gluten free baking

Cherry Frangipane Tart – Cherrylishous!

Cherries are a Drake family favorite.  I have one sister who seems to live on sweet cherries all summer long.  I love them myself; a bowl of sweet and tangy cherries for dessert is the best! Once I made a whole dinner with cherries of one form or another in every recipe. Rave reviews from everyone.

Pies should be made with sour not sweet cherries.  Not sure why, cause you gotta add sugar anyway but it is the way of the cherry.  I love sour cherry pie…but, I never ate cherry pie as a kid because I couldn’t trust my mom to pick out any worms she saw in the home grown cherries she used for pies.  So I cheated myself out of many slices of delicious cherry pie.  This past summer I picked a lot of sour cherries and pitted them all.  One pie for now and the rest measured and frozen.  No worms, I promise!

At Christmas I made this yummy frangipane tart (almond tart) full of cherries for my family.  Yes, I used some of my frozen ones. Somehow I forgot to share it here on my blog.  Since it is the week we celebrate President’s Day [think George Washington and that cherry tree] it seemed appropriate to pass it on to you all.  Besides it is my “Year of the Pie” and tarts count! I totally want to make it again soon. Hmmnn, think there is one more bag of cherries in my freezer… christmas baking 2015 015

The recipe comes from my new bestie gf baking book; Gluten-Free Baking Classics The Heirloom Collection by Annalise Roberts. I didn’t change it at all.  Perfection with cherries. I am telling you, this cookbook is worth buying just for the pie section!

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Cherry Frangipane Tart

Crust:

1 c plus 2 tbsp brown rice flour mix (at bottom of recipe)

2 tbsp sweet rice flour

1 Tbps. granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbps. cold butter cut into 6 chunks

1 lg egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Spray 9 inch metal tart pan (with removable bottom) with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour.  I actually used a ten inch ceramic tart pan; worked fine too. Use the tart pan you have.

Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.  Add egg and juice.  Mix until it comes together into big chunks.  Shape into a ball with your hands. Put it on a crust sized piece of wax paper (14 x 14 inches more or less), flatten the crust ball some; put on top of it another piece of wax paper and chill it all in your fridge 15-20 minutes while you make the filling.

Roll out pie crust between the two sheets of wax paper; try to get the thickness even, no thick middle! My sister Karen gave me a pie bag last year and I love it for an even thin crust.  You can get one on line from King Arthur Flours.  Peel off one side of paper and place in pie pan, centered.  Remove other slice of wax paper.  Crimp edges all around.  Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees, cool before filing. Crust can’t be hot or the almond and butter filling will melt when you spread it over the crust!

Filling:

½ c unsalted butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup almond meal

1 tbsp. brown rice flour mix

1 tbsp. Amaretto

1 tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. salt

3 cups pitted sour cherries

Beat butter and sugar in bowl of large mixer until pale and fluffy. Add egg and other ingredients except cherries; beat it all together with a mixer at low speed until well blended.

Put tart together:

Fill cooled crust with frangipane mixture spread over bottom of the baked tart crust.  Then spread the pitted cherries evenly over the top. I put them on, one at a time to make sure they looked the best I could do.  No “just dump them” for this tart…

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, until tart is puffed and light brown across the whole surface.  Take out of the oven and cool at least 1 hour before removing the side ring.   Serve warm or close to room temperature. christmas baking 2015 015

Note: if you use frozen cherries; measure and weigh frozen. Let them defrost, pat off excess moisture and spread them over the filling.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (same as King Arthur GF Flour Mix)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

Meyer Lemon Tart: Tarts are Pies with No Lid

My brother Robert sends me a big box of, just picked, fat and juicy Meyer lemons from his trees late every fall.   This year he sent me a second box this past weekend; 24 big fat lemons! Homegrown, juicy: they are a cooks dream.  Their flavor is sweet; not that usual tart of lemons, with a gorgeous floral scent.  They are perfect in cookies like the lemon squares every one loves, which I make gf now a days. I also make lemon meringue pie, lemon marmalade, lemonade, a classic French lemon tart and this delicate buttermilk tart with a baked filling which I am sharing with you today. Yes, another in my year of pies.  Did I mention that tarts are just shallow pies with no lids? Yeap. They count as pies….in my world anyway!

