Gluten-free, egg-free Irish soda bread

Adapted from this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

250 grams all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used King Arthur)

125 grams garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup sugar (if you're making it sweet)

1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick = 8 Tbsp.) cold, unsalted butter
2/3 cup currants or raisins
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

6 tablespoons water

For brushing on loaf:
1 Tbsp. melted butter

METHOD:

Mix the ground flax seeds and water and set aside for 10 minutes. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own by putting a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in an 8-ounce container and filling it the rest of the way with milk. Set this aside for about 10 minutes, too. 

Preheat your oven to 375F. Blend all the dry ingredients. Break the butter into small pieces and put it into the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the dough with your hands or a pastry cutter. 

Mix in the flax meal/water mixture and the buttermilk. Add the currants or raisins and mix them in. (You can use other kinds of dried fruit instead, if you like, or omit the sugar and use savory ingredients -- for example, a few chopped scallions and a few ounces of grated cheese). The mixture should form a dough. If it's too dry, add a little water. If it's too wet, add a little flour. 

Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Form the dough into a round loaf and place it on the parchment. Cut a cross shape into the top, and brush the top with the melted butter. 

Put the loaf into the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking the loaf regularly to make sure it doesn't overbake. It's done when the bottom is crusty, the top is golden and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom. 

Let it cool completely before cutting. 

Note: the original recipe calls for xanthan gum (Since xanthan gum sometimes irritates my stomach, I used flax + water instead, both as a substitute for the gum and for one egg). This loaf will come out somewhat flat if you follow the recipe above. Xanthan gum may yield a taller loaf. Experiment and see! 

"Blackeyepeas"

A traditional recipe, passed down by my partner's Kentucky ancestors.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas
Ham shank, cut into two or more pieces*
1 medium onion (can be red, white or yellow, whatever is on hand)
Freshly ground pepper
Water

METHOD:

Soak the peas overnight in a large bowl, covered with plenty of water. They will expand, and you want them to remain covered by water as they swell.

In the morning, pour off the water. 

Put the ham shank into the bottom of the crock pot. Cover with some of the soaked peas. Add the onion, cut in half. You can leave the skin on or remove it, but keeping the ends on makes it easier to remove the onion from the pot later. Add the rest of the peas on top of the onion halves.

Grind pepper on top, as much as you think you'd like. 

Pour 4 cups of water on top of everything. Ideally it should cover everything. If not, add more.  

Turn to high and cook for at least 6-7 hours, then reduce to low until supper time. If the pot gets too dry, add a little hot water.

Don't add salt before cooking -- there's usually more than enough salt in the ham. You can always add salt to taste after it's done cooking. 

Remove the onion. Remove the bones and skin from the ham shank and separate the meat into small chunks. Stir the meat into the peas. Serve over rice, with collard greens sauteed in some of the bean broth, and skillet corn bread. 

*Ham shank is getting harder and harder to find. You can use ham hocks, but they are smaller and yield less meat. One is enough for this recipe. Two often makes it too salty.

Gluten-free, egg-free Irish barmbrack

My version of the popular Irish bread is adapted from this one. It's traditional at Halloween, but I've been craving it recently. This recipe changes a few things: it replaces the guar gum, xanthan gum and egg with two "flax eggs," and one-third of the flour blend is garbanzo bean flour.

INGREDIENTS:

210 grams King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose flour*
105 grams garbanzo bean flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dry yeast
2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 6 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 chopped candied ginger

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200° F / 93° C. Place a shallow baking dish with a half inch of hot water in oven. Turn off oven. This creates a good environment for the bread to quickly rise.

Grease a small 8×4-inch loaf pan OR a 8-inch deep dish pie plate (for a round loaf).

Combine flour, salt and ground ginger in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Mix the flax meal and water in a small bowl and set aside.

Pour water and milk into a small saucepan. Add butter and sugar and warm over low heat just until the butter starts to melt. Remove from heat, stir and cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over the liquid mixture and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Gradually pour the yeasty liquid mixture into the dry mixture, add the flax-water mixture and cider vinegar and beat with an electric mixer or a stand mixer on medium speed. Increase mixer speed and beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Add grated lemon peel, raisins and chopped candied ginger and beat just until combined. Use a spatula to pour the thick, shaggy batter into prepared pan. Place uncovered in warmed oven (with heat off). Allow to rise until double in size, about 40 minutes.

Remove the bread from oven and turn oven temperature to 375° F / 190° C. When oven reaches this temperature, place the bread back in the oven. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool a while. Serve warm with butter.

