Tag Archives: Gluten-free

Five-Ingredient Flourless Brownie Bites

Chocolate, Gluten-free, Muffins, Wine and Unwind April 17, 2023 Leave a comment

Our Backstage Baker is now in San Diego!  Just temporarily, though . . .

He closed “The Collaboration” in February, took a quick break, and then jumped right into his new show “Destiny of Desire.”  Now, he’s out in San Diego at the Old Globe Theater putting it up there. 

“Destiny of Desire” is billed as an “Unapologetic Telenovela in Two Acts.”  Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson (I show my age by first knowing him as Buddy Bolden in “Jelly’s Last Jam”) and starring an array of Broadway stars (Bianca Marroquin and Mandy Gonzalez among others) you can read more (and get your tickets!) here.

And even though James is thousands of miles away from his kitchen, he was still able to host the first of many Wine and Unwinds with this to-die-for super-simple recipe.  (It is gluten free but decidedly not vegan.)

Please enjoy!!

 Five Ingredient Flourless Brownie Bites 

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate (chopped). More for melting and drizzling if desired.

1/2 cup butter

1 cups sugar

3 large eggs (room temperature)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F

1. Line a 24-count mini muffin tin with liners and grease generously. (NOTE: Don’t think you can just grease the tin. The bites will NOT come out. Follow the directions and use the liners!) 

2. In a double boiler (aka a bowl over a pot of boiling water) add the chocolate and butter. Whisk until the chocolate and butter has melted and the mixture is unctuous and smooth.

3. Add the sugar, followed by the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the cocoa powder and mix until you get a thick brownie batter.

4. Evenly distribute the batter amongst 20-24 of the greased mini muffin tins. I actually got 30. It will depend on the size of your mini tins.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crackly on top.

6. Let the brownie bites cool in the pan completely before turning them out.

7. Enjoy!!

The cast did! 😉

Bianca Marroquin (fresh off her Broadway run in CHICAGO and her sold out performance at 54 Below) who plays Fabiola and Julio Agustin who plays Dr. Mendoza

Chocolate Mochi Cake

Cakes, Chocolate, Gluten-free, Wine and Unwind January 31, 2023 Leave a comment

This week’s Wine and Unwind at The Collaboration featured a decadent Chocolate Mochi Cake. Dense, moist and warmly spicy, this is a gluten-free wonder. (Don’t be confused by the “glutinous sweet rice flour” ingredient below. Rice flour, glutinous or not, is gluten-free!)

Note that you can make this with the coconut oil and coconut milk, or you can throw caution to the winds and use butter and half & half. Either way, it’ll be great!

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan (or can also use butter)

1½ cups (300 g) sugar, plus more for pan

1 (13.5-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk (or can also use half & half)

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups (254 g) glutinous sweet rice flour*

3 Tbsp. powdered unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 tsp. ground cardamom

1 tsp. baking powder

¼–⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

*can be hard to find in a regular supermarket, but Bob’s Red Mill makes one and can usually be found in any health food store.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9″-diameter cake pan. Coat pan with sugar, tapping out excess (about ¼ cup should do it).

2. Place 1½ cups (300 g) sugar and 6 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large bowl.Heat coconut milk in a small saucepan over medium, whisking constantly, until no clumps remain, then whisk into sugar mixture. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine.

3. Whisk rice flour, cocoa powder, spices and baking powder in a medium bowl to combine, then fold into egg mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with coconut.

4. Bake until top begins to crack and cake springs back when gently pressed, 55–65 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around perimeter of cake, place a plate over pan, and invert cake onto plate. Hold wire rack over cake and invert cake onto rack  Let cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

5. Do ahead: Cake can be baked 5 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Krysta Rodriguez (Maya) enjoying a post-show slice

Crew members Dan Conner and Jeff Dodson unwinding

Torta Caprese (Chocolate and Almond Flourless Cake)

Cakes, Chocolate, Gluten-free, Wine and Unwind January 23, 2023 Leave a comment

It’s been a minute since our last post . . . In the interim, James has moved on from The Kite Runner (which closed on October 30, 2022), going straight into rehearsals for his current show, The Collaboration.  Starring Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope, with Erik Jensen and Krysta Rodriguez, it’s about the real-life artistic collaboration of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.  May I strongly suggest that you run out and get your tickets for this magnificent show?  It must close on February 11, 2023 and is an absolute treat!

