September 2010 – Coconut & Vanilla

glutenfreie ButterkekseDecorated Sugar Cookies with the Daring Bakers [gluten-free]

Update: Für das deutsche Rezept nach unten scrollen!

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

For this months challenge everybody should choose a theme. I chose simply „autumn“, because it’s everywhere present for me and I’m totally enjoying it. So I cut out some different shaped leaves with the cookie cutters and decorated them with green, orange and yellow royal icing.

Since the only time in the year when I bake sugar cookies is normally before Christmas, I wasn’t so eager on the cookies. So I chose to make them gluten-free, just to give it an extra twist and to try a new flavour. Also I didn’t want to try a different sugar cookie recipe than mine, since I believe mine is the best ;). But before Christmas there is just not the right time to reveal it. I used a sugar cookie recipe from Shauna and it worked out very well. Besides it tastes really good.

The icing was interesting, since I’ve never did it before. It worked well, too. But I’m not a fan of artificial colouring and to decorate cookies like this.It just does not look natural to me. Additionally the cookies just taste great on them selves. The sweet icing is not necessary for me. But it was a good experience.

Vor einem Jahr: Triple Mousse

glutenfreie Butterkekse

nach einem Rezept von the gluten-free girl

ergibt: 2 Backbleche Plätzchen

Zutaten:

100 g Reismehl
50 g Kartoffelmehl/-stärke
30 g Tapiocamehl/ -stärke
1/2 TL Backpulver
1 1/4 TL Xanthan
1 Prise Salz
100 g Zucker
110 Butter
1 Eigelb
1 TL Vanilleextrakt

Mehle, Backpulver, Salz und Xanthan mischen.

Butter und Zucker cremig rühren, dann das Eigelb und den Vanilleextrakt unterrühren, bis alles gleichmäßig vermischt ist. Die restlichen Zutaten zugeben und unterrühren.

Den Teig in Folie wickeln und mindestens 1 Stunde kalt stellen.

Den Ofen auf 180° C vorheizen. Backbleche mit Backpapier belegen.

Den Teig ausrollen und Formen ausstechen. Auf die Bleche legen und 12-15 Minuten backen bis sie goldgelb sind.

Glasur

150 g Puderzucker
1 kleines Eiweiß
2 TL Zitronensaft
Lebensmittelfarbe (optional)

Das Eiweiß mit dem Zitronensaft verschlagen. Den Zucker zugeben und verrühren, bis eine glatte Glasur entstanden ist. Nach Belieben mit Lebensmittelfarbe färben.

Die Kekse damit dekorieren.

One year ago: Triple Mousse

gluten-free Sugar Cookies

adapted from the gluten-free girl

yields: two baking sheets full

Ingredients:

100 g rice flour
50 g potato starch/flour
30 g tapioca flour/starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp xanthan
pinch of salt
100 g sugar
110 g butter
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the flours, baking powder, salt and xanthan in a small bowl.

Cream the shortening, butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients and combine.

Chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters. Transfer them to the baking sheets and bake them for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.

Royal Icing

150 g powdered sugar
1 small egg white
2 tsp lemon juice
food colouring (optional)

Beat egg whites with lemon juice until combined. Add the sugar to the egg whites. Beat on low until combined and smooth.

If desired mix in the colouring. Decorate the cookies.

Glutenfreie DonutsGluten-free Donuts

We had a party at the weekend. Celebrating our new apartment and my 25th. Lots of people, lots of food. Lots of fun!

Since one guest has celiac disease and I didn’t wanted to make everything special, a lot of the food was gluten-free. Also it was a good opportunity to make donuts. We love them, but it isn’t worth the work for only two people. But for 20. So searching the internet I found a recipe, that sounded good to me. We adapted it to the flours we had. To form the donuts you have to work with a pastry bag, because the dough is not firm enough to roll it out and cut out the donuts. But it’s easy. Don’t be afraid!

They were so good! You would never ever notice those are gluten-free! It was a real surprise.

