Rum Raisin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Baking with gluten-free flour can be a challenge at times.  Different flours react in different ways.  Some flours absorb more liquid, so you need to allow your batter to sit for a bit.  Using too much flour, your cake will become heavy and dense.  While some blends might or might not include a leavening agent, you need to play around with recipes to get it just right.  Adding an extra egg will help your cake rise, but too many eggs are not always the answer.  I call this profession being a "Scientist."  
Baking is not like cooking, where you get to throw in " a little bit of this and a little bit of that."  

I attempted to make a carrot cake the other day.  Even though the taste was there, it came out a little heavy. It wasn't raw like some cakes might be, but this cake was definitely cooked. I wanted more of a lighter texture, so I knew what I needed to do...head back into my laboratory, my kitchen, and get experimenting.   

Rum Raisin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup rum, white or dark

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz pineapple tidbits with juice ( I used Dole individual pack)

2 cups carrots, shredded

2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, divided

1 cup coconut oil, melted (important step)

2 - 2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (with xanthan gum)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1.  Soak the raisins in rum in a small bowl for 30 mins.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the sugars and mix well.  Stir in the vanilla, pineapple, carrots, and pecans. Measure the coconut oil in a microwavable safe bowl or cup.  Heat for a few seconds until melted but not too hot.  By heating the oil, it will not be clumpy and will mix more thoroughly into the flour.  (This is an important step). Stir the oil into the bowl.  Stir in the raisins (without the rum).

3.  In a separate bowl, add all the remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Mix well, scraping down the side of the bowl with a spatula.  Let the batter sit for at least 30 mins.  Mix again.  

4.  Grease two 8 or 9-inch baking pans.  Divide the batter into the two pans.

5.  Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for approx. 30-35 mins or until done.  

Note:  If you use pre-shredded store-bought carrots, make sure they are moist.  If they look dry, I suggest shredding the carrots yourself.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Directions: Add all the ingredients to a bowl.  With an electric beater, beat until well blended. 

Pulled Pork Ragu

 

Pulled Pork and Mushroom Ragu
Making a tomato pasta sauce can be a process and time-consuming.  To get a deep meat flavor, you must fry all your meat and simmer all the meat in your sauce for hours.  I like to add some of the fat from the meat to the sauce.  I call this "flavor."  The sauce simmers away, and as the fat rises to the top, it is skimmed off.  Here is a recipe you can make in 30 mins with prepared marinated pork.

 The other day I made a considerable size of pork butt roast marinated in my favorite mojo.  I shredded the meat and reserved it with some of the flavoring juices in the refrigerator until I was ready to use it.  This allows the meat to absorb additional flavor giving your pasta sauce a great gusto. 

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
8 ozs mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, sliced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cups prepared shredded pork (with juices)
2 - 28 ozs cans crushed tomatoes
1 TBS basil, chopped
1 TBS parsley, chopped
1 lb favorite pasta, cooked

Directions:
Heat oil in a large stockpot or skillet on med/high heat.  Stir in onions and saute for 5 mins.  Stir in garlic and mushrooms and saute for additional 5 mins.  Stir in the roasted peppers, red pepper flakes, and pork, tomatoes, and spices.  Season with salt and pepper.  Slightly cover and reduce temperature to med/low.  Let it cook for 20 mins, stirring every 5-10 mins to prevent food from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Stir in the herbs.  Serve with your favorite pasta.  Top with grated parmesan cheese

 

Tigernut Tahini Ginger Cookies

 

Tigernut flour has become very popular and showing up on grocery store shelves lately.  What is Tigernut?  Your first guess might be "it's a nut," as the name implies.  Tigernut is a small starchy root vegetable that grows in Northern Africa, parts of the United States, Mexico, South America, and the Mediterranean.  This flour is nut-free, gluten-free and paleo.  It has an earthy, nutty taste and a bit sweeter than most flours.

Tigernut Flour is made by roasting the root and then processing it into a fine powder.  It is used in baked goods, drinks and as a thickener for soups or stew.  You can also mix this flour with other flours, such as coconut, arrowroot, and almond.  It can also be used as a binder for veggie or bean burgers, or other dishes.

I decided to create these cookies for a friend who needs to be on a special diet for health reasons.  I now had a reason to open the package of flour, which was sitting in my closet for a few weeks.  I wish I had tried it sooner, but so happy I have discovered a wonderful ingredient.  

Ingredients:
2 TBS flaxseed flour
6 TBS water
1/3 cup honey
1 cup tahini
1 cup tigernut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom 
1/8 tsp salt

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2.  In a medium-size bowl mix together the flaxseed flour and water.  Let sit for 5 mins.  To the bowl add honey and tahini.  Mix well.
3.  In a separate bowl stir together the tigernut flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
4.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  With a medium size (1 TBS) cookie scoop, fill with cookie batter and drop onto the baking sheet, approx. 2-3 inches apart.  Bake for 10 mins or until slightly golden brown.  Let cool and add to a cookie rack.