Cooking

Gluten-Free Biscuit Review

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I gave gluten-free biscuits another try. These were indeed pretty good. They were delicate and could crumble if not careful but were not dry or grainy. A thumbs-up from the family. I liked them so well I have made them twice.

What did I change to the recipe? I did not use the brown rice flour mix as suggested in the recipe because I did not have all the ingredients on hand. I just used plain brown rice flour instead. The only other thing I changed was that I used Rice Milk instead of coconut milk.

The recipe for these Yankee Doodle Biscuits can be found at: https://community.kidswithfoodallergies.org/blog/flaky-biscuits-recipe-dairy-free-egg-free-wheat-gluten-free

As always, Happy Baking!

Gluten-Free Brownie Review

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Last year my family tried making gluten-free recipes for a while. I must say most were a miss. The baked goods tended to turn out dry, crumbly, or in some way not as appealing as our regular recipes. Since there is a shortage of flour in my area right now, I thought I would re-visit the gluten-free options as I still have some other types of flour in my pantry.

I searched for dessert recipes using brown rice flour, as this is one of the types I had on hand. I came across a recipe for ‘Fabulously Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies’. The recipe received good reviews, I had all the ingredients, so I gave them a try. They were really very good. Not dry or crumbly! I did not tell the family that they were gluten-free until afterwards. They all liked them! Hurray!

Did I follow the recipe exactly? Well….pretty much. I used tapioca flour instead of tapioca starch. Is there a difference? Not sure…but that is what I had and it seemed to work. I used the 1 cup of chocolate chips as suggested would work. I also used less vanilla extract. The recipe called for 1 Tablespoon of vanilla! That seemed excessive. Maybe a typo? In any case, I only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Here is the link to the recipe for Fabulously Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies: https://www.adayinthekitchen.com/chocolate-brownies/

As always, Happy Baking!

P.S.—I think Chickpea Whipped Cream might be a very good topping to these brownies! (see my earlier post for the recipe)

Preventing Pastry Mats From Slipping

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No need to chase that pastry mat all over the counter when rolling out pastry dough. Baking tip of the day: Take a paper towel, fold to size to fit under mat, dampen it under water, squeeze out any excess water, lay flat on counter, place pastry mat on top and roll dough as normal. The paper towel can be used to clean up afterwards. The damp paper towel keeps the pastry mat from slipping and makes rolling out dough much more enjoyable.

I have also rolled out dough inbetween two sheets of floured waxed paper. Again, this will slip like crazy. Solution: Wipe the surface of counter with a damp cloth and put waxed paper directly on the dampened surface, sprinkle with flour, place dough, sprinkle with flour, if desired…place another sheet of waxed paper on top, and roll immediately, before the surface dries. The waxed paper will stay put.

As always, Happy Baking!

Chickpea Whipped Cream

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I was scheduled to make a chocolate cream pie for my son as a reward for his straight A report card, but I forgot to buy the whipped cream to go on top. What to do? Substitute of course!

In the past, I have tried to use coconut cream as a base to make whipped cream. This method is hit or miss for me. It is very tricky to get it to work right and is not guaranteed to make it to the table.

When I informed my family that I was making whipped cream using the liquid from canned chickpeas (some may call them garbanzo beans…same thing), skepticism was in the air. However, all tried it and I must say it was a success. I was thrilled at how easy it came together and overjoyed by the outcome. The plus side to using the chickpea liquid was that it is dairy-free and costs next to nothing to make. Also, there is a great bonus in that I am not wasting anything from the can of chickpeas as I eat those on salads or as a side dish.

The recipe I found was at https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chickpea-whipped-cream-236591

I followed the recipe except for two things… I opened the can of chickpeas the previous day and saved the liquid in the refrigerator. So my chickpea liquid was cold, making for cold whipped cream. The temperature may also affect the way it whips. The second difference was that I turned the electric mixer to high and not the medium that the recipe suggested.

I found this super easy and fast to make. It did not take the 10 to 15 minutes that the recipe said it would. It was very quick. I took the liquid from the fridge and in the same bowl added the 1/8 tsp cream of tartar and the 1 tsp of vanilla. I beat that on high with an electric hand mixer until no liquid remained and it was getting stiff. I then slowly added the 2 Tbsp of sugar while continuing to beat at high speed. The “whipped cream” came out perfect. It made a lot of whipped cream. Plenty for a whole pie and then some. Since the whipped cream settles a bit in the fridge, it needs to be re-whipped for a minute with the electric mixer on high. I re-whipped the cream the next day for the other half of the pie. The following morning, I again re-whipped the cream for a topping to my pancakes. There is still some left. That little bit of liquid made a lot of whipped cream.

Chocolate Pie Smothered in Chickpea Whipped Cream – Yum
Pancakes with Chickpea Whipped Cream (re-whipped)

As always, Happy Baking!

Banana Ketchup

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Banana Ketchup! Say what? The husband is at it again. He shared with me another interesting topic. Banana Ketchup.

According to Wikipedia, Banana Ketchup is a Philippine fruit ketchup that is made from mashed bananas, sugar, vinegar, and spices. It is naturally brownish-yellow in color but is often colored red to resemble the tomatoe ketchup we are familiar with. Banana Ketchup was first produced during World War II in the Phillipines. Bananas were used instead of tomatoes because of their abundance in the Philippines.

