Gluten-Free Cranberry Oatmeal Artisan Bread

Gluten-free artisan bread sounds like an oxymoron. GF bread is usually on the gross, flat-tasting and dry side. Just thinking about gf bread gone bad makes me thirsty.

Sometimes recipes come about by accident, or desperation. I wouldn't say this recipe necessarily resulted from an accident, but I did have a pretty big craving for artisan bread and I usually don't think clearly when big cravings hit. Thinking about which flours to use and how they'd combine to create an artisan-textured bread (is that a term? :) was quite the task.

I decided to stop thinking and jump right in.

So here it is. Tastes like artisan bread and even smells like it. I'm still surprised. I didn't expect it to work, but somehow it did!

I'm finally submitting something to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays! Check out Amy's blog for some might tasty and healthy gluten-free recipe submissions.


How is this only slightly indulgent, you ask? Well, I tried to keep the fiber levels up and the sugar levels reasonable; it's also very lean and butter-free. But then again, I did top my bread slice off with some butter and honey... ;)

Next post... gluten-free fudge brownies with 3 different types of chocolate (made 'em for the hubby's breakfast on Valentine's). Stay tuned for the recipe :)!

Gluten-Free Zucchini Carrot Cranberry Bread

Hello, Fall! Technically, you're still 3 days away but I'm already celebrating your arrival. You are my favorite season, after all! I love you so much that I decided to bake a loaf of gluten-free sweet bread in your honor. And guess what? It actually turned out pretty tasty, even though this is the first time I've made zucchini bread and used teff flour (...will be using it again, it is super-nutritious and scrumptious!).


You've been trying to sneak up on us, but the red and gold leaves rustling in the cool breeze are hinting that you're right around the corner! ... And because this bread was made just for you, it slightly captures your warm shades of earthy orange, fading greens, and even a few sprinkles of red and yellow! Can't wait 'til you're officially here :)! Recipe is below the poem...

And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the autumn sun, and with
A sober gladness the old year takes up
His bright inheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene.
There is a beautiful spirit breathing now
Its mellow richness on the clustered trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
Pouring new glory on the autumn woods,
And dipping in warm light the pillared clouds.
From Autumn by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Moist and Tender Gluten Free Strawberry Scones

I love berries! Last year we went berry picking in Austin and had so much fun. I've yet to go strawberry picking, but my grandparents had a strawberry plant in their front yard (and my parents had some on our porch, growing up). I couldn't wait to pick each one straight from the vine. I wouldn't even wash them -- that's what t-shirts were for; I'd stuff them right into my mouth. They were very tasty and tart, much smaller than the strawberries you'd find in a grocery store.

Sunshine and berries go hand in hand. Even though it's pretty rainy here, we're still experiencing warm weather -- that always puts me in the berry-eating mood. I'm a tea-drinker, I drink decaffeinated tea twice a day and I love having toast or something sweet and carby with each cup (even when it's hot, I just crank up the AC ;). So these strawberry scones are definitely the kind of treat I'd reach for to snack on with a cup of tea; they'd also be tasty with coffee or hot chocolate.

Oops! Almost forgot to include the pic of how the scones should be placed on the baking sheet :)

Unlike traditional scones, these gluten free strawberry scones aren't as heavy or dry or crumbly -- which is kind of funny considering gluten free baked goods tend to be all of those things. Instead, they're tender, moist and full of berry flavor. Eat 'em up (I ate about 3 within a 12 hour period :P)!

This is my first submission to this month's fruit-themed dessert gluten-free blog event, aka Go Ahead, Honey it's Gluten Free (hosted by Emilia at A Gluten-Free Day). The blogger behind this is Naomi from Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried, check out her blog!

Gluten-Free Hawaiian Bread Biscuits (quick and yeast-free!)

