Tag: gluten-free baking

Gluten-Free Asparagus + Goat Cheese Tart

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

IMAG4181

Sometimes the hardest part of the market is talking about food all day………

This is true. Five in the morning is too early to eat for me. By noon, when the market ends, however, I cannot seem to get food fast enough. The struggle is real to be surrounded by food. All morning I’ll eye people carrying a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Add to that, that my neighbor has gorgeous asparagus. And you know it’s good because he sells out by 10:30 every weekend.

All morning my brain races with dishes I want to make. I am constantly conceptualizing. And talking with people who stop by my booth, typically leads to more food conversations (I am a baker, this should be expected). I am talking and creating at the same time. My excitement for a new recipe grows as the day goes.

When I was brainstorming Easter recipes I had thought asparagus tart.

And every Saturday as I sit next to my neighbor I think: asparagus tart.

Finally we bought some asparagus. And finally I have made a tart.

There are some vegetables, which are so good, I could eat them all the time. One woman claimed that by the end of asparagus season, she is over asparagus. Blasphemous.

I could eat asparagus every day.

I could eat cabbage every day. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Asparagus + Goat Cheese Tart” →

Gluten-Free Mango Curd Tart

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

IMAG4020

I have been loving some fruit curd lately!

If you’ll recall, last week I featured a Gluten-Free Grapefruit Meringue Pie.

That same day I also made a Mango Curd Tart.

Lately I have also been loving some mango and I am always down for some tropical flavor profiles. So I but some big, beautiful coconut flakes on the top.

Delicious!

It’s amazing how my husband and I work, though. I instantly gravitated towards the mango, whereas he claimed the grapefruit. Just like today I made pavlovas. Again I leaned into the mango and he Claimed the banana caramel for himself.

I think I like the refreshing quality the mango curd provides.

What is nice about this recipe, is that you may choose to break it up. You may want to top it differently. Add coconut into your pie crust dough.

OR

You can just use the mango curd in different things.

Fill a cupcake with it…………

Smear it on a bagel…………………

Put it on your pancakes ………………..

Use it on a fruit pizza……………………….

Put it on a pavlova (more on this later this week)……………

Use it to top your ice cream (I am thinking a Blueberry Goat Cheese- something I’ve conceptualized, which I will eventually make)…………………………………………

Get creative. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Mango Curd Tart” →

Strawberry Pie Bites

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

17424685_10101707867417273_8001531134739426699_n.jpg

I saw little bites like this, probably about a year ago. I have been waiting for the perfect moment to try them. I think part of what held me back was uncertainty. I wasn’t sure if my dough would hold up. Sometimes it is softer, so I wasn’t sure if the shape would hold.

I put it on my market menu, holding myself then for actually making them.

I was determined. So I started brainstorming on how to remedy my problem. I cut down the amount of butter. And refrigerated the dough long enough. And this did the trick. I was able to shape them perfectly. I placed them in the freezer to keep the shape. Filled each little well with strawberry filling. And stuck them back in the freezer. I have learned with making gluten-free pies, freezing is my friend. I freeze to keep shape. Plus this helps me stay organized. I prep my pies during the week, working on them a little here and a little there. Then on Friday’s all I have to do is bake them fresh. This means I no longer spend all day prepping and baking. I feel less rushed. And I am able to give greater focus and energy to what I’m making. Plus I get to give each pie the attention it needs each time I work on them. I walk away feeling like I have truly done my best.

My vote is that I loved these little bites, if I did them again I would probably make them a tiny bit smaller. But I like the proportion of filling to salty, flaky crust. It’s my kind of thing. Plus one little bite, makes you feel treated without feeling guilty.

Strawberry Pie Bites

  • 1 patch of Paleo Pie Dough
  • 1 pint of strawberries
  • 1 tbsp tapioca flour
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Continue reading “Strawberry Pie Bites” →

Gluten-Free Coconut Cake

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

IMAG3749.jpgThe first cake I posted this week (Lemon Rosemary Naked Cake, click the link to check it out), had all the bells and whistles, as far as naked cakes goes. So I wanted to make something even simpler. Hence this beautiful, understated coconut cake. I know coconut is hit or miss on people taste preferences, but I am a BIG fan. I have always enjoyed the taste of coconut. And I will confess my mind was racing with pairings. I could make a mango curd to fill this with. Maybe pineapple, I’ll make it tropical. I’ll toast the coconut. My head was racing with ideas. I could have went wild. But something in my mind said: restraint. Restrain yourself for once Brittany. Let the cake stand on its own, you don’t need all those extra things. Just make a GOOD, simple cake.

