GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY TEA CAKE

Fa la la la la! It’s baking season and this cake was a hit. Of course we all love cookies, and I have plenty of those on the list. My people love a breakfast sweet, and this has stood in for a simple dinner dessert on occasion as well. I know you all love to have a spread planned for holiday mornings, so hope this works for those of you gluten free folks. We always have sweet rolls, but I may double up this year since everyone liked this cake so much. I’ll say it again, like we do with the lemon loaf or banana bread, toasted for a few minutes for a bit of a crisp edge is lovely.

I have made many dense gf baked goods, but I’m starting to figure out the ratios. Eggs are important for strength, going all almond flour turns out pretty dense, so I cut it with superfine brown rice flour like I learned from Aran of Canelle et Vanille. Hugh is the gluten free one in the family, but I have found the kids don’t question a thing when it looks like cookies and cake and sugar. I added some swap suggestions in the headnote.

GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY TEA CAKE

Serves 6-8

This could be part of a breakfast spread or a dessert. It is sweet and seasonal but we nibbled at it most in the afternoon with a second (er, third) cup of coffee or tea. It has a good amount of moisture, so it sits well at room temperature for a day or two, then should be kept covered in the fridge. Great served with a dollop of plain yogurt in the morning or sweetened creme fraiche for dessert.

Dairy-free option is to replace the buttermilk with non-dairy milk with a squeeze of lemon juice - oat or almond both great, coconut is a bit heavy. You don’t need it gluten free, replace the almond and rice flours with 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour.

Not cranberry season? try lemon blueberry or almond raspberry (replace the vanilla with almond extract).

Ingredients

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter (vegan butter works great!), room temperature
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 Tbsp. avocado or coconut oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (or non-dairy milk with a squeeze of lemon juice)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
zest of one orange
1 cup almond flour
1 cup superfine brown rice flour (I buy this one)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 cups (8 oz.) fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped

turbinado sugar, for finishing

sweetened yogurt, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350’ and parchment line and butter a 8-9” cake pan.

In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. At least 3 minutes. Add the oil, eggs, buttermilk, maple, vanilla, orange zest and beat again to incorporate. Add the almond and rice flours, baking powder, salt and fold it a few times. Add half the cranberries and fold again. Transfer it to your prepared pan, sprinkle the remaining cranberries over top, swipe it down to an even layer, and sprinkle the top generously with turbinado sugar.

Bake on the middle rack for about 50 minutes, until tested in the center and only a few crumbs (no batter!) come out with it. If the top starts to get to brown, cover it with a piece of parchment or foil. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve with yogurt or sweetened creme fraiche.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

We went out last night to pick up a tree. The kids were bundled and the packing blanket was in the back to protect the roof. This is the first year both of the kids are super jazzed about the holidays. Curran (4.5) is excited for new toys and allllll the colorful, tacky decor. I am told every day that the white lights we have on the house are NOT festive AT ALL. Cleo is excited about whatever Curran is excited about lately, so anytime we see lights (trees, wreaths, fake reindeer, whatever) squealing ensues. It was cute at first, and now it’s just… loud. But truly, I love it. The first few years of parenting are so much work, with few of those personal connections where you actually get to see your children as a people. The more I get to know them, the more I like them. Even the complicated, emotional parts. Anyway, their excitement is infectious, and their Scrouge McWhite-Christmas-Light-Preferring mother is even considering putting rainbow lights up somewhere… like inside their room ;)

Anyway, the tree. I had this romantic idea about the tradition of picking out a tree and how we would pick up dinner after and decorate it, fireside, with classic Christmas tunes. As it turns out, it was not the romantic vision I anticipated in my head. There was a time this would have wildly disappointed me, but kids have lowered my expectations for the better. We ended up at Costco which I love for many reasons, but rustic tree buying experiences is not one of them. I mean you can’t even see the trees, they are all wrapped in twine in bins and you just take a wild guess. Curran seems to be recovering from a minor concussion so complains and whines frequently, and I get that he doesn’t feel well, but, again, with the Cleo doing everything he does. Our dinner was underwhelming and by the time we got home, people needed to go straight to bed. They both screamed at the reality of needing to take a warm shower (how dare me!), and tucked away they went. There was no decorating, no songs, no fire.