Say goodbye to dry gluten-free bread and crumbly biscuits. This gluten-free Hawaiian Bread is moist and tender! So moist that I didn't even have to cut the biscuits with a knife before diving in! Check out the picture in the recipe card, that is one biscuit, not two!

The baking soda and baking powder worked wonders on these biscuits, they rose beautifully and I didn't even have to use yeast! I just wasn't in the mood to wait around for a couple of hours before having my carb craving satisfied, so I chose to make these with lovely leaveners, the magic ingredients that work wonders in minutes instead of hours :D.

These are fresh outta the oven, enjoy!

Gluten-Free Bread

If you haven't noticed, I kind of have a thing for bread :). Toast with jam is one of my favorite simple snacks. After about 4 tries (I didn't post anything about those 4 tries), I've finally come up with a bread recipe that reminds me a whole lot of honey wheat bread in flavor (see recipe at the bottom of post)! The flour concoction consists of everything from almond meal to corn meal; it might seem a bit strange to see corn meal in a bread recipe, but it totally works here! The texture on this bread is right on too, and the best part? It toasts well! Woohoo!

Gluten-Free French Bread
based on this gluteny recipe
(click photos to enlarge :)

3/4 cup Ener-G Potato Starch
3/4 cup Ener-G Tapioca Flour
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
2 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup water
2 TBSP Sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
reserved 1/8 cup water (and about 1-2 TBSP reserved warm water)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp cornmeal

1. Put your oven on the 'warm' setting.
2. Proof the warm water (1 cup!) with the yeast and sugar!!! (warm up the water in the microwave for 30 secs)
   
3. First combine all of the flours/starches with the xanthan gum and yeast. Mix well, then begin adding the reserved water slowly, folding it in and kneading the dough as you go.
4. Continue kneading for 5 minutes, add a bit more warm water if it is too dry (add 1 tbsp at a time -- though you don't want it too wet, it should be firm). Now add 1 tsp of olive oil and knead for 1 minute more then set aside.
5. Boil about 3 cups of water, and add that hot water to an oven-safe dish; put the water-filled, oven-safe dish on the last oven rack.
6. Now shape your dough into a torpedo shape, place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and drizzle with 1 tsp more olive oil. Rub the olive oil over the surface evenly, then sprinkle the dough with the corn meal.
7. Turn your oven off, then let the bread rise in the oven for an hour. Now set the oven to 375, leave the bread in there (even while preheating) to bake for about 20-30 minutes (I don't remember the exact time :/); it will be slightly golden on top when ready.

Now, the french bread recipe still needs a little tweaking. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty darn good fresh outta the oven; it even smells heavenly while it's baking, just like french bread! But the next day, it was like a brick! So tough and heavy, but I guess that's the case with 'regular' french bread, too. My hubby said I should still post the recipe, because it was pretty yummy, so I'll share it with you -- just be sure you gobble it up the first day.

Also, I apologize for not noting the baking time! I sometimes get so caught-up in the baking that I forget to write down the details (even the important ones ;). I made a somewhat small loaf, so 3 folks can easily enjoy this with dinner the first day -- I recommend serving it warm, right outta the oven, pretty much. You could even make a torpedo sandwich with it (ooh how I miss those things. They are sooo good!)

Creamy Cannellini Spinach Soup and Biscuits

Soup and biscuits: what we've been eating a ton of in order to survive our first crazy-cold Northeastern winter. Well, I like stews too :). I found a recipe in Donna Klein's book, The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, but didn't have all of the ingredients. I changed up the recipe, even added in chicken, so it's definitely not vegetarian anymore. It is beany, full of protein, and only has a tiny bit of dairy, just enough to make it creamy (I used potato flour to make it a little thicker).

If you're gonna have soup, you're gonna need a biscuit, that's the way it should always be...


More biscuits, Sophie?! Yes, I know, I am addicted to carbs... but good ones, especially those awaiting a strawberry jam-smothering. This is why I've been trying to perfect gluten-free biscuits without using a ton o' butter. Applesauce works wonders in gluten-free products, it makes them extra moist. I didn't have this much luck with applesauce when I used it for 'regular' baking (other than muffins), but gf products tend to be a little dry so that's why it works here! YESSSS it does!

