Food Challenges

Pizzelles

¾ cup honey
1/2 cup almond oil ( vegetable oil )
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract (lemon, rum, vanilla, or anise)
3 cups GF flour ( I used my GGL free blend )
½ to 1 cup water*1

In a large bowl, beat together the honey and oil, with a whisk, until they are well incorporated.

Add the eggs, salt, and extract. Beat well.

Gradually stir in the flour until the mixture is smooth. It will be very soft and sticky.*1

Heat the pizzelle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Take a scoop 1 Tbsp of dough onto a spoon and place the dough on the pizzelle baker cooking surface in the centre of the discs.

Close and clamp the lid and cook until golden brown. The time will vary

Transfer the pizzelles to paper towels to cool and trim the edges. Repeat with remaining dough.

If you wish to make connoli style rolls, wrap the hot pizzelle around a cannoli form or small piece of dowelling and hold until set. **2

Makes about 3 to 4 dozen great tasting little cookies.

NOTES:

*1. I find that my GGL free ( gluten, grain and legume free ) flour blend absorbs a lot of liquid. The optional water thins the batter. I found without the water the pizzelles were thicker and chewy. Apparently, that is one type of pizzelle. When I added the water to thin the batter, I got a thinner pizzelle, that was slightly less chewy.

**2. My pizzelle maker has three discs. It is similar to a waffle maker. I found that I could work fast enough to get 2 rolled pizzelles and one flat one per batch.

To make the pizzelles crisp, set out in a single layer, on a cookie sheet, in a 175F oven for 1 hour. If you are doing the rolled pizzelles, secure with a sharp cocktail tooth pick. Remove later.

Crème aux Cerise

1 small almond honey cake in a cup

½ pint of whipping cream

1/2 jar ( 110 ml ) of black cherry preserves ( St. Dalfour or whatever you have on hand )

Dark Belgian chocolate for grating

When the cake is cooled, cut it into 3 horizontal layers and set aside.

Whip the cream until it is stiff. Gently fold in the cherry preserves. On a freezer safe serving plate, assemble the dessert by spreading the cream mixture on the bottom layer of the cake. Add another layer of cake and spread more of the mixture on top. Place the finally cake layer on top. “Ice” the entire cake with the remaining cream mixture. Grate the dark Belgian chocolate all over the cake.

Place in the freezer for 2 hours or more. Remove from the freezer, cut into slices and serve frozen.

Makes 6 good size servings. Left over cake can be placed back in the freezer and covered with plastic wrap to keep it fresh tasting.

Chocolate Pecan Cookies

chocolate pecan cookies

1 cup gluten free flour

1 cup almond meal

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup chopped dark chocolate

½ cup soft butter

1/3 cup maple syrup ( honey or corn syrup )

½ tsp vanilla

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup melted chocoalte

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, almond meal, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pecans and chocolate chunks. Mix well.

Combine the wet ingredients: vanilla, beaten egg, maple syrup and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Drop the cookie dough onto the parchment paper by the spoonful. Press down gently on top with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Drizzle with melted chocolate.

The cookies should be lightly browned and chewy. Makes 2 dozen.

Chocolate Cake in a mug

4 Tbsp ground almonds ( almond flour )

4 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 egg

3 Tbsp milk

3 Tbsp oil

3 Tbsp chocolate chips

dash of vanilla

pinch of salt

pinch of baking soda

1. Add the dry ingredients to the mug and mix well.

2. Add the egg to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly

3. Add the milk, vanilla and oil – mix well.

4. Add the chocolate chips and stir.

5. Cook on high for 3 minutes in a 1000 watt microwave

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed!

6. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

7. EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

This cake is so fast to make and cooks in the microwave. Now you can literally have chocolate cake at a moment’s notice. Image impressing company when they come unexpectedly. You could literally make this while the coffee is brewing.

My mother passed the recipe on to me yesterday. She had received it, by email, from a friend. It sounded like so much fun that I just had to convert it to a grain and gluten free recipe! My mother warned me that it really rises a lot as it cooks, so I used a large latte cup to cook mine in. You can use any mug you wish.

Cherry Yogurt Pizzelles

1 cup crème fraiche made from whipping cream
1/3 cup black cherry preserves ( or more if you prefer )
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
15 rolled pizzelles, crisped

Using cocktail skewers, that have sharp ends, pierce the rolled pizzelles to hold them together. Place in a warm over ( 175F ) for an hour. Set aside to cool. In a stand mixer, whip the crème fraiche, as you would whipping cream. Drizzle in the honey and vanilla when it begins to stiffen. When it forms stiff peaks, remove it from the stand beater and fold in the cherry preserves. Using a piping bag or plastic bag with an end tip cut off, pipe the cream mixture into the rolled, crisped pizzelles. Serve immediately.