Speaking of treats . . . James made the following Torta Caprese for a recent Wine and Unwind.  It’s a gluten-free recipe he learned from Chef Lorena when he sojourned in San Gemigni, Italy a few years ago.  (Check out her restaurant Facebook page here:  Il Giardino-Vino e Cucina).  I was lucky enough to be in attendance for some of her cooking classes, where we also learned how to make gnocchi and other Italian treats.  (Watch this space for another Chef Lorena special recipe soon!)

With just a few ingredients, make sure you get the best quality chocolate and butter to lift this torta into the stratosphere of deliciousity.

Torta Caprese (Chocolate and Almond Flourless Cake)

Ingredients

125grams (4.4 oz) blanched almonds (or almond meal)*

125grams (4.4 oz) good quality dark chocolate (I use 70% cocoa)

125grams (4.4 oz or 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, chopped

125grams (4.4 oz or 1/2 cup) sugar

3 large eggs, separated and left to come to room temperature

Powdered sugar for dusting

Optional additions:  Zest of one orange, 1 TBSP rum, 1 tsp almond essence

* If using whole blanched almonds, blitz them to a very fine, sandy texture in a food processor.

Directions

Grease and line a 20 cm or 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper (I like to use a springform tin or one with a removable base for this delicate cake) and preheat oven to 160ºC or 320ºF. 

Place the chocolate, broken up, in a metal or glass bowl set over a bain marie (aka a double broiler, or a pot of simmering water). When melted, remove the bowl from the heat and add the butter, stirring with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula to help it melt. 

Add the sugar and the almond meal. Once the mixture is no longer hot, add the egg yolks and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. If adding any further ingredients (orange zest, rum, etc), stir them in now.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with beaters to soft, fluffy peaks. Fold the whites gently through the chocolate and almond batter. 

Pour the batter into the cake tin, smooth over the top and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the top appears dry and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter). 

It is important not to overcook this cake so that it retains its wonderful moist consistency. 

Let cool completely in the tin before handling. Dust with powdered sugar and, if desired, some lightly whipped cream. This cake keeps well for several days and is even better the next day.

Kulcha e Birinji – Afghan Rice Flour and Pistachio Butter Cookies (GF!)

Cookies, Gluten-free, Holiday June 20, 2022 Leave a comment

Broadway James is in rehearsal for his next Broadway show – The Kite Runner. It was a hit on the West End and is coming here for a very limited run, July 6 – October 30, 2022. So don’t delay, get those tickets today!!

This recipe comes from the show’s cultural advisor Humaira Ghilzai. A slightly different version of these cookies are traditionally eaten to celebrate Nowroz, the New Year, which occurs in March. James made these for the company’s first Wine and Unwind, which seems appropriate to celebrate the new beginning of the show. Looks like everyone enjoyed them!

Christine Mirzayan who plays the Pomegranate Lady, Wife and Andrews, with Houshang Touzie who plays General Taheri
Joe Joseph who plays Merchant and Russian Soldier and Dea Julien, an understudy.

Kulcha e Birinji | Afghan Rice Flour & Pistachio Butter Cookies 

Serving size: Makes around two dozen cookies.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened to room temperature

3/4 cup cane sugar or coconut sugar

2 egg whites

2 cups white rice flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (consider using fresh cardamom pods and grinding them yourself. Or, just double the amount of cardamom!)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pistachios (optional, if you don’t like nuts, but if that’s the case, why are you making pistachio cookies? )

1/4 cup shelled whole pistachios

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the egg whites and mix until smooth. Gradually add the rice flour, cardamom, and pistachios (if you choose to use them). Mix well.

