Gluten Free Spiced Bundt Cake with Cranberries & Orange Glaze

Happy Halloween! Can you believe another month of 2020 is gone? Though Halloween is definitely not my favorite holiday (go here to read more on that!) I really enjoy the flavors of fall. And while I may not be in a witch’s hat, scaring small children that are looking for full-size candy bars, I do enjoying having baked goods that feel festive.

These past two months, I have not been able to spend as much time in the kitchen as I would like. My mom, sister, and I have been putting the rubber to the proverbial road, as we are chairing the largest Christmas market in Dallas. Due to Covid, we have pivoted the Market to be completely online. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience, taking a 43-year-old Market, and bringing it into a world of unknowns—all while raising money for the 14 beneficiaries that the Market supports. The hard work is worth it because the Chi Omega Christmas Market is going to open for the “12 Days of Christmas” on November 10th and over 100 small businesses will get to sell their wares! Our goal is to spread Christmas cheer across North Texas and we are so excited to share the online Market with the community.

But, as I mentioned before, I had to trade my apron in for my blue light glasses, as I stared at my computer, plugging away at my Market to-do list. I knew I missed the kitchen when, a few weeks ago, I had a dream about a bundt cake that had all of the flavors of fall. What—you don’t dream about baked goods, too? Inspired, I knew I had to carve out some time in the kitchen and to save some time with trial and error, I implemented a gluten-free cake mix and elevated it with spices, dried fruit, sugar, and applesauce! This perfectly spiced cake with dried cranberries and orange glaze and zest was the result. And I will even give you a few tips on how to get your bundt out of your pan without losing the top of the cake!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 box Simple Mills Vanilla Almond Flour Cake Mix (gluten-free)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons orange zest

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

• 3 eggs

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted (cooled slightly)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 1/4 cup applesauce

Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

• 5 tablespoons powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, salt, baking powder, spices, sugar, zest, and cranberries. Mix until well incorporated.

3. In another bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, and melted butter, that has been cooled. You don’t want to scramble the eggs!

4. Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix together.

5. In a well-greased bundt pan, pour cake batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

6. Once an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean, take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

7. Now let’s get that cake out of the pan: After letting sit for 10 minutes, take a knife or an offset spatula, and run it along the sides and center of the bundt pan, releasing the cake from all sides of the pan.

8. Place a rack or plate on top of the cake bottom, and turn over. Hold breath while you uncover and discover your prayers have been answered!

9. Once the cool cake is cool enough to touch, let’s work on that glaze! In a bowl, whisk together: butter, powdered sugar, and orange juice.

10. Pour glaze on to cake—get into those crevices! Top with more cranberries and orange zest for garnishing, cut, and serve!

Gluten Free Biscuits

As we close out September, a month that already holds some of my favorite dates (including my birthday!), who knew September was also National Biscuit Month? As if I needed more reasons to celebrate in September? Gluten free biscuits proved to be a tough feat and required countless recipe tests, including testing out different gluten free flours. The fluffy texture can be difficult to achieve; highly processed flour tends to be thirsty, so it is very easy for the dough to turn out too wet or too dry. In addition to those hurdles, getting the leavener to rice flour ratio correct will make you act like a pastor from the pulpit—praying over your biscuit dough out loud that it will be delivered! And let’s not even talk about the lack of browning issue. However, the Good Lord saw fit to give gluten free flour one fabulous redemptive quality: no gluten. Wait—what…duh, Savannah, they don’t have gluten. Let us not forget what causes biscuit makers ‘round world go red in the face—that’s right: gluten development. But allay your fears, because you do not have to worry about overworking this dough. Unlike your standard all-purpose flour when liquid is added, gluten does not develop its typical strands, because there is none to develop. My friends these were worth the wait and the countless testing because I am a big believer in biscuits for all! Recipe is below and now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go take a nap…

Biscuits to all and to all a good nap… Oh no, I’ve conflated Christmas and carbs again! Zzzz…Zzzz…..Zzzzz…

Ingredients:

 - 4 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Flour (plus one cup for dusting and flouring biscuit cutter)

- 1 teaspoon salt (I use Diamond Kosher)

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda

-1 stick of cubed/cold european butter

• Plus additional 6 tablespoons of melted butter (3 tbs for greasing the pan and 3 tbs for brushing the tops once cooked)

-2 cups of buttermilk (Don’t have buttermilk, don’t be sour ;) … you can make it as fast as you can say “I’m out of buttermilk”… measure out as much milk as you need and then add in one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice per cup. Let sit for 10 minutes and you are good to go!)

Yields:

 12-14 Biscuits

Method

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.

2. Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut cubed, cold butter into dough. Breaking up into pea size pieces and a crumbling texture.

3.  Make a well in the center for the flour mixture and pour in buttermilk. I always add in the first cup and a half of buttermilk, and then add the remaining 1/2 as needed.

4. Use a spatula to wipe down sides of bowl while working to combine. Once brought together, turn out onto a floured surface.

5. Knead gently, about 5-7 times, until dough has a smooth consistency.

6. Then begin the folding portion: flour your rolling pin, and then begin rolling our your dough into a rectangle about 6 in. wide and 12 in. long and about half an inch thick, take bottom side of dough, and fold the dough in half. The bottom edge and the top meet. Turn the dough, to the right once, then roll out again (to about half an inch), and then fold in half and turn back to the left. Complete this folding process 5 times—you are building layers into your biscuits.