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Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake

10 ounces ( 300 gm. ) high quality chocolate ( 60 – 70% cocoa solids )

½ cup dried cherries

¾ cup unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups granulated or castor sugar

6 eggs separated

3 Tbsp ground almonds

pinch of sea salt

½ tsp almond extract

cocoa powder or ground almonds for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring form pan with butter, then dust it

with cocoa powder or ground almonds, shaking off any excess. Set aside.

In a double boiler set at a low simmer, melt the chocolate, sugar and butter, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried cherries. Set aside to cool.

Beat the egg yolks until frothy, add the sea salt, almond extract and ground almonds. Mix well.

Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir the chocolate and egg yolk mixtures together. Fold this batter into the egg whites. Pour the combined cake batter into the prepared spring form pan and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes. The top of the cake will be set firm and likely have begun to crack.

Remove the sides of the tin and leave the cake on the base to cool, then dust using a fine sieve with icing sugar.

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Black Cherry Frozen Yoghurt

1.5 cups of crème fraiche
1.5 cups of 2% fat yoghurt
1/3 of a cup of honey
2 Tbsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of black cherry preserves

Whisk together the crème fraiche, yoghurt, honey and vanilla until well mixed. Put in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions. In the last 20 minutes of processing, add the black cherry preserves. Put in an air tight container and store in the freezer for several hours.

Like most homemade “ice creams”, this recipe makes a softer end product than you would purchase in a store from a commercial company. If you want a firmer frozen dessert, add more regular yoghurt and less crème fraiche. The fat and sugar content will determine the firmness.

Note: You can use any type of thick fruit preserve you wish. I just happen to love black cherries. I made this yoghurt and crème fraiche in my yoghurt maker at home. Because I am lactose intolerant, I incubated both batches for more than 24 hours, so the bacteria cultures had enough time to eat all the lactose Because I used honey and pure “cherries only” preserves ( no added sugar ) to sweeten it and lactose free yoghurt and crème fraiche, this recipe is both refined sugar and lactose free.

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bakes

2 c. ground almond meal

½ tsp baking soda

2 pinches salt

½ c. almond oil – divided 7 Tbsp + 1Tbsp

2 Tbsp honey – divided 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 pinches of nutmeg

1 apple – pealed, cored and diced

2 eggs

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a small sauté pan, combine oil ( 1 Tbsp ), honey ( 1 Tbsp ), cinnamon, nutmeg and diced apple. Sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the apples are tender, but not mushy. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond meal, salt and baking soda. Mix well.

Add the almond oil ( 7 Tbsp ), honey ( 1 Tbsp ), eggs, vanilla and apple mixture. Mix well.

Using a soup spoon, drop the batter into 12 equal sized portions on the parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325F for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack.

Store in the cupboard on a plate – they don’t last long!

Almond Honey Cake

½ cup ( 8 Tbsp ) almond flour

½ tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp yoghurt

1 Tbsp oil ( almond )

1 egg

dash of vanilla extract

Choose a mug that is microwave safe. Grease it and dust it with almond flour. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients: almond flour, salt and baking soda. Add the we ingredients: honey, yoghurt, oil, egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour into the prepared mug. Cook in the microwave ( 1000 watt ) on high for 3 minutes.

Allow to cool for a few minutes. Turn out onto a plate.

Decorate with your favourite topping and serve hot or cold.

This cake is light and spongy with a very mild flavour. It goes very nicely with your favourite fruit preserves and vanilla ice cream.

Almond Cranberry Biscotti

3/4 cup GF flour

1/2 cup almond meal ( flour )

1/4 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup teff flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon GF baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 cup slivered almonds

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Mix together gluten free flour, sweet rice flour, almond meal, teff flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter, add sugar and beat until well mixed. Do not over work. Blend in the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Stir in the nuts and cranberries. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.

Preheat the over to 375F

Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and line with parchment paper.

Divided the dough into 3 equal parts. Dust hands with sweet rice flour. Roll each piece into a log 1.5 to 2 inches thick. Place two logs on one cookie sheet leaving about 2” between the logs to allow for spreading. Place the third log on the other cookie sheet. Bake the logs for 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the logs on a slight diagonal about ¾ inch thick. Place the slices cut side down on the cookie sheets. Lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 12 more minutes. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container.

This is a soft chewy biscotti.