Autumn Plum Tart: Plumalishous!

There is a huge abundance of fruit in September. Still some peaches, plums, grapes and nectarines while apples and pears are pouring in. What to bake? Tough decision, I decided to go with something I rarely use: we love juicy ripe plums but I seldom bake with them. This is one of the only recipes I can make gluten free with blue plums; these are those oval plums, sometimes called prune or Stanley plums that are only available for a few weeks in the early fall. They are inexpensive, not too sweet and they get soft and purply delish in this simple tart. It is modeled closely after German plum tarts I had enjoyed in my wheat loving past life. I think it replicates them quite well. I posted this last year (2014) but wanted to share it again. This time I found really huge Stanley plums and tried them instead of the small ones I have always used in the past. They were great so you can definitely go with either size of oval plum. I think you could make it with round plums but I do think the oval ones have more flavor and are more suited to baking than round eating plums.

Candied lemon peels before blending into lemon powder

I use my favorite cobbler mix which makes this really simple. I will put the mix recipe down at the end of this post. It was created by Bette Hagman. I keep it in my freezer and one cup is the dry ingredients for a great cobbler or for this tart. To this particular batch I added a couple teaspoons of dried lemon peel powder. This ingredient is made of lemon peels rolled in sugar and dried, leftover after make homemade lemoncello liquor. They become powder after a few moments in my spice blender. The fine powder adds a subtle lemon flavor but its okay; you don’t absolutely need it to make this recipe work. It is in the original recipe but I never bothered before to make some even though I had the dried lemon peels. The addition is great and if you can add it you won’t be disappointed.

A few instructions to assist you if you make this tart: I cut up the plums first and sprinkle them with sugar, let them stand while I mix the dry stuff up and then stir up the wet items in a small mixing bowl. If you want it lower in sugar just leave off that sprinkle here; it will still taste great.

Be sure to use a 10 inch tart pan; if you made the tart in a 9 inch one it may well spill over and burn on the bottom of your oven which is never a good thing.

We like it with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. It is fine all on its own. Makes a great breakfast too with a cup of coffee or tea.

This is the tart I made Sept. 2014 in a 9 inch tart pan; very very full!

This tart was made in September 2015 with big fat Stanley plums: just before putting in the oven. Made in a a ten inch ceramic tart pan.

Angie’s Fall Plum Tart

1 cup cobbler dry mix; recipe below

¼ c sugar

—-

2 eggs

3 Tbps. buttermilk

2 Tbps. melted butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 ½ lbs prune plums (enough to cover the entire tart pan) pitted and cut in half.

Mix them with 2 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl.

Spray a 10 in deep tart pan or 9 in pie pan with cooking spray

Cut up plums; be sure to get all the pit; sometimes a small bit of it can be left up near the pointy end where the plum attached to the branch. I like to cut them in half along the crease; get a nice pair of plum halves that way. Sprinkle with the sugar and let them sit while you make the batter.

Beat eggs in bowl, add rest of wet ingredients, mix well, add to dry ingredients, stir the batter briefly to fully blend. Pour into the prepared pan and spread it out with a spatula. It often just spread great if you tilt the pan a bit – the batter will spread all on its own. Top with plums, cut side up, push each in slightly into the batter and cover the entire surface of tart base. Sometimes I cut up a few plums and fit the chunks in around the halves but this time I didn’t; works either way.

Bake 30 min. Top with mixture of 1 ½ tsp sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon

Bake 4- 10 more minutes or until top looks done.

Cool somewhat before slicing/serving.

moms-birthday-and-plum-tart-seafood-stew-013

Plum tart September 2016

Dry Cobbler Mix – (Bette Hegman recipe)

2 ¼ cups white rice flour

½ cup potato starch

½ cup tapioca flour

1 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/3 cup sugar

Reposted – originally posted in 2014 and again in September 2015,

Peachy Keen Muffins

You might think that I have run out of muffin recipes to test. Not so! It is peach season and this year’s crop is very flavorful so I wanted to try using them in muffins. This recipe is my version of peach muffins from Annalise Roberts’s wonderful cookbook: Gluten Free Baking Classics. They are perfect in texture and totally yummy. I got my peaches from Bechdolt’s Orchards, just south of Hellertown on Rt 412.