I think it really worked out so well, because we made our own mix of flours and didn’t use a store-bought mixture, which contains mostly corn flour (in Germany). Additionally we used xanthan as a gluten substitute. Xanthan is not very common in Germany. To be truth nobody (almost) knows it. Outside Germany you can maybe imagine how baked gluten-free goods look like here. And how they taste. It’s a shame, cause with xanthan it’s so easy. I’ve baked now three times with it and every time it worked out really well. And I never baked gluten-free before that! I bought the xanthan here. It was shipped from Austria and you can purchase a larger amount, that isn’t that over expensive. Normally you need 0,5 – 1 tsp. per recipe, so if you bake often gluten-free, 500g are a good investment.

Originally we wanted to coat the donuts with sugar glaze and with chocolate, but we were tight in time, so we tossed them in cinnamon sugar. F. said, they were not that fluffy like normal donuts. The texture was more like jelly donuts. But I couldn’t think, that this is something negative. I love jelly donuts, too. So feel free to make them ball shape and fill them with jam. Everything is possible and everything will be delicious!

Gluten-free Donuts

yield: about 25 small donuts

Ingredients:

230 g white rice flour
130 g potato starch/flour
60 g tapioca starch/flour
220 g sugar
4 tsp xanthan
1 tsp salt
1 ¾ tsp baking powder
3 sachets or 7,5 tsp instant dry yeast
275 ml warm milk or water
170 g melted butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
oil, suitable for deep-frying
extra sugar and cinnamon for tossing

Combine the flours, sugar, xanthan, salt, baking powder and yeast in a bowl of your stand mixer.

Add the warm milk, melted butter and eggs. Knead for 5 minutes at medium speed.

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Line parchment paper on your counter. Fill the dough in a pastry bag, fitted with a wide round tip. Pipe donuts 6 cm in diameter onto the parchment paper. Let them rest again for 20 minutes. Cut the parchment between the donuts, so every donut sits on one piece of parchment.

Prepare your oil, either in a large pot or in your deep-fryer. We preheated the oil in the deep-fryer at 170°C.

Prepare a large dish lined with paper towels for the donuts. Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a tray. Place it all next to your deep-fryer.

Gently slide 4 donuts with the parchment paper into the oil and fry until golden brown. Flip the donuts, as you remove the parchment paper using tongs. Cook until golden brown again. Remove the donuts with a slotted spoon and place them on the paper towels.

While still warm toss the donuts gently in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.

We had a party at the weekend. Celebrating our new apartment and my 25th. Lots of people, lots of food. Lots of fun!

They were so good! You would never ever notice those are gluten-free! It was a real surprise.

Gluten-free Donuts

yield: about 25 small donuts

Ingredients:

230g white rice flour
130g potato starch/flour
60g tapioca starch/flour
220g sugar
4 tsp xanthan
1 tsp salt
1 ¾ tsp baking powder
3 sachets or 7,5 tsp instant dry yeast
275ml warm milk or water
170g melted butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
oil, suitable for deep-frying
extra sugar and cinnamon for tossing

Combine the flours, xanthan, salt, baking powder and yeast in a bowl of your stand mixer.

Add the warm milk, melted butter and eggs. Knead for 5 minutes at medium speed.

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Prepare your oil, either in a large pot or in your deep-fryer. We preheated the oil in the deep-fryer at 170°C.

Prepare a large dish lined with paper towels for the donuts. Mix the sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a tray. Place it all next to your deep-fryer.

While still warm toss the donuts gently in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Enjoy!

Tomaten und ÄpfelTomatoes and Apples

Update: Für das deutsche Rezept nach unten scrollen!

Summer ending and autumn beginning. That is what tomatoes and apples are standing for, right now. That is how I feel. I’m yearning for the warm summer air and long nights, but I also like when it rains all day and the sky is cloudy. It’s a good excuse to cozy up and eat meals, that warm from inside. And it’s a good excuse to drink glühwein, yet. Yeah, I already had my first some days ago…

For enjoying the last summer bits and preserving it until autumn and winter, make some good old homemade pasta/pizza sauce and can it. It’s a bit of work chopping all the tomatoes, but the rest is just easy going. And there’s definitely no need to peel the skin off them! I made sauce of 2 kilos of tomatoes and it looked a lot in the pot. But afterwards it ended in 5 jars. That’s good, don’t get me wrong. But if you have access to a lot tomatoes, don’t be shy or scared of the amount, you will be rewarded with a lot of yummy pasta sauce, that will bring you through the summer-less seasons.

