5 tips for making gluten free cake trifle

May 31
Posted by: Under: Common Questions, Gluten Free Baking

Image from Life Made Delicious

Gluten free cakes can taste better than their gluten counterparts, but there is some special care required if you’d like to use them for a typical layered trifle, like this easy recipe.  Because of the nature of gluten free baked goods, try these tips and your guests will never know that they’re eating a non-glutenous version of the favorite treat:

  1. Use the lightest gluten free cake recipe you have.  This will be so much easier when we finally get Betty Crocker gluten free mixes in Canada!  In the meantime, try this chocolate cake recipe.  Or this vanilla one.
  2. Do NOT soak the cake in alcohol or otherwise.
  3. Add the pudding or whipped cream just before serving.
  4. Dry the fruits well in advance of assembling the trifle.
  5. Assemble just before serving.

What I’m trying to say is, the cake will disintegrate if soaked.  So keep your ingredients dry.  Keep your cream whipped up separately, or better yet use well-set pudding or whipped topping instead.  Assemble all ingredients just before serving.  Add a drizzle of chocolate syrup or raspberry coulis and enjoy!

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Kahlua Mousse

Jan 02
Posted by: Under: Gluten Free Desserts, Recipes, Special Events

Mmmmm.  Thats all I have to say about this divine (& naturally gluten-free) dessert.

Ingredients:

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 Tbsp Kahlua liqueur
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 Tbsp Kahlua liqueur
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • garnish

Directions:

  1. Beat egg yolks and 2 Tbsp Kahlua in top of dbl boiler.  Beat in 1/4 cup sugar and beat until slightly thickened and color lightens.
  2. Place pan over boiling water, cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  3. Set top of dbl boiler in a bowl of cold water.  Beat until mixture is thick, 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Melt chocolate and butter together.  Stir in remaining 2 tbl Kahlua.  Add to egg mixture.
  5. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add remaining sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Add to chocolate mixture.
  6. Beat whipping cream until stiff.  Fold into chocolate mixture.
  7. Spoon mousse into serving dishes (parfait glasses or dessert cups).  Chill 3 hours before serving.

I was going through my old pre-gluten-free recipes, and found a stack of the Great American recipe cards.  I have quite a few of these cards.  Do you remember that subscription service?  When I got married, my Mom subscribed me to the service and I received oodles of recipe cards each month.  I think she was worried that I didn’t know how to cook.  And she was right, I had no idea!!  But I knew how to use the phone, and fortunately for us, we found a cheap long distance plan!  :)  Thanks Mom!

Enjoy!

Sourcing GF Recipes

Oct 14
Posted by: Under: News Miscellany

A stainless steel sauce boat.Honestly?  I only have 5 or 6 gluten free cookbooks.  Most of the time I modify my own pre-GF recipes.  I like them better.  I think my Mom must have spoiled us for boring food.  We grew up on things like stroganof, ala king, home made caesar salad, and for special occasions Chile Rellenos!  YUM.  Come to think of it, I ought to post that recipe here – completely gluten free version!!

Only on Mom-doesn’t-feel-like-cooking days did we ever have a roast stuffed in the oven, or plain old roasted chicken.  B-O-R-I-N-G.  (or perhaps she hid the budget-conscious menu with delicious cooking?)

Anyhow, I’m totally off topic, the point is, that I like my food non-boring.  I am completely UNmotivated to cook things that have no savory sauce, or sweet relish.  And I’m picky with my recipes.  Most recipes that I’ve tried = boring.  So I am in LOVE with recipe zaar website.  I can select main dishes and sauces from 1,000′s of recipes!

What did we DO before the internet?  huh?

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Dear Strawberries: Timmy’s Vs. Starbucks

Oct 31
Posted by: Under: Common Questions, Featured Recipes & Content, Gluten Free Product Reviews

Q:  Which one is better:  Tim Horton’s or Starbucks?

A: Starbucks naturally.  ;) If you are asking about contamination and a cafe, the answer is nearly the same.  Tim Horton’s website declares none of their beverages or products to be gluten free.  Starbucks does not BAKE their own stuff there.  They essentially make beverages and stock the baking.

Tim Hortons is a bakery.  They bake with flour.  And it doesn’t take much to realize that flour get in the air, ducts, fans, etc and can end up anywhere or everywhere.  Nothing is guaranteed gluten free.  However, depending on your comfort level with the risk of contamination, I’m sure a fresh pot of coffee, in a disposable cup wouldn’t likely be contaminated.  Now, if you put sugar in your coffee, all bets are off.  They use a common sugar container when fixing beverages.

So, like I said, Starbucks kicks butt!  :)

Oh, and Happy Halloween!

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The best Lasagne!

Sep 24
Posted by: Under: Gluten Free Main Meals

Ummm.  This ain’t exactly Weight-watcher approved.  But it is delice!

  • 2 cups scramble-fried ground beef
  • 1 jar Prima Vera pasta sauce
  • 1 can stewed tomatoes
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 12 lasagne noodles, cooked per package directions (I use Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagne Noodles)
  1. In a bowl, stir first 3 ingredients together.  Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. In the bottom of a 9×13 pan or casserole dish, place 3/4 cup of sauce or enough to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.
  3. Next layer the noodles carefully across the sauce – 3 to 4 noodles.
  4. Drop by spoon 1/3 of the sauce left.
  5. sprinkle all the parmesan evenly over the sauce.
  6. Layer noodles.
  7. Layer 1/3 sauce.
  8. Sprinkle 1/2 mozzarella cheese across the sauce.
  9. Layer noodles.
  10. Layer last bit of sauce.
  11. Sprinkle remaining mozza cheese over top.
  12. Cook in oven, uncovered for 30 – 45 minutes – until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy! 

You weren’t seriously expecting a picture were you? 

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GF Diet & Weight Watchers

Sep 21
Posted by: Under: Gluten Free Product Reviews, lifestyle, News Miscellany

Hello friends,

We are embarking on a new path in our diets.  Both hubby and I need to loose a few pounds.  Me a few more than he, but who’s counting?  So he has joined weight watchers at work, and is eating on the flex plan – that is the points one.  This is an excellent challenge to us to keep moving forward on our plan of eating healthily.  I’ll be fishing around the web for some GF & WW sites, I’ve heard that it is quite common.  Any links you could suggest, would be oh so appreciated!

More recipes to come this week.  In the meantime, have you tried out the Gluten Free Rice Chex in the States yet?

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