Apples and Honey Scones - Gluten Free

For those of you who want to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, love scones more than you love honeycake, and are on a gluten-free diet, these scones will absolutely make your holiday.

Ingredients:

• 7 ½ ounces (1 ⅔ cups) all purpose gluten-free flour blend (e.g. ATK baking flour)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (if not already in baking flour)
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 medium apple, peeled and diced
• ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yoghurt
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 1 egg
• honey for glaze

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together flour blend, sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum (if not already in baking flour. Add butter and cut into flour mixture with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles dry crumbs. Stir in diced apple.

3. In separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, honey, and egg until combined. Using rubber spatula, stir liquid mixture into flour mixture just until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes. (Do not let dough rest more than 30 minutes).

4. Using wet hands, shape ¼ cup of dough into a ball and place on the baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between scones.

Reduce oven temperature to 425°F and bake scones for 10 to 12 minutes until they just start to brown, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Remove from oven and drizzle honey over the top of each scone. Return to the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes to finish baking until scones are golden brown.

5. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 to 12 scones.

Almond Cookies - Gluten Free

Innovation is a funny thing. Here I was, looking for a gluten-free substitute for oatmeal cookies (since my wife can't eat wheat or oats), and I found an inspiring recipe for millet cookies. The cookies were interesting, but they had an unpalatably strong bitter aftertaste and sandy texture. So, I set to work tinkering with the recipe, and after completely removing the millet flour, adding in almond flour, and adjusting a number of other ingredients, I hit upon a great new recipe. This final cookie recipe is simple to make and very tasty, as evidenced by how fast they disappeared.

This recipe can be made vegan by substituting a vegan gluten-free baking flour for the ATK flour.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup almond flour
• ¾ cup ATK baking flour (or other good gluten free flour)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients. Add in oil, water, extracts, and salt, and mix together. Let mixture sit for 20 minutes.

3. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an oiled dome-shape tablespoon measure, press a tablespoon of dough into the spoon mold and smooth the bottom. Tap out the molded cookie and place on parchment paper, leaving at least 1 to 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes until just gold brown. Cookies will be soft to the touch after baking, but they will firm up upon cooling.

4. Store in airtight container. Makes 10-12 cookies.

NOTE: To make a double almond cookie, roll a half-inch piece of marzipan into a ball and form the cookie around it. Bake cookies as shown above. I should warn you, however, double almond cookies are addictive.

Microwave Mug Muffins

There are many recipes on the Internet for cakes and muffins that can be microwaved in a mug, but most of them are filled with sugar and few of them are gluten free. After some experimentation, I came up with my own Microwave Mug Muffin recipes for my family that is gluten free, lower in sugar, high in fiber and protein, and can be made vegan if needed. If you substitute monk fruit sweetener for the brown sugar, you can reduce the overall sugar even more, although I haven’t yet tried this.

After making up a large quantity of the mix ahead of time, I parcel it out into half-cup servings in sealable snack bags and take them with me when I travel. All one needs is a mug, a spoon, a microwave oven, and water. And if you don’t have any of those things, find a better hotel.

The Chocolate Coconut mug muffin was my original recipe, but I tinkered a bit and came up with some additional recipes. I will add new recipes as I test them.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (3⅓ tablespoons) tapioca starch
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 8 teaspoons milk powder, coconut milk powder, or almond milk powder
• 12 tablespoons almond flour
• 4 tablespoons ATK baking flour (or other good gluten free baking flour)
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
• 4 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• water

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Add one half cup mix to 3 tablespoons water in a microwave safe mug. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until mixture is homogeneous. Microwave at full power for 1.5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (3⅓ tablespoons) tapioca starch
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 8 teaspoons milk powder, coconut milk powder, or almond milk powder
• 14 tablespoons almond flour
• 6 tablespoons ATK baking flour (or other good gluten free baking flour)
• 4 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• ⅓ cup milk chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• water

1. Whisk together dry ingredients.

2. Add one half cup mix to 3 tablespoons water in a microwave safe mug. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until mixture is homogeneous. Microwave at full power for 1.5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

CAROB MACA

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (3⅓ tablespoons) tapioca starch
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 8 teaspoons milk powder, coconut milk powder, or almond milk powder
• 14 tablespoons almond flour
• 6 tablespoons ATK baking flour (or other good gluten free baking flour)
• 4 tablespoons golden flaxseed meal
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons carob powder
• 1 tablespoon maca powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• water

