Ch-ch-ch-changes

I feel like I'm in a bit of a food rut. 

I can't promise that I'll stop trying new scone recipes, but I think over the next couple weeks I'm going to push the pastry recipes to the back of my mental recipe box and try to branch out. 

Now that I'm happily employed, things are going to get pretty busy up here in St. Paul. So, tonight I attempted to be a little proactive and make something that I can eat on the go. 

But, apparently my gluten-free cereal bars were not meant to be. The ingredients were promising: gluten-free cereal, flax seed, unsweetened coconut, almond meal, gluten-free oats, dried cherries, pecans. However, I miscalculated the dry ingredients to wet ingredients ratio. 

I never was good at math. 

This is still delicious though! I'm taking it as a sign that I'm just not meant to live a fast-paced life. To show my acceptance of this, I'm going to put this aside for breakfast to sprinkle over yogurt and spend the rest of my evening brainstorming new recipe ideas.

I'll call it "I'm Not A Granola, Not Yet A Cereal Bar" 

Raspberry Pecan Scones

Today felt very long. Blergh.

But my spirits are high because tomorrow I start my new job! I'm not going to reveal where yet because I'm afraid of jinxing it, but I'm really excited. Waiting for the right opportunity to come along definitely paid off!

Have to get cracking on my homework because my day starts at 6:00 am tomorrow. But first I'm going to treat myself to one of these scones and the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Hope you all have a lovely evening!

Raspberry Pecan Scones 
Original recipe!
Makes approximately 10 scones

3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter, ice cold
1 cup fresh raspberries, quartered
3/4 cup raw pecans, chopped


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 


In a separate bowl combine maple syrup, milk, egg, vanilla, and zest. Set in the fridge until ready to incorporate with dry ingredients

Cut in nearly frozen butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender. Once chunks are no bigger than pea-sized fold in wet ingredients. Once everything is just combined, gently fold in raspberries and pecans.

Spread dough onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silpat. I formed mine into a rectangle, chilled it for 15 minutes in the freezer, then cut the dough into triangles and arranged then an inch apart from each other.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

This isn't a good photo, but the scone reminded me of an alligator's head.

Casper's favorite part of birthdays = wrapping paper

Birthday Smörgåsbord!

One year from today I'll finally be able to cook with wine!

Until then, I get to enjoy being a twenty-year-old.

I had such an awesome weekend! My mom came up from Omaha on Saturday afternoon and stayed until this morning. I had a great birthday last year with friends up in New York, but it felt so nice to spend this one with my mom. Call me a cornball, but that was the best present! I only wish that I could have been with the rest of my family. I'll be seeing them in less than three weeks though!

A majority of our day yesterday was spent in my kitchen. Otis the oven had his work cut out for him with gluten-free biscuits for breakfast, cheesecake, and butternut squash lasagna. Lemon cranberry muffins, too!

One of yesterday's comical events was my mom discovering that I've unknowingly used french vanilla half and half in my recipes for some time now. Organic Valley, you need to work on how you label your dairy. French vanilla half and half should not go in cream of mushroom soup, or in the millet biscuits posted below.

Gluten-Free Biscuits
adapted from the inspirational Celiac Teen
Makes 10 biscuits

1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, ice cold
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (I used half and half)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until chunks are no bigger than pea-sized. Add dairy and fold until the dough just comes together.

I chilled my dough for half an hour so it was easier to form the biscuits. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into squares and place on a parchment covered baking sheet or silpat.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Check out that crumbly goodness.

Last night Hillary, one of my oldest friends from Omaha, came over and I cooked a little birthday dinner for all of us. Her birthday is two days before mine, which resulted in some pretty awesome parties when we were growing up. Last night didn't involve a hayrack ride, or a limo full of all our friends, but it felt great to spend another birthday with her up here in Minnesota. We stuck to tradition by having cheesecake for dessert!

Cheesecake with an Oat Almond Crust
inspired by this recipe
Makes one 9 inch cheesecake

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats, coarsely ground in a food pro
1 cup blanched almond, coarsely ground
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

2 8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon brown rice flour
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Process oats and almonds until they're coarse in texture. Combine with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter. If the mixture seems too dry, add more butter.

Press crust mix into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Press a little over an inch up the sides of the pan as well. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

Using a stand mixer, cream sugar and cream cheese until smooth (about 1 minute). Add one egg at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate into the mixture before adding the next. Add flour, half and half, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute.

Prepare a water bath for the oven (fill a oven-safe pan or dish with steaming hot water. This prevents cracks in the cheesecake).

Pour cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. Once done the cheesecake should be firm on the sides but have a slight jiggle in the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool for half an hour.

Lower the oven temp to 250 degrees F.

In a medium bowl mix together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread over the top of the warm cheesecake. Bake for 15 minutes at 250. Remove and allow the cheesecake to sit for at least 4 hours at room temp, then chill for 4-12 hours.

I always associate cheesecake with my birthday, and this one was heavenly.

Thanks to my wonderful family, I am now a proud owner of a food scale and an amazing set of knives! Things are about to get real legit in the kitchen.

I'm also as prepared as I can be for the upcoming winter thanks to a new coat, warm sweaters, and a snow shovel (thanks, Dad!).

Bring it, Minnesota.

Lemon Cranberry Muffins
specially adapted for my mom from this recipe
Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, and baking powder.

In a separate bowl combine sugar and yogurt until smooth. Add eggs and whisk together. Add oil, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry. Batter will be wet. Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins (with muffin liners, parchment paper, or greased cups). Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are golden-brown on top.

