Sliced Almond Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

       Today I’m bringing you two classic flavors that combine perfectly for a delicious morning treat!  I hope you enjoy the savory-sweet flavor and crunchy texture of almonds combined with fresh, juicy blueberries bursting with flavor.  These muffins are fantastic for breakfast or as a healthier dessert alternative!

You'll need:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsp butter extract

1 tbsp almond extract

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1  tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

 

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Makes 12 Jumbo muffins

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two jumbo cupcake tins, using either cooking spray or cupcake liners.

         In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in the sugar and extracts then continue whipping until creamed.

       Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time.  Mix well between each addition.

              In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Then stir into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Lastly, fold in the blueberries and sliced almonds.

       Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling them to about three-quarters full.  Next, Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the tops are a light golden brown.

       Allow to cool in the muffin tins for five minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Gluten-Free Peppered Almond Lavender Muffins

       Today I’m bringing you a unique and unexpected combination of flavors, nicely packaged into one little muffin.  I decided to blend one of my favorite flavors (almond) with two other flavors that are not so commonly used in baked goods!  To be honest, I went into this recipe not really knowing what to expect, but as it turns out, this combination has been quite a hit with my customers!  I hope you’ll give it a  try and let us know what you think…

You'll need:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsp butter extract

1 tbsp almond extract

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1  tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp lavender flowers

2 tsp black pepper

Makes 12 Jumbo Cupcakes

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two jumbo cupcake tins, using either cooking spray or cupcake liners.

       Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add in the sugar and extracts then continue whipping until creamed.

       Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time.  Mix well between each addition.

           In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Then stir into the creamed mixture a little at a time, alternating with the milk. Finally, fold in the lavender flowers and black pepper.

       Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling them about three-quarters of the way full.  Next, Sprinkle the tops with sparkling sugar if desired. 

 

      Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the tops are a light golden brown.

       Allow to cool in the muffin tins for five minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

       After they have completely cooled, pour yourself a cup of hot tea to enjoy with these flavorful muffins!

Tropical Gluten-Free Scones!

 

Today I bring you my first (and I'm happy to say, successful) attempt at making a gluten-free scone.  Getting the right texture for a scone is tricky enough when you’re not baking gluten-free.  So when I was coming up with this recipe I decided, why not make a twist on a classic recipe?  And as it is quite evident that it is summer here in the Sunshine State, I decided to make a tropically inspired scone, filled with the delicious flavors of pineapple and coconut.

 

What you’ll need... 

1/3 cup sugar 

2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour 

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp coconut extract

6 tbsp butter, softened 

1 cup dried pineapple, chopped

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 cup milk 

1 egg 

       Preheat oven to 420 degrees.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lightly greasing it or using parchment paper.

       In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.  Cut in butter until fully combined and the mixture is crumbly.

       Add in pineapple, coconut, milk, and egg.  Mix thoroughly until batter is moist and slightly tacky.

     Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto prepared cookie sheet, then sprinkle with sugar.  This is optional, but it does give the top a nice crunch.

       Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the tops are a beautiful golden brown.

       Transfer onto a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.  After our scones have completely cooled, drizzle a generous amount of white chocolate syrup on top and place in the fridge to chill. Or try serving them with homemade "Clotted" Cream

       Now it’s time to pour some tea and enjoy your delicious creation!

"Clotted" Cream

 

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp powdered sugar

1 4 oz. Mascarpone Cheese

       In a medium bowl with an electric mixer whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add in powdered sugar, vanilla, and a 3^rd part of mascarpone cheese whip on high until it’s fully mixed in.

Vegan Gluten-Free Hazelnut Mocha Cake

       Today I’m bringing back by popular demand my homemade natural Nutella frosting!!! Why not make a cake inspired by the amazing flavor of hazelnut?  Enjoy this nutty chocolaty treat...

You'll need:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp hazelnut extract

1 tsp almond extract

½ cup dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

1 cup of hot coffee

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two 9” round Pans by lightly coating with cooking spray or oil.

       In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

       In a separate bowl, whip together coconut oil, pumpkin, coconut milk, vinegar, and vanilla. 

       Then slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until both mixtures are fully combined.  Next, fold in the chocolate chips and hazelnuts.

       Add hot coffee to the batter and mix well, until the batter is thin.  Then pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

       Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to completely cool before frosting!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Frosting

1 1/2 cup coconut palm shortening

1/4 cup cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp hazelnut extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

 
       In a bowl using an electric mixer, cream the shortening until smooth.  Add in a cup of powdered sugar and the cocoa, then cream together until the butter is thick and crumbly.

       Add in the vanilla extract and another cup of powdered sugar.  Continue mixing until creamy.

       Assemble the layers, then fill and frost the cakes.  Serve and enjoy!