Yield: 1 loaf.

*King Arthur's all-purpose flour is one of the only gluten-free flour blends on the market that doesn't come pre-mixed with xanthan gum, which can sometimes cause gastrointestinal issues. 

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Bean Mascarpone

INGREDIENTS:

Crust:
1 pkg gluten-free ginger snaps
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt

Filling:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
¾ c sugar 
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt

Topping:
1 8oz pkg mascarpone (may want to double)
1 vanilla bean
¼ c - ½ c sugar

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  

Crumble cookies in a food processor with cinnamon and salt. Drizzle melted butter in and pulse again until well mixed. Press crumbs done into a 9” spring-form pan and set aside.

Beat cream cheese until smooth (can use paddle attachment on Kitchen Aid). Add sour cream, pumpkin puree and sugar. (Can adjust amount of sugar to taste.) Add corn starch Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. Add vanilla extract.

Pour filling into pan. Bake for about 45 minutes until the filling has set to the center. (Might take an extra half hour.)

Let cheesecake rest until mostly cooled (about an hour). Refrigerate until completely chilled (about two hours).  

Whisk mascarpone with sugar and scraped vanilla bean.  Spread thinly over chilled cheesecake. 

Chocolate cherry pecan bread -- gluten and egg free

Man, I did NOT get a good photo of this bread, but trust me, it was pretty. And tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

110 grams King Arthur gluten-free multipurpose flour

65 grams garbanzo bean flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped fresh cherries

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt

3/4 cup plus a splash of milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease one 8-inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pecans, cherries, and chocolate chips. In a smaller bowl whisk together the yogurt, milk, oil and almond extract until blended, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just blended. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let loaves sit in pans for 5 minutes, then remove and transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Chocolate pecan pie -- gluten and egg free!

This is seriously the best pie I've ever made. Adapted from the Smitten Kitchen recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:
2.5 T ice water
1.5 T sour cream
1/2 T rice vinegar
6.5 oz gluten-free flour blend (I like King Arthur's, but Cup4Cup and Bob's Red Mill also work)
1.5 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t xanthan gum
8 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and frozen for at least 15 minutes

For the filling:
4 oz. dark chocolate

1/4 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup golden syrup
A pinch or two of sea salt
2 cups (225 grams) pecan halves
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch + 6 tablespoons water

METHOD:

Make the crust: Combine ice water, sour cream, and vinegar together in a bowl. Pulse flour blend, sugar, salt and xanthan gum together in food processor until combined. Scatter butter over the top and pulse mixture until butter is pea sized. Pour the sour cream mixture over flour mixture and pulse until dough comes together.

Flatten into a 5" disc and tightly wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Before rolling let dough sit out for 15 minutes to soften slightly. Roll it between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until it's 12" around, then use the plastic wrap to maneuver it into a pie plate. Fold and crimp around the edges. Cover loosely with plastic and freeze for 15 minutes, until firm.

Heat oven to 375F and bake pie dough for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway. I highly recommend using pie weights for this since the dough has the tendency to shrink/slump.

For the chocolate layer: After rolling out and parbaking your crust, put it in the freezer until solid, about 15 minutes. Melt 4 ounces of dark chocolate chunks with 1/4 cup heavy cream until smooth. Spread over bottom of cooled crust. Freeze the crust again until the chocolate is solid, about another 20 minutes, before pouring in pecan mixture.

Make the filling: Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice so that they toast evenly. Set aside until needed. If you like smaller bits, you can chop them.

In medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, cornstarch, water and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in pecans, cider vinegar, vanilla and bourbon (if using). Pour into a bowl (so that it cools faster) and set the mixture aside to cool a little, about 5 to 10 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell.

Bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes. The pie is done with the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm but a little jiggly. Cool on a rack.

Gluten-free, egg-free sponge cake

Makes two regular-height 8" round cake layers, or three thin layers.

Ingredients:
190 grams King Arthur multi-purpose gluten-free flour blend
70 grams chickpea flour
4.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
105 grams butter, softened
90 grams sugar
1.5 tablespoons golden syrup or honey
1 cup milk

Method: 
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease 8" round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment.

Sift the flours, baking powder and xanthan gum into a bowl.

Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup or honey together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add a little flour, then a little milk, and repeat until all of the flour and milk has been added and the mixture is smooth and well combined. (Add a little extra milk or water if the mixture is too stiff.)

Divide the mixture between the cake pans. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown.

Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Remove the cakes from the tins and set aside to cool completely.

Finish as desired.