I used coconut palm sugar for this recipe; it has a very low hypoglycemic index rating which is super for keeping my blood sugar even. It does make them a bit brown in color and a touch drier so I usually add a tbsp of extra milk. I do sprinkle them with a bit of chunky sugar just before baking. I feel no guilt; these muffins are low fat, low sugar and totally yummy!

Do freeze any you won’t eat in 2 days in a ziplock freezer bag as diced peaches in muffins shorten the storage time because they are so moist. These treats defrost great; about 25 seconds on one-third power does the trick. They make super school or work snacks and I sometimes take a couple on a hike, wrapped carefully so they don’t turn into crumbs on the way up the mountain! I don’t bother to defrost them before leaving; they do that all on their own in about an hour.

This batter is kinda lumpy looking but that is the chunks of peaches in it. It may not look wildly appetizing but the results will be delicious once baked into muffins.

Peachy Keen Muffins

2 cups brown rice flour mix (see below)

2/3 c granulated sugar (preferably coconut palm sugar)

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ginger (I may up this next time to make it more zingy)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 c diced ripe peaches (no juice)

2 lg eggs beaten

½ c milk (plus 1 tbsp. if you use the palm sugar)

½ c canola oil

½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Heat oven to 350, placing the rack in middle of oven. Spray muffin pans with cooking spray. One batch makes 14-16 muffins.

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl of stand mixer or big bowl

Add diced peaches; stir to coat them with dry mix

Combine milk, vanilla and oil. Beat in eggs. Add liquids to big bowl; stir until well blended.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 18-22 min until golden brown. Do not overbake or they get dry. Remove immediately from the pans and cool on a rack. Freezes well for up to 3 weeks. Keeps in tight cookie jar for maybe two days.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (aka King Arthur GF All Purpose Flour; it is the same)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch (not potato flour)

1/3 c tapioca flour

Fresh Peach Pie: Perfect September Dessert

Early September is near the peak of peach season so get some peaches and whip up a delicious gluten free peach pie. The pie I made Saturday was juicy and flavorful down to the last slice. Your family will thank you for your efforts.

But, this is a pretty easy pie to create. Slice and dump together the filling, crumb topping made in unwashed mixer bowl you just made the bottom crust in. You can store any leftover crumb mixture in a sealed container in the fridge; it keeps a few weeks. I let my mix spin in the stand mixer for extra big crumbs for this pie; love that look. If you prefer a solid crust just double the crust part and top your pie with it. Be sure to cut some slits for steam escape. If you can’t make pie crust; you can buy readi-made gluten free crust and use that.

Please make every effort to use local fruit; can get peaches at orchards like Bechdolt’s near Springtown, at most farm stands and at farmer’s markets; one on Saturdays in Easton or Sunday’s in Hellertown. This pie really showcases great tasting peaches. If you use lousy peaches your pie will be lack luster. But, here’s the thing: store peaches can be poor in flavor and texture due to improper chilling so I strongly suggest you get locally grown, sweet, ripe peaches to make your pie. I love when they have a pink blush; it makes the pie so pretty and perhaps even tastier!

To peel; heat 3 inches of plain water, drop the peaches gently in 4-5 at a time and cook them 2-3 minutes. Use the lesser time for more ripe peaches. Allow to cool somewhat before peeling. I like to do that over a bowl to catch the juices as I slice each peach.

Bake and enjoy late summer in a pie with just a few minutes of effort. Don’t eat it hot; it should be cooled to just warm if you like it so or room temperature or even a bit chilled. You could certainly serve this dessert with vanilla ice cream. And this pie works perfectly with fresh nectarines, bonus: no peeling required!

