Decadent Lemony Berry Coffeecake

Uh, yeah.  That cake tasted as good as it looks.  Better than it looks, if you can believe it.

I know this isn't technically a post for the Gluten-free Ratio Rally, but I feel this need to profess the power of the ratio again.  Because Oh. My. God.  This cake is seriously amazing.  Like, out-of-this-world good.  And it is possible because of a ratio.

My cousin was visiting me last week, and it was a total food bonanza.  It's sort of our thing.  We wander around grocery stores, and we talk about recipes.  And when we're in the same physical space, we cook and bake.  A lot.

After a trip to Boston's Haymarket, we came home with bags of fresh berries - probably about 2 pounds of them.  We had cherries, strawberries, and raspberries - and they were just begging to be part of something baked and delicious.

Done and done.  I consulted the ratio that Ruhlman has in his book for sponge cake (which is one part each of flour, eggs, fat, and sugar), and then we innovated a little with the flavors and flour blend.  I'm always one to reduce the fat and substitute something else, so I used applesauce to keep it moist.  And actually, there's more applesauce than fat in this cake - only 6 tablespoons of Earth Balance buttery spread in the WHOLE THING.  Think of how many extra pieces you can eat with all those fat calories you're saving (I know my cousin and I thought about that.  And then we definitely ate those extra pieces.).

And the result?  My gluten-eating, cake-loving cousin said it was the best cake she'd ever eaten.  The word "phenomenal" was dropped multiple times by both of us (in between mouthfuls).  I brought pieces around to my co-workers, who dubbed it "wonderful" and "delicious."

So you can make this one for mixed company, is what I'm saying - for gluten-eaters and gluten-haters alike.  Barring berry-haters, I suspect everyone will love it.

Decadent Lemony Berry Coffeecake

**Please note that all measurements given below in cups are approximate, as I used my kitchen scale to make this cake and used an online converter to figure out the volume measurements.

4 eggs
8 oz. white sugar (~1 cup)
3 oz. Earth Balance Buttery Spread (3/4 stick or 6 tbsp.)
5 oz. applesauce (unsweeted, natural) (~1/2 cup)
1.5 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
3 oz. tapioca starch (~3/4 cup)
2 oz. sorghum (~1/2 cup)
3 oz. brown rice flour (~1/2 cup)
(OR 8 oz. of your favorite gf flour blend)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 lb. berries, chopped into small pieces (we used cherries, raspberries, and strawberries, but you could use any dark berries you think would go well in this)

For crumble topping:
4 - 6 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or more to your own taste)
2 tsp. Earth Balance Buttery Spread

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Spray a glass 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium or large mixing bowl, beat the eggs (preferably with an electric mixer) with the sugar until it's frothy.  Add the Earth Balance, applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix until it's well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum.  Add about 1/3 cup at a time to the wet ingredients, beating on medium speed until the batter is very smooth.

Pour the batter into the 9" x 13" pan.  Press the berries lightly into the top of the batter.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and Earth Balance.  Mix with your fingers until it's finely crumbly.  Sprinkle the cake generously with the cinnamon sugar crumble topping.

Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for as long as you can stand it before eating a piece (we lasted 20 minutes).  Keep refrigerated once cooled.  It's fantastic if you warm it slightly in the microwave before eating.

Raspberry Chipotle Taco Meat

Here is an absolutely delectable spin on taco meat for the next time you're the mood to try something new.  The flavor in this is amazing - it is sweet and spicy, and the smokiness of the ground chipotle peppers adds a startling depth.  It is fabulous.  

I made it with some of my black raspberry mango jam, but really, any dark berry jam would work (especially some variation of raspberry, cranberry, blueberry or blackberry).  I didn't have any taco shells or corn tortillas, so I whipped up some garlic potato fritters and ate mine over one of those (as pictured), but I think this would be wonderful as a filling for a cheesy quesadilla or over rice.

I can't wait to eat the leftovers.  Seriously - if it sounds good to you, chances are you'll love this. 

Raspberry Chipotle Taco Meat

1 tsp. oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 lb. ground turkey
3 tbsp. gluten-free reduced sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. minced onion
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle pepper (or add 2 - 3 dried chipotle peppers, sliced open)
2 tbsp. dark berry jam
1/2 - 3/4 cup water


Combine all of the spices and brown sugar in a bowl and mix well.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and jalapeno peppers (if you are using them).  Cook for 4 minutes or so, then add the minced garlic and continue to cook until the onions are tender.  Add the ground turkey and cook until it is done, stirring well and breaking it up into small pieces.  If desired, drain the excess fat and return to the heat.

Add the spice mixture, soy soy sauce, jam, and water and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until it is thick (it may be a bit sticky because of the jam).  Serve immediately in tacos or quesadillas.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Oatmeal Pancakes with Fresh Raspberry Compote

Oh, my goodness, these were good. Inspired by a recipe I found on one of my favorite sites, The Gluten Free Girl's blog, I set out to make these last night with a few tweaks, intrigued by how oatmeal-inspired pancakes could turn out. You see, oatmeal is another one of my favorite foods; I ate it for more than one meal a day sometimes in the days before my diagnosis because it was the only thing that would soothe my stomach. I have missed it dearly, and even though I have had a big bag of gluten-free oats sitting on my counter for months now, I only recently broke it open. I've heard that some people with gluten intolerance have bad reactions to oats if they try to eat them right away, so I wanted to give my body time to recover a bit before I started testing it with oats again. I wasn't overly impressed with the oats that I used when I had them as a bowl of oatmeal, but man, was I blown away by these pancakes. I like my oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar, and maple syrup (incredibly healthy, eh?), so I sprinkled some cinnamon and brown sugar onto the pan and poured the batter over it, which allowed it to crisp up into that delectable photo-worthy pancake you see above. I also tried one with peanut butter spread over it (it may be weird, but I love peanut butter on pancakes. Add it to my very extensive list of food quirks) and one with the raspberry compote that you see in the photo, but my personal favorite was the plain cinnamon-brown sugar combination because it really tasted like I was eating a steaming bowl of oatmeal. The raspberry compote was delicious, but I found that it drowned out that delicate flavor that I had been looking for when I made the pancakes. But by all means, use it if that's what your taste buds tell you!

