gluten – Page 4 – morestomach

apple almond tart

Published on November 2, 2016November 1, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach3 Comments

hello november:
it being that season,
we’re busy.
sweet dw is sick,
but well on the mend.
i am of the mind that,
yes, he does need to slow down,
be gentle with himself,
nurture his immune system now
as we begin the long haul of cooler temps,
but we have plans!
museum meet ups
potlucks
voting
comedy shows
cookie baking
travel
that’s just for this month.

to kick off dw’s favorite season
i made a tart.
it took me all day saturday to make,
i’d never make it on
the Great British Bake Off.
a little goes a looong way with almond extract,
and hard effort pays off.
stay well, friends.

apple almond tart
inspiration drawn from: insideChic, wild wild whisk, and Tom Kerridge.
serves 8

*note: i cheated and used a pie crust bag. i still cried. pie crust is something that i loathe making, AND YET I STILL MAKE THEM. if dw hadn’t been sick i would’ve had him do this entire step, he’s the pie man in this relationship.

Almond Tart Crust
64 g sliced almonds
25 g sugar
132 g sprouted spelt flour
super healthy pinch of salt
1 stick of lactose free butter, cut into cubes, very cold
1 large egg yolk (keep the egg white for the almond paste)
2 TBL ice-cold vodka

in food processor, pulse almonds with sugar until the nuts are fine. add in the flour & salt and pulse quickly to combine. throw in the cold butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk + vodka, and then add to the processor to pulse just until the entire thing comes together. transfer mixture onto a plastic wrap, gently mush together and shape into a disc. wrap in the plastic wrap and fridge for about an hour.

lightly flour pie crust bag. unwrap dough and place into the pie bag. roll out until it reaches the edge. if you need to cus the crust got all soft on you, put the crust still in the pie bag into the fridge to firm up. try not to cry, carefully transfer the dough onto 11″ fluted tart pan with removable bottom. gently press dough into the bottom and up the sides. trim any excess dough. prick bottom of tart shell with fork. fridge for 30 minutes.

preheat the oven to 375F.

top the pan with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights. bake for 13 minutes. remove from oven, carefully lift parchment paper with dried beans out and continue baking for another 7 minutes. remove pie from oven and allow to cool completely before filling etc.

lower heat to 335F.

Almond Paste/Frangipane
1 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp almond extract
healthy pinch of salt

in bowl add all the ingredients and mix until combined. cover and fridge until ready to use.

Apple Topping
enough apples, cored & sliced thin via mandolin, to cover tart
powdered sugar sifted over top
coco whip, optional, to serve

while the crust is cooling from the blind bake and the almond paste is hanging out in the fridge, carefully core apples and slice. if you do this step earlier, keep the slices in some lemon water to prevent discoloration, but be sure to dab dry before put on tart.

when ready, carefully spread the almond paste onto pre-baked crust. it doesn’t have to be perfect, just spread as evenly as you can to cover the bottom of the tart.

layer the slices however you want to onto the tart.

bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

remove from oven and allow to cool.

serve topped with coco whip.

BAM!

3 years ago: calamansi olive oil bread
2 years ago: apparently i was reading
1 year ago: i only did one thing last year, a most worthwhile thing, vegan carrot wedding cake

sephardic challah with whole spices

Published on October 26, 2016October 25, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach4 Comments

even though i have a netflix list
of shows/movies queued up
i spend an inordinate amount of time
rifling through the various offerings.
same with HBO Go, Amazon
and don’t get me started on my
to-read books pile.
maybe it’s a fear of missing out,
or that non-committal habit of
having something already but
still seeking something better,
i don’t know,
i just know that when i finally do
settle on something,
my mind is pretty made up,
even if i took 30 minutes to get to that conclusion.

in the case of this challah,
i’ve been on an on/off again search
for the ultimate recipe.
i’ve pinned plenty of options,
with private promises of attempting them
and then perfecting them.
i took a baking break during the warmer months,
and when i went looking at my
queued list,
none grabbed my attention.
back to the drawing board.
it took awhile,
but this came along
and i knew i had to make it,
mind made up.

sephardic challah with whole spices
adapted from the NY Times
makes 2 loaves

*note: my oven must run hot, or it’s the convection thing, but the loaves became dark around the 10-15 min mark so i would tent with foil for remaining bake time.
*note: toasting and then grinding them would be an excellent way to impart the spices without having to bite into them whole. i don’t mind the whole spices but that’s just me.

scant cup of raisins, soaked in warm water, drained well
4 TBL sesame seeds, divided
1 TBL caraway seeds
1 TBL coriander seeds
1 TBL cumin seeds
1 TBL black sesame seeds
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
5 cups/600 grams bread flour, more for dusting
1/2 TBL cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp/30 grams olive oil, more for rising bowl
75 grams honey (to taste, i was aiming for 50 grams and got a little heavy handed)
2 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup warm water, more as needed
1/2 TBL kosher salt
2 egg yolks + 1 TBL water for glaze/brush

in a pan, toast 1 TBL of sesame, caraway, coriander, cumin and black sesame seeds over medium heat until toasty-smelling. set aside and cool.
in a small bowl, combine yeast with 2 TBL warm water and ignore while it blooms. if it doesn’t, chuck it and get new yeast.

