Apricot & Coconut Almond Tea Cakes_GF

-gluten free apricot and coconut tea cake, made specifically for the best of snackers-

i finally had a chance to make another recipe out of the gluten-free almond flour cookbook - i love this book btw. every saturday or sunday morning for the past month or so i pull out this little treasure trove and flip through it while my weekend pancakes are getting all heavenly and golden. every time i avow that i will make this or that. then get diverted by something else. but alas - i did it! i made these delicious little tea cakes. suppose i don't have to tell you that they really are perfect with a little cup of tea, but i will anyways - or i guess i already did. hmm.

these have no added sugar other than the natural sweetness of the apricots as well as the more subtle coconut and almonds. they are kinda perfect to me. these can be classified as those grand treats that aren't sweet but yet leave a sweetness in your mouth that satisfies any sweet tooth you have. like i said, pretty damned perfect.

the one note i have: make sure and use good quality, fresh dried apricots - make sure there's no funny business in the ingredients like sulphur dioxide which is rampant in dried fruits particularly apricots. not only does it diminishes vitamins in foods but will spur an asthma attack and possibly cause stomach problems in people lucky enough to be like me. i always stick to organic Turkish apricots, brown and all - yum!

if i've totally freaked you out about apricots (understandably) then i am sure you can substitute any dried fruit -- i would say fig. if you do let me know how it turns out.

APRICOT & COCONUT ALMOND TEA CAKES_GF

1c dried apricots

1c unsweetened shredded coconut

2c blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 tbs vanilla

*preheat oven to 350F, grease an 8x8 pan

*in a food processor chop the apricots and coconut to a crumbly mixture

*add in the almond flour, pulsing

*add in salt & baking soda, pulse a bit to combine

*add in the egg an vanilla, blend to combine

*empty out into the prepared pan and pat down to evenly distribute

*bake 20-25 minutes until golden

*let cook completely (about 30-45 minutes) before cutting

Gluten Free _ Bread

it is official - i am going to go pseudo gluten free for the next few weeks. i say pseudo because well, as with most things in life it just doesn't always work out. so my newest mantra is something along the lines of "don't label yourself". if you are pessimistic (like me) that would translate to: "don't fully commit to anything because you are kinda lazy and will only fail at the given task then feel all guilty about not reaching your goal and end up setting another one to try and make up for the one you just broke, only to continue this cycle". if you are optimistic (like anyone who thinks its cute when an entire class of 2nd graders are piled into the same subway car you just barely eked into) that would translate to: "be free and live life the way that makes you happy, you are an individual and whatever you do makes you the special person you are."

so take your pick but non-the-less you are going to start seeing a bit more gluten free items around here. if you are unfamiliar with gluten free-ness then just use your judgement - if you don't know what coconut butter is - lets chat first before you dive into some of these.

i love this bread - adapted from elana's kitchen- toasted with almond butter and mayhaw jelly (straight from my aunts kitchen in sunny louisiana) - it almost reminds me of the satsuma cake i made a while back. but i nosh on it for lunch - rock out!

GLUTEN FREE_BREAD

2 1/4c almond meal

1c + 2tbs potato starch

6t bs flax meal

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

6 eggs

1 1/2 tsp agave

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

*preheat oven t0 350F, grease 8 x 4 loaf pan

*sift together the almond meal, starch flax and soda

*in separate bowl beat eggs to foamy

*add in vinegar and agave

*add almond mixture into egg mixture, stir to combine

*pour into prepared pan, cook about 40 minutes until toothpick is clean

*cool completely then slice.

