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. 

Lavender Tea Bread (gluten-free, egg-free)

(Adapted from this recipe)

INGREDIENTS: 
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
190 grams King Arthur gluten-free multipurpose flour

90 grams garbanzo bean flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. plain yogurt

METHOD: 

Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat milk with lavender almost to a boil, then steep until cool. Mix flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt together in bowl. In another bowl cream butter and gradually add sugar, then yogurt, beating until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with lavender milk, in three parts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, drizzle with a simple sugar glaze with more dried lavender added to it.

Egg-free raspberry chocolate macarons

I discovered several years ago that I'm sensitive to eggs, and it was only last year that I learned about using aquafaba (chickpea water) as a substitute. It really whips up just like egg whites! I've had macarons before, but it's been a long time and I've never made them myself until recently. For that reason, I found this video incredibly helpful, especially because it provides tips on how to make sure the macarons come out well. Ignore her recipe but pay attention to her method, especially if you've never made these before.

INGREDIENTS: 

Macaron shells:
150 grams aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
1/16 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
100 grams almond meal
90 grams powdered sugar
50 grams superfine sugar
Red food coloring
4 drops raspberry essence

Chocolate ganache: 
4 ounces dark chocolate

3/8 cup cream

1 tablespoon butter


INSTRUCTIONS:

Shells: Drain the liquid from a 15-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). You should get about 150 grams. In a small saucepan, bring the liquid to a simmer, and reduce it to 75 grams. Chill it in the refrigerator (or freezer, but don't let it freeze) until it's very cold.

Sift the almond meal and powdered sugar into a bowl. Set aside. 

Whisk the reduced, cold aquafaba with cream of tartar and salt in a mixer on high until it forms soft peaks. Make sure there is no more liquid left at the bottom of the bowl before moving on to the next step. Gradually add the superfine sugar (if you don't have superfine, you can grind regular sugar in a coffee grinder) while the mixer is turned on. Add drops of food coloring until your meringue is the color you want, and then add the raspberry essence. You should end up with a thick, glossy meringue.

Add half of the almond and powdered sugar mixture to the meringue. Fold gently with a rubber spatula. Add the rest of the almond and powdered sugar mixture, continuing to fold the batter. Keep going until the mixture is viscous and flows off the spatula like lava (again, check out the video above). 

Fill a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle -- or a large ziplock bag with a hole cut in one corner -- with the macaron mixture. Pipe it into 2-inch mounds on a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat or silicone baking paper. This recipe makes about 30 individual macaron shells, so you may need to have a few trays ready.

Once piped, slam the tray on your kitchen counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles. Leave your trays to rest for two hours, or until they're matte and you're able to touch the surface of the shells without anything sticking to your skin. 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake each tray of macarons individually for 28-30 minutes without opening the door. Remove tray from oven and leave to cool thoroughly before peeling macaron shells off from the Silpat or baking paper.

Repeat baking process with remaining trays of macarons.

Filling: Chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl. Heat the cream and butter until it's hot and almost boiling. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth.

Assembly: Place the shells on a kitchen counter with the flat side up (rounded side down). To fill, pipe a thick circle of ganache inside one shell, then sandwich with another shell. Repeat the process until all your shells have been sandwiched.

Place macarons in a box and leave in the fridge overnight -- this gives them time for the textures to even out.

Gluten-free, egg-free pumpkin pie

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:
2 1/3 c. pumpkin puree (roast your own! I used a butterkin pumpkin.)
1 2/3 c. whole milk
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
3.5 T cornstarch
3 T bourbon (optional; if omitted, use a 1 t of lemon juice instead)
Pinch of salt


METHOD:

Roast the pumpkin using the method in the link above. While it's roasting...

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.

Make the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or food processor, just until blended, and pour them into your warm, par-baked pie shell. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 350F and bake for one hour. Let cool completely before serving.

Gluten-free, egg-free chocolate cake

(adapted from a recipe from "Luscious Chocolate Desserts" by Lori Longbotham)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup natural cocoa powder

1/2 cup boiling water

350 grams flour (I used King Arthur's gluten-free multi-purpose blend)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 t salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coffee extract

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/3 cups whole-milk yogurt (I used Strauss)

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (if making a full-sized cake)

DIRECTIONS:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans (2 inches tall), and line the bottoms with parchment. 

Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large, deep bowl until well blended; the mixture will be dry. Add in the applesauce. Reduce speed to low and beat in the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, until blended. Add the cocoa mixture and blend well. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. 

Bake for 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans and turn out when cool. Ice with chocolate buttercream frosting. 

Serves 8-10. 

Cupcakes: Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Makes 28-30. 

Gluten-free, egg-free honey and raisin scones

(Adapted from the recipe in The Pooh Cook Book: Recipes by Katie Stewart)

INGREDIENTS:
80 grams all-purpose gluten-free flour
60 grams garbanzo bean flour*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
1 ounce butter
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
4 tablespoons milk

METHOD
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and move one of your oven racks to the top third of the oven. Mix the flours, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Add the butter, and rub it into the dry ingredients until it's evenly distributed. Add the sugar and raisins and mix them in, and then add the yogurt, milk, honey and xanthan gum. Mix until everything is combined, and let it sit for a moment so the xanthan gum can absorb some of the liquid.

Scoop the dough out onto a floured board, dust the top with a little more flour, and flatten it to about 1/2" thickness, shaping it into a rough rectangle as you go. Cut into about 8 squares and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment. Bake on the upper rack for 12 minutes, until the scones are golden brown. Let them cool slightly before eating.

*If you use Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour, just use 140 grams. It already has the bean flour.

Fruit crumble

I love making crumbles. They're so simple -- way easier than pie -- and at this point I don't really work from a recipe. I just mix, taste, sense. So I'll try to explain the basic idea and you can hopefully work from there.

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 375F and get your baking dish. You can use a pie plate, a glass baking dish, a ceramic baking dish, or even a cereal bowl if it's oven-safe. The one in the picture above is a ceramic mini loaf pan (I think I got it at a craft store for a few dollars). I often use cereal bowls because I want to make just enough for two adults and a kid.

Step 2. Cut up your fruit into bite-sized pieces. The above is a mix of defrosted (formerly frozen) blueberries and fresh strawberries, cut up and mixed. I defrosted the blueberries in the pan so that the juices would stay in it. Cut enough fruit so that the pan is most of the way full but there's maybe 1/2" clearance on top for the topping.

Step 3. Mix some sugar, flour and spices into the fruit. Usually a couple tablespoons of flour is enough for an 8x8" pan of fruit; I used a scant tablespoon for the one above. (Gluten-free flour blends work fine.) Sprinkle a few tablespoons of sugar (again, assuming 8x8" -- use more if your pan is bigger, less if it's smaller), plus a teaspoon of cinnamon and whatever other spices you like: nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, allspice... whatever you have on hand and goes well with the fruit. Mix everything together so the fruit is coated with the sugar, flour and spices. Taste your spoon and see what you think. If it's not enough sugar or spice, add more. If your fruit isn't super-rich tasting, add a spoonful or so of jam and mix it in thoroughly. Apricot jam is good for peaches, berry jams are good with berries. You get the idea.

Step 4. Get a separate bowl for the topping. Scoop some flour in, say 1/2 cup for 8x8". Then add an equal amount of brown sugar. Add some nuts, broken up into small pieces, enough that you'll get a couple in each bite. Or use a handful of oats if you don't like nuts. Add more spices, whatever you used with the fruit. Cut some butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl, starting with a few tablespoons. Now squish everything together with your hands until the butter is well mixed in -- if you don't have enough for the topping to start to stick together, add a little more butter. It should squish but not quite hold together.

Step 5. Pour the topping onto the fruit, and smooth it out until it forms an even layer over the fruit. It's okay if it doesn't cover everything, and it's okay if it's on the thicker side. It all works. Just try to spread it out somewhat evenly.

Step 6. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and put your crumble pan on top of the foil (it's likely to bubble over, and bubbled-over fruit can make your kitchen smoky in a hurry). Pop it in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then check it. If the fruit is bubbling up around the edges of the topping and the topping is golden brown, it's done. If not, keep checking it every 5 minutes or so until it's done.

