winter days. I have to say, I've had lemon curd before, even Meyer lemon curd. But none has come close to Confituras. It is the perfect balance of tangy, bright and sweet. This is the standard by which all other lemon curds will be measured in my book from now on.

Citrus curd is made by combining egg yolks, sugar, juice and sometimes butter. Sort of a custard. It's the perfect filling for a tart or to use as a custard in the layers of a trifle with pound cake or angel food cake and whipped cream.

Confituras is a small, local, preserve maker run by Stephanie McClenny. She recently won a Good Food Award in San Francisco for her Texas Fig Preserves with honey, balsamic and bay leaves. Her Salted Caramel Pear Butter is another one of my favorites. I sent jars of her treats to friends over the holidays as gifts. In Austin, you can find Confituras at the Saturday farmers markets and at Breeds, Antonelli's cheese shop, and Con'Olio. Outside the Austin area, you can order online.

I managed to snag two of the last jars of Meyer Lemon Curd at the farmers market last Saturday. (If I hadn't already blown most of my wad of cash on veggies and steak, I would have bought more.) I haven't gotten far enough into the world of gluten-free baking to find a favorite pie or tart crust recipe yet. So I did a little research online and decided to try this recipe for Cannelle et Vanille's shortbread crust. Her photographs are so breathtaking and inspiring. And she's a great source for gluten-free recipes now too. I can't wait for her cookbook to come out.

I haven't yet tried making my own curd (maybe one day Confituras will teach a class???), but here is one I'd like to try, if you want to make your own.

One ingredient note: I've been experimenting with different gluten-free flours for baking. And like many gluten-free bakers, I like Authentic Foods superfine brown rice flour because it's so much smoother and finer than others. But I tried one batch of this shortbread crust with their superfine flour and another batch with the heartier Bob's Red Mill stone ground brown rice flour. I liked the stone ground batch better for this shortbread because it actually enhances the sandiness in the texture. It came the closest to replicating the flavor of my old favorite traditional shortbread recipe. I was afraid that I would never be able to have a gluten-free version of that crumbly, sandy, flaky, vanilla shortbread flavor with gluten-free flours, but I was wrong. All the satisfaction, but none of the gluten. This will be my go to recipe when it's time to start making (gluten-free) holiday shortbread this year.



Equipment note: I tried these little tarts with individual 5-inch tart pans and also with these tiny, two-bite tart pans. For a very rich filling or in this case, a tart filling, I preferred the tiny tarts. The larger size were too big for one person to finish on your own.

Be sure to remove your butter ahead of time to allow it to soften a bit on the counter before mixing.

And look for Meyer Lemon Curd again this weekend from Confituras. I'm already craving more.


Meyer Lemon Curd Tartelettes with Gluten-Free Shortbread Crust

filling:
2 8-ounce jars Confituras Meyer Lemon Curd

topping:
8 ounces heavy whipping cream
1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

gluten-free shortbread crust:
2 sticks (225 grams) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (110 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
zest of one organic Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups + 1 tablespoon (170 grams) Bobs Red Mill stone ground brown rice flour
1 cup (110 grams) cornstarch
1/4 cup (30 grams) tapioca starch
pinch of salt

Measure out your brown rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch and salt and whisk together in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix together the softened butter and powdered sugar until the butter is light and fluffy.

Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Mix again to incorporate.

Add the flour mixture half at a time and mix until it comes together. Form the dough into a ball with your hands. Break off pieces (between one and two tablespoons for the tiny tart pans) and press into your tart pans. Place tart pans on a baking sheet and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove tart pans from the fridge and prick each crust with a fork to allow steam to vent. (The tarts may still puff up while baking. You can remove them from the oven mid-way through baking and prick them again. They will lay down again after cooling. But be sure to pre-bake them like this before filling if you're using a light filling. If you're making them for a heavier fruit filling, they should be fine baking with the fruit.)

While these are baking, prepare your whipped cream topping. Whip cream (with a whisk for a little workout or a mixer) with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges begin to get a little golden. Remove from oven and let cool. (Note: these can be made a day ahead and then filled just before serving. I actually preferred them that way.)

Just before serving, fill tarts with cold Meyer Lemon Curd. Top with a spoonful of whipped cream and serve immediately.

