Plum Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream (Gluten Free)

(8" cake; 6 servings)

This delicious gluten free plum cake is an adaptation of a recipe for "Magically Moist Almond Cake", posted on Bob's Red Mill that I've wanted to try for quite some time. What caught my eye were the rave reviews; everyone loved this recipe. I also liked that it combined coconut flour with almond flour.

I used a small 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom for this, but an 8 inch regular cake pan should work just as well. I added the lesser amount of sucanat, resulting in a not too sweet cake contrasted by slightly tart plums which in turn were topped with lightly sweetened bourbon flavored whipped cream. Yummy!

adapted from "Magically Moist Almond Cake" at Bob's Red Mill.

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 - 1/3 cup sucanat or brown sugar, to taste

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

finely grated zest from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
2 pinches of salt

3 black plums, pits removed, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Prepare an 8" tart or *cake pan by greasing it . I sprinkled almond flour over the greased surface, but after the cake cooled, I noticed it stuck to the pan more than it should have. If I make this again, I won't "flour" the pan with almond flour.

*If I was using a cake pan instead, I'd probably cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan, and another piece for the sides; just in case this batter is sticky.

Beat together the butter and sucanat until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the milk.

In another bowl stir together the almond flour, coconut flour, lemon zest, baking powder and salt until well combined. Add this to the butter and egg mixture, then beat until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Spread the batter into the prepared tart pan or cake pan. **Arrange the cut plums over the top of the batter beginning in the center and working your way to the outer edges.

**Note: In retrospect I should have placed the plums skin side up as the flesh had a matte finish once the cake was baked. I made a glaze using 1 tbsp peach jam which I heated slightly in the microwave, then brushed this over the cut pieces of fruit before I served the cake.

If you are using a tart pan with a removable bottom, place it on a cookie sheet before placing it in the oven in case it leaks. Bake the cake for about 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted the middle comes out clean and the surface is a nice golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan before carefully removing it.

bourbon whipped cream

2/3 cup heavy cream

1-2 tsp sucanat or brown sugar, to taste

2-3 tsp bourbon, to taste

Place the cream into a small bowl. Add the sucanat, then beat until the cream is whipped. Stir in the bourbon; start off with 2 teaspoons and add the third of you prefer a more pronounced flavor. Serve with the cake.

Coconut-Mango Bubble Tea with Homemade Boba Pearls

( 4 servings)

Sometimes I feel as if I'm living in cocoon. There's been this bubble tea craze happening and I didn't even know about it! I checked and there are actually several places that serve this tasty drink right here in Dallas! Frankly I'm a bit surprised Starbucks hasn't jumped in on the bandwagon, heck in Germany and Austria, McDonalds has been serving this beverage since last summer!

This Taiwanese tea-based drink originated in the 80's. Initially it was just cold tea, sometimes infused with fruit or fruit juice. Later someone added tapioca balls to the mix. Sometimes these balls are white but more frequently they are black, made from a mixture of tapioca, sweet potato, brown sugar. This drink is often served with a special large straw so you can slurp up the tapioca balls as you enjoy your beverage.

Bubble tea is available in a variety of flavors ranging from white or green teas to milk infused dark tea combined with fruit or syrups such as durian or lavender. I tried an avocado flavored bubble tea at the Asian mall. It was smooth and creamy like a milkshake. For my first attempt at creating this tasty beverage at home I tried this version which tasted more like iced tea flavored with juice and coconut milk.

I found the big straws at the Asian supermarket, but when I looked for the boba pearls I was disappointed by all of the extra chemicals and artificial colors listed as ingredients. I ended up making the balls myself. I found a great tutorial online.

green tea boba balls
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp green tea powder, (optional; I added this for color)
1/2 cup boiling water, give or take

1 cup mango juice

Combine the starch and tea if using in a small bowl. Make a well in the centre and slowly add the boiling water while stirring. Stop when the mixture forms into a ball; you might not have to use all of the water. Knead the ball a few times.

Pinch off small pieces and form into small balls the size of petite peas. Err on the small side, otherwise you won't be able to suck them up with your straw. Dust with tapioca starch to keep them from sticking to each other.