This tart is very simple to construct; far and away the easiest lemon item I bake. I use a shortbread cookie style gf press and pre bake it and the filling is just whisked together and poured into the partially baked crust.  So easy to make and it goes great with a big spoonful of fresh real whipped cream.  Although I actually prefer a dollop of plain organic low fat yogurt, just about as tasty and hugely more healthy. Sometimes I lay slices of Meyer lemon down the length of it when I use my special rectangular tart pan.  Sensational looking and as yummy as it looks.  A round tart pan works great too. I have used a regular gf pie crust which is a tasty alternative to the cookie crust.

Simple, tasty,  and impressive looking – you could make it with regular lemons but I suspect it would need more sugar to make it sweet enough as Meyer lemons are far sweeter than the grocery store lemons. Maybe 2/3 cup of sugar instead of a half cup. Don’t be scared off by the buttermilk.  You will never know it is even in the filling; totally blends in.

If you want to use all purpose flour in your crust and in the filling – go right ahead.  I have been making this tart long before I went gluten free.

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Tart

Cookie Tart Crust

1 cup brown rice flour mixture (recipe below)

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. xanthan gum

5 tbsp. cold butter cut up into 6 or 7 chunks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-2 tsp. water

Directions:

Mix the dry ingredients in your stand mixer, add the butter, blend with the paddle blade until the butter is small pebbles.  Add the vanilla and water.  Press into a tart pan with a removable bottom, be sure to first spray the pan with cooking spray.  Par-bake 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Cool 10-20 minutes before filling and baking.

Filling

¾ cup low fat buttermilk: let it warm up for 15 minutes before mixing

½ cup granulated sugar

2 lg eggs, warm them to room temperature

6 tbsp. Meyer lemon juice

2 tbsp flour (I use sweet rice, white rice flour or a blend)

1-2 tbsp finely grated Meyer lemon peel

Mix all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth.  Pour into crust and bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 min; until just barely set.  Cool completely and refrigerate until chilled.  Can decorate tart with thin slices of Meyer lemon leaves. Serve slices topped with a dollop of this lightly sweetened cream.  Or a spoonful of organic low fat yogurt; very healthy but surprisingly satisfying.  Pairs well with the tangy sweet of the tart.

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Topping:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Beat cream, add powdered sugar.  Serve a dollop with each slice of tart. Or top with a healthy spoonful of Stonyfield Organic Yogurt, 2 percent or whole milk yogurt.

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Brown Rice Flour Mix
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

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Filling recipe modified slightly from one found on food network.com, flour mix and crust from Annalise Roberts’ great cookbook: Gluten – Free Baking Classics.

Reposted from mt original post in December 2014.

Cranberry Orange Muffins for Beginners

Gluten free baking can be fraught.  You put all your energy and a lot of expensive ingredients into a baked good that can turn out like a lead brick. I just did that with a lemon pound cake.  Yeap; it was very bricklike.  So I wanted to share a new recipe that I feel is pretty fool proof.   Cranberry nut muffins….muffin mania strike again!

I won’t go far from my best recipes to make these treats. This is a riff on a 2015 blueberry muffin post which was my riff on a muffin recipe out of Annalise Roberts’ cookbook; Gluten-Free Baking Classics. Her gf quick breads are delicious and we enjoy them often. I love that they seem foolproof if you follow the basic format carefully.  I have made many variations and they all turn out great.  So I recommend them to those just learning to bake gluten free. You can do these muffins, I promise, even if you are totally new to baking gluten free.