Yield: 20 tiny tarts or 6 to 8 5-inch tarts

Adapted from shortbread crust recipe by Cannelle et Vanille.

Valentine's Treat Ideas

I have Valentine's in my blood. Literally. My great grandparents last name was Valentine. My great grandmother was Ruby Valentine, no less! I almost got named Valentine as my first name. Dodged a bullet there. But I've always thought it would have made a great middle name.

This time of year, I hear lots of folks complaining about the commercialism of what have come to feel like manufactured holidays. But it's easy spread a little heartfelt affection, whether you're treating a friend, a sweetie or yourself, with some homemade goodness. These treats are all gluten-free so they are safe for everyone. Share the love!



Chocolate Cups flavored with coffee or peppermint (gluten-free)



Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups (gluten-free)



Chocolate Almond Toffee (gluten-free)



Chocolate Almond Bars (gluten-free)



Brownies (gluten-free)

Gluten-Free Brownies

I love to bake. And I've spent years experimenting with recipes to find the one version of something that stops me in my tracks. The one that means the search is over. The one I will want to continue making forever. Like these chocolate chip cookies. And this shortbread. And this crumble. And these brownies. These are holy grail recipes. I would say that they are the recipes I would grab if the house caught on fire. But I think I know them so well, I wouldn't need to. I've made them so many times I can remember them.

But going gluten-free means redefining those old favorites so that I can still enjoy them. This will take time and experimentation. But I'm working on it. These brownies are the first to go gluten-free. They seemed like a good candidate. They are so easy to make, you don't even need a mixer. They are mostly eggs and chocolate and butter with a little flour to keep it all together. As a gluten-free flour, I used equal parts brown rice flour and tapioca flour. A lot of gluten-free recipes you see have combinations of a long list of alternative flours and even gums to hold things together. You don't have to fuss with all of that here. Just the two flours. One note, though: rice flours can be gritty if they are not very finely milled. I tried several brands. I kept seeing recommendations for Authentic Foods brand rice flours because they are milled superfine. I know, it's an extra step to have to mail order your rice flour, but it's truly worth it to avoid the grittiness. Other alternative gluten-free flours would probably work here as well, but this one works for me. Experiment and let me know what works for you.

These can be made in a square baking pan or as mini or full-size cupcakes. I've made them for several parties as cupcakes. If you're using a square baking pan, be sure to spray it and then line it with a strip of parchment hanging over the sides (seen here) for easy removal from the pan after baking and cooling.

The recipe below is for straight up, traditional brownies. For a spicy Mexican version, you can add 1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the flour and give it some heat. These are my husband's favorite.

Substitutions note: I've also experimented with making these dairy-free, using Earth Balance baking sticks (trans fat free!). I'm hard pressed to tell you which I like better. The margarine gives them a little more chewiness in the texture which I love. But the butter is a little richer. I made batches of each and asked friends to give me a favorite. Even my 13-year-old buddy, Jackson, had a hard time picking a favorite, although he put in a good effort tasting one, then the other, then the first one again... Either way, you'll have fudgy brownies with chewy edges and big chocolate flavor.

Most important note: these are best made the day before serving. They'll be good after cooling from the oven, but the flavors develop overnight. They will be spectacular the next day. So make them a day ahead.


Gluten-Free Brownies

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Authentic Foods Superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour (or tapioca starch, same thing)
8 ounces 60-70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup or 228 grams)
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, measure out your brown rice flour and tapioca flour and stir well to combine. (If you're making the Mexican spicy version, add the spices to the flour and stir together.) Set aside.

With softened butter or cooking spray, grease a square baking pan (mine is 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches when measured across the top). Now cut a strip of parchment paper or foil a little narrower than the width of the pan and long enough to hang over on both sides. Place the foil/parchment in the pan and press it against the sides. It will stick to the pan. Now grease the paper as well. This seems fussy, but will insure that you get these babies out of the pan in one piece. The overhanging sides will act as a sling to lift out the brownies -- only when they are completely cool! You hear me!

In a cereal or soup-sized bowl, put the chopped chocolate and the butter. Microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments until the butter is completely melted. The chocolate won't look melted, but stir them together and it will melt completely. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk or stir together the eggs, salt, sugars and vanilla. (I use a giant whisk for this. Seen here.)

Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk/stir together. Add the flour and gently whisk together completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is crackly and shiny. (You want fudginess, so the toothpick test doesn't really work here.) If you make these as mini-cupcakes, bake approximately 20 minutes. For full-size cupcakes, 30-40 minutes, depending on how fudgy you want them.

Let cool completely. COMPLETELY. Then, if you can't stand it, using the sling you made with foil/parchment, lift the brownies out in one piece, slice and eat. But if you are made of stronger stuff than most, cover the cooled brownies in the pan and refrigerate or let sit on a cool counter overnight. The next day, use the sling to remove them, peel off the parchment/foil, slice and enjoy.

From the square pan, these can be cut into 9 giant brownies or 12-16 smaller ones. They are very rich so a little goes a long way. (Yields 12 full-size cupcakes or 24 minis.)

Adapted from David Lebovitz and Nick Malgieri.

Chocolate Cups

Here's the follow-up recipe to the last post on dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Since these are solid chocolate, not filled, they are much faster and easier to make. You melt the chocolate, flavor it, top it, and refrigerate to set. Easy. There are two flavor options below, coffee chocolate cups and mint chocolate cups. There are endless flavor possibilities. Let me know if you come up with one you like. I'm thinking Nutella-filled chocolate cups would be tasty. These make great gifts presented in candy boxes or little cellophane gift bags. Be sure to make extra for yourself. These disappeared from our house pretty quickly.

Since these were solid chocolate, I went with a smaller candy paper cup than for the peanut butter-filled chocolate cups. Make them however you like, just know that you're quantity will be less with larger cups.

I use mini-muffin pans for structure until the chocolate cups have set. Otherwise, the floppy paper cups full of melted chocolate would be a big mess.

Coffee Chocolate Cups:
24 ounces Ghiradelli 60% chocolate chips
2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa nibs (or chocolate-covered cocoa nibs), finely chopped
#4 candy paper cups with 1-inch base
mini-muffin pans

Mint Chocolate Cups:
24 ounces Ghiradelli 60% chocolate chips
2-3 teaspoons mint extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce peppermint candy or candy cane, finely chopped
#4 candy paper cups with 1-inch base
mini-muffin pans

Prepare your pans: separate candy papers and place them in the mini-muffin pans. You'll need approximately 24.

Choose the flavor you want to make from the ingredient options above and then proceed...
Melt your chocolate in a double boiler or a saucepan about 1/3 full with simmering water with a large bowl placed over top. Make sure that your bowl is larger than the saucepan and that the bowl is completely dry on the inside (any water droplets will cause the chocolate to seize).

Melt the chocolate in the bowl or double boiler until it melts. Take your time here and stir it occasionally to melt it evenly. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove the bowl from the simmering water. (You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave. I often do this with small quantities of chocolate. But sometimes larger quantities can be harder to get melted all the way through, so you might try it in two batches.)

Stir or whisk in your flavoring (coffee or mint extract) and salt. Stir well to make sure your flavoring is completely incorporated.

Pour the flavored, melted chocolate into the candy papers in mini-muffin pans. I found this easiest to do with a tablespoon.

Sprinkle the tops of your filled chocolate cups with either the cocoa nibs or peppermint candies, depending on which flavor your making.

Place the mini-muffin pan in the fridge for at least an hour to set. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. You can remove them from the fridge 15 minutes before serving to let them soften just a bit before eating.

Yield: approximately 24 candies per recipe.

Adapted from David Lebovitz.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

My husband is the chocolate fiend in the family. Over time, he's developed a taste for finely crafted dark chocolates from companies like Theo, Dagoba, Vosges, Dolfin and Madecasse. But he's never gotten over his love of the mass produced Reese's peanut butter cups. So over the holidays, I thought it might be fun to experiment with a homemade dark chocolate version with a less sugar and more substantial chocolate and natural peanut butter flavor.

Once you start making these, you'll think of plenty of other flavor possibilities. I also made some solid chocolate cups flavored with coffee and another batch flavored with mint. (See them all in the photo above.) Those are much simpler and faster to make since they don't have a separate filling. I'll post the recipe for those next time.

The peanut butter cups are relatively simple to make and don't really even require any baking. You simply melt your chocolate, coat a candy cup with it, fill it with peanut butter filling, flatten that down a bit to make it even, and then finish with more chocolate on top. The only fussy part is applying the chocolate to the candy papers. It takes a little time, but once you taste the end product, you won't ever want to stop.

