Gluten Free Coconut Cupcakes

Today was a modified school day.  Sick kids, new baby, Daddy's first day back at work and V-Day all rolled up in diapers.  If grandma didn't come over, showering would have never been part of the equation.  Today the kids did math, spelling, reading and writing.  History consisted of the bigguns reading about our Founding Fathers in their Comix with Content books and finding the matching BrainPop videos to correlate with them.

This is one of my favorite cupcake recipes from Martha.   The original is awesome and the Gluten Free version was just as tasty.  Instead of doing the 7 minute frosting she created, I added chocolate ganache.  What goes better with coconut than chocolate?  Coconut + Chocolate = Mounds Bar?

•1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used my GF flour mix)


•2 teaspoons baking powder


•1/2 teaspoon salt


•1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut (I accidently bought unsweetened and it turned out great)


•6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened


•1 1/3 cups sugar


•2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites


•3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk


•1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


•Seven-Minute Frosting


•1 1/3 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut (I didn't use this as I made a ganache to go on top)


Ganache: about 1/3 c. heavy cream and 1/2 c. 60% cocoa chocolate chips...heat cream and melt chocolate...YUM!  Have kids add some pink and red sprinkles made from raw sugar and vola!


Read more at www.Marthastewart.com : Coconut Cupcakes with Seven-Minute Frosting and Coconut Flakes - Martha Stewart Recipes

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter
2 eggs
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 c. GF Flour Mix (see my GF link for hints)
2 1/2 c. oatmeal
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. sea salt
1 c. 60% cocoa chocolate chips
1-2 T milk

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, add sugars, cream some more.  Add eggs one at a time.  Then vanilla...does it sound like you are making Toll House Cookies yet? 
Add dry ingredients...milk as needed as coconut flour needs a little more liquid.  Add chocolate chips.
Use an ice cream scoop to plop dough on cookie sheet.  Bake for about 11-12 minutes.

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

Before the topping....

This is my modified version of Apple Crisp...with cranberries and pecans.  With those special ingredients, I have classified this a breakfast treat/dessert.  Afterall fruit and oatmeal have fiber and pecans have protein right?


Ingredients

Serves 8

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar...or light if you are not feeling so fall-ish

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) melted, unsalted butter

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

9-11 apples, such as Empire, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Winesap, Gala, or Braeburn (or a mixture of), peeled, cored, and cut into slices (enough to fit into a 9 x 13 Pyrex).  I always use my handy-dandy apple-corer-peeler-slicer from Williams-Sonoma.  Can't live without it knowing I can get apple crisp into the oven buy the time it preheats...10 minutes flat.

12 oz. of frozen, sliced cranberries (Trader Joes are great)

3/4-1 cup of finely chopped pecans

fresh lemon juice from half a lemon (enough to coat apples)

1-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, salt, 4 tablespoos of the granulated sugar and butter.  Mix until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add oats, and use your hands (or a fork) to toss and squeeze mixture until large, moist clumps form. Transfer to freezer to chill while you prepare apples (If you forget no biggee).

2. In another large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, remaining granulated sugar, cranberries and pecans. Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish, and sprinkle with topping mixture. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (this is in case you pack your Pyrex too full and it bubbles over), and bake until golden and bubbling, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving with fresh whipped cream.  You know you always keep a quart of heavy whipping cream in your fridge!

Pumpkin-Apple Bundt Cake

Here is how you make my new invention, the Pumpkin-Apple Bundt Cake...with left over maple glaze. This pumpkin bread is good alone, with or without dried cranberries and pecans. I think a bundt looks nice for dessert and I love saying "bundt" like the Greek Mama from My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

1. Occupy baby girl with blobs of yesterday's oatmeal for a snack and keep the packet of yeast she found on the counter.

2. Solicit labor from your eldest who enjoys cooking and baking. You need the help since baby girl wouldn't nap and you need to be out the door in 90 minutes.

3. Make Pumpkin-Apple Bundt Cake and drizzle with left over maple glaze from the cinnamon roll recipe you made earlier in the week. It was a late-night brainstorm.

4. Let your kids eat cake at 9pm after they get home from choir practice. Its a really good way for them to shower and get ready for bed in a flash.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe (really its cake-like as it has more sugar than most breads)

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. cloves

1/4 t. nutmeg

1 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking powder

3 eggs, beaten

2/3 c. oil (I use canola)
2 c. pumpkin puree (fresh if you have the time and want to be like Martha)

Apple Filling

1 apple finely chopped

1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

Maple Drizzle (this is half the recipe and you'll still have left overs)

1 box of powdered sugar

1 t. maple extract

1/8 c. of coffee

1/8 c. of milk

2 T of melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Grease the big bundt pan or 2 large loaf pans if you just want bread. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another bowl and combine with dry. Pour half of batter in bundt pan, add apple filling and top with the other half of batter. Bake for about 1 hr and 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before drizzling with maple glaze.

Fall Has Arrived?