3. Scoop up a tablespoon of dough and set on a cookie sheet (ungreased is ok). Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. The cookie will not rise or spread during cooking. Next, press the back of a fork into the dough, making a criss-cross with the tines of the fork (like you would with a peanut butter cookie). If the fork sticks, dip it in a glass of cold water from time to time. Place a pistachio in the center of the cookie.

4. Continue with the remainder of the dough, setting the cookies 1 ½ inch apart.

5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Let it cool before eating.

The company relaxing after their first week of rehearsal (at the MTC Creative Center.)

Wine and Unwind — Raspberry Almond Bars

Bars, Gluten-free, Wine and Unwind June 25, 2014 Leave a comment

Image

I love this picture of James’ prop preset list — it’s American history boiled down into just a few, iconic things.  Puts it all into perspective one can grasp, doesn’t it?  (I also love that James laminates his preset list and physically checks off each item EVERY NIGHT.   Young stage managers take note and learn from a master!)

“All the Way” is winding down — last chance to see it is Sunday, June 29 so get your tickets now (if you can!)

For last week’s Wine and Unwind, James made one of my personal favorites — Raspberry-White Chocolate Almond Bars.  They manage to be decadent AND chocolate-free (it’s almost unimaginable that such a thing is possible.)  But their creamy sweetness is perfectly offset by the notes of raspberry and almond.  And the nutty crunch is exactly right — ooh, I may just have to make a batch right now!

 

Raspberry Almond Bars 2

Raspberry-White Chocolate Almond Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 package (10 – 12oz) white chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
*1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds

*For a gluten-free option, substitute the following for the 1 cup of all-purpose flour:
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

1.  In medium saucepan, melt butter.  Remove from heat and add 1 cup of chips.  DO NOT STIR.

2.  In a small bowl, beat eggs until foamy.  Gradually add sugar.  Stir in almond extract and gently add butter/chip mixture.

3.  Combine flour and salt.  Add to egg mixture and stir just until combined.  Spread half of mixture in a greased, 9″ x 9″ pan.  Bake at 325* for 15 – 20 minutes (if you are making the gluten-free option, you may need to bake it longer.)

4.  While the crust is baking, heat jam in a small saucepan over low heat.  Spread jam over finished crust.  Stir remaining chips into batter and drop by tablespoons over jam layer.  Sprinkle with slice almonds and bake for 30 – 35 more minutes (again, you might need to bake it longer for the gluten-free version.)  You’ll know it’s ready when you stick a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

5.  Cool on wire rack.  Wait to cut into bars until completely cool, otherwise it will fall to pieces and you’ll just have to shovel it all up with a fork.  Oops.

The Backstage Baker celebrates the 4th of July

Cakes, Gluten-free, Holiday July 10, 2013 Leave a comment

I Love AmericaJames, our intrepid Backstage Baker himself, left the Big City to come upstate to celebrate the 4th of July with me.  We ate home-smoked brisket and ribs and collaborated on a 4th of July cake that was loosely based on a Taste of Home recipe I’d found, called a “Poke Cake.”  The idea of it is that you poke holes in your vanilla cakes, then pour a blueberry or strawberry Jello mixture over the top.  The Jello is suppposed to drip down into the holes and the sliced cake will be a lovely Red, White and Blue to celebrate our Nation’s birth.

Well, I baked a gluten-free vanilla cake and, I don’t know, maybe that affected the color and or drippiness.  Or maybe I just didn’t make my cake holes big enough or large enough.  Because unlike the cheery picture on the Taste of Home site that featured perfect red and blue drip lines traversing a blindingly white cake, mine ended up kind of yellow beige, with pastel smudges of pink and purple.

4th of July Cake2

But James saved the day, whipping the cream to perfection, sugaring it with confectioner’s sugar just so, icing the cake with the cream and decorating it with a star made of blueberries and strawberries.  What’s not to like??

BB ices a cake

4th of July “Poke Cake”
(Loosely based on a Taste of Home recipe you can find here🙂

Ingredients:

For cake:
1 package vanilla cake mix

For strawberry drips:
1 cup strawberries, chopped  (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons strawberry Jello

For blueberry drips
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons Berry Blue Jello

Frosting:
2 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

1.  Bake cake according to directions on package.  Remove from pans to cool completely, then put cakes back into pans for Jello drip steps.

