Thursday, November 29, 2012

One serving Black forest Cake!

Winter soups and stew are marvelous. I have been working on those too. But as the simple chocolate cake recipe flourished in the past couple of days.  I find that I was trying to figure out how to have friends come over for tea... while being reading with dessert. 
When the mug cake or ramekin mircrowave recipe started my cake lover mind moving.
I love cake and the frosting and the filling and the layers and the complex design of a confectionery delight.
Being
- Gluten Free
- Nightshade Free
- Dairy free
has been challenging in how to maintain a healthy balance of treats and wholesome food that haven't gotten boring.

so I decided to experiment... Yes... this is really from the Quincidence Kitchen!
recipe as before.  except for these modifications.

Things you can add to the recipe for something special.
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
either or both

If you don't have problem with Nightshades... you could always add cayenne pepper.

Well, what did I do?

I added two dashes of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and poured the mixture into ramekins.
Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Spoon Tablespoons of cherry pie filling onto one ramekin.
the other ramekin I spread a lovely creamy mixture of 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 cup sour cream tofutti, 1/2 cup cream cheese tofutti, this mixture is an awesome frosting!  so spoon on the cake mixture onto the cherries, figure out what will work for you....
But here is what mine looked like.

I then poor

Sunday, November 18, 2012

cookie stamping - recipes

I found that while shopping for a gift for someone... This gluten free cookie recipe seems to bode well for stampable cookies...
http://www.cookiestamp.com/scottish_sb_rice_flour
Scottish Shortbread
This is a sweet-biscuit-type recipe. Scottish shortbread is famous in many parts of the world and although it is traditionally eaten at Christmas and Hogmanay, it is enjoyed the year round.


Ingredients
                                            
4 ounces (115 grams) flour
2 ounces (57 grams) rice flour or ground rice
4 ounces (115 grams) caster sugar
4 ounces (115 grams) butter
Extra caster sugar for sprinkling

Method
Sift the flour and rice flour or ground rice together. Add the sugar and rub in the butter. Lightly knead the dough on a foured board until smooth. Press the dough into a floured mold or into a greased and lined baking tin. Stamp the dough with a cookie stamp and score with a knife,  prick with a fork if desired, and bake at 375° F (190· C.) for about 25 minutes or until it is beginning to turn brown. Remove from the oven and cut the shortbread into pie-shaped slices, but leave it in the tin or mold to cool. Sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.

From www.myholidayplace.com/christmas/recipes/christmas-breads-dressings.html (Recipes not on the page)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Holiday Fudge ideas - please read and share - or leave a link to another GF/Nightshade free/DF fudge

I love fudge!
I love cake!
I love the holidays.

Over a decade ago... they became a window shopping experience.
Trying to lose weight you ask?

Why no... in fact, just can't afford the sick days.
So. I explain that while i love chocolate, and milk, and flour and potatoes, and peppermint and all sorts of great lovely holiday things.
I am not able to join the table of Turkey stuffed with "Grandma's giblet stuffing and gravy". Nor can I just have a nibble of the luscious french silk pie his mom brought. Oh lord and let us not go into this past years newest challenge.
Mashed potatoes.... sigh... It has been a year since mashed potatoes left my life.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Less than five minutes ~ Less than five ingredients ~ Less than five supplies ~ 5 star results

Cake *****

Something that makes us mellow.
Some decadence that makes a stoic smile.
Something to make the sweet smile return after a tough day.
Something you need to monitor the intake of as usually eating the whole CAKE by yourself... is bad.

So, this time.
How about a little less guilt, alot more results.

Essential ingredients for a curl up on the couch, or make it and take a break.
Even on the go this is portable as well.
Seriously, how can you go wrong with chocolate cake?

Ingredients/Supplies

  • 1- spoon
  • 1 - Mug - I like a sizable coffee mug, a soup mug does well too.
  • 1 - Chicken Egg try to use the larger and of course if you can freshest makes the best.
  • 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar *see tip below
  • 2 - Tbls Cocoa - Ah Laska is an awesome cocoa powder.

How is this 5 ingredients you ask?

Well for me to prepare this I simply don't use a measuring spoon, or measuring cups. I use the one spoon to rule them all. That's right the spoon with which I plan on eating the delight.
So I know my larger soup spoons are a tablespoon whn dry material is put on it. Don't level it and you have 2 Tablespoons.
a 1/4 cup?  easy 4 tablespoons

* I pulled out the coffee grinder at an earlier time and put in white sugar. grind fine - espresso setting. TADA! You have a lovely powdered sugar, which I make in batches cause I am NOT buying powdered sugar when white sugar is so cheap.

