GLUTEN-FREE = Delicious !
Coconut Almond Cupcakes
with Orange zest infused Buttercream.
Bob's Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour, 16-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4)
When searching for a gluten-free cupcake recipe, I came across a great one on the bag of almond meal/ flour. I have used this numerous times since then given the hearty positive feedback.
What exactly is gluten and eating gluten free? Well, simply put, gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, malts and triticale.
Some people have an autoimmune disease called Celiac Disease, which is triggered by gluten. The body attacks the lining of the small intestine, causing malabsorption and unpleasant symptoms.
Living Gluten-Free For Dummies
There seems to be alot of talk of gluten -free these days, some think it's even a weight -loss diet. Well, there are those who have found they have a gluten addiction and when it was eliminated from their everyday diet, they lost weight.
It is good to know some gluten free recipes, and this one is a winner. In fact, I would choose this recipe over some regular cupcake recipes. You have to like both coconut and almond flavors, and I happen to LOVE both! I have been baking for years and years, but I am now expanding my learning and experience to include gluten-free recipes as well. My gluten- free friends are exited as they can now enjoy some of my treats.
HIC Brands that Cook Essentials Silicone 12-Cup Muffin Pan
When baking gluten free you must find a substitute for flour which contains gluten,(all purpose flour, whole wheat, etc.) Some common substitutions and additions to a recipe include: almond flour, coconut flour, sorghum flour, xanthan gum, and potato starch. Since baking is essentially based on basic chemistry, you can't simply make a substitution of one thing for another. Your results may be less than desirable. I recommend trying a recipe that is designed to be gluten free and then follow the suggestions for substitutions.
I discovered the following recipe on a bag of almond (meal)flour by Bob's Red Mill. I'm not a big fan of the xanthan gum or sorghum flour and this one uses neither. Everyone's taste is different , so experimentation is a must.
Bob's Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour, 16-Ounce Units (Pack of 4)
Magically Moist Almond Cake
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar (organic is best)
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups almond meal flour
1/2 cup organic coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat until fully blended in. Add milk and vanilla, and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flours, salt and baking powder.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and beat until creamy.
Spread into a greased 9"x 13" pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. For cupcakes, spoon into greased cupcake tins or cupcake liners and bake for approx. 18 minutes. Look for light golden brown on edges.
Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sugar, 16-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 12)
Let me know if you tried this recipe and if you liked it. The photo shows orange zest buttercream on the standard and mini sized cupcakes. Find my buttercream recipe in the blog, "The Perfect Cupcake" and substitute half of the milk or cream with orange juice and add 1 tablespoon of fresh grated orange zest.
You could even make this VEGAN by using an egg replacer such as "Ener-G" and almond milk for the dairy milk.
Ener-G Foods Egg Replacer, 16-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 4)
Enjoy!
making your life a little sweeter,
Liz
The Party Hostess Diva on Facebook
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Elizabeth Corbett on Pinterest
my latest project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC2nePyCcl4&feature=youtu.be
TIRAMISU BROWNIE TRIFLE
Here is a recipe I recently tried for a "girls night out" dessert, with rave reviews.
Warning: it is rich and decadent. Proceed with caution. ;)
I have a beautiful Trifle bowl and wanted an excuse to use it again. Who doesn't love Tiramisu, and especially when it's easily layered into this beautiful version. A touch of coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua makes it extra yummy. Another thing I like about this recipe is that unlike classic Tiramisu, there are no raw eggs and the ingredients aren't quite so expensive. Your guests will love it just the same, maybe even better.
Anchor Hocking Presence Trifle Bowl
When serving, use a LONG handled large serving spoon and go straight down to get a little of each layer in every serving.
As with many trifle recipes, you make this ahead and let it hang out in the refridgerator for awhile. It gives the flavors a chance to get to know each other.
Here is my adaptation from a Pampered Chef (R) recipe:
Complete Elegant Regency Line 5-Piece Flatware Serving Set, Utensil Serving Set, Buffet Banquet Serving Spoons, Serving Forks, 18/8 Gauge Stainless Steel
TIRAMISU BROWNIE TRIFLE
1 pkg.(18-21 oz) fudge brownie mix (plus ingred. to make it)
2 containers (16 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup of mini dark chocolate chips
**1/2-1 cup of Kahlua (R), divided
1/2 cup of water
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 pkg.(8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 pkg (3.3 oz) vanilla instant pudding/pie filling
Preheat oven to 375 deg. Grease or line with parchment paper, a 9x13 inch baking pan. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions for "cake like" brownies.