7. Flour your cutter and punch out 7-8 biscuits with 2¾ inch biscuit cutter (second to largest in set). Combine and roll scraps and cut out remaining biscuits. **Do not twist the cutter when you push down, this will pinch the seams shut that you just worked so hard to create. Keep the motion up and down, and flour your cutter between each cut.

8. Pour 3 tablespoons of melted butter into a skillet, and then place your biscuits. The melted butter will help the bottoms crisp and brown on the bottom.

   **Remember, biscuits are friendly and LOVE neighbors! So make sure they are touching!

9. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with remaining melted butter immediately out of the oven.

Green Goddess Dip

The weeknight version of chips and dip!

This yogurt dip is completely versatile, going from your veggie tray to your salmon and could not be more simple to throw together.

In a food processor combine:

-1 cup of Greek yogurt (unsweetened)

-1/2 an avocado

-1 handful of cilantro

Blend until combined. To thin it out and make a more dippable (or spreadable) consistency, add in a drizzle of olive oil, I did 4 tablespoons, add salt to taste, and then blend together again. I use the Breville Control Grip to make this and it literally could not be easier. See it here.

I like for the consistency to be similar to thick queso. Then I can turn on tejano music (Selena Forever!) and play out my fantasy that I’m actually eating chips and queso. And while this dip may not turn me into a goddess, it certainly makes me feel like one.

Gluten Free Blueberry Cobbler

Two truths and a lie: I once cast over 500 votes for Kelly Clarkson in finale of season one of American Idol (Kelly, feel free to send a royalty check at any time) using both land lines at my parents house, my mom’s cell phone, and the cell phone I got in 5th grade for “emergencies,” I was once featured on episode of a hunting show filmed on my family’s ranch, and I am gluten free.

What’s that you say? Gluten free is the lie? You are correct! For those curious about the truths: the show is called Brush Country Monsters, the episode is “West Texas Whitetails.” I was also on the opening credits for season one of the show… I digress.

I am not gluten free; however, many people in my life are. Namely, my sister. As someone who views the making and giving food as one of the love languages (sorry, Gary Chapman), the thought of someone having to watch everyone else enjoy a treat that they can’t makes me sad. I wanted to change that and the Good Lord gave us oat flour—His mercies are indeed new every morning.

My friends, I give you Gluten Free Blueberry Cobbler...

Ingredients:

-1 cup of sugar

-1/2 tsp kosher salt

-2 to 3 cups of blueberries, depending on your berry-enthusiasm scale (mine is on the higher end)

-1 cup of oat flour

-1 tbsp of baking powder (these are generally gluten free, but always double check the starches in the ingredients)

-1 tbsp of the juice of an orange

-1 tsp orange zest

-1 cup of milk

-1 tbsp of vegetable oil (or your preference of neutral flavored oil)

-1 stick of butter

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine: sugar, salt, oat flour and baking powder and mix together. Add in the milk, oil, orange juice and zest and stir. Why the extra oil? Well, oat flour is a drier flour and it will be receiving moisture from the butter we add in later, but this oil is going to help the batter stay tender while baking.

In a baking dish (mine was 9x13), butter or coat the dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Add in your batter mixture to the baking dish. Then cut a stick of butter into 1/2 tsp size pieces, there are 8 tbs in each stick of butter, so you will have 16 pats of butter. Distribute the butter pats evenly on top of the batter. Then pour your blueberries on top of the batter and butter. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked and golden brown.

Goes perfectly with ice cream and that’s no lie.

Rainbow Rice Krispie Treats

They say if you follow a rainbow and you’ll find a pot of gold. And while Lucky Charms are magic and delicious (has anyone at General Mills ever thought about just selling the marshmallows from Lucky Charms separately? Call me, General Mills.) I personally believe the pot would be filled with these Rainbow Rice Krispy Treats. Why you ask? Because they combine your two favorite Saturday morning cartoon cereals into one with melted marshmallows and butter. So basically this is the stuff of your kindergartener-self dreams, or at least mine, except my hands won’t be covered in dried and peeling Elmers Glue while I eat them. Or maybe they will be, after all, I do work with kiddos all day…

Here is the recipe and it could not be simpler. Have little hands wanting to help in your kitchen? Let them measure out the ingredients and press the mixture into the pan. Have a gluten allergy? Good news! Fruity Pebbles are GF and you can buy Rice Krispies that are GF—easy peasy swaps!

Ingredients:

-5 cups of Fruity Pebbles

-3 cups of Rice Krispies

-4 tbsp of butter

-8 cups of Jet-Puffed marshmallows

-non stick cooking spray

Method:

Combine the Rice Krispies and Fruity Pebbles into a large bowl and stir to make sure there is an even distribution. Set aside. In a large pot, over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted add in your marshmallows, and stir until melted. Tip: To keep the marshmallows from sticking to your mixing utensil, spray with a nonstick cooking spray before stirring. Pour the cereal mixture into the pot, coating the cereals with the melted marshmallows. Pour out the mixture on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, that has been coated in a non-stick spray, and use the pan a guide to make the shape, and press the mixture to be the same depth as the pan. Let set for 10-15 minutes (or as long as you can stand) and then cut into squares with a knife. Fair warning: you will not be able to eat just one. Makes about 20-26 squares, depending the size you choose.