You can't tell these are gluten-free. Promise!

Applesauce Biscuits
Makes 6

1/4 cup millet flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup corn meal
3 tbsp brown rice flour
3 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp apple sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup and 1 1/2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Just mix it all up, dry ingredients first, and use a big ol' ice cream scoop to measure out about 6 biscuits, then place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

How long to bake? Oh nooo... I forgot to note this! I'd say bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. (Please check on them at 10 minutes, just to make sure :P...)

Gluten Free Cinnamon Apple Braid/Twists :)

I made these last week and told the lovely Linda from Cooking In Cleveland that I would post the gluten-free version of her tasty cinnamon twists over the weekend, but I was a little sick and couldn't get to it. Of course, I wanted to share them with you all the minute they came out of the oven, all warm and cinnamony!

I'm so thankful that this turned out to be yet another yeast success story! Linda calls these Apple Cinnamon Twists; hers are beautiful glaze-covered twists of honey bread filled with apples and cinnamon and they're also covered in a tasty glaze. (They look like they belong in a bakery!) I took the Daring Bakers braid approach, because I couldn't figure out how to twist the dough properly :P!


You can find Linda's recipe here. I simply made up a gluten-free flour mix for the actual twists and also changed the filling a bit (I also added apple sauce to the dough, since gluten free baked goods tend to be dry). (I forgot to add the glaze :P, so I just sprinkled them with powdered sugar for the picture :)

Dessert Bread Flour Mix (great for a cinnamon roll or twists or braids...or... :):
This recipe makes enough for 2 medium braids.

(NOTE: I CAME BACK AND CLEARED UP THE RECIPE. HERE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS. :)

First put your oven on the warm setting.

Next, prepare the 'Yeast Mix'; combine the yeast with sugar and add the warm milk; set aside and this should become foamy on top after 5-7 minutes:
Yeast Mix:
1 1/2 TBSP sugar (I realize this isn't cups but TBSP! This is added to yeast/milk.)
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 cup warm milk (Heat for 30 seconds on high)


Now, combine theses DRY ingredients in a large bowl (with flours).
Gluten-free flour mix and dry ingredients:
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour (Bob's)
1/2 cup white rice flour (Bob's)
1/3 cup potato starch (Ener-G)
1/3 cup tapioca flour (Ener-G)
1/3 cup almond meal (Bob's)
1/3 cup corn meal
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp sea salt


Next combine theses 'Wet' ingredients in a different medium sized bowl. These are the wet ingredients I used (based on original).
Wet Ingredients:
1/4 cup water (or milk)
about 1/8 cup butter (about 2 TBSP; partially melted for 30 secs in micro)
1/8 cup honey
1 large egg
1 1/2 extra Tbsp apple sauce (my addition to the original)


I prepared this filling in a sauce pan over the stove, on medium while gently stirring.
My appley filling:
1 large apple, cut into 1/4 in. pieces
1/3 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
(cook this until liquid is thick and syrupy and apples are just beginning to soften; they'll finish cooking in oven.)


I then combined everything but the filling into the large flour mixing bowl, starting with the 'wet' ingredients, then added the yeast mix lastly. I kneaded everything together for about 1 minute.

I then boiled about 2 1/2 cups of water and put that boiled water in a cake pan on the last rack in the oven, make sure there is also a rack in the middle of the oven (where you'll place the twists).

Next, I divided the dough in half; rolled it out (with a rolling pin) into 2 rectangle shapes about 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick (use a few TBSP of rice flour if too sticky). I like to roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper.

Then I added the filling directly down the middle of the rectangle, with the short side perpendicular to me.

