Iced Lemon Pound Cake

I used to love going to Starbucks to get a mocha and a slice of their iced lemon pound cake.  Lemon is one of my favorite flavors.... right up there with chocolate LOL.  But when I had to go Gluten Free for my health, that meant no more iced lemon pound cake.

Or so I thought.

Last year I stumbled across a Gluten Free buttermilk pound cake recipe that is so good, you would never know it wasn't "normal".  And just recently, one of my favorite Gluten Free cookbook authors posted to her website her version of a copycat recipe for Starbuck's iced lemon pound cake.

From Elizabeth Barbone at Serious Eats: Gluten-Free Tuesday: Buttermilk Pound Cake
From Nicole Hunn at Gluten Free on a Shoestring: Gluten Free Starbuck's Iced Lemon Pound Cake

I had a lightbulb moment.

Could I combine these recipes to get the texture I'd come to love from the first recipe, with the flavors promised by the second recipe?

I decided to give it a try.  And I am VERY pleased with the results.

I used the pound cake recipe from Serious Eats, adding the zest from one Meyer lemon and 1 Tbsp of juice from the lemon, and reducing the amount of buttermilk by 1 Tbsp to keep the amount of liquid in the recipe constant.  The result is a moist cake with a wonderfully light texture.  I decided against using the True Lemon crystalized lemon used in the Gluten Free on a Shoestring recipe because I wanted the lemon flavor in the cake itself to be subtle.

I then used the glaze recipe from Gluten Free on a Shoestring, but for whatever reason it just wasn't turning into a glaze.  Maybe it just was too dry in my house, because I ended up with a lump of sticky stuff in the center of my whisk and a lot of dry powdered sugar left in the bowl.  So I added some milk to it, just added a splash here and there until I could finally get the lump in the whisk to dissolve and the powdered sugar all incorporated.  At this point the glaze was too loose, so I added more powdered sugar a little at a time until I got the consistency I wanted: thick!  Heck, it was so thick I thought I was going to break my whisk!  But I wanted the icing to stay put and not run off the top of the cake, so this was perfect.

Here's my modified version of Iced Lemon Pound Cake!

Cake Ingredients:
* 5 ounces white rice flour (yes, weigh it out!)
* 2¾ ounces sweet rice flour
* 1½ ounces cornstarch
* 1½ tsp baking powder
* ½ tsp salt
* ½ tsp xanthan gum
* zest from 1 Meyer lemon
* 1½ sticks butter, at room temperature
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 eggs, at room temperature
* 1 cup buttermilk, minus 1 Tbsp
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 Tbsp juice from Meyer lemon

Cake Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Prepare a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with white rice flour.  Set pan aside for now.

Note: I actually used a pan that is 8½" x 4½" (not 9" x 5") because gluten free baked goods have a hard time holding their shape... due to lack of gluten.  The slightly smaller pan size allows the cake to hold its shape better.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flours, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and lemon zest.  Set aside.

3. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.  Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice during this process.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg is incorporated.

5. Set your stand mixer to its lowest setting and add half the flour mixture, and once incorporated, add half the buttermilk.  Once they are completely integrated, turn up the speed to medium for about 1 minute, then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Repeat this process with the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk.

6. Finally, add the vanilla extract and lemon juice.  Start with the mixer at its lowest setting until loosely incorporated, then mix at medium speed for 1 minute to fully combine all ingredients.

7. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.

8. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack.  Allow cake to cool completely before icing.

Here is my lovely cake, fresh out of the pan and cooling on a wire rack.  I just LOVE that golden brown color!

Glaze Ingredients:
* 1½ cups powdered sugar
* 1/8 tsp salt
* 3 to 4 tsp juice from Meyer lemon
* 1-2 Tbsp 2% milk

Glaze Directions:
1. Combine powdered sugar and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Add the lemon juice and 1 Tbsp of milk and whisk together.  Add additional milk until glaze reaches a thick yet spreadable consistency... it should not want to drip off your whisk.

3. Spread the glaze evenly over the top of your lemon pound cake.  Allow to set (if you can) before slicing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.  Happy baking!

Cinnamon Roll Cake

When you have to go Gluten Free, there is always a certain special treat (or two or three LOL) that you wish you could have, but it's either not possible, or a lot of work, or too expensive.  One of my favorite treats was a cinnamon roll, warm from the oven and drizzled in icing.  Yum!  Unfortunately, due to the nature of gluten free doughs, it's really difficult to make a decent cinnamon roll.  And though we have a FANTASTIC Gluten Free bakery near by, the rolls are a bit expensive and it is a bit of a drive for a single cinnamon roll.  This is probably a good thing for my waistline LOL.