For enjoying the first autumn bits, I give you a simple apple compote on the way, which can be spiced up with your favourite spices or made with additionally pears. This compote is just perfect as a topping on arroz con leche, creams or the flan tart, I will post next time. It can also used as a filling for a sweet snack made of puff pastry or enjoyed with pancakes. Make a lot, it disappears fast!

Diese Rezepte sind nur Richtlinien. Lasst Zutaten weg oder fügt andere hinzu, wenn ihr möchtet.

Wenn ihr Pastasauce einmachen wollt, müsst ihr vorher die Gläser und Deckel sterilisieren. Hier gibt es gutes und sehr witziges Video darüber und wie man ganze Tomaten einmacht.

Selbstgemachte Pasta Sauce

Zutaten:

2 kilo reife Tomaten, gewaschen und gehackt
5 mittlere Zwiebeln, fein gehackt
3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
Meersalz, Pfeffer
frische Kräuter, wie Basilikum Thymian, Oregano, Salbei, Minze, Rosmarin
Olivenöl

In einem großen Topf einen großzügigen Schuss Olivenöl erhitzen. Zwiebeln und Knoblauch dazu, 1-2 Minuten andünsten, aber nicht braun werden lassen. Die gehackten Tomaten dazu und köcheln bis alles weich und sämig wird. Das dauert etwa 20-30 Minuten. Währendessen die Kräuter hacken.

Wenn du die Sauce einmachen willst, jetzt die Gläser und Deckel vorbereiten und auf ein sauberes Geschirrtuch legen.

Mit den Kräutern, sowie Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken.

Während die Sauce noch heiß ist, in die Gläser füllen. Aufpassen dass die Ränder sauber sind! Gut verschrauben und abkühlen lassen.

Apfelkompott

4 säuerliche Äpfel
1 Vanilleschote, Mark herausgekratzt
1 Sternanis
50 ml Wasser
50 g Zucker

Die Äpfel entkernen und in kleine Würfel schneiden. Äpfel, Zucker, Vanilleschote und -mark, Sternanis und Wasser in einem Topf erhitzen. Köcheln lassen, bis die Äpfel zerfallen sind oder sich leicht mit einem Löffel zerdrücken lassen, etwa 10-15 Minuten.

Die Gewürze entfernen und gleich verwenden oder im Kühlschrank aufbewahren. Innerhalb von 2-3 Tagen verbrauchen.

Note: That is just a guideline. Feel free to add and leave things, how you prefer it.

If you want to can the pasta sauce, you need clean jars with lids, that you’ve sterilized before. Here’s a really good and also funny video about sterilizing jars and canning whole tomatoes from The Bitten Word. They put it in a nutshell.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

2 kilos ripe tomatoes, unpeeled washed and chopped
5 medium onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
salt, pepper
herbs, such like basil, thyme, oregano, sage, mint, rosemary; preferably fresh, otherwise dried
olive oil

In large pot heat a good splash of olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Cook a minute or two, but don’t let it brown. Add all the chopped tomatoes. Cook until tender and everything gets mushy. That takes about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile chop your fresh herbs.

If you want to can your pasta sauce, prepare now the jars and lids. Place them on a dish towel.

After that, add the herbs to the sauce and season it with salt and pepper.

Now as the pasta sauce is still hot, fill your jars with the sauce. Make sure that the rims of the jars are clean, when you seal them with the lids. Let them cool.

Apple Compote

4 acidic apples
one vanilla bean, split open and seeds scraped
one small star anise
50 ml water
50 g sugar

Core the apples and cut them into small cubes (0,5×0,5cm). Heat a small saucepan. Add apples, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, star anise and water. Let it simmer, until mushy or until you can mash the apples with your spoon easily. It takes about 10-15 minutes. Remove the spices, eat immediately or store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Pflaumen GalettesRustic Plum Galettes

Update: Für das deutsche Rezept nach unten scrollen!

