Flourless Chocolate Cake

Serves 12  

We received this sumptuous flourless chocolate cake recipe from one of our gluten-free readers who said, "My gluten-eating friends now all use this recipe because of its taste and simplicity." We made it natural with the addition of real butter in place of margarine and unbleached cane sugar. We replaced the light corn syrup with honey. Enjoy this luscious cake — a little goes a long way!


This is a very rich desert that resembles the flourless brownie desert served at the Outback Restaurants.  I love this recipe!! and so does my family!!!

Ingredients

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray, too, then set the pan aside.

Place two-thirds (8 ounces) of the chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. (Alternatively, you may use your microwave to melt the butter with the chocolate, if desired). Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cake should be just firm in the center when done. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate, removing sides of springform pan. Remove and discard parchment paper and set cake aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Melt remaining 4 ounces chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, then stir in milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

When cake has cooled, pour glaze onto the center. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, very gently smooth glaze along the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 slice): 440 calories (300 from fat), 34g total fat, 19g saturated fat, 155mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 40g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 32g sugar), 7g protein

The link to the recipe is found on the: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/753

Here's to Healthy Eating!

brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com

Magic Muffins - Basic Muffin Mix

THIS RECIPE WAS HEAVY WITHOUT MUCH FLAVOR. I AM GOING TO TRY ADDING MORE EGGS, CUTTING BACK ON THE FLOURS ELIMINATING THE POTATO STARCH AND FLAX SEED MEAL, ADDING LEMON ZEST AND USING LUNDBERG'S SHORT BROWN RICE FOR THE FLOUR.  The banana nut was good but I liked My Blueberry Muffin recipe better!


This recipe comes to us from Cams Mom in the Gluten-Free Forum.
Just start with basic mix then add fruit of choice. Basic mix recipe and variations below:


Basic Mix
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup potato starch flour
¼ cup Flax seed meal
2/3 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Shortening


To this you need to add:
1 cup of something wet (sour cream, banana, yogurt, apple sauce)
2 eggs

Variations:
Banana Chocolate Chip
Use 1 Cup mashed banana for the wet ingredient (plus 2T milk, soy or almond milk)
add choc. chips. or nuts if desired


Apple Cinnamon with Crumble Topping
Use 1 cup plain yogurt for the wet ingredient
1 apple cut into small chunks
add in cinnamon with dry ingredients


For crumble topping use:
1 tablespoon butter (or sub)
brown sugar
cinnamon
almond meal
a little gluten-free flour
mix it together and sprinkle on each muffin

The basic procedure for all muffins is mix dry ingredients then cut in shortening until texture of coarse meal. Add wet ingredients to dry and beat on med. with electric mixer for 3 minutes. Should be thick batter (not dough but thicker than cake batter). Mix in fruit by hand. Scoop into lined muffin tins generously (like fill them up for a good professional looking muffin!). I use an ice cream scoop to get uniform size and shape.
Then bake at 350F for about 25 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean).


 UNTIL THEN....OR IF ANY SUGGESTIONS COME IN...

Here's to Healthy Eating!

brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com

The Best Blueberry Muffin Recipe

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I made up this blueberry muffin recipe and it is so yummy.  I combined 3 different recipes and I LOVE THIS RECIPE!

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour (I ground Lundberg's short brown grain rice in my grinder)
½ cup tapioca starch
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon GF xanthum gum
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup milk (or other liquid such as applesauce, sour cream, rice/soy milk)
1 teaspoon GF vanilla
½ teaspoon lemon flavoring
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir to mix. Add rest of the ingredients. Mix well. If the mixture seems dry add more liquid.  The moisture in rice flour varies.  Spoon into lightly oiled muffin cups or cup cake liners. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until brown.   (Makes 12 muffins.

Here's to Healthy Eating!

brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com

Banana Pecan Muffins-What about Blueberry????