Lastly, I made two braids, making sure to seal off the edges (or you can make twists like in the original recipe). For instructions on how to make the braid, see here: click here for an example of how to cut it.

***Forgot to note: It's best to roll out the braids on parchment paper, and when you go to braid it, make sure there is one sheet of parchment paper under the braid so you can gently slide the braid (on the parchment) onto a cookie sheet so that it doesn't come undone.

I turned off the oven completely and put the braids in the middle of the oven rack, above the hot water, and let them rise in the oven for an hour.

Finally :), I baked the braids for about 20-25 minutes at 375, they'll be slightly golden on top when ready. Let them cool and then you can glaze them with the original recipe's glaze (divide it in half, though; I forgot to make the glaze. :)

Gluten-Free Honey and Flax Yeast Rolls!

There comes a time in every young foodies life when, suddenly, the thought of working with yeast sends a tingle of excitement from the pointy end of their elbow right down to their dough-covered fingertips... When, upon waking in the wee hours of the morning, the first thing they think of is inhaling the hypnotizing aroma of this amazing fungi's magical work: beautifully risen and golden freshly baked GLUTEN-FREE yeast rolls!

Oh oh oooooh! The smell of freshly baked GLUTEN-FREE yeast rolls makes me do crazy things... like practically fall off of my chair dancing while listening to a frilly classic tune by the material girl, like blog at unexpected times, like talk about this alllll day because, my dear foodies, this is a very special day, indeed...


Dare I say it? Have I truly mastered the art of inventing gluten free YEAST roll recipes from scratch, no mixes or outside sources involved?!!!! (Well, maybe I did read this and also fell completely in love with ground flax seed thanks to a Baking Beauties' fantastic bread recipe.)

This life-changing event calls for a celebration! Time to get out your favorite preserves and the tastiest sweet cream butter! Time to make warm, honey-sweetened, mouthwatering and completely gluten free yeast rolls (that, surprisingly, remind me of whole wheat rolls!).

Really, I'm so happy I could roll around in rice flour! Baking gluten-free is NOT easy when it comes to breads, and I've failed many many times. But I finally looked my insecurities in the face early this morning. I said, "Yeast, you're just a microorganism, a little fungi I must learn to love and not fear... and gluten, we can do chewy and delicious without you!". Then it finally happened!

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake and Tasty Gluten-Free Bread

When it comes to gluten-free baking 'the basics' aren't so easy, at least for me they aren't. Desserts like muffins and cookies aren't too difficult to create recipes for, but when the topic moves to bread or just a plain ol' cake, it isn't so simple...maybe it's because I remember what the gluteny versions taste like :).


The other day I was craving a simple cake. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting, to be more exact, one of my favorite desserts. It really doesn't get anymore simple (and delicious) than that, at least for me. But I was craving the flavor of all the yellow cakes I'd had before the gluten-free life. Thankfully, the gluten-free yellow cake I made tasted just like the yellow cakes I'd been missing! It was my lucky day, and I got to finish it off with a moist slice of tasty yellow cake!


But what about bread? I usually don't have much luck with yeast breads, but I had luck with Gluten-Free Girl's Sandwich Bread that also tastes delicious as french toast (almost like a glazed donut!). I followed the recipe pretty much to the T, but I... added 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (because I didn't have sweet rice flour), drizzled the loaf with honey, cut the pre-baking rising time to 1 hour, and used a medium-sized loaf pan. Oh, and for some reason, my bread finished baking in 45 minutes :).


I've been in carb heaven all week :)...

Since we're talking about baking, aren't these Sugarbunnies too cute? My Sanrio addiction started in pre-school and I'm not outgrowing it. Hoping to find a few cute images, I looked them up recently and found their Wiki page (Yes, I actually read it :D!). It turns out these bunnies are the stars of an old anime cartoon, where they befriended a girl named Sophia and taught her how to bake! I wonder if the Sugarbunnies can teach me how to bake more gluten-free treats ;)?!

spaghetti with (ground TURKEY!) meatballs in a homemade sauce and Italian bread on the side!