Satsuma Almond Cake

i don't think anyone is aware of the fact that Louisiana produces some off the best citrus (in the whole friggin world). that's right - forget the totally worn out old florida navel oranges! annually my parents share their wealth and i get bundles of pink grapefruit, lemons & satsuma - sorry usps. anyways this monday morning the 1st of (hopefully many) my coveted fruits arrived at my door just as i was heading out to work. good way to start your day.

so that leads me to dinner last night. friends came over for dinner at the new apt and having all these delish satsuma sitting around staring at me demanded that i make this gluten free cake. the origins are italian and traditionally made with oranges and blanched almonds. i changed a few things: i added vanilla, used un-blanched almonds to give it a little extra layer of flavor and dressed it up a bit with a chocolate ganache wrap. oh and i served it with fresh whipped cream. what was the word my friend alexis used? i believe it was "heavenly" - i think - either that or "divine". I'm eating another piece right now - it only gets better with time. enjoy!

SATSUMA ALMOND CAKE

4 medium sized satsumas

6 large eggs

2 1/3c un-blanched almond meal / flour

1c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

3oz chopped bittwersweet chocolate

1/3c cream

1/2 tsp instant coffee granules

*make cake:

*place satsumas in cold water, bring to boil and cook for 2hours

*drain and allow to cool completely

*preheat oven to 375F, grease an 8" spring form pan

*puree whole satsumas (everything, peel and all) in blender

*in separate bowl whisk together almond meal and baking powder

*in large bowl beat together the puree and sugar

*add eggs one at a time, blending completely between each

*add in vanilla

*stir in almond meal mix, mix to combine

*pour into prepared pan and cook 1hour, until toothpick is clean

*allow to cool completely, remove from pan then ice edges w/ ganache

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

*heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form around edges

*turn heat off and add in chocolate and coffee, let sit 2 minutes then stir to combine

*let cool slightly then ice cake as desired

Gluten Free Chocolate and Prune Cookies

we are finally moving - this saturday and of-course it looks like its going to be cold and raining. awesome! so hopefully one of these days soon i will have an apt that functions. functionality is a very very good thing.

so to the cookies - i love these little guys. again i'm cleaning out the ole pantry and trying to make something decently healthy. so for those of you who are not aware: prunes and chocolate go really well together. don't mess around with milk chocolate - go for the dark. trust me.

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE & PRUNE COOKIES

1 1/4c almond flour / meal

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 tbs coconut oil

1/4c agave

1 1/s tsp vanilla

1/4c chopped prunes

1/2c toasted pecans, chopped

1/4c dark chocolate, chopped

*preheat oven to 350F

*combine almond meal, baking soda and salt in bowl

*in separate bowl combine oil, agave and vanilla

*add wet to dry, stir to combine

*fold in prunes and chocolate

*roll into 1/2" ball (or heaping TBS) and flatten slightly

*bake for 8-10 minutes

Mulberry and Apricot Granola

i loath store bought granola. its loaded with sugar and fat - not to mention that its been sitting in a plastic bag on a shelf for somewhere around 6 - 10 months. since i was sick a few weeks ago i've somehow lost my pancake breakfast abilities. so i am once again stumbling around my breakfast routine try to figure out what the next craze will be. so far i'm looking at yogurt and granola, an oldie but goodie.

again, i am attempting to clear out the pantry so this is what i got. i love mulberries - super high in vitamin C and very low in sugar, but you can add what you wish. i made some for josh and used mini chocolate chips instead of fruit (yeah you have to coat with chocolate to get him to nosh on anything remotely healthy) and it was a definite hit.

MULBERRY APRICOT GRANOLA

2c oatmeal

1/2c sliced almonds

1/2c chopped almonds

1c unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2c wheat (or oat) bran

1/2c agave nectar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tbs coconut oil (melted if needed)

1 c dried mulberries

1/2c chopped turkish apricots

*combine oatmeal, almond and coconut - toast in 350F oven for 10-12 minutes.

*remove from oven and transfer to mixing bowl and turn oven down to 300F

*stir in wheat bran

*while still warm add in agave, vanilla, salt and oil. stir to combine

*spread on a shallow edged baking pan

*cook 25-30 minutes

*let cool completely then crush up as needed.