Angie’s GF Peach Crumb Pie

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 large egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Directions:

Spray 9 inch metal pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour.

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 prepare the filling.

Filling:

6 cups sliced fresh peaches, peeled and cut in slices and drop in medium bowl. Mix in:

½ cup sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup quick tapioca

Add and stir in

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp. almond extract

Let stand while you roll out the crust. This gives the tapioca time to soften a bit which improves how the pie comes out.

Roll out pie crust in a pie bag or between the two sheets of wax paper, try to get the thickness even, no thick middle! Peel off one side of paper and place in pie pan, centered. Remove other slice of wax paper. Crimp edges all around. Fill with fruit mixture.

Crumb topping – Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form. If you let them go extra long you get big fat crumbs if you want that look and I did!

¾ c brown rice flour mix

½ c sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

Sprinkle the top of the pie with crumb mix; use as much as you like. I like about a heaping cup of the mixture. Up to your personal taste… It sinks partially into the fruit mixture and adds lots of sweetness and eye appeal.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and the crumb crust is light brown. Cool at least 1 to 4 hours before serving at room temperature. I think it is best served the same day you make it, or no more then 12 hours after baking for optimal flavor. The crumbs will get soggy if too much time passes. Mine was still very good the next day; just not as great as when really fresh.

Note: if you find your bottom crust is not browning enough bake it empty at 375 degrees for ten minutes before filling it with the fruit. I have a bottom heat pizza style oven which gives me perfect pie crust so I don’t ever have pale pie crust.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (Same as King Arthur GF All purpose blend)
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – Not potato flour!

1/3 c tapioca flour

Peachy Keen Peach Cobbler

Peaches; peachy keen, peaches and cream, peach ice cream and peach cobbler. Well, this post will be on peach cobbler and it is is peachy keen! Still, I often make it with blueberries. I am guessing most any fruit might work; blackberries, raspberries, cherries, plums, nectarines and apricots come to mind.

This recipe is modified from one in Bette Hagman’s book, More from the Gluten-Free Gourmet and is based on a flour mix that will give you 4 cups of the dry ingredients. One cup will make an 8×8 pan of cobbler topping. I bet two cups dry mix will make a big 9×13 cobbler.

I have made it over a camp fire a few times, delish and not that difficult either. But that will be a separate post as there are some tricks to campfire baking.

I have tried a number of cobbler recipes but nothing has been better than this one so I stick to what works for me. If you use nectarines there is no peeling involved which makes it easy to throw together. I need to make a cherry cobbler but cherry season has passed. Oh well, there are frozen cherries at the grocery store and in my freezer……

Mix this up and store in an airtight container in the freezer to keep it fresh.

I always get the fruit cooking before putting the topping together so the fruit is hot and ready for the topping and can go right into the oven. All of these pictures are of peach raspberry cobbler. An interesting combination I can recommend to you.

Dry Cobbler Mix

2 ¼ cups white rice flour

½ cup potato starch

½ cup tapioca flour

1 tsp. baking soda

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/3 cup sugar

Cobbler Topping

1 cup dry baking mix

2 eggs

2 tbsp melted butter or canola oil

1/3 cup milk/buttermilk

½ tsp. vanilla

Mix the wet ingredients and then add to the dry mix in a big bowl.

Fruit Filling

4 cups sliced ripe peeled peaches, nectarines, blueberries

½ tsp. almond extract

½-2/3 cup sugar depending on how sweet you want it

3 tbsp. GF flour

½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Mix the fruit and almond extract in a sauce pan. Stir together the sugar, cinnamon and flour and mix into the fruit. Cook on the stove top for 5-10 minutes until it is thickened and hot. Pour into a buttered 8 inch square pan, top with big blops of the cobbler topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. The top should be light brown and spring back when you poke it with your finger. If it looks damp or squishy bake it 5 more minutes.