It looks like I only cook pasta, at least this blog would give visitors that impression! But I don't, it is one of my favorite things to make and dress-up, though. I was in the mood for some spaghetti and meatballs today, but I wanted to make a sauce that wouldn't feel like I was just eating, as Jose called it, a bunch of plain noodles lathered in tomato puree. I've gone to quite a few Italian spots, never really finding a place that serves a good and tasty spaghetti and meatball plate. It does seem that most of the sauces are overly-tomato tasting, and it doesn't seem like much thought actually goes into the sauce. I hate boring food, and this is definitely not a plain pasta dish. Pasta and french/garlic bread go perfect together, at least I think they do, so I decided to spice up a baguette I bought at the grocery store just yesterday, giving it a little bit more of a kick with a sauce that isn't just butter and garlic based. So here's the recipe and instructions on how to make this flavorful stuff:

As far as the meatballs go, they alone carry quite a bit of flavor and can definitely be used for meatball sandwiches if any are leftover. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I used ground turkey for the meatballs. My parents used to cook with it a lot when I was growing up, and it was actually my mom who taught me how to make these meatballs from ground turkey. It might sound a little odd if you've never tried it, but ground turkey actually has a much milder taste than beef, so it can showcase/hold the flavor of spices much better, in my opinion. It's also a lot leaner than beef, and you definitely won't have to worry about mad-cow disease if it's your meat of choice for this meatball recipe (by the way, this recipe makes enough servings for about 5 people):
1 pound ground turkey breast (or whatever ground meat you prefer)
1/4 cup chopped sweet white onion
1/2 cup garlic and herb bread crumbs
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 TBSP mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 egg
All these ingredients can be mixed together in a bowl, then rolled into little 1 inch balls before being placed in an all-purpose pan to lightly fry in some olive oil, I used 1/4 cup and that might sound like a lot, but it actually wasn't since the pan I used was a good size.

As the meatballs cooked for about 25 minutes over a low-medium flame, I got started on the sauce, this is what went into the sauce:
15 oz can of Muir Glen salt-free organic tomato sauce
3/4 tsp garlic and herb spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar (to balance out the sourness of the plain tomato sauce)
3 whole bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground sage
1 3/4 tsp parsley
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp vegetable broth powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
a pinch of nutmeg (everyone on food network does it, so I figured I should too :)
1/4 cup water (the sauce is kind of thick and will continue to thicken as it cooks)
1 cup portabella mushrooms
So I let this sauce simmer for about 10 minutes before adding it to the meatballs, which should now be browned on the outside. After I added the sauce to the meatballs, I let them simmer together while I cooked the pasta.

As far as the pasta goes, I just used a 12 oz bag of spaghetti. After I cooked it in the boiling water with a little bit of olive oil and garlic salt, I just added about 2 tsp of butter, a few shakes of Parmesan cheese, and a couple of olive oil sprinkles (as you can see, I definitely cook with a lot of this stuff :).

Now here's the Italian bread recipe, it's so fast and easy to make it could be served alone as a snack.
Preheat oven to 375
1/2 small baguette (horizontally halved--basically, it makes enough for 3 people)
1/8 cup melted butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
These ingredients can be mixed together in a cup, then drizzled with a teaspoon on the bread right before sprinkling it with about 1/2 cup of fresh spinach and 1/8-1/4 cup of a mozzarella/parmesan cheese blend. The baguette can then be placed in a 375 degree oven for 7-8 minutes. Afterward, you can garnish it with a few sliced roma tomatoes, and slice it into 3 medium-sized pieces, or about 4-5 small ones.

Funny thing about this spaghetti & meatballs plate is that I've actually made it before, but it came out so much better now that I actually measured the ingredients...even though it's my recipe. I don't get it haha! Happy cooking, next time I'll post something non-pasta related ;)!