When I was ready to throw in the towel at making gluten-free desserts for my GF friends, I went to King Arthur to try one more recipe. I settled on Small Batch Brownies. You can make this recipe using regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free. I followed the recipe’s suggestion and used the Measure for Measure Flour. They were delicious! I loved them so much that I left a review saying, “This recipe is a keeper!”
I love that it makes four nice-sized brownies, rather than a large pan full. I was taking dinner to a gluten-free friend and only needed enough dessert for her and her husband. Perfect – all the way around!
“This is gluten-free Banana Bread? It’s SO moist!”
That was the comment I heard over and over when I served this new-to-me recipe at a wedding shower I hosted this weekend. I was delighted, because as I’ve been testing recipes for my gluten-free friends and guests, I’ve found that dryness in the baked goods has been a common problem.
I was thrilled to find this recipe in my cookbook, Skinny Southern Baking. There are no “strange ingredients,” either! That was another blessing! I have made several recipes from this book, and so far they’ve all been winners! These Ginger Cookies are one example. I truly believe this Banana Bread recipe I’m going to share today is the best yet. It has almond flour in the batter, and I usually can’t get past the texture, but it’s not nearly as prominent in this bread for some reason.
This weekend I had the joy of hosting a precious family for Sunday dinner. One of my guests was Gluten-free, so I set about finding a menu that everyone could eat and enjoy. Here’s what I made:
Taco Salad Bar
Lettuce
Grape tomatoes
Red onion
Cheddar Cheese
Corn
Avocado
Chicken Breast
Ground Beef
Dressing
Corn Tortilla Chips
Refried Beans – These are so much better than store bought!
When I seasoned my beef, I failed to check the packaged Taco seasoning and then realized it contained Wheat, so when I cooked the chicken, I made up my homemade Taco Seasoning so it would be safe for the Gluten-free person! It’s so easy to mix together and keep on hand.
In the past, I made a flourless cake, and it was good, but I came across another recipe that was amazing! It’s very rich, so it only takes a thin slice to satisfy the sweet tooth. There were a total of nine of us, and I was so busy hosting that I didn’t get a picture of the food! I was so disappointed when I realized it, but please go to JoyFoodSunshine.com and check out her delicious recipe for this GF cake and also LOTS of detailed instructions.
1 teaspoon Espresso Powder – This will boost the chocolate flavor!
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease one 9” round cake pan (or glass pie plate) and set aside. (Note: I always cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle with “handles” and place it on the bottom of the pan. Then I grease the pan with the parchment paper in it).
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Whisk every 60 seconds until completely dissolved and set aside.
Melt the chocolate chips (in the microwave or in a double boiler) and pour into the bowl of a standing mixer.
Cut the butter into 1 Tablespoon pieces and beat it into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time.
Mix in the warm sugar/water mixture until combined.
Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time until completely smooth.
Add vanilla and espresso powder and mix until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Prepare the water bath
Put the 9″ cake pan in a larger pan then put the pans in the preheated oven.
Once in the oven, pour boiling water into the larger, bottom cake pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the 9″ cake pan that contains the flourless chocolate cake.
Bake
Bake the flourless chocolate cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. The center will still look a little wet, but the edge will look set and the cake should only jiggle slightly.
Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack.
Chill overnight
Chill cake overnight (or for at least 6 hours) in the pan.
Serve Carefully lift the parchment paper out of the pan and the cake with it. Put it on a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar! Serve with fresh berries, ice cream, etc!
Above is the first Flourless cake I made and this Truffle cake looks very similar, but the texture is much more creamy! However, it is a little bit lighter, though still a rich dessert.
I’m pretty sure everyone left the table full and happy! I was thankful to find a menu that suited the Gluten-free need, but also tasted delicious! I’ve added this menu to my Gluten-Free recipe Page.
I enjoy getting stretched in my cooking and baking skills. When more and more people have food allergies, it can be a challenge to have snacks or meals in which everyone can partake. Several people in my small group Bible study have a gluten intolerance, so I’ve been challenged to find recipes they can enjoy.
While on vacation I stumbled across a cookbook called, Skinny Southern Baking, by Laura Lyn Carter.
From breads to cakes, this book has it all. The thing that attracted me to her recipes was that there is no strange ingredients like xanthan gum. Of course you use gluten-free flours, but that’s the only extra ingredient needed, for the most part.
I tried my first recipe a couple weeks ago and got rave reviews from not only the gluten-free snackers, but also from others who wanted to try them!
So many people have to restrict gluten from their diet and my heart goes out to them, knowing that it can be challenging and so restricting. In an attempt to help people create a menu, either for themselves or for people they need to cook for, I thought I’d add a section of strictly gluten-free recipes to my recipe index. From appetizers to desserts, I’ll start with a few in each category and add to it as time goes along. These are all tried and true recipes that require no “odd” ingredients! They’re delicious, easy and gluten-free!
RefreshHer 