Cranberry Apple Coffee Cake

Gluten Free Cranberry Apple Coffee Cake

It is so satisfying to make a successful gluten free cake. Anyone who's experimented with GF baking knows that. I can't even count how many times I've optimistically slid a seemingly perfect GF cake into the oven, only to pull out a rubbery, half burnt/half raw cake with a 6 inch crater in the centre 45 minutes later. How Annoying! Nowadays, there's all kinds of GF cake mixes on the market, and if you're willing to pay $6 for a mix, you can probably expect decent results (although I haven't tried most of those mixes, I'm assuming they don't suck... otherwise they wouldn't sell, right?). For those of you who'd rather not buy the processed, and rather expensive, mixes, try this recipe. Yes, it's coffee cake... but it's cake and it's gluten free, so no complaining!

This version is actually pretty healthy with apples and cranberry sauce. I sometimes even eat it for breakfast (my husband is horrified... cake for breakfast!). You could easily add extra sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, or icing to make it more of a traditional cake. Or instead of apples and cranberry sauce, add your favourite fruit (blueberries, raspberries, pear slices, etc). Feel free to try another one of my versions: Ginger Peach Coffee Cake.

Make sure to bake this cake until the centre feels firm. The edges will be dark, but not burnt. Otherwise your cake will have a rubbery 6 inch crater in the middle...

(makes 9x9 baking dish)
Ingredients

1 1/3 cup Light Flour Blend (see flour blends)
3/4 cup Sugar (or less if you prefer)
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Oil
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla (optional)
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
2  Peeled and Sliced Apples (med sized)
1/2 cup Cranberry Sauce (I make homemade sauce when cranberries are cheap and freeze it... it's really easy)
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Directions

Stir together all dry ingredients.
Beat eggs with milk and add, along with the rest of the wet ingredients, to the dry ingredients.
Pour into greased 9x9 baking dish.
Press slices of apples into batter (about 1/2 inch apart).
Spread cranberry sauce over the top (Doesn't need to cover the entire cake. It will sink in somewhat)
Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top.
Bake at 350 F for 45-50 mins (until very brown but not burning). The centre should be firm to the touch.
Let cool and cut into 9 square pieces.

Press apple slices into batter

Spread cranberry sauce over the top (you don't need quite this much... I just used all of my leftovers)

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes

Serve with coffee for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack!

German Pancake with Caramelized Apples

My mom used to make a regular (wheat) german pancake often when I was a kid and I loved that we got to have something so dessert-like for supper. She would always top it with fried apples and icing sugar. The other day I was trying to think of something a little more creative to do with the abundance of apples sitting on my counter, and I remembered this recipe from my childhood.  Luckily, my mom has developed a gluten-free version of a german panckae using our light flour blend.

I tried out this recipe the other day for supper and I was surprised at how easy and simple it was to make. The batter is mixed in a blender and baked in a pie plate, minimizing the kitchen mess. I also cooked up some breakfast sausages to add some protein to the meal.

The german pancake is denser than regular pancakes and has a bit of an eggy texture. If you've never had it before I highly recommend giving it a try. I know I will be making this long lost meal from my childhood again soon.

makes 9 inch pie plate. serves 3-4 if paired with sausage, etc. (you could double the recipe and make in a 9x13 pan)

Ingredients

1/2 cup gf flour blend (light flour blend)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
2 T butter or margarine
1/2 t vanilla (optional)

Caramelized Apples
2-3 med sized baking apples cored and thinly sliced (sour ones are best)
1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions

butter in pie plate and milk/egg mixture in blender

Preheat oven to 425 F. Put the 2 T butter in a 9" pie plate and place in the oven to melt and heat up.
Meanwhile, blend eggs and milk together in a blender. Add flour, baking powder, sugar and vanilla to the blender and blend until no lumps remain (30 seconds to a minute).
Take the pie plate out of the oven and pour the mixture in. Some of the melted butter will float on the top.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until the top starts to turn brown.

batter

prepared pie plate

ready to bake

after baking

While the pancake is in the oven, caramelize the apples in a frying pan.
Melt the butter/margarine in the pan on med-high heat. add sliced apples (peel is optional) and sprinkle cinnamon on top. (fried pears or peaches would make great alternatives)
Fry until apples start to soften. When only a minute or two remains, add the brown sugar to the apples and stir until they are coated in a brown sugar syrup.

with brown sugar

When the pancake is done, remove from the oven and cut into slices (the puffed up pancake will fall a bit at this stage - this is supposed to happen).
Top with the caramelized apples and icing sugar and serve with breakfast sausages, bacon, or ham.

Apple Crisp

my backyard Oct 2011

Fall is in the air. Although it doesn't officially start until later this week, here in Saskatoon the leaves are already turning and crunching under my feet. For some reason, the trees around the river always burst into colour first, making for beautiful (and still fairly warm) late summer strolls. I have appreciated the changing of the seasons more this year than ever before, and right now, I am totally in love with autumn - the crisp air, beautiful colours, and amazing smells. As we all know, along with autumn comes the familiar and comforting flavours of apples and pumpkin paired with warm spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. How can that not inspire love?

My sister has a few apple trees in her backyard and I have been the lucky recipient of some beautiful, large, sweet ones that I have been busy peeling, chopping and freezing for the winter (and of course baking up an apple storm - more apple recipes to come). My freezer is full of baking apples some of which may make their way into muffins or coffee cake, but the majority will be tossed into a gluten free apple crisp!

Now I know some celiac's cannot tolerate oats, and it is possible to make a similar creation from crushed up cereal (rice, corn, etc), but this recipe uses pure oats, which are fine for most individuals on a gluten free diet.

I called this recipe apple crisp, but you can pretty much make any kind of fruit crisp the same way. I like to add different combinations of peaches, cranberries, blueberries, rhubarb, etc to the apples. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar depending on the fruit you use (cranberries and rhubarb will need more).

I really don't have a written recipe for crisp. I tend to throw ingredients together in estimated amounts until it looks right. To be honest, it's pretty hard to screw it up. You may want more or less sugar, crisp topping or other spices. The recipe does not need to be followed exactly.

Apple Peach Crisp

makes 9x9 baking dish (I used a circle shaped casserole dish that holds a similar amount)

Ingredients

enough apples to fill the dish about 2/3 full (peeled, cored and sliced) - probably 2 1/2 - 3 cups
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
   (or use an apple pie spice blend)
1/2 Tbsp corn starch

Topping
2/3 cup GF quick oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup GF flour (i use half tapioca starch and half rice flour)
1/2 t cinnamon
2-3 T butter or margarine

Directions

Apples and Peaches with sugar and spice

Fill baking dish 2/3 full with the sliced apples (and any other fruit). If the fruit is frozen it helps to microwave them for a couple minutes (but not necessary). Add spices, sugar, and sifted cornstarch to the apples and mix together.

In a separate bowl, combine oats, brown sugar flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter then mix with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly and no large pieces of buter remain. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples in the baking dish.

Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes or until apples are soft and crisp is bubbling around the outside. Let cool for a few minutes then serve with ice cream.

Before baking

After baking