Gluten-Free Apple & Pear Crisp

I know what you're thinking: gluten-free?!? Well, I don't keep a gluten-free kitchen, and frankly I feel like most gluten-free has a bad rap. Plus, it requires a ton of ingredients and just seems like a lot of work. Honestly, I've never tried gluten-free baked goods before. I don't have any dietary need for it and I really do enjoy gluten-y items.

That said...this recipe is gluten-free, white sugar-free, and vegan. It was a challenge for a holiday party in which some of my friends DO have dietary restrictions and can't have the gluten, dairy, or white sugar. So, I set-out to find a recipe that I could make for them...that didn't require a lot of additional ingredients due to the impending move.

Hopefully if you need a dessert recipe for those with some additional dietary needs, this will fit the bill without breaking the bank!

Apple & Pear Crisp
adapted from the Gluten Free Goddess

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 - 40 minutes
Yields: 1-9" pie, serves 4

Ingredients for the fruit filling

• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored & sliced thin
• 2 Yellow Delicious apples, peeled, cored & sliced thin
  
• COOKS NOTE: I honestly just use an assortment of apples that appeal to me.
• 1 large red pear, cored, peeled & sliced thin
• 4 TBS unsweetened apple juice
• 1 TBS raw agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp gluten-free Apple Pie Spice, or cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice mix
• Pinch of Sea Salt
  
  For the crisp topping:
  
  • 3/4 cup organic light brown sugar
    
  • 3/4 cup gluten-free pancake and baking mix, such as Pamela's Baking & Pancake mix or Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake mix
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3-4 TBS organic shortening or vegan margarine

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Smear a deep 9-inch pie plate with vegan shortening.
2. In a medium to large bowl, toss the apple and pear slices in the apple juice, agave, spices, and a small pinch of sea salt.
3. In a separate bowl, stire together the organic brown sugar, gluten-free flour mix and cinnamon. Add the shortening in small pieces and rub between your fingers until the crumbs are moist and form a crumble topping mixture.
4. Sprinkle a handful of the crumble mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Spoon in the apple and pear slices; add all the liquid. Top with the remaining crumble mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F, in the center of the over, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is fork tender and the filling is bubbling and thickened. The top should be golden brown.
6. Cool a bit on a wire rack before serving warm or at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.
7. The crisp may be reheated in the oven or a microwave, but it truly is best eaten the day you make it.

Enjoy!!


By the way...this was highly recommended by both those gluten-free & non. In fact, a lot of people enjoyed this not knowing it was a gluten-free dessert.

Pumpkin Cupcakes: Take Two - Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Pecan Frosting

Okay...so, after my first pumpkin cupcake experiment I was craving a more...mapley flavor, if we remember. I came across this recipe (which I think is the recipe I originally found, then lost, made the other cupcakes, then found again and here we are), and just had to try it.

This may be the quintessential pumpkin cupcake...perhaps one of the most delicious cupcakes I have put in my mouth. As we know, I like cupcakes, so there have been many a cupcake eaten by me. Now, I did make some tweaks to the original recipe which are reflected in my recipe below.

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Pecan Frosting

Active time (cupcakes): about 15 minutes / (frosting): about 25 minutes
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Yields: 18 regular sized cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Dash of ground ginger
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind; let cool.
   
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
   
3. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, both sugars, eggs, and brown-butter mixture. Add the flour mixture, and whisk until just combined.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.
   
5. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
6. Frost with Maple Pecan Frosting.

Frosting

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar (plus more)
  
• 1/2 cup pecans toasted and finely chopped
• 18 pecan halves, toasted

1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring maple syrup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, swirling pan occasionally, until reduced by about a third, 10-12 minutes. Pour into a glass measuring cup nested in a bowl of ice water and stir constantly until syrup is very thick and barely warm to touch, 3-4 minutes. Remove from ice water.
   
2. In a bowl, with a mixer on low, beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Beat in powdered sugar (adjust the amount of sugar to reach your desired consistency); add chopped pecans and mix until well blended; scrape in reduced syrup; beat until smooth.
3. Frost cupcakes and decorate with a pecan half.

These are an amazingly complex, decadent cupcake. They'd be perfect with a cup of tea, coffee or some nice sipping whiskey. Aside from the browning of the butter they are extremely easy.

Enjoy!!

Peppermint Bark - Two Varieties

Need a good gift for the holidays? Heading out to a party and don't know what to take? Do you really just LOVE the taste of peppermint & chocolate? Then it sounds like you need a peppermint bark recipe!

Every December around this time I break out the candy canes, peppermint extract, and chocolate to make some of this, one of my favorite, holiday treat. Now...I'm putting 2 recipes down, depending on your time and how you like your bark. I pretty much like any peppermint bark, I'm fairly non-discriminatory in that sense. Matt, however, prefers the layered bark. It takes a bit more time and effort, but I'll admit - if you have the time the end result is totally worth the effort!

This is a perfect host/hostess gift to bring to a holiday party - either a little treat for the hosts following the party, or they can put it out to share with the other guests. This year I got some nice, cheap little tins from Michael's and just stick some bark in there and head off. If you are feeling like you are hurting for funds this holiday season, then you can just take a sandwich bag, snip off the top and tie it up with some festive ribbon. Since you can make this ahead, you can keep a tin of it in the fridge for any last minute invitations, or when you realize you are too busy to grab a bottle of wine or make something else, just grab the bark and head out the door!

Layered Peppermint Bark
courtesy of epicurious.com

Prep time: 5 mins
Active working time: 20 mins
Non-active working time: 1 hour 10 mins
Yields: approx. 36 pieces

Ingredients:

• 17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
• 30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces)
• 7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1. Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil.
   
2. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Okay, so...maybe you should check the temperature, but I don't. As soon as all my white chocolate bits are melted I figure I'm good to go and pour it.
   
3. Remove from over water. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.
4. Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.
5. Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes. Again...didn't check the temp...in fact, the white chocolate was still loose enough that I didn't reheat it. That may not always be true...but something to consider.
6. Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Simple Peppermint Bark
courtesy of Paula Deen

Cook time: 10 mins
Inactive cook time: 45 mins
Yields: approx. 2 pounds of candy

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed candy canes
• 2 lbs white chocolate
• peppermint extract

1. Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller.
   
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
   
3. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired.) Desire it or not - just do it! I'd use about 1 tsp to start...
   
4. Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm.
   
5. Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces (like peanut brittle.)

Hope this helps with your holiday gifts!! Enjoy!

Gingersnaps

I wasn't really thinking when I was baking, so I apologize for the lack of photos on this one...

The gingersnap is one of my favorite cookies - and I think it's perfect for this time of year! Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of gingerbread men. I do love me some gingerbread, and gingersnaps. But it's something about the texture with those little men and a lack of ... pop with the flavor.

I made these for a little cookie swap I went to over the weekend. It's a simple cookie with pizazz, and easy to make to boot. So, without further ado...

Gingersnaps
(Courtesy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake time: 8 to 10 mins per sheet
Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Granulated Sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat the brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. (These can also be mixed with a spoon) Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the granulated sugar.
3. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
4. Shape the dough by the rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until just set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

These cookies are best the next day after the flavors have had time to meld...

Enjoy with some sorbet or a nice cup of tea!!