And that is what I have done.  A nice pairing to go with the lemon cake I made for Easter. You are free to add more to this recipe, this is what I chose. Feel free to toast the coconut. Drip some caramel on the top. Dress it up with fresh flowers. Fill the layers with mango or pineapple. Let your creativity run free. Design cake representative of you, your tastes, and soul-fitting. Do just make the coconut cake, though, it really amazing (and that is coming from a cake skeptic).

IMAG3766.jpgNaked Coconut Cake Continue reading “Gluten-Free Coconut Cake” →

Gluten-Free Naked Lemon Cake

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

IMAG3777.jpgGetting married last year did get me thinking about cake designs. Granted I don’t typically like cake. And I ended up making 9 cheesecakes instead, but I was drawn to the rustic, naked cakes. I liked there raw beauty appeal. It feels like it suits my soul. I am a simple soul. I love the woods. Hiking trails. I consider mountains to be a magnetic force that I am drawn to, even if it’s just to stand and stare in awe of one. I don’t like extravagance. I would have less, and be rich in experiences and adventure. I just want to love people and bake. In a nut-shell that is it. I appreciate beauty, but not the bling, over-the-top beauty. I enjoy a subtle, natural beauty. As I said I am a tree, nature girl. I enjoy baking pies. And when I do make cake, I seek that same rustic appeal. That raw edge. And I seek flavors that I enjoy. Like lemon. And coconut (coming next)

Especially being a recovering perfectionist, I need to challenge myself to pursue projects that don’t need to be perfect. The slight messiness, is what makes this beautiful to me. And it breaks my habit (that’s why I usually like wearing my hair curly rather than straight anymore, curly it is meant to be wild and untamed, not perfect). Lemon curd that drips down the sides, and frosting that doesn’t have to be flawlessly smoothed, is good for my recovery.

Easter is coming up, which means I’ll be heading to my grandparents. We have several non-gluten eaters, so I like to make something festive. Plus I had some leftover coconut flour, which is tricky to work with (it can get dense or chalky), but I have found it works well in cakes.

What is also about this cake is you can add and subtract if you want. Take the rosemary out of the lemon curd (lavender would be lovely too). Or subtract the meringue. Maybe you just want frosting and some lemon slices. Or you just wanted frosting and fresh flowers (or succulents). Make this cake fit your personal tastes and desires. This is just to give you options. Let your creativity run free.

IMAG3770.jpgLemon Cake Continue reading “Gluten-Free Naked Lemon Cake” →

Salted Caramel Gluten-Free Brownies

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

IMAG3672

Happy Tuesday Beautiful People!

Thank you for tuning into the blog today. Yesterday I shared a post on brownies. My first ever brownie recipe on this website. I couldn’t just do one small post. Or just make plain old brownies. I had to dress some of them up.

So I kept some to make ice cream with. I made two with salted caramel (what you’re experiencing right now) and two surprise ones (coming Thursday). I also did a brownie in a mug (coming Friday).

There are so many ways to doctor up your brownies. I was contemplating whipping up a goat cheese cream cheese frosting, folded in with Brittany style oreos, you know Cookies N’Cream brownies. I also thought of making a goat cheese blend to swirl in with blackberries. But I am a caramel girl at heart. I’ll admit, I have gone round and round with making it. Half the time it works out. Half the time I get burnt (and I do mean physically as well, I’ve taken some knarly burns from hot caramel). This caramel was easy and turned out like a dream. I was over-the-moon happy with the results.

Sprinkle a little sea salt over the top. What more could you want?

I made the caramel afterwards, otherwise, I would have played with swirling some into the brownie batter. You filling it. If you want to try, give it a go. Pour in half the batter. drizzle in caramel. Pour on the other half of the brownie batter.

These were excellent with the coconut flour, but I would be interested to see them with almond flour. If you need dairy-free, swap the butter for coconut oil, I had more butter on hand than oil.

Be warned: these are rich! You do not need very much.

IMAG3665Salted Caramel Gluten-Free Brownies Continue reading “Salted Caramel Gluten-Free Brownies” →

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

by bepaulin, posted in Uncategorized

imag2955

This is the last of ALL the lemon recipes I made about a month ago! And it may be favorite.

I don’t know what got me on the kick, for some reason, I really wanted to make some lemons bars, which is weird that these started it all, but I’m posting it last.

Also I have to say, I put them in the freezer, and they were better from the freezer than they were fresh. Weird, but I find with a lot of my gluten-free baking, I like it from the freezer over fresh.

If I were to do this again the only thing I would do is even up the proportions. I have a silicone mold for 6 bars and that was what I was determined to make. However, that means I put a lot of crust dough in each one. So if I were to do this again, I would make 8-10 bars and double the filling recipe to put more in each one.

Lemon Bars

Crust:

  • 1 cup grass-fed butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Filling (I’ve already doubled it here for you)

  • 8 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1 1/3 cup lemon juice

Continue reading “Gluten-Free Lemon Bars” →