Never been a big fan of cranberries until last winter when I decided to experiment with them and found that they work very well with a variety of fruits/nuts for muffins, tarts, pies and crisps.  The cranberries brighten the flavor and add a lovely rosy color.  Do look beyond your prejudices to their sharp flavor and give them a try.  I am so glad I did.

These muffins did not disappoint: delicate texture yet slightly crunchy outside with a great cranberry orange flavor and just enough sugar for me.  The streusel topping adds a cinnamon flavor and insures that they look straight from the bakery. I made a 3×5 mini loaf as well as muffins and it was delightful sliced thick and served with a cup of tea.  I baked it a bit longer; 35-40 minutes should do it.

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There are walnuts in there to so you get some really great nutrients from the fruit and nuts. I swap the white sugar I used to use for coconut palm sugar which is very low as far as raising blood sugar.  Not much guilt in eating one of these treats! Note: You need a little extra milk if you use the coconut palm sugar; at least two extra tbsp. maybe three.

Cranberry Nut Muffins

2 cups brown rice flour mix (see below)

2/3 cup granulated sugar or coconut palm sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. xanthan gum

¼ tsp. salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

grated zest of one orange

1 1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

2 large eggs

½ cup (plus 2 tbsp. milk if you use coconut palm sugar,) 1 or 2 percent

½ cup canola oil

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Topping: Mix the following in a bowl, make sure the butter is in tiny pebbles; use your fingertips to blend.

½ cup rolled oats                    1½ tbsp. butter

¼ cup brown sugar                 ¼ tsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. almond meal

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Directions: Heat your oven to 375 degrees, placing the rack in middle of oven.  Spray muffin pans with cooking spray.  One batch makes 12-16 muffins.  I got 16 when I made them yesterday.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer or big bowl Add fruit and walnuts; stir to coat them with dry mix.  Combine milk and oil.  Beat in eggs, add vanilla.  Add liquids to big bowl; stir just until blended.  It is a very thick batter.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full.  I use a big serving spoon and fill it about half way to dump in each muffin space. Sprinkle the top with the topping. Press it in a bit so it won’t flake off after baking. Bake 21-23 min until golden brown. Do not over bake or they will taste dry.  Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack.  Keeps in fridge (well wrapped) or an airtight cookie jar for 2-3 days. It is smart to freeze any you won’t eat in two days time; a zip lock freezer bag works great.

Brown Rice Flour Mix base mix 

(This mix is the same as King Arthur’s basic gf blend)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

 

 

Luscious Lemon Tart…A True Classic

 

Who doesn’t love a luscious fruit tart? But it’s the middle of winter.  What can you make that is fresh…seasonal?  2016 is my big pie year after all.  Gotta come up with something good.

How about a classic lemon tart? Lemons are in season, in fact, I have some fresh homegrown Meyer lemons my brother sent me from Texas.  And a couple off my man’s little lemon bush he grows in a pot, it is in his kitchen keeping warm for the winter.  Sweet!

Can’t think why it took me this long to make this wonderful yet very traditional lemon tart.  The recipe is fairly simple although you can’t step away from the stove while you cook the filling.  You must hang there and keep stirring or you are gonna have scrambled lemon eggs!  The crust is easy as they come; mix in mixer bowl and press into the pan, bake.  Done. Bam!

I am sure it would be just as tasty with the lemons from the grocery store but I loved being able to make a treat out of homegrown lemons.  This can’t be made with canned or bottled lemon juice; got to be fresh real lemons. I used the lesser amount of sugar and found it plenty sweet. And it is a great choice for anyone; use the crust you prefer, gluten free or not. Sure you could buy one similar to it at a bakery but this would surely wow your family when you say, “I made it myself!”

Some photos of the tart making process. I forgot to take one of the finished whole filled tart and there isn’t much left of it…so that ship has sailed… lemon tart 001

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Classic Lemon Tart

1 pre-baked cookie crust tart shell (recipe at bottom of post) baked in removable bottom round pan.

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3-3/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

½ tsp. lemon extract

½ cup butter cut into 4 chunks.

