Mini Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice flour mixture (see previous recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip coffee bars)
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 15 oz. can raw pumpkin
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup. softened butter
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan (or standard size, if you prefer)

*Combing flour, xanthan gum, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

*With an electric mixer, beat pumpkin, softened butter, milk, and eggs until as smooth as possible.

*Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture, scraping down sides between additions.

*Use a tablespoon to scoop batter into mini muffin cups and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from middle muffins.

*Let cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Mocha Icing

Although I love him to death, my very energetic 6 year old brother was a getting a little too rambunctious while I babysat him this afternoon. So, before he drove me completely up the wall, I did what any exasperated older sister would do and bribed him with his all-time favorite - chocolate cupcakes. Seeing as he absolutely loves to "help KK bake," he immediately became quiet and attentive as I instructed him in the art of making his favorite dessert. And of course he was rewarded for his commendable work with not one, but two (sorry Mom...) cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot, freshly brewed coffee
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups rice flour mixture (see http://thekakerbaker.blogspot.com/2012/03/gluten-free-chocolate-chip-coffee-bars.html)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 sticks softened butter
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees
*Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners
*Brew coffee
*Meanwhile, whisk together flour mixture, salt, baking powder & soda, and xanthan gum - set aside.
*In a separate bowl, whisk hot coffee, cocoa powder, and hot water until cocoa powder is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth.
*With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
*Add eggs and vanilla
*Alternately add flour mixture and coffee mixture until everything is incorporated - scrape down sides of the bowl in between additions.
*Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake for approximately 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle cupcakes.
*Cool at least 30 minutes before frosting.

Mocha Icing:


Ingredients:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 & 1/4 sticks very softened butter
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 3 tsp. (or as much as desired) instant coffee grounds

Directions:

*With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla together on high speed until very fluffy (about 5 minutes).

*In a cup, dissolve instant coffee in the milk and add to the frosting. Beat an additional minute until completely mixed. 

*I recommend refrigerating the icing at least 15 minutes before use to firm it up a little.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Coffee Bars

Yes, I know - most people see "gluten-free" and  either 1) freak out, assuming this recipe will somehow be a hundred times more complicated than a "normal" one or 2) presumptuously believe it will taste like cardboard. I can assure you neither of these conclusions are true for freshly baked gluten-free goods. In fact, this is one of the simplest, best tasting, gluten-free cookie recipes I've tried (and believe me, I've tried many...). All you need is a simple, inexpensive mixture you can store like your average all-purpose flour and whip out whenever your Kitchen Aid mixer calls.

World's Easiest Gluten-Free Flour Mixture:

*Note* I found 1 pound bags of each of the following ingredients for under $1 (yes, that's right - One. Dollar.) at Ranch 99 Asian Market in San Diego. So next time you're at the local Asian market, stock up!

• 2 cups potato starch
• 6 cups rice flour
• 1 cup tapioca starch

Mix all ingredients together and store in a large container. Makes about 8 cups worth of flour. 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Coffee Bars

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups gluten-free flour mixture
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum (found in local grocery stores)
• 1 stick softened butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. instant coffee grounds
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus 1/2 cup for drizzling

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

*Grease a 9x13in pan, set aside

*Whisk together flour mixture, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum - set aside.

*With an electric mixer, beat softened butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. 

*Add eggs (one at a time) and vanilla - beat about 1 minute.

*Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture in the electric mixer. 

*Add coffee grounds and 1 cup of chocolate chips.

*Press dough into the prepared 9x13 pan until dough is touching all sides of the pan and is about 1/3-1/2 inch in thickness.

*Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when pressed into the center.

*While coffee bars are baking, melt additional 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (in a microwave or double boiler). Once bars are done baking, drizzle chocolate on top before cutting into squares and serving. 

Enjoy!

Mini Coffee Cake Muffins

Recipe:

For the muffins....

2 cups wheat flour (all-purpose is fine too, but the wheat flour creates a good texture)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

2 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup milk

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

*Whisk dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, baking powder & soda, & spices) in a large bowl, creating a well when done.

*Beat eggs, canola oil, milk, zest, & vanilla together with an electric mixer.

*Add wet mixture to the flour mixture, stirring gently with a rubber spatula (or wood spoon). 

*Using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture into a 24 cup mini muffin pan (which should be either greased or ready with muffin liners).

*Set aside.

For the crumb topping...

1 stick unsalted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour (any kind will do)

granulated sugar for sprinkling

*Combing butter, brown sugar, and flour in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment until texture is crumbling. 

*Divide the crumb topping between the 24 muffins ready to go.

*Sprinkle a pinch of granulated sugar over each muffin.

*Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 8 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle muffin and the crumb topping is barely crunchy when touched. 

*Let cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack & enjoy!

Nutella & Mascarpone Dessert Pizza

When I first saw this episode of "David Rocco's Dolce Vita," I was a little suspicious of how good this "pizza" could be - I mean, dessert and pizza mixed together never really appealed to me. But, on the other hand, David Rocco knows (for those of you who've seen the show) what he's talking about. Let me tell you, this dessert is probably now in my top 3 favorites... the flavors of Nutella and the delicious Italian mascarpone blend so well together it's unbelievable. And, on top of all that, it's quite simple to make.

Recipe:
*Oven should be between 400-475 degrees, depending on what dough you use. (For time and temperature, follow instructions according to your dough recipe.)
*I started with some fresh, homemade pizza dough (although Trader Joe's store-bought dough works very well too, if you'd like to save some time) rolled out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. The dough shouldn't be too thin, otherwise, when folded over, it will tear.
*Note* Before you put the dough onto the pizza pan, spread some olive oil onto the pan to keep from sticking.