Many of you know I love, love, love fall...pumpkins, apples, changing leaves, pie and did I mention PIE? The first week of fall was about 100 million degrees. Not the typical weather one may have in mind for the first day of fall. We are talking Nor-Cal, so you never know. My kids didn't care about the sweltering heat and thoughts of cool swimming pools. They wanted pie, pumpkin pie to be specific. So to begin the fall season, like always, being pregnant (coincidentally again) in 100 degree weather, I made two pumpkin pies. My kitchen was hot as I par-baked my buttery crusts, but who cares? We would have pie for dinner...I mean dessert. As I whipped together my favorite Martha Stewart recipe, with my own twist, the kids quietly studied at the table (well not that quietly as they wanted pie). As the pies baked, we painted watercolors of a pumpkin patch and am quite impressed with their works of art. After church that evening, we raced home to whip up real whipped cream to dollop on our pie...a little heavy cream, some vanilla, powdered sugar...lick the beaters. You know the kind usually made just on Thanksgiving Day? As we ate our pie, we opened the back door to let the cool air filter in, to get the full fall experience. Too bad it was still close to 90 degrees!

So...I added my leaf decorations on the rim of the pie. Well only half of the pie as I didn't make an extra crust for all my pretty, sugar coated leaves. Didn't want the extra fat so close to the holiday season!

You can't tell but Big Sissa added her own Jack-O-Lantern touches to her pumpkins.


Bro had to add his own touches too. Some green vines on the ground for future pumpkins.

I am quite impressed with B's painting. Art is usually not his thing and the majority of the time he was sweating from coming in and out of the backyard on this hot fall day.

Here is the pumpkin pie recipe from Martha Stewart...
Makes two 10-inch pies

1 sugar pumpkin (about 4 pounds), halved, or 3 cups solid-pack canned pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie filling)

1 1/2 recipes Pate Brisee, divide dough into 3 disks

All-purpose flour, for dusting

7 large eggs

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar ( I use dark)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (2 t. for me)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 cups evaporated milk (for those of you who want creamy pie, you can exchange the evaporated milk for cream but it is not a 1:1 ratio...I'll practice and get back to you)

Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If using fresh pumpkin, roast it, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet until soft, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely. (Roasted pumpkin can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, overnight.) Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

2.Reserve 1 disk of dough for making leaf decorations. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out remaining disks into 14-inch rounds. Fit rounds into two 10-inch pie plates; trim edges, leaving 1/2-inch overhangs. Fold edges under, and press to seal. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

3.Roll out reserved disk to a 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a small (about 1 inch) leaf-shape cookie cutter or a paring knife, cut leaves from dough. Freeze until cold, about 15 minutes.

4.Brush edges of pie shells with a damp pastry brush; arrange leaves around edges, pressing to adhere. Whisk 1 egg and cream in a small bowl. Brush leaves with egg wash. Cut 2 large circles of parchment; fit into pie shells, extending above edges. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.

5.Bake pie shells 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment; bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely on wire racks.

6.If using fresh pumpkin, discard seeds. Scoop out flesh, using a large spoon, into a food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure out 3 cups, and transfer pumpkin to a large bowl (reserve any remaining for another use; if using canned pumpkin, add that to the bowl instead). Add brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, remaining 6 eggs, and evaporated milk; whisk until combined.

7.Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place pie shells on rimmed baking sheets. Divide pumpkin mixture evenly between shells. Bake until all but centers are set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let pies cool completely on wire racks. Cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream.

.Pate Brisee (That's crust for the non-French Speakers)


Makes enough for 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust pies

If you are wanting to decorate the entire rim of your pie crust, you will need to make 1 1/2 batches of pate brisee
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 T sugar for crust (this is my own addition)

1/3 c. course sugar for decorating the leaves around the pie

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1.Pulse flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter, cut into small pieces, and pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.

2.With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream until dough just holds together without being wet or sticky, no longer than 30 seconds.

3.Divide dough in half; flatten and shape into disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

.

Fouth of July Cheesecake

Friends,
This is a fun, easy and yummy desert to make. Thanks Martha! The only changes I would make would be to add the powdered sugar to the raspberries instead of the strawberries as the sugar absorbs into the sliced strawberries. We only had 2 families total and this desert could easily feed 4.

Enjoy!
PS Don't make more than you'll eat as we all know how long fresh berries last...

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/fruited-cheesecake-flag

Makes 48 squares

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
32 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) blackberries
8 3/4 ounces (2 cups) blueberries
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced lengthwise into thirds (optional)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
12 ounces (3 cups) raspberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Coat parchment with spray.
Sift flour and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt into a bowl. Cream butter with a mixer on medium-high speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add light-brown sugar, beating until very pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture all at once, and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
Transfer dough to sheet. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press dough into an even layer that covers the bottom of the sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
Bake dough until entire surface is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack. Raise oven temperature to 350.
In a clean bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Scrape bowl, then mix in lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Scrape bowl, then beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. The mixture should be very smooth; scrape bowl as necessary. Pour over crust, and spread into an even layer.
Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on rack. Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 4 hours (or overnight).
Run a sharp knife along short sides of sheet, and use parchment to lift out cheesecake. Run knife under hot water and dry well. Use it to cut cheesecake into 48 squares, wiping knife clean between cuts.
Transfer squares to a serving platter, reforming the rectangle. Decorate top left squares (3 down and 4 across), placing a blackberry in the center of each square and mounding blueberries around it. Using a long offset spatula, slide out 4 squares from bottom row. Top each square with 3 strawberry slices, dust with confectioners' sugar, and return to rectangle. Repeat with remaining 4 squares on bottom row and then squares on alternating rows. Alternatively, omit strawberries and dust alternating rows generously with confectioners' sugar. Place raspberries on every unadorned row, beginning with top row. Serve immediately (or refrigerate overnight).


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Fruited-Cheesecake Flag and more delicious recipes, smart cooking tips, and video demonstrations on marthastewart.com