*toss in apricots and mulberries

Rosemary Fig Almond Crackers

the newest indulgence in our apt is crackers. i think we are somewhere around a box of kashi a week. so that's my usual cue to get in the kitchen, be weird and make them homemade - and ultra nutritious. i found this recipe from elanaspantry and got to work. these guys are gluten free and pretty addictive. the only thing i -personally- would change is cut back a tad on the salt, but that's just me being sensitive otherwise they are delish. josh said they "tasted good" and our friend dom seemed to honestly be infatuated with them; sneaking back and forth to the kitchen to snag more.

ROSEMARY FIG ALMOND CRACKERS

1 1/2 c almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

3-4 black mission figs, chopped

1 egg

1 tbs olive oil

*preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment

*in a bowl whisk together the almond flour, salt, rosemary and figs

*stir in the egg and oil to well combined and forms a ball

*roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper to 1/8" thick

*cut into 2" squares

*cook for 10-15 minutes until browned

*let cool completely

Matzoh Crunch

i had been eyeing this recipe from David Lebovitz for at least 6 months. being thoroughly not jewish - i'm a catholic from Louisiana - i had never even tried matzoh before. so i bought a huge box of it and its been sitting on the counter for this whole time. oddly enough josh either didn't notice it or is so use to my strange cooking endeavors that he didn't bother asking why i decided to start buying passover(ish) food. what's with that - weren't you curious? ha! i thought surely one day the wonder would get to him, but i guess his inquisitive energy has been depleted.

well anyways the new harry potter movie came out last night. josh was there in line waiting for the midnight showing and i couldn't send him empty handed. thus the matzoh was finally used!

this stuff is addictive - really the toasted almond slices are a must. i didn't added any extra salt like mr. lebovitz advises since i am sensitive to sodium.

Matzoh Crunch

4-6 sheets matzoh - unsalted

8oz buter, cubed

1c firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1c dark chocolate chips

1c sliced almonds, toasted

*preheat oven to 375F, line a 11 x 17 rectangular pan with foil

*line to bottom of the pan with the matzoh sheets, breaking them as needed

*in a sauce pan bring the butter and sugar to a boil and continue to boil for 3 minutes. make sure not to let it burn

*pour the hot carmel over the prepared matzoh spreading with a rubber spatula to evenly distribute

*but the pan in the oven and turn temp down to 350F, cook for 15 minutes

*remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate over the hot bubbly mix, let sit for 5 minutes then spread the chocolate evenly around.

*sprinkle the almonds onto the warm chocolate and press lightly to get them to stick.

*let cool completely and then break up into your desired sizes. yum!

Strawberry and White Chocolate Ganache French Macarons

strawberries are everywhere in NYC these days - or at least the places i go. namely fruit carts, grocery and wine stores, oh and the occasional clothing boutique. oh what the life. hm. anyways as you know weekends are when i shake all of the baking off my brain. so last weekend i ended up with an extra egg white just sitting in the frig. and it sat there all week. aging and aging as the days went by. so i knew i had to turn that ripe old egg white in to macarons.

it rained all day long on yesterday. it was london over here: no sun, chilly, all drizzle and fog. so being idiotic and stubborn i got my mind set on making them yesterday. i was going to do it damnit! yeah, i think i have warned you about this before but just don't even think about making these when the humidity is anything above 60% definitely not 100% like i chose to do. its a waste of your time. to my defense; it was late and i didn't notice that i had started raining again. non-the-less it didn't happen.

as mention above i may sometimes be a bit stubborn. in other words i now have to produce macarons this weekend in order to correct this wrong i have done. so i woke up, monitored the humidity and went to work.

back to strawberries. they are everywhere so they are on my mind, but i just finished my two boxes for the week and i definitely didn't feel like forking over any more $$$. i remembered that i had some dried shriveled strawberries in the cupboard (i had a thing about them over a year ago). enter the coffee grinder! grind them into a powder and there you go - a way to infuse flavor into this supersensitive batter. then i remembered i have a block of white chocolate that i should try and use. i say try because i hate hate hate white chocolate, but i does go with strawberries and everyone else i know adores it. so we get white chocolate ganache. i have to say i tasted one and it was pretty darned good, white chocolate and all.

STRAWBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE GANCHE MACARONS

STRAWBERRY MACARONS

1/2c almond flour

1c powdered sugar

1 tbs strawberry powder

2 egg whites (at room temp)

1/4 tbs sugar

*preheat oven to 375F, line pan w/ parchment

*sift together the almond flour, powdered sugar and strawberry powder

*in a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form

*add in sugar and beat until stiff and shiny

*gentle fold in the egg white with the powdered sugar mixture

*pipe into 1 1/2" rounds onto prepared pan and cook for 15 minutes

*let cool before removing from pan

WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

3 1/2 oz white chocolate, finely chopped

1/4c whipping cream

1/2 oz butter, cubed

*heat the cream in a sauce pan until bubbles form

*take off heat and add the chocolate, let sit for a minute then stir to smooth

*add the butter and stir to combine

*let cool to thicken before using

Orange Curd French Macarons

its finally warming up in frigid nyc. ahhhhh it was so nice today! so nice. i can finally release my shoulders from the confines of those darned out of fashion sweaters and jackets i sport all winter and get back into my native tank-top, flip-flops and cute dress. my neck will see sunlight again. my toes with get some fresh air and wiggle when they want to. i can grad object with my hands, not scratchy wool gloves. yes i love the heat - bring on the heat!

this little heat wave we are having makes people crazy with activity and drives that unyielding urge to show skin (see picture below). in lieu of all of this i am going fruity with my macarons. dark chocolate is just a wee heavy for 86 degree weather, no?. but so is red wine and believe me i don't let the heat stop me from polishing off a bottle with dinner. who me? well, to be completely truthful there is also the fact that there were two oranges sitting in my frig waiting to be put out of their misery. i recently discovered that my daily orange indulgence is beginning to reek havoc on my sensitive

mouth. so no more afternoon orange at my desk for this working gal. they will have to be put to use as delicious pastry items. and so these treats were born. fear not; i also made the old stand-by chocolate on chocolate macarons that have been tested and proven a high success.

its just that they are old news to me so i'm opting to write about the much more interesting orange concoction. right.

so we'll see how these fair tomorrow night when josh the great taste tester makes his trek back home for a quick

two day stay. i think they rock, but i also think cold seaweed salads rock.

**warning: if it is humid outside - do not try to do this - you will not be successful. its just a meringue thing, trust me **

FRENCH MACARON

1c powdered sugar

1/2c almond powder / meal

2 large egg whites (aged at room temp for as long as you can, up to 24hr)

5 tbs sugar

*preheat oven to 375F, line pan with parchment

*combine the powdered sugar and almond powder in a food processor. pulsing get get a consistent texture throughout

*in a separate bowl beat the whites until they begin to hold soft peaks.

*add in the 5tbs of sugar and continue to beat until you have stiff, shiny peaks

*fold in the powdered sugar and almonds

*pipe out into 1 1/2" rounds onto prepared pan, let the batter sit for 15 minutes the put in oven and cook for 15-18 minutes.

ORANGE "CURD" FILLING

juice of 1 1/2 navel oranges

zest of 1/2 of one orange

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1.5 oz butter

1 1/8oz sugar

1/4 oz cornstarch

*in a saucepan combine the juice, zest, butter & half of the sugar. bring to a boil

* whisk together the egg, yolk, remaining sugar and cornstarch

*continue to whisk and slowly pour in the boiling juice (you are tempering the eggs so be careful)

*pour the entire mixture back into the pan and bring to a simmer for a few minutes whisking continuously to thick and smooth.

*cover and chill for a few hours