But then I stumbled across this recipe for Cinnamon Roll Cake:
http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/01/cinnamon-roll-cake/

And the drool began flowing.  The memories of eating cinnamon rolls surfaced.  My eyes glazed over.  And then it hit me...  Even though this isn't a Gluten Free recipe, could I make it work if I just used Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour instead of the wheat flour?  It was time to find out!

First, I gathered all my ingredients.  Well, not ALL my ingredients, I forgot to include in the picture the HUGE container of cinnamon from Costco and the brown sugar, both used in the cinnamon "filling".  Oops!

Before making the cake batter, I made the cinnamon "filling" that will be swirled into the top of the cake.

I combined all the dry ingredients for the cake in the bowl of my stand mixer and stirred to combine.  Note that I tried this recipe without using Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, which most GF recipes use to mimic the missing gluten.  I find that my body doesn't tolerate these very well so I left them out.  Fingers crossed that it works!

Next I added the wet ingredients and used the paddle attachment on my stand mixer to mix the batter well, stopping once to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure everything was well combined.  At first it seemed very wet, but after scraping down the sides of the bowl and giving the flours time to hydrate, it thickened up like it was supposed to.  There, that's looking great!

As soon as the batter was ready, I spread it in my prepared 9x13 baking dish.  Then I dotted the top with the cinnamon "filling".

Using a butter knife, I swirled the "filling" along the top of the cake.  I think I should have mixed the two layers together more, honestly... you'll see why in a moment.

I baked the cake as directed in the recipe, and boy did it look good when it came out of the oven!

But after it cooled, sections of it deflated quite a bit.  I wonder if that's because I didn't swirl the "filling" with the cake batter enough?  Or maybe it's because of the high content of butter in the "filling"?  I may try it again with less butter and more swirling action and see how it turns out.

The icing mixed up easily and filled in all those nooks and crannies... Hmmmm, maybe that's what was suppoed to happen?  LOL!

I can honestly say that this was a good dessert.  The crumb of the cake reminded me a LOT of coffee cake, so I can see making this as a breakfast treat as well as a dessert for after dinner.  And maybe if it were made in a smaller baking dish, it wouldn't deflate quite as far as it cools.  I guess this means I'll have to try it again.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  :)

Perfect Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today, I made the most perfect chocolate chip cookies I've ever made.  They are browned JUST right.  They are crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  There is a fantastic balance of flavors.  And they are gluten free, which means I can eat them!  I am super proud of these cookies.

I must admit, I've had my fair share of baking failures since I've had to go gluten free.  These gluten free flours don't behave in the same way as wheat flour, so there are new rules to be learned... and a lot of old rules to be ignored.  It takes time, practice, and patience... something I don't always have in abundance LOL.  But it certainly has paid off with these cookies.

One thing I've learned is that gluten free flours soak up moisture.  In the past, I'd whip up a batch of cookie dough and I'd start baking the cookies as soon as the dough was done.  The first tray of cookies were all right, but the second ones were moister, lighter, and in general... better.  Many of the gluten free recipes for cookies, doughs, and so on that I've been trying call for the dough to rest for 15-60 minutes in order for the flour to hydrate.  This was my first a-ha moment.  I decided to let the dough rest for 15 minutes before I dished it out onto my cookie sheets.

The next a-ha moment comes from a universal rule in baking:  In the oven, cold dough spreads much less than room temperature dough.  When making gluten free breads, we're told to always work with room temperature ingredients, including eggs, butter, and milk.  It makes the texture of gluten free breads better.  However, in this case, I wanted my cookies to hold their shape while baking.  I decided to refrigerate the dough while it was resting.

One other thing I did.  Or actually, one thing I didn't do.  I didn't use any xanthan gum, guar gum, or any other things like that.  I've discovered, through trial and error, that denser items like cookies, cakes and brownies don't really need it.  You can use some when you make these cookies if you like... but it really isn't necessary.

OK, so this wasn't an a-ha moment, but I think it had a positive impact on the cookies as well.  Earlier this week I was watching an episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown.  I forget which episode it was, but in it he was admitting to using butter flavored shortening in whatever he was making because it makes the texture better and to him it tastes more buttery than butter.

