Cherry Clafouti (gluten-free)

Gluten-free cherry clafouti is an easy-peasy way to use up some of the 30 pounds of dark sweet cherries we picked and froze during the summer. I always use the recipe from Simplyrecipes, replacing the white flour with Bob's gluten-free flour mix and using enough cherries to completely cover the bottom of a 10x7 baking dish. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/cherry_clafouti/

Pumpkin Gingerbread

This recipe from Simply Recipes was the basis for the pumpkin gingerbread I made last weekend with a lot of changes to suit my preferences, the ingredients on hand, and my mistakes.  The result was a very dark, thin dry crust encasing a fabulously rich and moist center inside - almost chocolately, although there is no chocolate in pumpkin gingerbread.

• Instead of white flour, used a gluten-free baking mix
• Instead of 1/2 cup brown sugar, added an additional 1/2 cup mixture of blackstrap and Barbados molasses
• Instead of butter, used coconut oil
• Used 2 jumbo eggs and no water
• Used an unmeasured amount more of coconut oil and more gluten-free mix to fix the coconut oil error
• Added 1/4 tsp cardamon 
• Instead of a loaf pan, baked in an 8x8 pan
• Baked for only 40 minutes, not 45-60 minutes. 

When I checked at 40 minutes, the gingerbread was dramatically dark (due to the molasses) and toothpick clean (overcooked?  luckily no).  Any worry that I might have ovemixed the batter - due to forgetting to add the coconut oil until after I mixed the wet and dry ingredients, and then forgetting to measure the melted coconut oil (guestimating an extra Tbsp or two), and then having to mix in several tablespoons of flour incrementally to soak up the oil - proved to be unnecessary.  The additional coconut oil and flour was just right for the square pan.   

(Note to self: if a recipe is worth writing about, write it down the day you make it.)
(Another Note to self: if a recipe might be worth writing about, remember to take a picture before most of it has been eaten.)  

Since I made so many changes, I guess it really isn't the same recipe at all, thus my Fool-Proof Pumpkin Gingerbread Recipe below.  Any variations from liquid to dry sweetener, size of eggs, liquidness of the pumpkin puree can be adjusted by adding water (3T in the Simply Recipes recipe that used brown sugar and normal size eggs)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease 8x8 ceramic glass pan with coconut oil

1. Combine the 7 dry ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (200 g) Gluten-free baking mix, plus about 1 -2 more Tbsp ??? ( or all-purpose flour) 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon 

2. Combine the 5 wet ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin purée (roasted pie pumpkin- was very thick, but could also use canned) 
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (plus 1 or 2 Tbsp)??? 
• 1 cup (240 ml) of mixed blackstrap and barbados molasses 
• 1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 
• 2 Jumbo eggs, beaten 

3. Mix the dry mixture with the wet mixture

• Adjust as needed with flour or water 

4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes

• Check with toothpick at 35 minutes 
• Cool and then cut in small squares

Pumpkin Hummus and Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Sunday, October 21 and it is unseasonably frigid due to blustery winds and a high temperature of 40 degrees.  It took less than a minute outside to decide today would be an indoor day.  I ran back inside and decided it was good day to use up vegetables I had previously frozen, especially the bag of frozen  cooked mashed winter quash in 1 cup scoops from last winter.  It was either pie pumpkin or hubbard squash - one of the sweeter types of winter squash.

My first idea was to make pumpkin soup, but that is too easy and not very imaginative.  Instead, I made a paleo pumpkin bread and pumpkin hummus (no chickpeas).  As I type this post, I am eating the hummus with celery and the last orange pepper from the garden (with an apple cider and selzer drink).   The hummus is amazingly good.  If Phil doesn't get home soon, there will be none left for him.  The pumpkin bread will be paired with the jar of homemade pumpkin maple butter that Michelle brought last weekend.  I'll try to wait until tomorrow to try the pumpkin bread.  We'll see how that works out.

Pumpkin Hummus

• 3/4 cup cooked mashed pumpkin 
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 TBSP tahini
• 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt

Whirl all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Chill in fridge for about an hour for flavors to develop.  Serve with colored peppers, celery, and other crunchy vegetables, such as radishes and kohlrabi.  I ate it with celery and the last of an orange pepper. I think Phil will enjoy it with cauliflower florets and kohlrabi.

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

I looked at quite a few recipes on line and decided Dr. Axe's recipe made the most sense, although I added more baking soda and spices and also added chopped walnuts and raised oven temp to 350.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use coconut oil to prepare loaf pan.

• 1 cup almond flour
• ¼ cup coconut flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda (I raised to 1 tsp)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (did not use, instead added 1/4 to 1/2  tsp each of ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg)
• 3–4 eggs (I used 3 jumbo eggs)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¾ cup pumpkin (mashed)
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Combine first 6 dry ingredients in a small bowl.  (I sifted to get lumps out of almond flour)
2. In a larger bowl, whisk the eggs, then the maple syrup, then the pumpkin, and last the melted coconut oil.
3. Stir the dry mix into the wet mixture. Stir in walnuts.  Will look too wet but in a minute it will dry up.
4. Put mixture into loaf pan and bake 45-55 minutes. (At 45 minutes, it seemed cooked, but dented in the middle when pressed, so baked it another 7 minutes)

Inspiration: https://draxe.com/recipe/gluten-free-pumpkin-bread/

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake

You don’t need to be very precise with the measurements in this recipe - I certainly wasn’t and it came out good.

Line 8 or 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Crust:  

• 1 cup dates
• 2 cup walnuts (or almonds, cashews, whatever nut(s) you like- I used walnuts)

1. Process in food processor until sticky.
2. Add and process 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil to make it really stick together.
3. Press crust into pan. 

Strawberry Mixture

• 1 TBSP gelatin 
• 2 TBSPs cold water 
1. Mix together and let set for at 1-2 minutes (or longer, it doesn’t matter). Set aside.
• 1 pound strawberries (mine were frozen)
• 1/4 cup sugar

1. Heat strawberries and sugar on stovetop until berries are very soft.
2. Use immersion blender until smooth.
3. Stir gelatin mix into hot strawberry mixture until dissolved.
4. Set aside about 3/4 cup for top of cake. 

Cream Cheese Mixture

• 1 pound cream cheese (softened a little)
• 1/2 cup sugar (regular or confectioners - I used regular)
• 2 TBSP lemon juice (to taste)
• Strawberry mixture (minus the 3/4 cup set aside for top of cake)

1. Using paddle attachment if you have it, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.
2. Beat in rest of strawberry mixture. 

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream (I used closer to 1.5 cups)

1. Beat  heavy cream until peaks form.
2. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.
3. Pour into pan and smooth. 
4. Chill for about 2 hours.
5. Pour the 3/4 cup strawberry mixture on top.
6. Chill.
7. Decorate as you wish with fresh strawberries or not.