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.

Ratio Rally: Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze

What do you think of when you hear the word "scones"?  I think of tea.  Proper English teas, with tiny cucumber sandwiches and fancy tiered trays of desserts and small porcelain cups.  I think of raised pinky fingers.

This month, the Gluten-free Ratio Rally took on scones.

It's hard to find a universal ratio for scones.  Michael Ruhlman doesn't lay out a ratio for them.  He gives one for biscuits, but while scones are related, they're really somewhere in their own separate domain.  You can see the family resemblance.  A similar profile; a familiar crumb.  But they have their own thing going on.  They're independent.

So this month was particularly challenging, because not only was I trying to find the right combination of flavors, but I was also trying to find the right ratio at the same time.  To complicate matters, there are different kinds of scones as well - classic scones, cream scones, drop scones....  It's almost enough to make you throw in the towel and just make a cake or cookies instead.  Almost.

I hope it goes without saying that I had my fair share of baking failures this month.  Some were too liquidy, while others were too dry.  (I realize that it's starting to sound like the scones version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but seriously, the consistency was really tough!)  The first batch that actually tasted good turned out to be more like a cake than a scone.  Delicious, yes.  But scones they were not.

But finally came a version that I could dust with flour and pat out into rounds.  I could cut it into pieces and move those pieces to a baking sheet without them falling apart.  And they baked up into wonderful scones which, especially when paired with the lemon-almond glaze, tasted pretty heavenly.  They were dry enough to be, well, scones and crumble apart, but moist enough to actually stay together.  The ratio of flour : liquid : egg : fat I ended up with was 2.5 : 1 : 0.5 : 1.  Kind of a strange ratio, but there it is all the same.

I think it's important to note that the strawberry flavor may not come through very strongly if you don't add the chopped strawberries to the batter.  If you don't want to add them for some reason, I'd add a bit of strawberry extract to make sure that it gets its fair share of the limelight.  Also, I did add chocolate chips to some of these to test out the flavor.  They were really good, although I sort of had the feeling that they were standing between the lemon almond glaze and my palate.  So I've included them in the recipe as optional, and depending on how much you love chocolate and strawberries together, you can take them or leave them.

These are best eaten warm.  Warm from the oven is best (does anyone out there really wait for baked goods to cool before eating them?  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who goes right in for a taste...right?), but at least microwaved for 10-30 seconds if you're having one from the fridge or freezer.

So here you go.  Put the kettle on - it's time for tea.

Strawberry Banana Scones with Lemon-Almond Glaze
Makes 12 medium scones

For scones:
75 g almond flour
100 g brown rice flour (plus extra for kneading/dusting)
75 g tapioca starch
50 g potato starch
45 g granulated sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
50 g shortening
100 g banana (1 small ripe banana), cut into pieces
100 g pureed strawberries
1 egg or Egg Replacer
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries
Optional: 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Optional: 2 - 4 tbsp. non-dairy milk to

For Lemon Almond Glaze:
60 - 100 g powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. almond extract (this is very strong, so use sparingly and to your own taste!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 3 tsp. cold water (until you have desired consistency)

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and combine well.  Add the shortening and cut it into the flour with a pie cutter.  Add the banana pieces and cut those in the same way.

In a separate bowl, mix together the strawberry puree, egg, and vanilla.  Stir just until combined and then add in the chopped strawberries (if you want, reserve a few to place on top of the scones as they are baking).

Dust a flat surface generously with brown rice flour (this dough will be kind of sticky).  Shape the dough into a circle about 7 - 8 inches in diameter and dust generously with brown rice flour.  Using a large knife, cut it into sixths and place the pieces onto the greased baking sheets.  If desired, press a few strawberry pieces into the top of each one. Using a pastry brush, brush a light coating of the non-dairy milk onto each scone.

Bake at 425 F for 12 - 18 minutes or until firm to the touch and ever-so-lightly browned.  Remove from oven and leave on the hot baking trays for a few minutes to help them solidify more, then remove to a rack to cool.

Drizzle with the lemon almond glaze (see below) when they are completely cooled.  Store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze.  Warm before serving.

To make Lemon Almond Glaze:
Combine all ingredients and mix well until you have the consistency you want (you want it to be relatively thick so it stays on the scones).  Drizzle over the cooled scones.

If you like scones, you'll want to check out what everyone else came up with this month - they all look pretty fabulous to me!  For a complete list of scone creations from the other gluten-free bloggers in the Ratio Rally, visit Lauren's site, Celiac Teen. She hosted the Gluten-free Ratio Rally this month.