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes! You're all wonderful!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go be a twenty-year-old.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

The other day a guy in my english class asked me if I make much stuff with pumpkin in it. I said "Well, I made pumpkin risotto for my friends last weekend... and I made some pumpkin scones a while back." When I came home that day I checked my recipe page.

As of today, I've made 12 recipes involving pumpkin. Who knew?

My mom got here today! She's spending the weekend up here with me for my birthday. We had a little afternoon tea with maple oat scones, then headed over to Edina for a some shopping. It's difficult for me to pass up on a chance to add to my collection of cardigans. Afterwards we had a delicious dinner at the French Meadow Café in uptown Minneapolis. I tried tempeh for the first time and my mom ordered pork tenderloin with brussel sprouts and sour cherries.

We ended our lovely evening with a movie. We saw Like Crazy, and I'm not going to lie, it was a bit of a bummer for me. After getting lost on our way back to my apartment, I'm pretty worn out and ready for bed.

Tomorrow I'll be making dinner for my mom, Hillary, and I. Check in to see the menu!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
adapted from this recipe
makes roughly one dozen

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, spice, and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Add wet ingredients to dry and fold until the dough just comes together. Dough will be wet and sticky. Chill for half an hour in the fridge before forming cookies. With wet hands, form dough into little disks, about two inches across and half an inch thick. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet two inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

These cookies are pretty cakey. My mom arrived before I was able to make an icing for them. Any suggestions?

It's tough to see, but these guys are perched on the adorable plate that one of my best friends sent me for my birthday. Thanks, Lilly!

Maple Nut Oat Scones

In case anyone hasn't noticed, I've developed a thing for scones.

When I have a rough day I get through it by remembering days like today. As soon as I pull the strings of my apron tight feelings of calmness and relief wash over me. Tonight I danced around my kitchen with a mixing bowl in one hand and a whisk in another, listening to Florence's latest album. Flo really stepped it up this time around! My macbook speakers can hardly handle her vocal prowess.

Now it's time to iron my Power Slacks because I have myself an interview in the morning!

Maple Oat Nut Scones
adapted from kumquat
makes 8 scones

Yes, I've made a lot of scones in the past couple months. I can't help it! I love what they've got going on. I'm tempted to say that this is the best scone recipe I've made, with it's nuttiness and subtle hint of maple. All the scone recipes on this blog are winners, but these ones are mighty tasty.

I converted the recipe from grams, so the measurements are a little funky.

4 teaspoons ground flax meal
4 teaspoons hot water
1 heaping cup gluten-free rolled oats, coarsely ground in a food pro or blender
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (this may not be necessary)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons ice cold butter
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup half and half
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together hot water and flax. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until uniform in color.

In a smaller mixing bowl whisk together eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Add half and half, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until combined and place in the fridge until ready to incorporate into the flours.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients by cutting it in with a pastry blender or your hands. Make sure no butter chunks are bigger than pea-sized.

Pour wet ingredients and flax into the dry ingredients. Fold in nuts. Mix until it just comes together. On a parchment lined baking sheet, form the dough into an 8 inch round by wetting your hands, or lightly dusting the dough with flour. Chill for half an hour (or 10 minutes in the freezer if you're impatient like I am).

Cut the round into 8 wedges. Separate on the baking sheet so they are an inch or two apart. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Allow to cool then drizzle with glaze (optional).

Maple Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk (more or less)
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Combine all ingredients and mix until you reach a desired consistency (not too runny, not too thick).

Quick Pumpkin Cornbread

Top Chef, Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics," comfy pants, and pumpkin quick bread. This is my night, and it's glorious.

Holy cow this is delicious! And relatively healthy! This was my first time making a quick bread, and I think I might be hooked. Looks a little goofy, but this came together in five minutes and it blew my mind.

Quick Pumpkin Cornbread

adapted from this recipe

makes one serving 

2 tablespoons brown rice flour

2 tablespoons gluten-free cornmeal 

1 tablespoon buckwheat flour

1/2 tablespoon ground flax meal

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

1/4 cup nonfat milk

3 tablespoons pumpkin purée 

1/2 tablespoon maple syrup

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth and uniform in color. Dough will be thick, don't over mix. 

Pour into a greased microwave save bowl (mine was about 4 inches in diameter). Microwave on high for 2 minutes. 

Drizzle honey or maple syrup over the bread and enjoy all to yourself!

Little dome of moist deliciousness.

Chai Spice Scones

I thought I would have to post a flop tonight. Luckily, I was wrong!

I was getting everything prepared for the recipe I found, which I was going to attempt to adapt to be gluten-free. Then I realized that I'm out of butter. Thanks to my trip to New York, I believe I have roughly twenty cents in my bank account. Ah, the glamorous life of a college student.

I considered some substitutes for butter and began calculating the conversions. With all the alterations, I was unsure of how things would turn out. I was pleasantly surprised! These scones were perfect on this rainy night. If I make these again I may try butter just to add a little flakiness, but these are definitely a healthy alternative!

Gluten Free Chai Spice Scones
inspired by this recipe
makes 5 or 6 scones

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 brown rice flour
1/2 tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 regular sized bag of black tea
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, tea, and spices. Whisk until uniform in color and texture.

In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Once combined, gradually fold into dry ingredients using a rubber spatula. Dough will be slightly sticky, but not too much.

Use a pastry cutter or your hands to form scones. I patted mine into little 3 inch disks.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the exterior of the scones is slightly golden. Enjoy!

Might attempt to get a better photo of these tomorrow morning.