I made those a while ago, but I never made it to post them. Now before the summer is all over again and plums are still in season I have to give it out to you. The galettes are easy to make. Only dough, plums and sugar, that’s it!

I’m looking forward to autumn, but I also want to catch the last summer fruit, before there will be a long cold time without those delicious enjoyments. So tomorrow I want to get some pumpkins and apples at the market as well as some peaches (if I’m lucky). Stuck between summer and autumn is a really good time for yummy food. So preserve the summer and enjoy the upcoming autumn. Make ice cream with summer fruit, freeze fruit puree for the winter, can tomatoes or as I’ve done it recently: make your own pasta sauce and can it! There will be a post about that soon! I hope I got you a bit inspired. I need that inspiration too. Autumn food is so tempting.

So make the dough, then go buy some plums. When you’re back the dough is chilled and ready for rolling out. Assemble the galettes and bake. Enjoy them warm with a scoop of ice cream or cooled down every time you are passing by. I know what I’m talking about. They didn’t survived the day after baking!

Pflaumen Galettes

ergibt: 8 Stück

Zutaten

8 Pflaumen
250 g Mehl
200 g Butter, raumwarm
100 g Zucker
1 Prise Salz
2 Eigelb
Mehl zum Ausrollen
braunen Zucker zum Bestreuen

Butter, Salz und Zucker verrühren. Die Eigelbe dazugeben und unterrühren. Das Mehl nach und nach dazugeben und unterrühren, bis ein glatter Teig entsteht. Zu einer Scheibe formen und in Frischhaltefolie mindestens 1 Stunde kalt stellen.

Die Pflaumen waschen, die Kerne entfernen und in Schnitze schneiden.

Den Teig ausrollen und mit einem Glas, Ausstecher oder einer Schale runde Kreise ausstechen. Meine waren 13 cm im Durchmesser. Ich würde die Kreise nicht kleiner machen, da es sonst sehr schwierig wird, die Galettes zu formen.

Den Ofen auf jeden Fall vorheizen! Auf 180° C.

Die Pflaumen in die Mitte der Teigkreise auslegen, wie abgebildet. Mit Zucker bestreuen, Menge je nach Süße/Säure der Pflaumen. Den Rand nach innen falten, es muss nicht perfekt sein.

Auf Backbleche mit Backpapier legen. Die Galettes 20-25 Minuten backen, bis sie goldbraun sind.

Tipp: Meine Galettes sind am Boden, wegen der Pflaumen etwas durchgeweicht. Ich habe sie dann nochmal 10 Minuten auf einem Gitter nur von unten gebacken. Nächstes Mal würde ich sie gleich auf einem Gitter mit Backpapier backen. Eine andere Möglichkeit wäre sie nach 15 Minuten der Backzeit vom Backblech auf ein Gitter zu transferieren. Nichtsdestotrotz waren sie äußerst lecker.

Rustic Plum Galettes

Yield: 8

Ingredients:

8 plums
250 g flour
200 g butter at room temperature
100 g sugar
pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
flour for rolling the dough
brown sugar for sprinkling

Whisk together the butter, sugar and the salt with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer. Add the egg yolks and whisk again. Add the flour by degrees, until it is all incorporated and you have a homogeneous dough. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic foil and chill at least for an hour or until ready to use.

Wash the plums, remove the pits and cut them into slices.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or use a glass or small bowl for that. Mine was 13cm in diameter. I do not recommend using diameters that are a lot smaller, because then it will be difficult to assemble the galettes.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Preheating is important here.

Place the plum slices on the circles, as you see in the picture above. Sprinkle with sugar depending on the sweet- or sourness of your plums. Fold the edges towards the middle of the circles, you want to have a rustic rim. Look at the picture below how mine looked. There is no need to be perfect here.

Transfer them to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake the galettes for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Tip: The bottom of my galettes turned out a bit soggy, due to the juicy plums and the baking sheets. I baked mine 10 minutes after baking again on the rack only from underneath. Next time I will bake them right away on the rack with some parchment paper in between. Or you try to transfer them after 15 minutes of baking to the rack and bake them there the rest of the time. But maybe you are lucky and not having „problems“ like this. After all they taste grate.