Let cool 5-7 minutes before serving as it will burn your mouth right out of the oven! Some people love it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream; had some that way in September 2015. This peach raspberry cobbler shown below is perfect just on its own.

Between you and me, I just made some cobbler with 4 fat peaches and a handful of fancy frozen raspberries. It tastes amazing! The zing of the raspberries and the ripe peachy flavor mingle with the tender cobbler crust in an incredible blend that must be tasted and enjoyed ASAP! Originally posted in August 2014.

Blueberry Peach Crumb Pie – Delicious for Dessert

It is the peak of peach season and blueberries are still in every grocery store so this was a perfect pairing for adaptation to a gluten free pie recipe. The resulting pie was juicy and flavorful down to the last slice. We had one this past weekend for a birthday party.

This is an easy pie to create. Slice and dump together the filling, crumb topping made in mixer bowl you used for bottom crust. You can store any leftover crumb mixture in a sealed container in the fridge; it keeps a few weeks. This GF crumb topping is perfect for most any fruit pie. If you prefer a solid crust just double the crust part and top your pie with it. Be sure to cut some slits for steam escape! I think a lattice crust would be fantastic if a bit more time consuming to construct.

Please make every effort to use local fruit; can get peaches at most farm stands and at farmer’s markets; one on Sunday’s in Hellertown. This pie really showcases the blueberries more than the peaches. But store peaches can be poor due to chilling so I strongly suggest you get locally grown sweet ripe peaches to make your pie.

To peel; heat 3 inches of plain water, drop the peaches gently in and cook them 1-2 minutes. Allow to cool somewhat before peeling. I like to do that over a bowl to catch the juices as I slice each peach.

Bake and enjoy early summer in a pie in just a few minutes of work. Don’t eat it piping hot; it should be cooled to room temperature or even chilled. You could certainly serve this with vanilla ice cream.

And this pie works perfectly with fresh nectarines or apricots. Bonus: no peeling required! I have to confess I love to make it with nectarines for that reason. The apricot version is really flavorful so if you ever get about a quart of apricots this is a great recipe for a pie.

Angie’s GF Blueberry Peach Crumb Pie

Crust:

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

2 Tbsp sweet rice flour

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter cut into 6 chunks

1 lg egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Spray 9 inch metal pie pan with cooking spray, dust with white rice flour.

Filling:

2-3 cups sliced fresh peaches, peeled and cut in thick slices

3 cups fresh blueberries – place in medium bowl

Mix with:

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup quick tapioca

Add and stir in

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Let stand while you prepare the crust.

Crumb topping

Put all four ingredients in the same mixing bowl you made the bottom crust in and mix well with mixer paddle until crumbs form.

¾ c brown rice flour mix

½ c sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

1/3 c cold butter cut into six chunks

Sprinkle the top of the pie with crumb mix; use as much as you like (all is fine!). I like about a heaping cup of the mixture. Up to your personal taste… It sinks partially into the fruit mixture and adds lots of sweetness and eye appeal.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and the crumb crust is light brown. You can put a pie juice catcher under the pie as it might bubble over. This protects the oven bottom from a mess. I put a piece of aluminum foil on top for the last ten minutes. Cool at least 2 to 4 hours before serving at room temperature. I think it is best served the same day you make it, or no more then 10 hours after baking for optimal flavor. The crumbs will get soggy if too much time passes.

Brown Rice Flour Mix (Same as King Arthur’s GF blend flour)
2 c brown rice flour (finely ground)

2/3 c potato starch – Not potato flour!

1/3 c tapioca flour

This post was originally posted August 2014, minor changes made to it.

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My World Without Wheat

My World Without Wheat by Angela E. Drake continues here

gluten free baking

Autumn Plum Tart: Plumalishous!

Peachy Keen Muffins

Fresh Peach Pie: Perfect September Dessert

Peachy Keen Peach Cobbler

Blueberry Peach Crumb Pie – Delicious for Dessert