Set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile for filling; combine 1/2 cup coffee liquor, water and instant coffee in a small bowl, stir until dissolved. Set aside.
In a 4 quart mixing bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add coffee mixture to cream cheese, whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix to cream cheese mixture; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Set aside 3/4 cup of the whipped topping and fold in the rest with the filling mixture. Set aside.
Paper Products Bev.nap 1 Cocktail Away
When brownies are cool, carefully brush the top evenly with approximately 1/2 cup of Kahlua (R). Then cut the pan into 12 equal squares. Carefully lift out each square, and on a cutting board, cut each of those into thirds, then each strip into thirds or fourths. Your goal is to have small even cubes to layer in the trifle bowl.
To assemble the trifle, place one third of the brownie cubes into the bottom of the trifle bowl. Spoon one third of the filling evenly over the brownie cubes, smooth with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the dark chocolate chips evenly over the filling.
Repeat layers two more times. On the third sprinkle of chocolate chips, save out about half of it. Then on the very top, spoon plain whipped topping and scatter remaining dark chocolate chips on top of that as a garnish.
Cover the trifle bowl and chill from 1 hour to overnight. Keeps, covered, in refridgerator for up to several days.(as IF there will be leftovers!) This is very rich, serve a cold or hot drink with it.
Yield 20 servings. (that's what the recipe says, but obviously know one will know how many, it'll be our little secret) (wink)
Boston Warehouse Dessert Excuses Cocktail Plate Set
** To make a substitution for coffee liqueur, combine 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. instant coffee granules and 1 tsp rum extract. microwave on high for 2/3 minutes until sugar is dissolved. chill before using.
making your life a little sweeter,
Liz
The Party Hostess Diva
http://facebook.com/partyhostessdiva
http://youtu.be/pC2nePyCcl4
These ladies were BONKOS for Buncos night and crazy for this cake. How does Strawberry Daiquiri flavored cake with Rum infused buttercream icing sound?
It's a simple 9x13 inch cake. The dice (is plural, die?) are approximately 3 inches square of yellow cake and covered in pink rolled fondant. Dots are chocolate fondant tinted with black gel color and cut out into circles. A dusting of good-luck-pink edible glitter finishes it off.
The letters are made with one of my newest addition to the playing-with-sugar-tools; teeny little cookie cutters by Wilton, in the shape of letters and numbers. Fun !Cut in pink , and black icing piped on top.
Wilton Fondant Alphabet Number Cookie Cutter Cut Outs, Set of 37
Making your life a little sweeter,
Liz
The Party Hostess Diva on Facebook
Elizabeth Corbett on Pinterest
my latest project:
ahem..(cue Kermit the Frog singing Rainbow Connection ) "why are there so many songs about rainbows?"... Because they are AWESOME, that's why!
And even better on a cupcake! Here's a really fun cupcake to try, the next time creativity hits you. It is not my original idea, but the photo you see here IS of the ones we made.
Wilton 307-826 Cupcakes 'n More 23-Count 4-Tier Metal Dessert Stand
My daughter and I wanted to make cupcakes for the snack table, following her upcoming Summer Orchestra Camp concert. We saw these on Pinterest (of course!) and thought they would be perfect, because one of the songs they were playing was, "Rainbow Connection".
Blue cupcake liners were a must, and so perfect. We made yellow cupcakes with a mix, and stirred in colored sprinkles to the batter before baking to make a fun confetti looking surprise on the inside. Sky blue icing was swirled on top and the rainbows.., well, they were my best -find- of- the -day -ever. They are from a package of Air Heads Extremes candies in the Rainbow Berry Sour Candy flavor. (not my top choice, but they LOOK adorable!) Each candy strip was cut into 3 rainbows. To secure the ends of the rainbows in a 3-D shape, my daughter piped fluffy white buttercream icing, with a #12 tip for "clouds".
Jessie Steele Cupcakes Apron
Needless to say, they were a BIG hit ! I bought extra packages of the candy, because I know I'll be making these again. Using pre-made things like candies, to decorate, makes for some DIY -friendly results. And what better way to display your cupcakes than on an awesome cupcake stand. They take up less table space and make for more cupcake drama for sure!
Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make
I hope you'll try these, so fun and so easy. Check out my DIY Wedding Cake for Under $50, book. http://diyweddingcakeunder50.com
making your life sweeter,
Liz
The Party Hostess Diva
http://facebook.com/partyhostessdiva
http://youtu.be/pC2nePyCcl4