Brownies

I've been hoping to discover, or come up with, a great brownie recipe for a long time. I think I've found it. It's adapted from this one.

INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons hot water
2 Tablespoons ground flax
245 grams all-purpose gluten-free flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
7 Tablespoons cocoa powder
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
1 teaspoon coffee extract
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup boiling water
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup nuts

In a small mixing bowl mix together the 3 T of water and flax and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put your oven rack on the bottom groove. In an 8x8 baking pan, make a "sling" with two pieces of parchment paper, like this.

In a mixing bowl, blend together the all-purpose flour and baking soda. Set aside. In a larger bowl or your stand mixer, add the cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate, espresso powder/coffee extract and salt. Add the 1/4 cup boiling water and mix until everything's blended and the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the sugar, butter, vanilla, and flax/water mixture and mix again. Add the flour/baking soda blend and mix one more time. 

By now the batter -- more like a dough -- will be really thick. Use a rubber spatula to scoop it into the parchment-lined pan, and then use the spatula to smooth out the dough so it's even. Pop it in the oven. Check after 35 minutes. I found mine needed about 42 minutes before it was done and a toothpick came out clean. Let cool completely -- at least an hour -- before cutting. 

Makes 16 brownies.

Crockpot stock

I've made stock before and was always disappointed with the results. It was thin, watery... not the magical stuff I'd been led to believe it was. Then I discovered making it in the crockpot. There are a couple of secrets: one, cook it for 24 hours, or close to it as you can. Two, put in a little vinegar to demineralize the bones more completely. Three, keep the skin on your onion for a richer color. 

INGREDIENTS:

Carcass from a roast chicken or similar-sized bird (that's half a goose up there)

One onion, cut in half, skin on

Veggies (carrots, parsnips, celery, kale stalks, whatever's handy and will hold up)

1-2 T apple cider or white vinegar

1-2 bay leaves

A dozen or so peppercorns

Whatever spices you like

Water

Salt (to taste; add at the end)

Put everything but the salt in the pot. The bones (you can add extras like chicken feet for more collagen, therefore more gelatin later), onion, vegetables, bay leaves, peppercorns and any other spices (I've used cinnamon before, and star anise -- use the latter if you like pho broth). Add water until everything's just covered, then add a neutral-tasting vinegar. Cook in the crockpot on low for 24 hours. Pull out the solids and strain. Taste, and add salt if it needs it, which it probably will. Use immediately, or store in cup- or quart-sized containers for later use. Stock freezes very, very well. 

Buckwheat Pancakes/Crepes

These were good. Really good. I followed this recipe but I cut it down because 3 cups of buckwheat a) exceeds what comes in a 1-pound bag, b) contains all your calories for a whole day and c) is a lot. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup buckwheat groats (raw, not kasha; I used Bob's Red Mill)

water

salt

fillings!

Put the cup of groats in a large bowl and add a generous amount of water. Let it soak at least 9 hours. (Read more at the link regarding why).  It will get slimy; this is OK. Strain the water out and rinse the slime away, then put the groats in a blender and just barely cover them with water. Add a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. If you don't think it's quite thin enough, add a smidge more water and blend again. 

Put a nonstick pan over high heat. Melt some butter, and when the foam dies down, pour some batter in. Quickly use a spatula to spread the batter out so it's thinner. Work quickly, because these cook fast. Once the batter sets on the first side, flip. I found these held together very, very well, so flipping was easy. In fact, I'll probably use a thinner batter next time to see if I can get the crepes thinner. Cook on the other side until cooked and a little browned. Set this crepe aside, add more butter to the pan, and repeat until you're out of batter.

I filled ours with Greek yogurt/strawberries/a little sugar for sweet crepes, and melted cheddar and baby arugula for savory. I also filled a leftover small one with Nutella. All of them were really delicious, but play with other filling ideas and see what you like best!

Apple-Hazelnut Yogurt with Maple Syrup & Smoked Salt

This is less of a recipe and more of a description, but as I've mentioned before, I love yogurt and am always looking for new combinations of flavors to put in it. So this is plain yogurt, chopped apples, chopped hazelnuts, a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of applewood smoked salt. It was so good I made a second bowl. 