using stand mixer with dough hook, combine the flour with cinnamon, olive oil, honey, eggs and warm water. mix until a soft dough forms. on this particular day, the weather was kinda dry so i did add about 1-2 TBL of water to the dough to make it softer/pliable.

add in the salt and toasted seeds until the dough is smooth. it’s going to take awhile, about 5-10 minutes. original recipe says to add mix in the raisins then. what i did was i poured the dough onto the lightly dusted counter and gently kneaded the raisins in. it was a smidge sticky but you know, deal with it. transfer to large oiled bow. cover with plastic wrap and let stand until doubled in size, up to 2 hours.

line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. set aside.

turn dough onto lightly dusted counter and press down gently to deflate. divide dough in two and rest for 5 minutes.

roll each piece of dough into 18″ long rope and rest for another 5 minutes. then go back and roll into 32″ rope.

take one of the ropes from one end form the dough into a coil, tucking the end under.

repeat for the other rope.

transfer coils onto prepared cookie sheets and cover with large bowl. ignore for 1 hour, until the loaves have doubled in size.

about 30 minutes in, preheat oven to 400F.

whisk the egg yolks with 1 TBL of water. brush the egg wash over the loaves and let stand uncovered while oven warms.

brush with egg wash again and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds.

if you’re able, bake both loaves side by side, for 30 minutes. i baked them one by one.

transfer loaves to rack and cool before serving/slicing.

can be consumed as is, but i liked it best when slathered with veg butter and drizzled with a bit of honey.

BAM!

3 years ago: butternut squash & pearl barley risotto, lactose free
2 years ago: inside out peanut butter cups – vegan, gluten free
1 year ago: i didn’t do shit last year

Apple Cider Magic Cake

Published on October 19, 2016October 18, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach6 Comments

we’re enjoying an indian summer right now,
temps were around 70
when we went apple picking over the weekend.
the increase in temps didn’t prevent us
from turning on the oven though.
it shouldn’t turn you off either.
it’s too lovely to be inside,
but if you must,
open your windows wide
and make this magical cake.

here’s to hoping it’s been a
glorious october for you too.

Apple Cider Magic Cake
adapted from tasting table
makes 1 8″ cake, about 8 servings

For the Apple Cider Reduction:
6 cups apple cider – simmered in saucepan and reduced to 3/4 cup

For the Magic Cake Batter:
4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup apple cider reduction
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick vegan butter, melted but cool (i use earth balance)
1 cup spelt flour
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 3/4 cups lactose free half/half, or any kind of milk, vegan or not

Topping:
cocowhip

pre-heat oven 325F

prepare 8″ pan, greased and with parchment collar

using stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the egg whites till stiff and glossy, basically until you’re able to upturn the bowl over your head and you’re not covered in it. set aside.

either transfer the whipped egg whites to another bowl, or if you’re fancy, and have another stand mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks + sugar until pale yellow. slowly stream in the vegan butter until fully incorporated, then pour in 1/2 cup of apple cider reduction. add in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to the mix until no white streaks are seen. add in 1 tsp cinnamon. stream in the milk until thoroughly mixed. it will be quite liquid-y.

gently fold in the egg whites, in 3 parts. it will be a lumpy batter.

pour into prepared pan. sprinkle on top the remaining cinnamon.

bake for 45-50 minutes, the middle shouldn’t jiggle when shaken.

allow to cool completely.

invert the cake onto plate, and then invert again on serving plate. top with cocowhip and drizzle with remaining reduced apple cider. serve at room temp.

will keep in fridge, covered for a few days, if it lasts that long…

BAM!

3 years ago: snickerdoodles
2 years ago: banh xeo
1 year ago: i didn’t do diddly

where the wild things are smash cake

Published on August 31, 2016August 31, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach18 Comments

following in the same thread
as last post’s boxed confection,
i recently created a small cake
for a small bae
with a wild streak.
a smash cake was reqested
and since i figured it was going to be,
well, smashed to smithereens,
i went boxed, again.
but since it’s for a most beloved child,
we did go organic.
i still have standards y’all.

the theme was
Where the Wild Things Are,
a book i vaguely remember.
i doubt NT will recall this occasion,
though there were plenty of pictures that captured it.
in any case,
it was so easy to put together,
though you’da thunk i slaved over it
by the reactions of everyone in attendance of the party.
that’s winning at adulting,
if there were such a thing.