I used Scharffen Berger's 70% chocolate, MaraNatha Natural No-Stir (to avoid oil separation) creamy peanut butter, and #5 size candy cups — these have a 1 1/4 inch base and 3/4 inch walls. I ended up buying a couple of extra mini muffin pans to use for these because it was so much easier to make them with the candy paper cups sitting in the muffin pan for structure. Even though these papers are a little smaller than a mini muffin, the pan's walls give you needed structure when you put the melted chocolate into the empty papers. You can find several different sizes of candy papers. The #5s were just right for plenty of chocolate and enough height for plenty of peanut butter too. I noticed that the candy papers were a lot cheaper and the package contained a greater quantity of papers for the price, compared to mini muffin baking cups. Since the candy cups don't have to go in the oven, they are probably a little thinner. In Austin, you can find an assortment of sizes at All in One Bakeshop on 183.

As long as you keep these in the fridge, you won't need to temper the chocolate. Professional candy makers temper chocolate (melting it to a specific temperature, 88 to 90 degrees F or 31 to 32 degrees C, so that the chocolate melts but enough of the fat crystals are maintained so that when the chocolate cools, it has that silky smooth texture and won't have any white powdery "bloom"). But I wanted to see if I could get away with keeping it simple and making these without tempering. I followed David Lebovitz's technique for coating the candy papers with melted chocolate and then letting them set in the fridge. It worked perfectly. Once you've tried this, you'll realize the possibilities are endless. (See David's recipe for a salted caramel and peanut version.)

These make great holiday treats and gifts and were very enthusiastically received. So be sure to make plenty. You'll want enough to treat yourself too.

Note: I discovered that the amount of powdered sugar can vary depending on how wet or dry your peanut butter is and how firm you want your filling, so I'm giving you a range here. Try it yourself and see what you like.


Peanut Butter Chocolate Cups

36 ounces Scharffen Berger 70% chocolate
3 cups MaraNatha natural no-stir creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon large crystal sea salt
1/2 cup roasted, salted, skinless peanuts, chopped
72 #5 candy cup papers
mini-muffin pans

Start by preparing your pans. Separate the candy cup papers and place them in your mini muffin pan(s).

Chop your chocolate bars into pieces as small as you can get them. I usually find it easiest to melt chocolate in the microwave, but for this quantity of chocolate, it was too cumbersome and didn't melt evenly. So I did it over an improvised double broiler. In a medium or large pan, bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer and place a large metal or glass mixing bowl (that is completely dry so that the chocolate won't seize) that will fit on top of the pan without falling into it, over the top. Place your chopped chocolate into the pan and stir it as it begins to melt. This will take several minutes. Once all the chocolate has melted, you can turn the heat off, but keep the chocolate sitting over the hot water as it will keep it melted while you work.



I used a teaspoon to place a little dab of melted chocolate into each candy paper cup sitting in the mini muffin pans. After I had put a dollop in each one, I went back with the back of the spoon and spread the chocolate around the bottom of the cup and up the sides. Be sure to get the chocolate up the sides as far as you can. When all of the paper cups in the pan are evenly spread, place the pan in the fridge to set up until firm, about 30 minutes. Keep the remaining chocolate over the simmering water to stay melted until you need it for the top coating. Turn the heat back on under the water, if needed, to return it to a simmer, to keep the chocolate melted.

While the chocolate is in the fridge, you can make your filling. In a mixer, combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Use the lower quantity of powdered sugar to start and decide if you want to add more to firm it up.



When the chocolate cups are firmed up, remove them from the fridge, and fill them with the peanut butter filling by the spoonful until they are about 2/3 to 3/4 full. You can spray a little cooking spray on the back of your spoon or even on your clean fingers to pat the peanut butter down evenly into the cups. You want it as flat as possible so that the chocolate coating on top will sit evenly.



Now sprinkle a few large crunchy crystals of sea salt over the top of the peanut butter filling in each cup. This is really crucial to the flavor, so don't skip this step!



To finish, spoon more melted chocolate over the filling to cover them evenly up to the top. Sprinkle with peanuts. Return to the fridge until set up completely before packaging. Store in the refrigerator. You can remove them from the fridge a few minutes before eating, if you prefer them a little softer.