Directions?   Hmmm
crack egg into mug - if you must use a whisk you won't hurt my feelings... but if you don't have one... just make sure to mix well.
Add powdered sugar, mix.
I might have added cinnamon and nutmet which is the specs you see in the egg/sugar mixture.
Add Cocoa, mix again....
Chocolate lava in the making. remember this is just a soup cup.

a variation in the making of Black Forest Cake - Cherry Pie Filling dollop in the middle



When the mixture is smooth.... microwave for 60 seconds.
let it sit for hmmm maybe 30 seconds.
ALLOW to slightly cool... molten cake on the tongue is sooooo not delicious!
This is why I use the larger coffee mug or soup mug.. cause if you want... after washing off the spoon, you can scoop on some Whipped cream, sour cream, ice cream, cherry pie filling, cinnamon whipped cream, even some greek yogurt... Trust me the cake can stand up to it.

So... if this doesn't have your mouth water.. you are out what?  A buck work of ingredients?  Hmmm... maybe an easy, solution to
  • My best friend is coming over and wants to have girl chic flick night. - I have CAKE!
  • My boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend just left me. Ah, but I have CAKE!
  • My parents just told me to start shopping for myself - I still have CAKE!
  • My oh my... I really would love a nibble of cake, but I can't afford to have that much cake in the house... but a nibble would be nice... I HAVE CAKE!
  • I need a quick birthday cake for the friend I forget was her birthday - as did everyone else. I mad you a CAKE!
See?
5 Things.
5 Minutes.
and a moment of chocolate delight.

ENJOY!

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need cake - but not the hassle? Part I

I remember a few years ago, reading a blog, and my friends writes her sorrows. She rights about how the last week is just going down the tubes and she wants to make a cake to share, hoping it would make the world a better place. Yet, she realizes she would get to the whip the eggs, or beat the batter, or some such thing, break down crying, and never even get a slice of cake for herself.
I know some of you know portion control is important, and sharing is important, HECK... I know I do.  I honestly just don't feel like making a whole cake to share with people as sometimes finding people to share it with that will come off there diet to share CAKE... *shudder* can in itself be a daunting task.
So, she found a MUG RECIPE.
Yes, one mug of cake is all it takes.
No need to share and no need to go to the store for a Betty Crocker single serving high priced, over preserved, puck of chocolate.

She made me smile.
Perseverance in the search of chocolate is key to the chocoholic members.
So the other day, I was having an exceptionally "woe is me day" and I forlornly thought of the fact that gluten free, dairy free, nightshade free, is $10 a splurge and I don't want 4 servicings. I just want a little treat and don't need the whole BOX OF FREAKING CHOCOLATES thank you Forrest Gump.

I decided to experiment a bit - please link and credit if you are pinning, or cross referencing.

Cocoa/Oat candy bars - 1 day's worth of servings NO MORE... (wink portion control)

1 cup Bob's GF Rolled Oats
3 unleveled (heaping)Tbsp HONEYCOMB - The Old Bohemian Farmer (local farmer's market)
            (yes the whole comb -The Old Bohemian Farmer has a great Raw Honey that I simply adore.
3 Tbsp GF - Organic cocoa Powder Ah laska
1 dash (oh alright about 1/2 teaspoon) GF Vanilla
2 Tbsp soy or almond milk (I used Very Vanilla Silk Soy)

Dollops of Honey comb in the mug first, mush and mash a bit to break it up.
Dump in the oats, roll them around a bit.
Milk next cause you will see that the oat needs some *help* making friends with the rest of the ingredients otherwise.
then the powder... careful to add it slowly or in small amounts or it will "POUF" right out of the mug. (This part... made me laugh the first time I did it.)
When the consistency is questionable... guess what?!?  Add the vanilla extract and mix just a bit more.

take what looks like a mess that isn't making friends, and microwave for 60-90 seconds depending on the strength of your microwave. Bring that steaming mug out, and apply the spoon of doom. No really it all mixes real nice. If not. then add a few more drops of milk to give it a chance.

When you have a rich brown mixture pour out onto a flat wax paper sheet and let cook. Infact put the wax paper on the cutting board, a cookie sheet or even a pizza pan... stick it in the fridge.
Of course your first try you will have to taste test the batch to know when it is really set... so this is why it only makes one day's worth.




Wednesday, November 7, 2012