Cherry Cake

Ingredients:

* 1 cup rice flour

* 1/2 cup tapioca starch

* 1/2 cup potato starch

* pinch of salt

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1 tsp xanthan gum

* 1 tsp baking powder

* 1/2 tsp baking soda

* 1 can of cherry pie filling (drain the cherries and reserve 1 cup cherries and 1/3 cup syrup)

* 1/3 cup water

* 1/2 cup canola oil (you can try 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup apple sauce instead)

* 3 eggs

* 1 tsp almond extract (if you don't like almond, use vanilla)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the dry ingredients 1st, then add all the wet ones, finishing with the cherries. Pour in a 9" greased baking dish (I used a glass dish) and bake for 30-35 mn, till a knife's blade  inserted in the middle comes out slightly wet.

Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

* 1 cup rice flour              
* 1/2 cup tapioca starch    
* 1/2 cup potato starch      
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 cup sugar (I used raw & organic)
* 1/2 cup ground raw cashews or almonds
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* zest and juice of one lemon
* 2/3 cup water (minus the lemon juice amount. I ended up with 1/3 C lemon juice + 1/3 C water)
* 1/2 cup Smart Balance (the original one which is gluten free and dairy free (and soy free))
* 2 xtra large eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. After mixing all the dry ingredients together, add the wet ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer. Pour into a greased 9" baking pan (I used a Pyrex glass dish), and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, till it's golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the middle is only slightly wet.

Tips:

Grind the nuts in a coffee grinder that you keep for GF use.
This would also be delicious with 2 Tsp poppy seeds added to the batter.
To make a classic yellow cake, omit the lemon zest and juice and add vanilla extract instead.
To make an almond cake, omit the lemon zest (but keep the juice) and add almond extract.
I plan on trying the almond version with cherries in it next time... :-)


I made this yesterday night as I was in a lemony kind of mood. I adapted a recipe for yellow cake, it was delicious if you omit the fact that I put way too much salt in it... >.<

Gluten-free Makeovers

Gluten-free Makeovers

If you are just starting a GF diet this is a good place to start. Because the author has been experimenting in her kitchen for years and will save you the frustration of trying to adapt your favorite recipes to make them gluten free only to end up with something unpalatable...
There is basic info about the different types of grains, substitutions etc... and lots of recipes too.

-> As a side note again, I am not affiliated in any way with Amazon, and am not compensated for linking to them, it's just that they are the #1 place where I buy my books... ;-)

Special Diets for Special Kids

Special Diets for Special kids

For people with an autistic kid that want to give the GFCF diet a try this is probably the place to start.
This book explains the why and how of this diet, written by 2 moms with autistic kids that have really improved on the diet. There is lots of info but it is clearly explained and not overwhelming. And also a lot of basic recipes. The book has been updated several times (this current edition combines tome 1 and 2 of old editions).

You can also get information on the website of the authors: ANDI (Autism Network for Dietary Intervention)

-> As a side note, I am not affiliated in any way with Amazon, and am not compensated for linking to them, it's just that they are the #1 place where I buy my books... ;-)

Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

* 1 quart chocolate almond milk
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 1/4 cup chocolate chips)
* 1/2 cup cornstarch (I use non GMO brand Rapunzel)
* 1/8 cup agave syrup
* pinch of salt
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 tsp Xanthan Gum

Directions:

Set aside about 1 cup of almond milk, heat up the rest with the agave syrup, cocoa powder & salt.
Mix the cornstarch in the cold milk and add this to the heated milk, keep stirring with a whisk for a few minutes on low to medium heat till the mixture has thickened (it will thicken even more while cooling down). Remove from the fire, add the vanilla extract and the Xanthan gum, mix well and let cool slightly.
Pour the pudding in individual containers and cover with plastic wrap to avoid the formation of a skin. I pour mine into little jars with screw on lids (for yogurt maker). Let cool on the counter and transfer to the fridge once cool to the touch.

Tips:

* If using chocolate chips don't add them at the beginning or they might burn... (don't ask how I know... ;-)), add them right after removing from the fire and keep mixing till they melt, it will happen in no time since the mixture is quite hot.
* I put my jars in a baking dish and add water around them to make them cool faster. I change the water regularly.

Peanut Butter & Co

So I thought I would share these awesome peanut butters I discovered at my local Walmart (of all places!...).
The one on the left is dark chocolate PB and has a strong chocolate taste, the one on the right is White Chocolate PB and to me it tastes kind of like vanilla peanut butter. They are very easy to spread, don't need to be stirred or refrigerated, are kosher, vegan and gluten free, don't contain HF Corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. And did I mention they taste delicious?...