1. Whisk together dry ingredients.

2. Add one half cup mix to 3 tablespoons water in a microwave safe mug. Mix thoroughly with a spoon until mixture is homogeneous. Microwave at full power for 1.5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL DATA PER CHOCOLATE COCONUT MUFFIN:

• 213.6 calories
• 9.2 grams fat
• 7.3 grams protein
• 27.4 grams total carbohydrate
• 3.4 grams fiber
• 12.3 grams sugar

Garbanzo Vegetable Balls

My wife loves Ikea's Allemansrätten, their gluten-free, vegan vegetable balls. I set out to create my own version of Allemansrätten to reduce the cost of buying the commercially-made balls, both in terms of actual product cost and driving time to the north side of town. This recipe, which took two to three experimental iterations into the wee hours of the morning, does not in fact duplicate Ikea's ingredients or (to be quite honest) taste or consistency, but it does make a great gluten-free vegan vegetable ball that is high in fiber, tasty, and simple enough in its flavor profile to go with white sauces, red sauces, barbecue sauces, or gluten-free vegan Swedish meatball sauces. If that is your thing.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups mixed raw vegetables (onions, bell pepper, carrot, spinach, celery, green peas, corn, etc.)
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed thoroughly
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup cooked brown rice
• 2 teaspoons powdered psyllium husk
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grind vegetables in a food processor to very small pieces, add chick peas and continuing grinding until mixture is a coarse paste. In a microwave safe container, mix flaxseed and water together and heat on high power for 30 seconds. Add to vegetable mixture, along with rice, psyllium, herbs, and spices. Stir until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

Cover a cookie sheet with cooking parchment. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and place on the parchment, leaving at least 1 inch between balls. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, flip over balls, and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Let balls cool completely before serving. They will firm as they cool. If possible, let them cool overnight in a refrigerator to fully firm.

Vegan Garden Taco Meat

I was recently at a vegan diner that offered walnut taco meat as a topping for its Southwestern bowl. I discovered, to my chagrin, that the walnut taco meat was basically just that, ground up walnuts with taco seasoning. How uninspiring.

I offer here a vegan taco meat with walnuts, vegetables, rice, and tomato paste that creates a much more meaty texture, suitable for tostados, tacos, burritos, or a fancy Southwest rice dish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups walnuts
• 1½ cups mixed raw vegetables (onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, spinach leaves)
• ½ cup cooked brown rice
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed in 2½ tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a food processor, grind up walnuts, vegetables, and rice to a coarse paste. Mix in tomato paste and spices. In small bowl, heat ground flaxseed and water in microwave for 30 seconds. Mix into nut mixture.

Spread nut mixture evenly on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cut mixture into 1 inch pieces using the edge of a spatula. Flip pieces over on cookie sheet. Bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and chop into small pieces. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until just set.

Hamantaschen - Gluten Free

There are many recipes for gluten-free hamantaschen on the internet, but none I have found create a cookie that has the smooth mouth feel of a gluten-rich hamantaschen without the sandiness or graininess found in so many gluten-free cookie recipes. After much experimentation, I have finally come very close to matching the hamantaschen of my youth (that is, of last year, when I didn't have to make gluten-free hamantaschen). These cookies actually taste just a bit better after a day in an air-tight container.

Use your own favorite filling. I trend toward strawberry jam, blueberry preserves, chocolate peanut butter, and, this year, IKEA lingonberry jam.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose America's Test Kitchen gluten-free baking flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (if not already in baking flour)
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cups butter or margarine, melted and cooled
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift and then whisk together flour, xanthan gum, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix until smooth melted margarine, egg, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the liquid ingredients to the powdered ingredients and mix several minutes with an electric mixer until evenly blended. Gather dough together in a ball, wrap it with plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Roll out dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut into circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Place ¾ teaspoon of desired filling in the center of the circle. Shape into triangles by folding three edges to the center and pressing together. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheet for 12 to 14 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cook on a rack.