2.  In a small saucepan, combine strawberries, water and sugar.  Simmer until strawberries are soft, then strain into a small bowl. Add Jello to mixture and stir until dissolved.   Repeat this process with the blueberries.

3.  Using a wooden skewer, poke holes in top of cakes (to 1″ of edge).  Go all the way through, and try to enlarge the holes a bit with the skewers.  Pour the strawberry mixture over one cake, the blueberry over the other.  Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

4.  Just before serving, whip the cream until it stands in peaks.  Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and beat just a little more.  You want your cream to be as stiff as possible, but stop before you turn it into butter!

5.  Carefully remove one cake from its pan and place on serving platter.  (You can put strips of wax paper underneath to help keep the platter clean.)  Cover top with whipped cream, then place second cake on top.  Cover top and sides with cream.  Decorate with fruit.

BB slices a cake

Gluten-free Good Friday Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies, Gluten-free March 21, 2013 1 Comment

James gave me this recipe a while ago, and then they were titled “Black Friday Cookies” to be whipped up and enjoyed the day after Thanksgiving.  No idea why!  But since I’m interspersing our cheesecake recipes with gluten-free ones (for health!), and since Good Friday is coming up, I thought I’d just change the name slightly to be timely.  (Yeah, I know, that’s a bit of a stretch.)GF Chocolate Cookies

Now, the more I experiment with gluten-free baking, the more I understand the importance of reading labels and ingredient quality.  Take this recipe for example — there’s no flour at all in it, but lots of confectioners’ sugar. That should be gluten-free, but I’ve learned that since corn is increasingly being used for bio-fuels, and since we had such a bad corn growing summer last year, corn prices have gone up.  Therefore, some companies are substituting wheat starch for corn starch in their confectioners’ sugar.  Obviously, this would not be gluten-free then. The only solution, then, is to read your labels religiously.  Who knew that ingredients changed?  (I’m sure that this is second nature to those of you who suffer from food allergies, or have been gluten-free for a while, but it is an epiphany for me.)

That said, do not be afraid — this recipe only has six ingredients.  You can afford to take the time (and spend the money!) to make sure each one is of superior quality.  Spend a little extra on good vanilla, high quality cocoa powder and chocolate chips.  You’ll taste the difference!

Gluten-free Good Friday Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (make sure they’re gluten-free!)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper (or silpat mats). If you use parchment paper, give it a light swoosh of nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in egg whites (start with just two) and vanilla extract, then beat just until the batter is moistened. You’re looking for a brownie-like, thick and fudgy consistency. If it seems too thick, add another egg white — then a 4th one if it still seems too thick. Gently stir in chocolate chips.

3. Spoon batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds per cookie sheet. I like to use a small spring-release cookie scoop. Bake about 14 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto wire racks. Let cookies cool completely before you attempt to remove them from the mat or the parchment. They’re delicate, so gently peeling the paper away from the cookie works best.  Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Gluten-free Coconut Blondies

Bars, Chocolate, Gluten-free March 14, 2013 Leave a comment

BlondiesOkay, so James has never made these for a show, a Wine and Unwind, or even just as a simple dessert after a casual meal.  However, I have no doubt he WILL make them when faced with a gluten-intolerant cast in the future!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been experimenting in the world of gluten-free baking and this recipe is mostly my own design.  I’d had a remarkable gluten-free blondie at my local coffee shop and wanted to try and recreate it.  Oh, sure, I Googled “gluten-free blondies” and found many, many recipes.  And I bought a packet of Bob’s Red Mill fava & garbanzo flour  (I know, ick, right?) that had a recipe on the back for blondies, but there was just too much extra stuff in it (no coconut, though.)

So I made up this recipe, with a little from here and a little from there.  The kiddies can’t get enough of these bars!

Just a couple of notes:  I’ve found that it’s a great idea to weigh your gluten-free flours for absolute accuracy, so I have given you the exact weights to shoot for.  There is little room for error in gluten-free baking.  This sounds all sorts of off-putting but really it’s not (if you just happen to have a postage scale that likes the metric system.)