I am not disappointed, this is life. When I think back about getting a tree and decorating it with my family, it was not some Norman Rockwell scene every time. Traditions and memories in their imperfect state are just as nostalgic for me as the ones where everything went ‘right.’ Fighting over whose year it was to put the angel on top, holding the twine down through the windows of the mini van to make sure the tree didn’t fly off, how all the limbs starting breaking off the clay wisemen in the manger scene and no one bothered to glue them back on, or the year a votive candle lit a garland on fire. I would maybe argue that the messy parts, the imperfect parts, are actually more interesting. I don’t think I even remember the moments that went as planned, if there were any. So Mr. Frankie, the bare, unlit, lopsided tree, is sitting in the living room, reminding me that all I want for this month is just to soak in the holidays and stay flexible. Mayyyyybe we’ll even put rainbow lights on him this weekend.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

Makes 18

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

I made these a touch sweeter than the written recipe because well, it’s a holiday cookie. You could sprinkle crushed peppermint candies on top while the chocolate drizzle is still soft and that should act as glue for the candies. If you have tried Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies , they are basically shortbread with a bit of baking soda to help them rise a bit. I’ve tried it here, but don’t think it changes them wildly, so it depends how dense or light you prefer your cookie. Add 1/2 tsp. if you want to try. These are snappy day one, and start to become more tender as they sit. Taste great either way, texture changes, just a fyi.

Ingredients

1/2 cup/1 stick plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. natural cane sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour

3.5 oz. bar of dark chocolate
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract

flaky salt, for garnish, optional

Instructions

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or with an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, peppermint and beat those in to combine. Add the cocoa, flour and beat until just combined, do not over mix. Roll the dough into a log about 2” across (this is kind of hard, just do your best), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Alternatively, you can roll it out and use cookie cutters to make shapes.

Preheat the oven to 325’ and line a baking sheet with parchment (maybe two, or work in batches). Slice the cookie log into 1/2” coins and arrange them on your baking sheet. They won’t spread much, but give them an inch between for safety. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just dry on the edges. They will look raw in the center but that’s ok! Pull them, and let them cool.

While they cool, melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir in the remaining peppermint extract. Drizzle it on top of the cookies, sprinkle flaky salt or peppermint candies, if using, and let the chocolate set.
Enjoy! Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Sara Forte 2018-12-04

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SHORTBREAD

18

A pepperminty, chocolate shortbread cookie with a chocolate drizzle because it's the holidays.

• 1/2 cup/1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature1/3 cup light brown sugar2 Tbsp. natural cane sugar1/2 tsp. sea salt1/4 tsp. vanilla extract1/2 tsp. peppermint extract1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3.5 oz. bar of dark chocolate1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
• flaky salt, for garnish, optional

49 calories5 grams fat1 grams carbohydrate0 grams protein

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or with an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, peppermint and beat those in to combine. Add the cocoa, flour and beat until just combined, do not over mix. Roll the dough into a log about 2” across (this is kind of hard, just do your best), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour, or overnight. Alternatively, you can roll it out and use cookie cutters to make shapes.

Preheat the oven to 325’ and line a baking sheet with parchment (maybe two, or work in batches). Slice the cookie log into 1/2” coins and arrange them on your baking sheet. They won’t spread much, but give them an inch between for safety. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just dry on the edges. They will look raw in the center but that’s ok! Pull them, and let them cool.