Where the Wild Things Are Smash Cake
makes 1 2 layered 6″ cake

1 box of cake mix, i used Immaculate Yellow Cake Mix
1 can of frosting, i used Wholesome Chocolate frosting
half bag of chocolate chips, a brand i like is enjoy life
1 tube of pre-made pie crust, i used immaculate ready to bake pie crust

bake the cake as per box instructions. for 6″ i baked for 35 minutes. it did dome a smidge, so it had to be leveled.

for the crown: on a lightly floured counter top, lay out the crust layer. with the mind set of an heir and a spare, i made 2 crowns. i measured out 2 10″ wide rectangles. i’m bad at math and space, so one of the crowns was taller, while the other was stubby. just make a chevron/jagged crown. using either the upside of a muffin or popover tin, wrap the crown around the base. for shininess and some color, do an egg wash. bake for 12 minutes, until gold brown. hopefully 1 of the 2 will come out. in my case, the heir died and i had to use the stubby spare. set aside, be careful, try not to break it.

for the textured bark: you can either melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler style. when the chocolate is fully melted, spread it into a rectangle on parchment paper, you want it as thin as possible, so use an off-set spatula. carefully fold the parchment paper into a roll and fridge it until set.

to assemble: lay the first cake layer on a plate or whatever you’re gonna serve the cake on. pipe in a layer of frosting, spread and then top with 2nd layer of cake. crumb coat it. it does not need to be perfect. you do want to make the top be as smooth as possible though, the sides can be bare minimum though. when ready, take the role of schmeared chocolate out and crack it. unroll the paper, you should have varied sized shards of chocolate. adhere them to the sides of the cake, you may need to dab on some frosting to get it to stick. again, it does not need to be perfect, just think of what a tree stump looks like. when the sides are sufficiently covered, re-melt the remaining chocolate shards and with a pastry brush, dab on the chocolate to the the cracks and fill in blank spots. you’re aiming for something rustic.

fridge it. take out about 30 minutes prior to smashing. top with the crown.

BAM!

3 years ago: tofu gyoza – vegan
2 years ago: peach ginger scones – vegan
1 year ago: summer salsa – vegan

nile + smash cake

minty milano cookies

Published on March 15, 2016March 14, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach7 Comments

i woke up super early saturday morning,
mainly in part in preparation of Daylight Savings Time
but also because i was playing catch up.
the weeks have been quick to pass,
soon the tulips will make an appearance,
if they haven’t already,
and spring will be here.
march is a good month,
a month i overlooked in favor
of warmer times.
but now i see that it’s worthy,
if not for the noted arrival of printemps
then for the special marked day of dw’s birthday.
as per usual i combined his favorite flavors:
chocolate + mint.
eventually i would like to make them
vegan,
or at the very least dairy free.
for now though,
he has been enjoying them happily,
well worth the early rising.

happy birthday sweet dw,
i love you dearly.

minty milano cookies
adapted from pure wow
makes 20-22 cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 egg whites, at room temp
1½ cups AP flour
a generous pinch of salt

minty chocolate ganache
1 cup chocolate (chips or chopped)
scant ½ cup lactose free half/half
3-4 tsp peppermint extract, to taste
up to 5 TBL powdered sugar, possibly optional

preheat the oven to 350°F. prepare parchment paper that fits 2 cookies sheets. fold in half ONCE, long-wise. with the parchment paper still folded over, fold again and then again, and then again. open paper and you should have 14 rectangles. use those folded lines as a guide when piping the cookies, so you’ll end up with 7 cookies/row. alternatively, you could trace the general shape of the cookies in pencil, flipping the paper over so that you’re not piping the batter pencil side up.

in a kitchen aid mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter with powdered sugar until fluffy. add in the vanilla and mix.

in a small bowl, have your egg whites on the ready. gradually add them in and fully mix until incorporated. add in the flour and mix through.

transfer batter to piping bag, snipping the bottom. pipe the batter along the folded lines of the parchment paper (or trace along with pen/pencil lines) into an oval shape and somewhat filling it, you’re aiming for about 1½ inches long, leaving about 2 inches between as the cookies do spread. they do not need to perfect. i sorta followed this video tutorial.

bake for 9-12 minutes, the edges will start to brown and crisp up. remove from oven and cool completely.

to make ganache, in a small saucepan heat up the half/half gently. in a small bowl have the chocolate chips ready. gently pour the hot half/half into the bowl and ignore for about a minute. with a spoon or spatula carefully mix the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated and shiny. add in the peppermint extract, amount to taste. remember if you add more liquid the ganache will be runny, so either add in powdered sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) or add in less half/half, you’re aiming for a thick consistency.

assemble cookies by smearing about a tablespoons worth of the minty chocolate onto center of upside down cookie. sandwich with another cookie, and press gently until filling runs just to the edge.

cookies will keep at room temp in airtight container for 2-3 days.

BAM!

previous dw chocolate + mint confections:
peppermint kisses – 2015 (not officially blogged but use this recipe for reference)
coconut peppermint patties – 2014
homemade thin mints – 2013
mint chocolate cake – 2012