I also recommend bringing your eggs (and shortening) to room temperature before starting.  I know this is something you’re supposed to do with any type of baking, gluten-free or not, but I am a lazy, lazy baker and take tons of shortcuts.  I’ve never bothered with this niggly little step in regular baking.  No can do in the world without gluten.  Trust me on this.  You’ll be glad you did.

Last, I think this recipe lends itself to being veganized very easily.  I’ve indicated the substitutions at the end of the ingredients list.  I’ve never actually tried the vegan version though, so if anyone does, please let me know how it turns out.

And really last, don’t be intimidated by this series of notes and reminders and dictums (dicta?).  You can probably ignore them all and the blondies will still come out fine.  But then again, if you’re going to go to the trouble of whisking together 4 different kinds of flour, you don’t want to end up with a doorstop instead of a treat!

Gluten-free Coconut Blondies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (100 grams) coconut flour
3/4 cup (100 grams) brown rice flour
1/4 cup (25 grams) tapioca flour (aka tapioca starch)
1/4 cup (25 grams) garbanzo & fava bean flour mix
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
*1/3 cup butter
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
*1 cup chocolate chips
*Simple subs to make this vegan:
Use soy margarine instead of butter; use 2 tablespoons flax meal whisked with 6 tablespoons warm water for eggs;  use vegan chocolate chips.

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Grease an 9 x9 inch baking pan with shortening. Set aside.

3.  Mix coconut powder, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt together until blended.

4.  Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.  mix in eggs

5.  Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until blended. Add nuts and toasted coconut and mix just until blended. Spoon into prepared baking pan, top with reserved toasted coconut and pop in the oven for 30 minutes or until top looks dry and edges have separated from the pan.

6.  Cool in pan for about 20 minutes, then turn out onto a rack — allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Makes approximately 16 blondies.

Gluten-free Orange Cake

Cakes, Gluten-free March 11, 2013 Leave a comment

As promised, I’m going to intersperse the Cheesecake Bake-off recipes with some gluten-free ones. James is often called upon to make gluten- and allergen-free goodies, and has taken up the challenge masterfully.  (He has a gluten-free, vegan chocolate cake that is to die for.)  But today’s recipe is a simple introduction to the world of gluten-free baking.

I’ve just started experimenting with gluten-free baking myself and have been surprised to discover how complicated it is.  You just can’t swap out wheat flour cup for cup with, say, rice flour.   Most gluten-free bakers have a unique flour blend they’ve developed that includes several different flours carefully balanced, measured and whisked.  (BTW, there are an amazing number of flours to use other than wheat.  Who knew?)  When you first start out, though, there’s a much higher risk of ending up with a hockey puck of a cake or a loaf.  I’ve found that this is mostly due to the fact that there’s a whole new world of textures to get used to during the mixing process — bread dough is more like a batter, and cake batter is more like a dough.  Cookie dough seems the same, but it often spreads more than you expect.  Gluten provides needed structure to baked goods, and baking without it, while eminently possible, is challenging.

That said, the recipe below couldn’t be easier and more foolproof.  James has made it for the last several shows he’s been on, mostly recently for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.”  It’s light and Springlike, too, perfect for Easter!

Gluten-free Orange Cake

Ingredients:

*1 organic orange
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

For Glaze:

1 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon flavoring (vanilla or fior di sicilia)

Method:

1.  Roughly chop the orange (rind and all) in food processor until fine.  *This is why you want an organic orange, because conventional oranges are often sprayed with artificial colors and food grade waxes.  Blech!

2.  Add the eggs, oil, and sugar.   Process until smooth.

3.  Transfer to a bowl and add the flour and baking powder. Do not over mix.

4.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 60 mins at 350*

(Note:  I’ve substituted 1 lemon for the orange and added 2 tablespoons of poppy seed for a divine gluten-free take on lemon poppyseed cake!)

(Second note:  You can also bake these in mini-muffin pans for a Springtime tea party offering.)