Yield: approximately 72 cups

Adapted from David Lebovitz.

Lara Ferroni's Basic Raised Doughnuts

Now for the recipe I promised you in the previous post, Lara Ferroni's Basic Raised Doughnuts from her new book, Doughnuts, Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home. These would make a decadent and delicious New Year's Day breakfast treat.

First, a few tips that Lara shared with me about making doughnuts:
• your eggs and milk should be room temperature
• don’t worry too much about measuring the flour, how much you use will depend on the day and the humidity
• Lara uses King Arthur bread flour and Jungle Shortening (at room temp)
• use a heating pad to rest the rising dough on for consistent heat
• if you need to, you can get away with punching down the dough and rerolling it once
• if the dough proofs in the oven, it gets too hard to handle and greasy
• doughnut oil should be 360-370 degrees F; Lara said, “I like 360, but a lot of people told me they need to go to 370 to brown the doughnuts.”
• if the proof mark line around the outside of the doughnuts is dark, that means your dough hasn't proofed enough or has overproofed
• when making the glaze: add your liquid a few drops at a time to make a paste, then work out the clumps with a whisk
• her recipes using day old doughnuts were cut from the book, so watch for her to post those on her site.

Lara Ferroni's Basic Raised Doughnuts
3 tablespoons (22 grams) active dry yeast, divided
1 cup whole milk, heat to 110 degrees F, divided
2 to 2 1/2 cups (320-400 grams) bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (30 grams) superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of the yeast into 3/4 cup of the milk. Add 3/4 cup of the four and stir to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes. (Lara's tip: a heating pad is handy for even heat.)

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the rested flour mixture along with the sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour. Mix on low for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time with the mixer turned off, kneading the dough at medium speed between additions, until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can't roll it out. You may have flour left over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 12 hours).



Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes.



Place the doughnuts on a baking sheet at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, 5 to 20 minutes, testing at 5-minute intervals. To test whether the dough is ready, touch lightly with a fingertip. if it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it doesn't spring back at all, it has overproofed; you can punch it down and reroll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360 degrees F. With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. (Depending on the size of your pan, Lara recommended frying about 3 at a time.) Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool slightly before glazing.

Makes 8 to 14 doughnuts



Lara Ferroni styling doughnut holes for a photo.

Basic Sugar Glaze

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the sugar in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the milk (or water) and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.


Chocolate Glaze

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons (27 grams) cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk or water
2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift together the sugar and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Slowly stir in the milk (or water) and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze.

Recipes by Lara Ferroni. Reprinted with permission of the author.
From the book Doughnuts, Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home.

Check out more of Lara Ferroni's gorgeous photos and tasty recipes on her web site. Thanks again, Lara, for sharing your expertise and the best doughnuts I've ever tasted!

Raspberry Oat Bars

During our visit to Seattle, we didn't make it to all the places on our list that we wanted to eat. But one place we did get to try several times was Macrina Bakery. With three locations around town, Macrina is a Seattle favorite for brunch, lunch and baked treats. Everything we tried there hooked us from the first bite. If we lived in Seattle, we'd be regulars.

When we got home, I wanted to try some more of Macrina's treats, so I picked up their cookbook, Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook. It includes a wide range of their recipes from breads and muffins to pastries, cakes, pies, cookies, and brunch items. The newest edition has an additional chapter on their most-requested recipes.



The recipe I wanted to try first is an easy one, they call them fruit and oat bars. You layer a sweet almond dough in the bottom of your baking pan and bake it. Then top with raspberry preserves in the center and an oat crumble sprinkled on top. They make for a beautiful dessert, snack or even an indulgent breakfast treat.

These will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. You could probably make them with a little less sugar in the crumble topping if you want them a less sweet. I love that they are rustic and very comforting. The raspberries have a tartness that balances well with the almond dough. They would make a beautiful holiday treat too.

Note: I reduced the almond extract a bit. The first time out it was a little strong for my taste. (The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon. Make it as you like.) Don't be intimidated by having to make the almond dough separately. It's easy and it's worth it. It makes for a flavorful base.


Macrina's Raspberry Oat Bars

sweet almond dough:
1/4 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Toast the almonds on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until they start to turn golden. Let them cool completely.

