Banana Bread

Apparently, I am a banana hoarder...I have about 20 frozen banana in my freezer right now. I used up four today for a double batch of banana bread. I do not know what it is about bananas...they never get eaten before they go ripe. I'm just grateful they freeze wonderfully and thaw well to make banana goodies. Our household favorite is banana cake, but I decided to change it up today.

I adapted this banana bread from a Martha Stewart recipe. I substituted the sour cream for greek yogurt, and it turned out very moist. I used a minimal amount of xanthum gum, so if you do not have any on hand, no biggy. Also, I'm sure using brown rice flour alone will be just fine, I'm just partial to mixing it up a bit. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

            1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

            1 cup granulated sugar

            2 large eggs

            1 cup brown rice flour

             ½ cup sorghum flour

             1/8^th teaspoon xanthum gum*

            1 teaspoon baking soda

            1 teaspoon salt

            1 cup mashed very ripe bananas

            1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

            1 teaspoon vanilla

    Directions

.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.

.    In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, yogurt, and vanilla; mix to combine.

.    Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

.    *omit if xanthum gum not available

*adapted from Martha Stewart.com

Gluten Free Baked Donut

I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought it would be an easy recipe to make GF. It tastes more like a vanilla muffin not so much like a donut, but sure is tasty none the less. 

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (made one batch with rice milk to good results)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (1 1/4 cup brown rice, 1/4 cup sorghum flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
Coating
2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)
1/2 cup superfine sugar (can pulse regular sugar in food processor to make), or powdered sugar

• Lightly grease a muffin tin with vegetable oil or spray.
• In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color. Add vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla to sugar mixute and combine.
• In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Then pour into liquid mixture and stir to combine.
• Fill muffin cups 3/4 full, and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

http://macandcheesereview.blogspot.com/2009/08/donut-muffins.html

Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Bars

I don't know about you, but I love anything with cinnamon and sugar. These bars are really easy to make and taste great! 

2 brown rice flour*
2/3 cup sorghum flour*
1 teaspoon xanthum gum2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For topping:2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish.) Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool in pan 15 minutes on a baking rack. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack. Once cool, cut them into bars.


*If you don't have sorghum flour, and only brown rice, go ahead and use 2 2/3 cups of brown rice flour, it should work fine. 


Original non-gluten free recipe/picture from http://www.eatmedelicious.com/2009/08/snickerdoodle-blondies.html

Yellow Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

Happy Valentines Day! Here is a recipe for yellow cupcakes and vanilla frosting. I added a few drops of red food coloring to the frosting to make it pink. Enjoy!

Yellow Cupcakes

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cups sorghum flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon xanthum gum

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (cut into pieces)

1 large egg, room temperature

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (120 ml) sour cream

½ cup milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthum gum, and salt. Combine wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Place in cupcake tins three quarters way full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

Buttercream Frosting

½ cup butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

Combine all ingredients in mixer until smooth. Use immediately or keep refrigerated for later use. 

Snickerdoodle Cookies

These cookies turn out light and tender. Some have said they like them better than gluten filled Snickerdoodles!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cup Rice Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking powder
1 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Sugar Cinnamon mixture
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients until mixed. Roll into small balls and cover in cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Gloria. One of my brother's coworkers gave the recipe to her. It is one of the best carrot cakes our family has had, and no one can tell the difference. It is so good we made it for our wedding sheet cake!! Enjoy!


1 c sugar 
2 eggs, beaten 
1 c white rice flour 
1 t baking soda 
¼ c each coconut and canned pineapple (drain pineapple well) 
½ c oil 
1 ½ c grated carrots 
½ t salt 
1 t cinnamon

Combine sugar and oil; add eggs; and mix well. 
Add grated carrots; slowly stir in dry ingredients. 
Add coconut, nuts, and pineapple.

Mix well. 

Pour into lightly greased and floured (rice flour) 9”x9” pan.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.


Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese (room temp to whip easily)
1 cube butter (room temp)
1tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Whip in vanilla and powdered sugar. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. Too thick? Add some milk.

Via Gloria VanMason, Thanks!

Banana Cake

Every time I make banana cake it brings be back to high school. My then boyfriend, now husband's mom would make banana cake for him to bring to school quite frequently. I remember giving him the puppy dog eyes that said, please may I have just one bite? It is amazing how hard it can be to get a Jacob's boy to share his beloved family recipe baked goods. Banana cake, seven layer bars, "Grandma Leo's brownies" go so fast you barely even knew they were baked in the first place. Although, usually there will be one itsy bitsy corner left in the pan because the rule is whoever eats the last piece has to wash the pan!  Now I can make banana cake gluten free, and we both gobble it up quickly each time. It is amazing how fast one 9x13 pan can go between two people...

Ingredients:

2/3 c. Shortening

2 1/2 c. Gluten free flour (either the suggested mix, or brown rice flour)

1 1/4 tsp.Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Xanthum gum

2 Large eggs

1 2/3 c. Sugar

2/3 c. Butter Milk*

1 1/4 c. Mashed Bananas (about three)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar and shortening, add eggs. Add dry ingredients alternation with the buttermilk and mashed bananas. Blend until all is mixed and mix another 2-4 minutes. Bake in buttered 9x13 for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Good warm, but best when completely cooled.

*Butter milk: May substitute Buttermilk with 2/3 cup milk and a splash (about 1.5tsp lemon juice)