Vegan-ish Gluten-Free Toasted Coconut Cheesecake

      So just last week I made a Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake and my customers loved it!  But I had several of my dairy-intolerant customers ask if I could make a vegan or dairy-free version so that they could enjoy a slice too.  So back to the kitchen I went!  The reason this is called vegan-ish is because, yes, there is a bit of honey in the graham crackers, so it can’t be considered a truly, completely vegan recipe.  But if you're someone who's okay with just a small amount of honey, then this recipe is for you!!!  It’s as creamy and yummy as the real thing, so grab a fork and enjoy…

You’ll need:
 

Crust:

1 package of Schar Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Cookies

1/3 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped

2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil 

You can either crush the cookies by hand in a small bowl, pulse them a few times in a food processor, or put them in a nut grinder, which is the method I used.  I broke the cookies in half then ground them on the 'fine' setting of my nut grinder.  Whichever method you choose, you will need to use all of the cookies from the package. 

 

       In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, macadamia nuts, and coconut oil.  Stir until the mixture starts to hold together.  Press into the bottom of a greased 10" spring form pan and set aside.

Cheesecake:

4  8oz packages of dairy-free Cream Cheese, room temperature  

1 2/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup + 2 heaping tbsp of tapioca flour

2 tsp natural caramel flavor

1 tbsp coconut extract

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup Coconut cream 

       Preheat oven to 325°F.

       Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix the dairy-free cream cheese together, one at a time until smooth, soft, and creamy.

       Beat in sugar, tapioca, and extracts, mixing well to be sure all the ingredients are completely combined.

        If you don’t have pure coconut cream, then open a chilled can of coconut milk and drain off the coconut water from the top, leaving the cream at the bottom.  I prefer to use the Thai Kitchen brand.  If you’ve never done this before, (click here) for complete instructions on how to get the perfect coconut cream.

       Now that you have coconut cream, beat it into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula then whip the ingredients again to make sure everything is blended and there are no more chunks of cream cheese or coconut cream.

       Pour the mixture into the prepared spring form pan and place the pan on a round cookie sheet (just in case there is any spillage!).  Put it into the oven and bake for an hour and 15 minutes.  Once the cheesecake has finished baking, allow it to rest in the oven for another hour with the oven door shut. 

       After that, take it out of the oven and place it on a hot pad, then put it in the fridge so it can finish cooling.

       Now on to the topping! And I could give you a fancy recipe and pretend that it was what I did for my recipe but that would not be an untruth!  I’ll admit I cheated on this one...I used a new item to the natural foods industry, made by So Delicious.  it’s a pre-made coconut whipped cream.  Now, I have made this before from scratch and it’s fairly easy to do, but I’ve be waiting for the perfect recipe to try this whipped cream on.  So if you want to go the easy route, then pick yourself up a container of coconut whipped cream.

       Now it's time to cut and serve the cheesecake with a scoop of whipping cream over each piece and a sprinkle of Dang Toasted Coconut Chips over the top for garnish and to add a nice crunch.

Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake!

With several of my customers demanding a cheesecake, I knew I had better get in the kitchen and whip one up! But what kind of cheesecake should I make?  I’ve done Amaretto, Oreo, and Chocolate peanut butter, but none of those flavors felt very summery to me.  So what bright flavor is always perfect for summer when all else fails?  Lemon, of course!  And while I’m at it, why not add a splash of raspberry to jazz it up!!!  Enjoy the newest member to my cheesecake family…

You’ll need:

Crust:

1 package of Schar Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Cookies

2 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp butter, softened 

You can either crush the cookies by hand in a small bowl, pulse a few times in a food processor, or put them in a nut grinder, which is the method I used.  I broke the cookies in half then ground them on the 'fine' setting of my nut grinder.  Whichever method you choose, you will need to use all of the cookies from the package.

       In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs, sugar, and softened butter.  Stir until the mixture starts to hold together.  Press into the bottom of a greased 9" spring form pan and set aside until needed.

Cheesecake:

4  8oz packages of cream cheese, softened 

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon extract

Zest from 1 large lemon

4 eggs

2/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

       Preheat oven to 325°F

  

      Using an electric mixer on medium speed, mix the cream cheese together, one block at a time until smooth, soft, and creamy.

       Beat in sugar, extracts, zest, and salt, mixing well to be sure all the ingredients are completely incorporated.  Next, whip in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

       After the eggs are mixed in, add both the sour cream and heavy cream and beat until smooth.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula then whip the ingredients again to make sure everything is blended and there are no more chunks of cream cheese.

        Pour the mixture into the prepared spring form pan and place the pan on a round cookie sheet (just in case you have any spillage!).  Put it into the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Once the cheesecake has finished baking, allow it to rest in the oven for another hour with the oven door shut. 

       After that, take it out of the oven and place it on a hot pad, then put it in the fridge so it can finish cooling.

       While you’re waiting for the cheesecake to cool, you can make the topping.

Raspberry Fluff Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp raspberry extract

2 tbsp powdered sugar

1/4  cup Freeze-Dried raspberries

White Chocolate Syrup

       Rehydrate the raspberries in just enough heavy cream to cover, then stir to make a raspberry cream.

       In a chilled metal bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Whip in flavorings, powdered sugar, and raspberry cream.  Continue to mix for several minutes.  Spread topping over the cooled cheesecake and drizzle white chocolate syrup across the top.  Now it’s time to cut, serve, and enjoy this decadent yet refreshing summer treat!