Oatmeal Pancakes (as seen on Gluten Free Girl's website, but with a few modifications)

1/2 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix (these contain a bit of dairy, so use another mix if needed)
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cups dry gluten-free oats, cooked as directed (roughly 2 cups cooked oatmeal)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. brown sugar
Cooking spray, butter, or oil

Cook the oats as directed. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Add the soy milk to the oatmeal and stir, allowing to cool for a few minutes. Mix the beaten eggs into the oatmeal and then add the flour mixture to it. Add the cooking spray or oil to the pan and sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar onto it, and then pour 1/4 cup pancake batter over it. Cook over medium heat until small air bubbles appear on the pancakes (don't touch them before then!) and then flip them over and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately, topped with maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon, or the raspberry compote seen below. I made the entire batch of these, which made about 10 smaller pancakes, and I only ate 2 of them, so I froze them in baggies in pairs and plan to toast them when I'm ready to eat them.

Fresh Raspberry Compote (Also inspired by the Gluten-free Girl's recipe for Blueberry Compote but with a few tweaks)

1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup fresh raspberries, divided
1 cinnamon stick
2 - 3 tbsp. cornstarch, as needed
2 tbsp. water

Combine the orange juice, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. Add half the raspberries, reduce heat, and simmer until they have broken down and are falling apart. Add the rest of the raspberries and continue to heat for 1 - 2 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. Combine 1 - 2 tbsp. cornstarch with 1 - 2 tbsp. water and dribble it into the raspberry mixture a little at a time, stirring, until you have achieved the consistency you want. Once it has thickened to your liking, remove from heat and set aside until you are ready to use it.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova...aka Giant Chocolate Macaroon

My Birthday Cake:


I stirred up some debate about the nature of a macaroon at my birthday party last weekend, and about what the name implies about the content of the dessert. I guess it has become so synonymous with coconut that any mention of macaroon now evinces an image of the deliciously chewy shredded coconut variety. It turns out I had some slightly disappointed family members on my hand who had pictured a coconut-filled dessert when I told them about the cake I was planning to make. But to me, a macaroon is a light dessert made from stiffly beaten egg whites that give it a fluffy, yet chewy consistency, usually with some additional flavoring. To this can be added any number of things: chocolate, coconut, nuts, etc. This recipe basically calls for a giant chocolate macaroon to be the base of a cake, which is then topped with silky vanilla cream, fresh raspberries, and shaved dark chocolate. Half of my family requested no raspberries on their cake (God only knows why someone would not want fresh raspberries on their pavlova!), and the two pictures that are up are from the two different halves of the cake.

I got this recipe from Nigella's website, and adapted it just slightly to make it dairy-free, since the cake itself is already naturally gluten-free. I wasn't sure how my family would like it, since they now trained to be innately suspicious about the taste of anything I can eat, since that means that is gluten-free, so I just didn't tell them how I made it until they had already raved about how amazing it was. This dessert was heavenly...and I don't use that word too often to describe food. The taste was intense, yet the texture was so light, that the combination was almost refreshing - and how often can you say that about a chocolate cake smothered in cream?



Chocolate Pavlova with Vegan Vanilla Cream, Fresh Raspberries, and Shaved Dark Chocolate

6 egg whites
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
3 tbsp. fine cocoa, sifted (I used Ghirardelli's Unsweetened Cocoa Powder)
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, divided, with some reserved for sprinkling over the finished dessert
(I used Baker's Bittersweet Chocolate Squares)

For a runnier, drizzle-consistency vanilla cream (pictured above):
1 package + 1/4 cup Tofutti "Better than Cream Cheese"
2 tbsp. - 1/4 cup gluten-free rice milk (or other dairy substitute of your choice)
1/4 cup thick coconut milk
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2-4 tsp. corn or potato starch
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla (or to taste)
1 12-oz. package fresh raspberries

For a firmer, more whipped cream-like consistency:
1 package Tofutti "Better than Cream Cheese"
1/4 cup thick coconut milk
2/3 - 1 cup powdered sugar, to taste
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla (or to taste)


For the pavlova/giant macaroon:

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa and vinegar, and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 9 inches in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. Be careful to make sure the temperature in your oven is accurate, since this can crumble easily if it cooks for too long. When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the center you should feel the promise of squishiness beneath your fingers. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely.

For the vegan vanilla cream:

In a bowl, cream the Tofutti "Better than Cream Cheese" on low-medium speed, and add the 1/4 cup coconut milk. Add the powdered sugar as you continue to blend the mixture, then add the vanilla. Add the potato or corn starch and continue to beat with the mixer. Add the rice milk tablespoon by tablespoon to desired consistency, being careful not to make it too thin. Add a little more starch if you think it needs to be thicker. The cream that I ended up with was somewhat runny, so I froze it for about 2 hours until I was ready to serve it, at which point it had thickened considerably. Feel free to adjust all ingredients to your own taste as well.
**Note: I tried this again and left out the rice milk and ended up with a much better and thick consistency. If this is what you prefer, I would suggest using the second vanilla cream recipe listed.

When you are ready to serve, transfer the pavlova very gently to a large plate. Spread the frozen vanilla cream evenly across the top, then arrange the fresh raspberries over the cream. Sprinkle grated or shaved bittersweet/dark chocolate over the entire dessert and serve immediately.