Millet Falafel

Falafel are one of my absolute favorite foods. These deep fried balls of ground chick peas, spices, and love served in a pita with hummus, tahini, chopped veggies, and hot sauce is about a perfect a meal as I will ever find. However, for those with gastric intolerance to chick peas and other legumes or for those who can't eat spicy foods, falafel are often a non-starter. For these people, and for the people who love them, I have created this recipe.

This recipe is also gluten-free and goes well with the gluten-free pita.

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried millet
• 2 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup onion (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup fresh parsley
• 1 egg or egg substitute
• ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoons ground coriander
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• Pinch ground cardamom
• Oil for frying

Simmer dried millet in 2 cups of water for 15-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed. The millet should be sticky and porridge-like. Let cool. Finely chop garlic, onion, cilantro, and parsley, and stir into millet. Mix in egg, flour, salt, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.

Refrigerate mixture for 15-30 minutes.

Use a healthy oil with a high smoke point for frying, such as canola, olive, or grapeseed. Heat oil in a pot or skillet to a depth of 1½ inches to 360-375°F. Form 1- to 2-inch falafel balls using wet hands or a falafel scoop. Drop balls into oil and cook until golden brown 5-6 minutes, flipping balls over halfway during the time if needed. Remove from oil with a spider skimmer and let drain on a paper towel.

Makes 25-30 falafel balls.

Gluten-Free Pita

The pita recipe is the result of some online recipe research combined with my own experimentation. These work very well with traditional chick pea falafel, millet falafel, or hummus. Or, you can pour a good fruity olive oil onto a plate, sprinkle with za'atar spice, and dip away.

Ingredients

• 3 cups GOOD gluten-free baking flour (I recommend Better Batter or America’s Test Kitchen recipe) plus extra to for rolling out pitas
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum (if not already in flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1½ cups warm 1% or 2% milk, about 100 to 110 °F

Place a baking stone in a cold oven and preheat to 450°F.

Whisk together 3 cups of flour, xanthan gum, salt, yeast, and sugar in a stand mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, yoghurt, and milk.

With the mixer on low speed, add the milk in a slow pour and mix thoroughly until completely incorporated into the flour. If you do not have a stand mixer, the dough can be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon for about two minutes. The dough should be moist and tacky, but it should hold together.

Divide the dough into 8 balls. Wet hands and on a sheet of parchment paper the diameter of the baking stone, press out each ball to a thickness of about one quarter inch, making sure the flattened balls are not touching. Let dough rise for 45 minutes. You may need to use multiple sheets of parchment paper.

Place the sheet of parchment with the flattened dough onto the hot baking stone in the oven. Bake for 4 minutes, flip each pita with a spatula, and bake for 4-5 additional minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack. If pita does not puff up, you can carefully slit it open with a sharp knife.

Makes 8 pitas.

Coconut Lime Rum Cake - Gluten Free

My favorite rum cake can now be made gluten free, and it comes out incredibly well. Make this at your next party, and your celiac friends will love you forever. Of course they may slur their words a bit while expressing their love, but if you are like me, you will take all the validation you can get.

Cake

• 1¼ cups GOOD gluten-free baking flour (I recommend Better Batter or America’s Test Kitchen recipe) plus extra to prepare pan
• 1¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (if not in baking flour)
• 1½ teaspoons baking flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ¾ cup well-stirred sweetened cream of coconut such as Coco López
• 2 tablespoons rum

Rum Syrup

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup water
• juice of one lime
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup rum

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter cake pan, coat pan with a little flour, and tap out excess flour.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer, Mix together whole eggs and yolks, sugar, vanilla, rum, cream cheese, and Coco López in a large bowl until smooth. Pour in melted butter in a smooth stream and mix until just combined. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Pour into cake pan and rap pan on counter to expel air bubbles.

Bake until golden brown and cake starts to pull away from side of pan, about 45 minutes. While cake is baking, prepare the rum syrup. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, add the sugar, water, lime juice, coconut, and pinch of salt. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the rum. Once it is mixed in, return the pan to medium heat for about 30 seconds.

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately pour about one quarter of the rum syrup over the bottom of the cake. Pour slowly so the sauce has time to seep into the cake. Cool the cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool 10 minutes more. Once cool, carefully cake from bundt pan. Using a fork or skewer, poke holes all over the top and sides of the cake. Slowly pour the remaining syrup over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. If any of the syrup pools at the bottom, scoop it up with a small spoon and repour over top of cake.