While they cool, melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Drizzle it on top of the cookies, sprinkle flaky salt or peppermint candies, if using, and let the chocolate set. Enjoy! Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

PT1H10M

PT12M

PT1H22M

american

Dessert

cookie, holiday, chocolate, treat, dessert

GLUTEN FREE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Loves! I posted about this zucchini loaf/muffins I've been working on over on Instagram and you were like hungry little wolves insisting that I post the recipe asap. So, here we are, a few weeks later, which is as asap as it'll get around here. 

Because most of the cooking I do is simple assembly and layering basics rather than advanced skills and technique, the dishes I write for work *usually* turn out by the second time I test them. I can often run this success rate with baking by just tinkering with other recipes and changing the flavor profile. However, I have made about 8-10 rounds of zucchini carrot muffins, all edible, but certainly not eligible to post on the internet with my name on them. I tried to make them maple sweetened (too much moisture), all almond flour (too heavy, also wet),  I squeezed the moisture out of the veg and still, resembling a frittata more so than a muffin, and so on. I mentioned in this peanut butter oatmeal entry a couple weeks ago that my kids are all about baked goods, so I will not rest until I can pack vegetables in them!

I'm not going to say what we have here is perfect but I am happy with where they are and I need the tweaking to just be done. I have a painter friend who says sometimes she just needs to call the piece finished. Lacquer it, take a picture, and move on, even when she knows she *could* keep working on it, because she can end up ruining it instead. I listen to podcasts of entrepreneurs who suggest to put things out there; let people see them and use them and respond, instead of keeping your project quiet, hoping you get closer to perfect. So, if you do make these, tell me what you did or what you would change. I love chatting about food in this space with ya'll, so if you have tips, share them with others in the comments.  

GLUTEN FREE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Makes 10

I have used super fine brown rice flour in a baking before and many of you noted that it is a bit tricky to stock. I buy it here, but there are alternatives. If you do not need these gluten free, simply use unbleached all purpose flour in its place. I would still suggest using the almond flour or meal in combination, as it keeps the muffins more tender. These are on the low end of the sweet scale, if you want them more of a treat, add a few more tablespoons of sugar. 

The timing is written for 10 muffins, and I find their delicate nature is best in that format. You can bake the batter in a greased loaf for closer to 45 minutes, sticking a toothpick in the center to make sure it isn't too wet.
This muffin tin is my favorite forever and ever.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup avocado or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup superfine rice flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 cup grated zucchini, about 1 medium/large
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks

turbinado sugar, to finish, optional

Instructions

Start by grating the zucchini (I do a blend of small holes and large holes on a box grater because I can't decide). Put them in a fine mesh sieve and press out excess water. Preheat the oven to 360' and grease a muffin tin. 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, vinegar and buttermilk or yogurt, until well combined. Add the almond flour, rice flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and stir until combined. Add the zucchini and chocolate and fold it in.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full (they don't rise much) and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, if using. Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes, or until golden around the edge and a little tap on the center bounces back at you. 

Remove to cool completely. Keep covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge any longer than that.

A split and toasted muffin is the best muffin, but straight out of the hand is delicious too. 

Sara Forte 2018-09-06

Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

Recipe Yield: 12

Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins with a dash of chocolate chips.

• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup avocado or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup superfine rice flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1 cup grated zucchini, about 1 medium/large
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
• turbinado sugar, to finish, optional

212 calories13 grams fat23 grams carbohydrate4 grams protein

Start by grating the zucchini (I do a blend of small holes and large holes on a box grater because I can't decide). Preheat the oven to 360' and grease a muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, vinegar and buttermilk or yogurt, until well combined. Add the almond flour, rice flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and stir until combined. Add the zucchini and chocolate and fold it in.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full (they don't rise much) and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, if using. Bake on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes, or until golden around the edge and a little tap on the center bounces back at you.

Remove to cool completely. Keep covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge any longer than that. A split and toasted muffin is the best muffin, but straight out of the hand is delicious too.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

gluten free

Snack

gluten free, baked goods, muffins, zucchini