Directions; combine lemon juice, sugar, eggs, yolks in a medium saucepan and cook over medium low heat until thickened.  Stir constantly, don’t step away for even a moment.  When it thickly coats a spoon it should be done, do not let it boil.  The stirring process takes about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the butter chunks, stir them a few moments and add the lemon rind and extract.  Stir the filling until butter melts.  Pour into a small mixing bowl and cover the surface of the filling with plastic wrap pressed right onto it.  Refrigerate until room temperature; 10-15 minutes.

Pour filling into cooled tart shell.  Refrigerate several hours until well chilled. Remove from tart pan and slice.  Recipe is from my new favorite source: Annalise Roberts latest cookbook, GF Baking Classics, The Heirloom Collection. If you love home baking and are gluten free it is a must purchase.

I like to serve it with a healthy dollop of Stonybrook Farm’s low fat organic yogurt.  The tangy fresh flavor of this topnotch yogurt makes a perfect contrast with the sweet lemon filling.  I served it like that to my mom and she thought it was some kind of special whipped cream.  It is that rich tasting even though it is low fat.  I can’t say enough about this yogurt.  I love it on other dessert treats: guilt free and surprisingly yummy. Great to cook with and to enjoy for a snack.

Crust

1 cup brown rice flour mix

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. xanthan gum

5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, in 5 chunks

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

½-1 tsp. water

Mix the dry ingredients in a stand mixer, cut in the butter by mixing it at a med low speed until crumbly.  Add vanilla and mix well.  If it is really dry looking add the tsp. of water.  Press into the bottom and up the sides of your tart shell as evenly as you can make it. I suggest you spray the pan first with cooking spray and sprinkle it with rice flour. Do not press the dough in too hard or you will have a tough time digging out slices….

For this recipe I use a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom.   I think any low pie pan or tart pan will work.  Bake it at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Brown Rice Flour Mix  Identical to King Arthur’s gf blend.
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – Not potato flour!

1/3 c tapioca flour

 

 

Soft GF Pretzel Success Story

Something I had missed desperately was soft pretzels.  Just not to be found gluten free, at least not in my geographic area.  Maybe some frozen ones out there but I haven’t come across them.  Plus you know me, I Love to bake and prefer homemade to a bought baked good. So when I saw a soft pretzel picture in an email from King Arthur Flour I knew I had to give them a try. pretzels 011

The dough was very easy to make, dump and mix.  pretzels 006I did only a half batch because there is just me to eat them and I didn’t want a huge bag of pretzels in my freezer.  Rolling them out was a bit tricky but very do-able.  I sprinkled the dough with more flour and soon my pretzels were ready for their baths!  Yes – you read that right.  Pretzels get a bath in a special combination; this one was boiling water with baking soda and sugar added.  You drop them in one at a time and they lay on the bottom of the pot for 2-3 seconds before slowly rising to the water’s surface. Once they reach the surface you can scoop them up.  I have a flat wide spoon covered with small holes which is just perfect for pretzel scooping.  They get firm and less fragile in that 5 second bath…just lay each on the baking sheet.  pretzels 007If you want them with salt, sprinkle it on. I happened to have some actual pretzel salt; fat white crystals. Just sprinkle and bake about 18 minutes.  pretzels 009If you want cinnamon sugar leave them naked and when they come out of the oven brush each pretzel with melted butter and then with cinnamon sugar.

The recipe can be found at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/gluten-free-soft-pretzels-recipe#

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The flavor and texture are great especially eaten as soon as they are cooled enough to handle.  Read pretty hot for me! I adored the cinnamon sugar and enjoyed the salted ones. If you want them soft, bake them the minimum time; check a minute early and pull then if they are to your liking.  pretzels 012

They do freeze well and when you warm them up in the microwave the pretzels are fairly close to how they were fresh.

Just do it: make them this weekend; you know you have been dreaming of a gluten free soft pretzel for years now……