Steamed Chinese Buns

This recipe is adapted from a recipe in The Complete Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon. You can put all kinds of fillings inside. I filled most of a batch with the spinach mix described below, and a few with pre-made sweet bean paste from a local Asian market, but you can figure out other fillings and use them, like traditional pork-ginger or Chinese BBQ pork (which is a lot of work, but worth it if you're craving it).

INGREDIENTS
For the bun dough:
350 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons psyllium husk
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons softened lard (I used bacon fat)
about 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar

For the spinach filling:
3-4 cups roughly chopped baby spinach
3 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons(ish) gluten-free tamari
1-2 tablespoons roasted/black sesame oil

For the dough, mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Put the softened lard or bacon fat in the bowl and rub it into the flour with your fingers until it gets well distributed. Add the vinegar and water. I found that 1/2 cup wasn't enough, but start with that and keep working in water until it forms a soft dough. The psyllium husk will soak up some water and help the flour adhere -- don't omit it! Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

While it's resting, make the filling. Chop the spinach and onions and cook them in a pan with a little olive or vegetable oil. Once it starts to wilt, turn down the heat and add the sesame oil and tamari -- on the latter, add just enough to flavor, but not so much that it gets super wet. Once the spinach is pretty much fully cooked, add the ginger and let it cook in for a couple of minutes. Set this aside to cool a bit. 

After the dough has rested, cut about 10 squares of parchment paper a few inches on a side (you'll steam the buns on these). Get your steamer ready and start boiling water in the pot you're going to use. Lay out a large piece of parchment on your work surface. Break the dough into 8 to 10 evenly sized chunks, and try to work quickly -- my dough dried out a little as I worked, although you can add a little sprinkle of water and re-knead it as you need to.

Take each chunk, work it into a ball, and then flatten it into a disc maybe 1/4" thick and a few inches in diameter, pressing any cracks back together. Put a bit of the spinach filling in the middle, and then gather the edges together until the filling is sealed inside. Turn the bun over and set it join-side down on a square of parchment. It may take one or two to get the hang of a) putting the right amount of filling inside and b) making the buns. After they're all ready, put them in your steamer and, once the water in your pot is boiling, put the steamer in the pot. Steam them for 20 minutes, and serve them warm.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I love pancakes (who doesn't?), but it wasn't until recently that I tried making them with cottage cheese. There are a number of recipes out there with lots of eggs in them, but I can't have eggs, so I've adjusted the idea to come up with something that works for me. I've done these with diced pear before, but blueberries hit the spot today.

INGREDIENTS
140 grams all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. xanthan gum (if using gluten-free flour)
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped fruit (I used frozen blueberries)
butter for the pan

Mix everything together but the fruit and the butter. Start with 1/2 cup milk, but let it rest a minute or two and see if you need to add more milk to loosen and thin the batter (particularly if you're using the xanthan gum). Heat some butter in a nonstick pan and when it's hot, follow your usual method for making smallish pancakes. These are best when 5 inches or less in diameter -- much bigger and they're hard to flip over, especially once the cottage cheese melts! Serve however you like; we had ours topped with Greek yogurt and a little maple syrup.

Kale Slaw

I've started really liking raw kale salads. I know, I know. It started with a grapefruit, kale and sunflower seed salad at Acre. But I recently wanted to make a cole slaw, realized I had a bunch of dinosaur kale in the fridge, and got an idea. This combination of flavors works well to balance out the kale taste (I know some people don't like it), but you're welcome to try other things if you like them.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch dinosaur (lacinato) kale
1 large or 2 small carrots
1 large, crisp apple
plain yogurt
salt & pepper to taste
sunflower seeds

Wash the kale and remove the ribs with a knife. Slice it into very very thin strips and toss it into a bowl. Grate the carrot(s) (grating a bigger one is easier, but use what you have) and apple and toss them in. Pour maybe 1/4 cup yogurt it and toss everything together with tongs. If the yogurt lightly coats everything, you're good. If not, add a little more and keep tossing and adding until everything has a bit of yogurt on it. Sprinkle some salt & pepper in, toss again, and taste to see if you've added enough. Sprinkle the top with sunflower seeds, or another chopped nut or seed if you prefer.