Gluten Free Adventures: Baked Apple Crisp

The Nesting Season Continues

It wouldn't be fall without the warm smell of baked apples in the oven. This evening I made a yummy gluten free apple crisp in the oven; nothing tastes more like fall!

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

6-8 small apples (I used a mixture of pink lady & granny smith)
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg 

Topping:
2/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 cup GF Quaker Oats 
2/3 cup melted butter

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and warm and the apples are soft. Cook longer if you like softer apples, a tad less for my crunch.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of salted carmel sauce and viola- the perfect fall treat!

GF Adventures: Breakfast Tartlet

Sunday brunch is a  thing my family would do quite frequently after church when all of us kids were home. Now that several of us have moved and went to college, we do not get to do it as often. This particular weekend my aunt is visiting from Minnesota and Tyler is home from university, so my mom wanted to have the family together on Sunday morning. Being gluten free can be a bugger when it comes to brunch; there are so many yummy options like pancakes, waffles, quiche, muffins … none of which I can have. So I decide to make one of my favorite brunch options: Danielle Walker's 'Breakfast Pizza with Gruyere, Baked Eggs & Bacon'. It's a really simple recipe, quite quick and a treat that you wouldn't even know is gluten free! 

Breakfast Pizza with Gruyere, Baked Eggs

Original post: Danielle Walker - AgainstAllGrain 

Serves: 6 

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 cups blanched almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

For the Pizza

• ¼ cup Crème fraîche (scd legal), or Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• 7 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
• 4 eggs
• fresh chives
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the dough ingredients in a stand mixer until the a soft dough comes together in a ball. Press the dough into a tart pan, then bake the crust for 10 minutes.

Mix the Crème fraîche and Gruyère in a bowl and add a dash of salt and pepper

Spread the cheese mixture in the bottom of the baked tart shell, then layer the bacon on top.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degree

Bake the tart for 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese, then remove it and carefully crack the eggs on top.

Return it to the oven and bake it for another 7-10 minutes, until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft. If you prefer more well-done yolks, leave the tart in the oven for 2-3 minutes more. The whites will look slightly underdone due to the oils from the cheese, but they will be set.

Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

Nesting Season Part 1

I don’t know if it’s my Scandinavian roots coming out, or being a Midwestern girl but this time of the year evokes a season my family calls the “nesting season”. It’s that transitional time between summer and fall where the mornings are crisp and the nights are cool. The trees are clinging to their last bit of green, the crackle of a fire draws you to the flame like a moth to the light, and the bathing suits disappear into the back of the drawers in preparation for chunky scarves and knit socks.

One of the most tell tailing signs that I’ve reached that season is an unquenched thirst for apple cider and the need to be in the kitchen all weekend. So I guess you would say I am officially in nesting mode as I’ve bought my just gallon of fresh apple cider and have slowly found myself nestled into the kitchen with an apron around my hips more often than not. I love it, it’s my thing. Unfortunately in my pre-gluten free life I could bake all sorts of yummy treats to share with friends and family: pies, bars, cakes, dumplings, and everything else that has gluten in it. Now it’s a little trickier to make things gluten free but I’ve adapted (and I occasionally I break down and bake treats and just pawn them off on friends)

After a stop at the local farmers market to get a half peck of Cortland apples, a cup of hot apple cider in hand and a pumpkin soufflé candle burning, I was ready to break into the season of nesting with a homemade apple crisp.

5-7 cups apples:  peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp gluten free flour (I used mix of almond & coconut flour)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup GF oats (I may have added 2 cups- I love oats!)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Set oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 8x8 pan.  In a Ziploc bag, add the 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 tbsp GF flour, vanilla, lemon juice, & apples.  Shake until apples are well-coated and pour into bottom of pan.  In a mixing bowl, add the oats, 1/2 cup GF flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and butter.  Stir.  Place mixture over the apples.  Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream and a drizzle of salted carmel.

Snow Day Adventures

That anticipation. Wondering if the call will come in. Fingers crossed. Finally 6am rolls around and the call comes, work is closed! What a glorious phone call!! I don't think I have been this excited for a snow day since high school. Snowpocolypse was here and the world appeared as it was coming to an end; good luck finding a loaf of bread within a 5 mile radius. 

So what does the Traveling Cupcake do on her snow day?
1) Snuggle with her puppy (after doing an intense flexibility Pilates workout: note the fun rebounder in the background) 

2) Be amazed by God's creation, covered white with snow

3) Bring the puppy out in her cute pink snow coat and watch her explore this new world

4) Help your brother shovel your car out of the garage 

5) My favorite thing: bake bake bake.

I haven't had a chance to create a stock pile of gluten-free, healthy snacks for weeks it seems so I took this opportunity to spend a good 6-hours in the kitchen food prepping for the weeks ahead. Here's just a few highlights from the day: 

Blueberry Bark

Protein Peanut Butter "Cookies"

Rice Krispy Treats...okay these aren't actually that healthy, but they are Gluten Free :) 

Seriously, spending time in the kitchen is one of my favorite things! I also made a GF chicken and asparagus stir-fry, meatloaf for a later date, peanut butter protein cups (healthier version of a Reese), homemade granola and I may or may not have broken down and made chocolate pudding...but I won't say.

Jack had a friend spend the night so I spent the rest of the night hunkered down watching every great movie out there: You've Got Mail, The Holiday, Notting Hill, Father of the Bride I & II, and of course Pride & Prejudice... while enjoying a glass or three of Pinot Grigio, hey it's gluten-free!

I hope you all enjoyed Snowpocalypse 2014 and had just as great of a day as we did!

GF Adventures: Homemade Chewy Bars

The weekend is prep time for me: prepping for lunches, snacks and dinners throughout the week. By the time I get off work, head to Crossfit and bust my butt (almost literally), drive home and shower it's nearly 8 p.m. and who wants to be on the struggle bus trying to eat a healthy, gluten free meal? This means no calling to pick up a pizza on the way home, no cereal and toast night, or throwing pasta on the stove for a quick pasta meal. Gluten-free, organic living calls for a little planning ahead. One of the things I miss is having quick grab-on-the-go snacks like granola bars so when I saw one of my favorite people ever, Ree aka The Pioneer Woman, posted a yummy looking granola bar recipe I decided to tackle it today and convert it to GF! 

[Chocolate Chip] Granola Bars

• 6 cups Rolled GF Oats (not Quick Oats)
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted, Plus More For Greasing
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/4 cup Apple Juice
• 1/4 cup Molasses
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cup GF Rice Krispies
• 1/4 cup Roughly Chopped Almonds
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Or Dark Chocolate (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, toss the oats with the canola oil, melted butter and salt. Spread the mixture out on 2 baking sheets and toast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan twice and making sure they don't burn. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, apple juice and molasses. Heat the mixture slowly, stirring until all combined. Stir in the vanilla

Toss together the toasted GF oats, GF rice cereal, pecans and almonds. Pour in the sugar mixture, stirring as you pour. Toss to combine; it will be sticky!

Press into 1 baking sheet (thoroughly greased with butter, or line pan with foil and grease foil) and bake until golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut pieces with a sharp knife and remove from the pan.

They turned out nice and crunchy and the chocolate melted nicely. Now it's time to let them cool, wrap them up and store for the week!