Grind the almonds in a food processor (mini-processor works great here) until finely ground. I did this in pulses. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the ground almonds and place in a mixing bowl. If you have any left over, save it to sprinkle over your oatmeal.

To the almonds, add sugar and flour and stir together.

In another small bowl, stir melted butter and vanilla and almond extracts. Pour this into the bowl with the almond mixture and stir together until a crumbly dough is formed. You want the dough to stick together when you press it between your fingers.

If you want to do this step ahead, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.

If you're ready to go now, get out your tart pan. The recipes calls for a 13x9x2 inch pan. I used two smaller tart pans because I wanted the fluted edge they provided. This made for a little thicker crust on the bottom, which I liked. It made the bars easier to handle when cut. Use what you have. To do it all in one pan, I will probably use my 9 1/2 inch square brownie pan next time.

Press the dough into the pan using your fingertips. At room temperature, it will spread out easily. Just be sure to press it firmly into the corners and about 3/4 inch up the sides. When the dough is evenly pressed into the pan, cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Remove the chilled crust from the fridge and line it with parchment paper. Fill the bottom with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for about 25 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove the parchment and weights and put it back in the oven to bake for 3-5 more minutes until the bottom is no longer moist. Let cool.

This is a good time to make the oat crumble topping.

For crumble topping and bars:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 to 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (depending on how sweet you'd like it)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 1/2 cups raspberry preserves

Cut the butter into 1/4-inch pieces. Place them in a food processor with the sugar, flour and oats. Pulse the processor for 2-3 seconds at a time until the mixture turns into a clumpy and crumbly dough. Set aside for a moment.

Spread the preserves evenly over the cooled almond dough.

Sprinkle the oat crumble over the top of the preserve layer.

Bake for about 30 minutes. To get a nice golden brown on top, I turned the broiler on for just a moment before removing these from the oven. Be sure to stay with them if you want to do this so you can pull them out at the right moment.

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars. You can cut these into squares or rectangles depending on your preference. I liked the way they looked in long strips. How many bars you get depends on how you cut them. But these are big on flavor, so small servings are fine.

Adapted from Leslie Mackie's Macrina Bakery & Cafe Cookbook.

Hope Farmers Market & Retro Bizarro

Usually, I dread going grocery shopping. But I always look forward to strolling the offerings at any of our local farmers markets. In Austin, our big farmers markets are on Saturday morning. I don't know if you're like me, but Saturday morning is my GET STUFF DONE day. Lately, I've been working too much on a big project, so getting to the Saturday morning markets is a long shot.

But now, we have a Sunday market. The Hope Farmers Market is in East Austin at East 5th and Waller. It runs from 11am - 3pm, so you don't have to race out of bed in the morning to get there. (Can I hear an amen, brothers and sisters?!?)



The market is a project of the HOPE — Helping Other People Everywhere Campaign. HOPE is an "energy-conscious non-profit focused on involving artists and their contributions in campaigns, programs and events to support existing social projects that promote education and peace around the world." You can learn more about them here.

So expect to see not only farmers and food vendors, but also local artisans and community groups among the tents and tables.



One of the vendors I wanted to check out was Retro Bizarro. They make old school snack cakes and candies from scratch with local sustainable ingredients. Check out their table at the market where you can sample their treats. This is such a great idea! They take the guilty pleasure favorites we all grew up with and transform them with quality ingredients — elevating them to gourmet treat status.


Last week, we tried their chocolate saucers and yurtle bizarro bars - to which they had added some Cornucopia popcorn. This is my new food infatuation. These things are like candy crack!

Here are some samples from their current menu:
• saucers: chocolate snack cakes with fillings like Big Red frosting
• snickie: the ultimate snickerdoodle snack cake with cinnamon cream
• yurtle bizarro bar: candied pecans with honeyed caramel and dipped in chocolate
• porky bizarro bar: bacon jam on cocoa nib shortbread dipped in chocolate



Retro Bizarro is brought to you by Omni pastry chef Mike Joyner and his wife, Amanda. Find them Sundays at the market or for a real snack cake emergency, you can place an order with them by phone at 512-547-7336 and they said they'll even deliver!


Hope Farmers Market
East 5th & Waller
Sundays, 11am - 3pm

Retro Bizarro
512.547.7336