*Once the dough is all rolled out to a good size and thickness, spread about 3-5 Tbsp. of Nutella on half of the circle-shaped dough, until one half of the circle  is completely covered.
*Next, take about the same amount of mascarpone (you can find it in your local grocery store - I used the small container of the Trader Joe's brand) and spread on the other half of the dough until completely covered.
*If desired, sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over the mascarpone, before folding one half of the dough on top of the other, so that you have a calzone. (It doesn't matter which creamy substance is on top.)
*If desired, sprinkle another 1/2 tsp. of sugar over the top of the folded-over dough.
*Place into the oven for about 10-12 minutes, or whatever the dough recipe calls for. The dough should be just golden brown on the edges - you don't want crunchy dough!
*Your end result should look like this:

*Once the pizza has cooled for about 10-15 minutes, cut with a pizza cutter into long slices and serve. 

Enjoy!!

When Truffles Go Wrong...

After watching an "all about chocolate" episode of Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa," I was inspired to make her rum raisin chocolate-covered truffles. As usual, I was in a hurry that day and neglected to read the recipe properly. After the rum raisin filling was finished I (somewhat stupidly) placed the bowl in the fridge instead of on the counter at room temperature for 6 hours. I didn't think much of it, until I realized that the mixture, instead of thickening and drying out a little, soaked in the cold air and therefore, maintained its gooey consistency. A big mistake. So, after letting the mixture sit at room temperature for another 6 hours and still not getting the desired consistency, I gave up. But I couldn't waste such a beautiful, chocolatey concoction - so, what did I do? Make cupcakes. I already had the majority of the wet mixture - all I really needed was eggs and maybe a little more cream. For the dry mixture, I just combined some flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. And what do you know? I had cupcakes.

 If you think about it, it's much harder to mess up a cake mixture than, say, cookies or truffles (in my case...). Lesson of the day? When in doubt, make cupcakes!

Recipe:

For the Amaretto-Raisin Mixture:

1/2 c. heavy cream

350 grams milk chocolate

1 Tbsp. butter

1/8 c. raisins

1/3-1/2 c. Italian amaretto

*Heat the cream in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until warm. (Don't boil the milk)

*Once cream is warm, add chopped milk chocolate and butter until mixed & melted. 

*Blend the raisins and amaretto in a food processor or blender until the raisins are minced.

*Add the raisin mixture to the chocolate.

*Once everything is incorporated, take the bowl off the heat and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until completely cool. 

For the rest of the cupcakes: 

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 & 1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

about 1/2 c. half & half

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Once the amaretto/chocolate mixture has cooled completely, transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer.

*Add eggs and vanilla.

*In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. 

*Alternately mix the dry ingredients and 1/2 c. half & half (or however much is needed to keep a creamy consistency) until everything is just mixed.
*NOTE* If, when you taste the mixture, the amaretto is too subtle, feel free to add another few tablespoons to give it a little bite.

*Place in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

*For the icing, use any vanilla icing recipe (I used Paula Dean's 7-minute Frosting: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/7-minute-frosting-recipe/index.html 

*Note* When adding the vanilla, add about 1/4 cup amaretto to give the cupcakes their extra bite. 

*Drizzle the icing onto the cupcakes and top with chocolate shavings if desired. 

Enjoy!

"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"

Upon waking up on this fine San Diego morning, I decided to make a chocolate-mint torte. However, much to my mother's dismay, the recipe called for several impractical (and pricy) ingredients which were nowhere to be found in our household. My dear mother's proposal? That I make something a little more practical and healthy for our family - namely, bread.

As this was my first time making my own bread, I was a tad nervous, but eager to see the outcome. The process was simple - just water, yeast, salt, sugar, flour, and GOOD EXTRA-VIRGIN olive oil (preferably DeCecco, but the Trader Joe's stuff will also suffice, I suppose...). To add a little twist in the flavor, I added about 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic, along with some finely chopped rosemary (from my mother's garden) and 1/2 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano (or as Mario Batali calls it, the "Undisputed King of Cheeses").
Then, in my favorite kitchen appliance - the KitchenAid mixer - I used the dough hook to knead it into ball and stuck in in the oven to rise. About an hour later, I divided the ball of dough in half, forming 2 separate balls and placed each on its own greased cookie sheet to rise for another 20 minutes, until they both looked like this:

I then cut a criss-cross in the middle, brushed on a little egg-wash, and grated a little more parmigiano on top before placing it in the oven for approximately 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
The outcome - a beautifully risen, golden-crusted loaf of bread, wafting scents of garlic, parmigiano, and rosemary my way. Yum.

Enjoy a warm slice with some DeCecco extra-virgin olive oil (or the Trader Joe's brand...), balsamic vinegar, and salt. 

*Recipe: (Lance Roll - "It's Not Just Camp Food Anymore")

French (Catalina) Bread:

2 & 1/2 c. warm water

2 & 1/2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 & 1/2 Tbsp. yeast

5 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3/4 Tbsp. salt

5 3/4 c. bread flour or all-purpose flour

Additions: 2 Tbsp. garlic

                  2 Tbsp. rosemary

                  1/2 c. parmesan

*Mix water, sugar, and yeast - let stand for 10 minutes until yeast activates. Add oil, salt, and flour and additions (if using any). Stir until hard. 

*Knead with hands or dough hook of electric mixer until dough forms a ball. Cover with towel and place in warm place (preferably oven, which should be off) for 1 hour until dough has risen. *Meanwhile, 2 cookie sheets with olive oil. 

*After and hour, cut dough in half - press each ball flat into a circle. Pinch all sides together and turn dough over to form a ball. Place on greased cookie sheets for 20 more minutes. The dough should double in size. 

*Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.