As I am partial to bananas I decided to try making banana ketchup from scratch. Here is the recipe I used…

Pelago’s House-Made Banana Ketchup

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
  • 2 ounces tomato paste
  • 4 bananas (Saba if possible)
  • 2 ounces white vinegar
  • 2 ounces water
  • 4 ounces brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Sweat garlic, shallot and ginger for 5 minutes.
  2. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute.
  3. Deglaze with vinegar and water.
  4. Add brown sugar and bananas; cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Puree mixture until smooth, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Recipe from: http://www.foodrepublic.com/2015/09/02/banana-ketchup-the-philippines-answer-to-a-lack-of-tomatoes/

My take on banana ketchup…

I cut the above recipe in half and it made about 10.5 ounces of ketchup. This was more than enough! I served the banana ketchup with hamburgers. It was good but sweet. I think that the banana ketchup would go better not as a ketchup per say, but as a sauce. I can picture making beef ribs and using the banana ketchup as a kind of barbecue sauce on the ribs and serving it on top of rice. This sounds really good to me. As for on a hamburger, I would prefer mayo. On French fries…probably not. It is made with bananas so it does taste of banana. Having said this, anything that would taste good with fruit might be a good possibility. Chicken, pork, and shrimp could be good candidates. I think I will try some of the leftovers as a dip for fried shrimp…

Give banana ketchup a try; and be sure to let me know what recipe it was used with. As always, Happy cooking!

My Take on The Sharper the Knife the Less You Cry

Book Reviews, Cooking

I found the book The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn when searching the cook book shelves at the library. It looked interesting so I picked it up. From then on it was hard to put down.

The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry is a memoir of Kathleen’s journey to Paris after being let go from her job in London. Encouraged by her boyfriend, Kathleen enrolls in the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris to fulfill a life long dream. It reads like episodes from Master Chef. Also entwined in the book are her daily adventures of being an American in Paris, learning the French language, outings and entertaining friends, and life with her boyfriend Mike. She includes recipes as well. So the book is also a cookbook.

I found the book entertaining and really enjoyed sitting down to read it. It’s the kind of book I hated to see come to an end. I should also mention that Kathleen Flinn has a background in journalism, so the book is well written. If a fan of cooking, cooking shows, Paris, or just want to learn a bit about how Le Cordon Bleu works, this book fits the bill. Bon Appetit!

Leftover Banana Treat Obsession

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In a previous post, I shared how I make frozen chocolate covered bananas. These soon became a hit with my children. I have become obsessed with them! But there is always room for improvement.

I have changed how I make the chocolate covered bananas slightly. Now, I make them without the stick. I found I really did not need this and I make the bananas without sticks and just pick them up and eat them with my fingers. Messy? Oh yes! It is messy, but honestly, it seems easier than eating them off the stick.

I also do not try to make them in the peel any more. I can get more chocolate on them this way. I peel them, throw the peel away and spread the melted chocolate over the banana, even on the ends. Messy? Again…yes! But it is worth it!!!!

My favorite version of the chocolate covered frozen banana treat is covered in coconut flakes. I lay out some wax paper and sprinkle it with coconut flakes. Then I spread the melted chocolate on half the banana, lay it down on the coconut and then continue to spread chocolate on the other half and sprinkle coconut on top and then freeze.

I have also changed the quantity I make of the banana treats. I stock-up and freeze a few halves at a time so I can go get one without having to make one every day. I still only make them in halves. Even if I use a whole banana I will cut it in half and make two treats out of one banana. (See my original post – Leftover Banana Treat – for a more detailed description.) Happy Snacking!

Spiced Pumpkin Cut-out Cookies

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As a kid I remember going to the bakery and getting pumpkin cookies around this time of year. A seasonal thing. They were to die for! They were cut-out cookies in the shapes of pumpkins with faces on them. The bakery is closed now and no other bakery can even come close to doing them justice.

I decided, as Halloween is this week, to make pumpkin flavored cut-out cookies. These are not at all a replication of the cookies of my childhood. They are a different version all-together. However, I thought they would be nice for a little Halloween treat. The recipe can be found at: https://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/spiced-pumpkin-cut-out-cookies/

Ready for the oven
Just out of the oven
Frosted and ready to eat

These cookies were easy enough to make. The typical sugar cookie with the addition of pumpkin. I did not get as fancy with my frosting as the recipe did. I just made a simple powdered sugar and water frosting with a touch of food coloring and spread it on with a knife. A few got the glory of having orange sprinkles shaken over them. I made a few shades of orange for the pumpkins, giving them a little character like a real pumpkin patch. The family picked their pumpkins from the “patch” and we enjoyed our fall treat. Happy baking!

Food as a Souvenir (Pasties)

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Making a recipe from a place visited makes for a great souvenir. Every bite brings back memories of the times spent there and the flavors savored. So if one can’t get back to the spot, bring the spot home to the table.

Many years ago when the children were small we took a family trip to the gold country in Northern California. While there we set out to have Pasties which were common for the miners to eat way back when. The kids loved them so much that we even ordered the apple filled dessert version as well.

Upon returning home, I decided to make a recipe for Pasties. It is still one of my son’s favorites and requested by him often. Every time I make them, memories of our trip come to mind.

Pasties

Crust:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup Crisco solid vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Put flour into mixing bowl with salt. Add shortening and cut in with pastry blender until texture of flour is like cornmeal. Add water and mix with spoon. Turn out onto floured board. Knead dough with hands for a few seconds until well blended. Form into 4 balls. Cover each ball with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Fillling:

  • 3/4 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
  • Milk to brush pastries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix ground chuck, onions, potatoes, salt, pepper, and parsley together in a bowl. Take dough out of fridge and roll out each ball into a 8 inch circle with rolling pin on a floured surface. Brush edges of pastry with milk using a pastry brush. Place one cup of filling on one half of each circle and fold the other half over it. Seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Transfer to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut a 1/2 inch slit on top of each pasty to let out steam. Brush with milk. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until golden.