I have been looking for a GF blueberry muffin recipe.  Does anyone have a good recipe?  I like the blueberry muffins you can buy from UDI's but they are expensive and you only get 4 of them.   I have been eating gluten free for almost 31 years now and muffins have been one food that has been hard for me to get to be light and fluffy. I found this recipe on the Gluten Free Club's Blog and was hoping someone could help me change the ingredients to Blueberry Muffins. Banana Pecan Muffins Sweet banana muffins loaded with nutty pecans. Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups rice flour 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp gluten free baking powder 1/4 cup chopped nuts 2 eggs 1/4 cup oil 1 tsp gluten free vanilla 1 cup mashed bananas (make sure the banana is fully ripe) Directions: Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine in a bowl all the dry indgredients, including the nuts and mix together. In a separate bowl add the eggsand beat until frothy. Add the oil, vanilla and mashed bananas and stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Lightly grease muffin tins or line with paper cups. Fill muffin cups to 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Tip: Make sure to use bananas that have started to form brown spots (like the ones in the photo below). You will find that it improves on the taste and the texture of your muffin as compared to if you used yellow bananas.

Please share your ideas too!!! Healthy Eating Everyone! brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com

National Celiac Awareness Month - May

By Zach

As most of you may know, May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month. In honor of this close-to-home celebration, we’d like to share a few tidbits about what’s going on in America regarding this exciting movement and also some great ways you can show your support for this cause. Also, to pay tribute to our faithful followers, we are dishing out some great offers and giveaways throughout this month, so make sure you stay tuned.

To start, we thought you’d find it interesting to know that some studies are tracing Celiac Disease back to prehistoric time periods and more concretely in the 1st century CE. Additionally, May hasn’t been the only month to promote the gluten-intolerant ailment. October was also a month to pay homage as National. Celiac Disease Awareness Month, but, in more recent years, both Europe and North America have recognized May as the predominant month, which is probably good because it seems like Halloween would overshadow October and steal all of Celiac Awareness’ thunder.
When we take a big-picture look at the status of this gluten-sensitive salutation, there have been a number of states that have commemorated the month of May as National Celiac Awareness Month by passing resolutions. Oregon, New York, North Carolina and Ohio are just a few states that have rallied together to ratify this act at the legislative level. California and Minnesota’s congresspersons have also risen to the call and declared May as National Celiac Disease Awareness Month.
With this kind of backing from such bigwig institutions, the impetus and fervor for National Celiac Disease Awareness Month should be on an upswing. To keep the momentum and inspiration strong, we’ve garnered a list of ways you can show your patriotism and promotion. Remember, every little bit goes a long way. Just because it’s a small gesture doesn’t mean it’s a wasted one that goes unnoticed.
Check out all the fun and creative ideas below and get started tomorrow:

• Volunteer at a Celiac Awareness Expo/Walk/Run
• Listen to a Radio Show/Podcast about gluten-free lifestyles
• Bake some gluten-free meals or treats for your non-gluten-free friends
• Sign up for Lectures or Conferences within your community
• Offer your Services or Creative Talents to a Celiac cause
• Donate to a Celiac Disease Charity
• Write a persuasive letter to your governor/congressperson
• Introduce people to the Gluten-Free Challenge (a gluten-free weekend)
• Support your local gluten-free bakery or restaurant
• Buy Celiac Awareness Merchandise online or in-store

This article comes from triumpdining.com - A great blog for Celiac Sprue or Gluten Free Information

To Your Health....

brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com

Preventing Moldy Berries

The key to preventing moldy berries.

This tip was sent to me from Pat Corle Chairman of the Celiac Support Group Magic Valley.  If you are interested in attending the monthly meetings, please let me know and I will get you the information.

 Berries are delicious, but they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides.

Well, with fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets, we can tell you how to keep them fresh! Here’s a tip I’m sharing on how to prevent them from getting mold in the first place: Wash them with vinegar.

When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water. Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted you can't taste the vinegar,) dry, and pop in the fridge. The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.

you're so berry welcome!  

Pat Corle

Celiac Support Group Magic Valley

Healthy Living,

brenda.bailey.1@hotmail.com