I had just bought some Spectrum Organic Butter Flavored Shortening, so I decided to use that instead of butter.  To be honest, I'm hooked.  I believe that substitution had just as much to do as everything else in getting a fantastic texture and rise on my cookies.  I also prefer Spectrum to other brands because it is non-hydrogenated and so is healthier than the rest.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe I used and the steps I took to make these the best cookies I've made so far.  :)

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 3½ dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
* 2½ cups gluten free flour
* 1 cup brown sugar
* ½ cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup Spectrum Organic Butter Flavor Shortening
* 2 eggs
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp kosher salt
* 12 oz chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Cream together the shortening and the sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to butter mixture in 2-3 batches, mixing well between additions.  Add chocolate chips and mix to distribute them evenly.

4. Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes to let the dough hydrate and chill.

5. Using a spoon or a disher (I used #40 disher), portion out your dough onto cookie sheets prepared with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.  If you're baking more than one sheet of cookies and have them on separate racks, after 5 minutes rotate the cookie sheets to promote even browning.  If your cookies aren't done after another 5 minutes, rotate one last time and bake for 2 more minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

And voila!  You have the best, tastiest cookies.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Ramekins

Pumpkin pie isn't necessarily all that bad for you.  It's the crust and whipped cream (or Cool Whip) that make it so unhealthy.  So if you're looking for the flavor and the texture without having to resort to "fake food" (i.e. filled with additives and fillers), give this a try.

ALSO: Because there is no crust, this is a Gluten Free recipe!  Yippee!

Ingredients:

(I use the pie recipe from the back of a Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin can)

* 3/4 cup sugar

* 1/2 tsp salt

* 1 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp ground ginger

* 1/4 tsp ground cloves

* 2 eggs

* 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

* 1 can (12 oz) Lowfat 2% evaporated milk

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (218.3 degrees C).

2) Mix together the first 5 ingredients.  Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then add the pumpkin and spice mixture.  Lastly add the evaporated milk.

3) Prepare 8 ramekins.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray or wipe down with a small amount of canola oil.

4) Spoon equal amounts of the pie filling into each of the ramekins.

5) Place in your preheated oven.  Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (176.6 degrees C) and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of one ramekin comes out clean.  Place ramekins on a rack to cool.  

6) Once cool, cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  The flavors develop in the fridge, so I suggest waiting a full 24 hours before eating... if you can resist.  Otherwise spoon a small amount of whipped cream or Cool Whip on top and enjoy.  :)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Scones

This recipe is the result of my taking three different recipes, which all had elements I liked, and combining them together.  Of course, if you do not have to be gluten free, simply use all-purpose flour instead of the GF Blend below and omit the xanthan gum.  I do think this is a fantastic recipe and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.

Yield: 8 scones

GF All-Purpose Flour Blend:

* 2 cups brown rice flour

* 1.5 cups sorghum flour

* 3 cups tapioca flour or starch

* 2 tsp xanthan gum

Scone ingredients:

* 2 cups all-purpose flour (regular or GF blend)

* 1/2 tsp additional xanthan gum for GF scones

* 1/2 cup brown sugar

* 1/2 tsp nutmeg

* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/4 tsp ground ginger

* 1/4 tsp allspice

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 1/4 tsp baking soda

* 1/4 tsp salt

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

* 1/3 cup buttermilk

* 1/2 cup pumpkin

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze ingredients:

* 8 oz (1/2 lb) powdered sugar

* 1/8 to 1/4 cup milk (start with less)

* 2 Tbsp butter, melted

* Dash of salt

Spiced Glaze ingredients:

* 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

* Dash ginger

* Dash ground cloves

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, mix together the dry scone ingredients: flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2) Cut butter into small pieces and cut into flour mixture with two forks or a pastry cutter.  Mixture should look like crumbs or sand.

3) In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Add this to the flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together into a rough ball.  If the dough seems too dry, add a splash of buttermilk and mix some more.

4) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead 4-5 times until a cohesive ball is formed.  Flatten into a disk about 1.5" thick.

5) Cut the disk into 8 wedges, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

6) Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7) Transfer baked scones to a cookie rack to cool completely before icing.

8) When the scones are cool, make the icing.  Combine all icing ingredients into a bowl and stir until smooth.  You might want to start with the smaller amount of milk indicated, and add a bit more as you go until you get the texture you want.  It should be somewhat thick, but able to drizzle or spread.

9) Spoon some icing onto each scone and encourage it to cover the whole top with the spoon.  Use about 1/2 to 2/3 of the glaze for this step.

10) To make the Spiced Glaze to drizzle over the top, add all the Spiced Glaze ingredients to the remaining Glaze and mix well.  Transfer to a plastic baggie, then cut a small bit off one corner of the baggie.  Use this to pipe a drizzle of Spiced Glaze across the top of each scone.