Amie of The Healthy Apple made Rice Crispy Scones
Britt of GF in the City made Blueberry Buttermilk Scones
Brooke of B & the Boy made Coconut scones
Caleigh of Gluten-Free[k] made Scones
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten-Free made Savory Jalapeño Cheese scones
Caroline of The G-Spot made Carrot Raisin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
Charissa of Zest Bakery made Amaretto-Soaked Cherry and Almond Scones
Erin of the Sensitive Epicure made Millet Scones
Gretchen of Kumquat made Maple Oat Nut Scones
Irvin of Eat the Love made Savory Green Garlic Bacon Thyme Scones with White Pepper Maple Glaze
Jeanette of Jeanette’s Healthy Living made Coconut Pineapple Scones
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Banana Apple & Currant Scones
Karen of Cooking Gluten-Free made Oat Scones with Currants
Kate of Katealice Cookbook made Cinnamon Fruit Scones
Lauren of Celiac Teen made Multigrain Scones
Lisa of Gluten-Free Canteen made Bisconies
Lisa of With Style and Grace made Lavender Earl Grey Lemon Scones
Marla of Family Fresh Cooking made Vegan Avocado Scones
Meaghan of Wicked Good Vegan made Simple Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam
Melanie of Mindful Food made Hazelnut Cream Scones with Blackberry Jam
Meredith of Gluten Free Betty made Cinnamon Raisin Scones
Mrs. R of Honey from Flinty Rocks made Classic Cream Scones and Almond Fig Scones
Peter and Kelli of No Gluten No Problem made Mesquite Scones
Sea of Book of Yum made Dairy-free Scones
Shauna of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef made Currant Scones
Silvana of Silvana’s Kitchen made Pecan Streusel Scones with Cinnamon Drizzle
Tara of A Baking Life made Ginger Scones
TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies made Cinnamon Pecan Scones
Wendy of La Phemme Phoodie made Red Velvet Scones
Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen made Coconut Raisin Scones

Strawberry Cream Pie

I know.  It's not exactly the prime time of year for strawberries.  But this winter has been so full of white and gray, snow and clouds, that it was time for a splash of color.  And.....February was a good time for pink and red (National Heart Month and all - oh, and Valentine's Day).  When I saw strawberries at Haymarket a few weeks ago, I grabbed them eagerly without any clear plan for them yet.  But I knew something good would come out of a carton of strawberries.

This was a pretty divine splash of color.  At first I thought it was going to be too sweet, but no - it was fantastic.  Everyone who tried it raved about it!  (That is, with the exception of a certain slightly picky 5 year old who hates coconut - but she still loved the strawberry filling sans crust.)  So if you're baking for a coconut-hater, not to worry - use your own favorite pie crust, but keep the filling.  The filling is definitely a keeper.

 

Strawberry Cream Pie 

1 Coconut Almond Pie Crust

For the filling:

16 oz. strawberries, sliced or chopped

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 package Knox unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 1/2 cups gluten-free, dairy-free whipped topping or vanilla custard (you want something that is pretty firm in consistency)

1 tbsp. vanilla

Slice the strawberries and combine with the sugar.  Set aside to rest together for 15 - 20 minutes.

Place the 1/2 cup cold water into a small saucepan.  Pour the packet of Knox gelatin and let dissolve.  Turn on the heat and bring to a boil, simmering until the gelatin is fully dissolved.  Remove from heat and mix in the lemon juice and almond extract.  Pour over the strawberry-sugar mixture and mix well.  Leave to sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes, or until cooled to room temperature.  The mixture will be very...gel-ly at that point.

When the strawberry mixture has cooled, fold in the vanilla and gluten-free, dairy-free whipped topping or vanilla custard.  Spread evenly into the prepared Coconut Almond pie crust and cover.  Chill in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving to allow it to fully set.  Keep refrigerated (unless eating!).  

Strawberry Banana Swirl Bread

In my days as a faithful custard scooper at Bobby's Frozen Custard stand, I took full advantage of the employee discount (perhaps a little too often...) For a while, I was obsessed with strawberry banana concretes, and last week, as I noticed 3 rapidly deteriorating bananas sitting on my kitchen counter, I wondered if there could ever be another medium in which strawberry and banana could be so perfectly wed. I decided to find out...and despite my forgetting to add the vanilla (doh!), this variation on a traditional banana bread recipe turned out great! I had to bake it for quite a long time before the strawberry swirl batter baked completely, so I would recommend that you test this for doneness every 5 minutes after an hour and a half has gone by. The strawberry part never got quite as done as the banana part did, but it still turned out to be delicious. If you're a peanut butter fan, this is heavenly with some all-natural peanut butter spread across it!



Strawberry Banana Swirl Bread

1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups gluten-free flour mix (I used "Beth's Gluten Free Pantry All-Purpose")
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups strawberries, divided (can be fresh or frozen, but should be thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients through the vanilla extract together in the order shown. Mix well, making sure the bananas are mashed well and distributed evenly throughout the batter. Take 1/2 cup of banana bread batter and combine with 1 1/2 cups of strawberries (fresh or thawed) in a food processor. Mix on high for about 45 seconds to 1 minute until the strawberries have been mixed into the batter and the batter has a light, whipped texture. Slice the remaining 1/2 cup strawberries into small pieces. Line a bread pan with wax paper. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup brown sugar across the bottom of the pan, and then spread the sliced strawberries evenly across the bottom on top of the sugar. Pour 1/2 of the plain banana bread mixture, then 1/2 of the strawberry banana batter, then the remaining 1/2 of each. Swirl around with a knife and then make sure the top is spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 45 minutes, sticking a knife in the bread to test for doneness. The strawberries add a lot of moisture, so this will likely take longer than normal to bake. Remove from oven and place on a rack until cool.