If you can't find them near you, they can be ordered from their website: http:/www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/, they also have a FB page, and a sandwich shop in NYC.

I used the dark chocolate one for my PB Chocolate Bites. :-)

Pumpkin/brown rice bread (for breadmachine)

OK so I made this bread in a bread machine and I have no clue if it would come out good with conventional method but if someone tries out please let me know!...
I came up with the recipe because I was out of applesauce but had pumpkin puree in my pantry so I transformed the recipe starting from there and made this new one. :-)

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs
* 3/4 cup rice milk
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1 tsp cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
* 2 Tbsp GF molasses
* 1/2 cup cooked (and cooled down) brown rice
* 2 Tbsp canola Oil
* 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
* 1/2 cup GF oat flour (if you are sensitive to oat replace with brown rice flour)
* 1/2 cup potato starch
* 1/2 cup tapioca starch
* 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 tsp xanthan gum
* 2 1/2 tsp yeast
* 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spices

Directions:

Add ingredients in the breadmachine, following manufacturer directions, (usually starting with liquids and finishing with the yeast on top).
Bake on a classic cycle.

(when I came in the kitchen this morning my 3 1/2 years old had dug a little crater into the bread, I'll take that as a seal of approval... ;-))

Freezer Crunchy PB-Chocolate Bites

Internet is a great thing... Yesterday a friend of mine posted on FB the link to a mock butterfingers recipe found on chocolatecoveredkatie.com (you can find it here! :-)) and it inspired me to make this version with my own twist...
See, the original is made with peanut butter and then an optional layer of chocolate on top... I took the lazy route and used Chocolate Peanut Butter instead!

So here goes:

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup Agave syrup
* 1 tbsp Molasses
* 1 cup Chocolate Peanut Butter (I used "Dark Chocolate Dreams" from Peanut Butter & Co *)
* 2 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 cups GF cornflakes*

Directions:

Heat the agave and molasses in a saucepan till boiling. Remove from the fire and mix the PB and vanilla in. Once it is smooth and well incorporated, add the cornflakes in there and mix with a wooden spoon, crushing the cf to your liking (I left some big pieces as it gets crunchier this way).
Dump little mounts on a tray covered with wax paper (using 2 spoons), and put in the freezer till solid. I left them in the freezer afterwards in an airtight container, that way they stay hard. (the pic above is right before they went in). I don't think they will have time to turn bad anyway... ;-)

These are delicious!! Not exactly low in calories but at least all natural ingredients... :-)

* I find the chocolate peanut butter at my local Walmart
* I think the GF cornflakes are harder and crunchier than regular ones and don't get soggy as easily, which made for very crunchy bites! yum! :-)

Naomi's Chocolate Cake

 (I bake mine in a Bundt cake pan.)

This recipe is an adaptation of one of my favorite french chocolate cake. It is insanely easy and fast. From start to finish it takes barely 30 mn! (baking included!). Perfect for those chocolate cravings that can't wait!... My son loves it and sometimes, when the oven is on, he asks for chocolate cake because the poor guy thinks that's what's baking in there!... My daughter used to love making it when she was 4 years old (she still does), so it was named after her... :-)

Ingredients:

- 5 Tsp CF margarine or canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup GF flour (or tapioca starch)
- 1 cup GFCFsemi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup sugar or substitute
- 1 tsp GF baking powder
- nuts, almonds (optional)
- vanilla, almond, or coffee extract (optional)
-> You can omit the baking powder and beat the egg whites instead, fold them in carefully at the end.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the eggs and the sugar. Melt the chocolate with the oil and add to the eggs.
Finish with the flour and baking powder. Add the nuts if you're using some.
Pour in a greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes (15 if you like it wet in the center).


This cake has pretty much the texture of a brownie, and is very rich in chocolate flavor. The recipe uses so little flour that you don't need Xanthan gum, and you can replace the flour with anything (if you are not allergic ground almonds taste great...), you can even skip it altogether but the cake will be a little more dense and "wet".

Rice Bran Cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 cup rice bran
- 1 1/2 cup white rice flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup CF margarine
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups nuts

(You can vary and add coconut, raisins, different spices...etc...)

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients together (bran, flour, baking powder, salt)mix wet ingredients together starting with margarine + sugar and then adding the eggs + vanilla.
Mix them both together and then add the nuts.

Roll dough into small balls, flatten them on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F.