Allow the balls to dry for a couple of hours.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in the balls. Stir until they begin to rise to the surface, then allow them to simmer another 5-10 minutes. The tutorial suggested 20-30 minutes, but mine were done sooner. Try one after 5 minutes; it should be soft and chewy.

Remove the pearls from the pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl. Pour the *mango juice over the pearls and allow them to cool. *Traditionally a sugar syrup is used here in place of the juice.

bubble tea
2 cups strongly brewed tea, cooled (any flavor you like; I used English Breakfast)
1 cup coconut milk
12 regular ice cubes
4 big bubble tea straws (I found mine at an Asian market)
liquid honey, optional

Divide the cooled boba balls and juice between 4 tall glasses. Add 1/2 a cup of chilled tea to each glass, then add 1/4 cup of coconut milk to each. Finish with 3 ice cubes per glass.

Serve with the big straws. Pass around the honey and enjoy!

Spicy Mango Chutney

(2 pints)

I rarely make anything the same way twice. In my case it depends on mood, what I happen to have on hand and time.

Mangoes were on sale this week and this morning I made this delicious spicy mango chutney. It has a bit more kick to it than my usual chutney. In all likelihood that's because I left the seeds in the jalapeno pepper. I have been getting braver and doing this more frequently recently.

The chutney will keep refrigerated for about a month. Just make sure to sterilize your jars and lids first.

1 tbsp coconut oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh ginger. chopped
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (seeds and all if you are feeling brave)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
4 yellow slightly under-ripe mangoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup currants
up to 1/2 cup water, if needed 

Heat the oil in a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid over a medium flame. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for a minute or two. Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to make a popping sound stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry powder, cardamom and salt.

Lower the flame and stir in the onion. Saute the mixture, stirring from time to time until the onion is translucent, taking care nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the jalapeno slices.

Add the vinegar, sucanat, diced mango, and currants. Cover the pot with a lid and cook over a low flame for about 50 minutes. Check the chutney about every 10-15 minutes and give it a good stir. Despite the lid, the chutney might become too thick; stir in a small amount of water, if needed.

Ladle the hot chutney into sterilized jars, cover with lids, screw on the bands and cool. Will keep refrigerated for about one month.

If you plan on keeping the chutney longer than 4 weeks then ladle into hot sterilized jars, leaving about a 1/2" head space. Cover with metal lids, and screw on the bands. Process in boiling water bath 8 minutes (extend this time to 15 minutes if your jars weren't hot and sterilized beforehand). Remove from the water and leave to cool. The lids should make a popping sound as the jars cool.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

(about 1 1/4 cups)

Hummus is one of those dishes I really ought to make more often. It's relatively inexpensive, nutritious and comes together quickly if you happen to have a food processor.

I came across a recipe recently where the author suggested the secret to a smooth and creamy hummus was the order in which you added your ingredients to the food processor. She began with the tahini and lemon juice and ended with the chickpeas and water. I decided to give this a try and I have to agree, my hummus was indeed smoother than usual.

2 heads garlic

1/4 cup tahini

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2-3 tbsp water

olive oil for serving

a few pinches of cumin, paprika or sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Roast the garlic following these instructions. Set aside to cool.

Place the tahini and lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor. Let the motor run for a minute or two until the mixture is light and creamy.

Scrape down the sides and add the olive oil, cumin and salt. Process for about 30 seconds.

Add half of the chickpeas and process for another minute.

Scrape down the sides and add the remaining chickpeas. Squeeze out all of the roasted garlic from both heads and add to the bowl of the food processor. Run the motor for about 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

The hummus will probably be quite thick (mine was). Slowly add the water a tablespoon at a time and process in between until you have the desired consistency.

Place the hummus on a plate. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the surface.  Sprinkle with cumin, paprika or sesame seeds if desired.

Pickled Egg & Beet Salad

(2 servings)

All I can say is I wish I had made more pickled eggs! This salad came together quickly and it was delicious!

2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp prepared mustard, mine was grainy
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 pickled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup pickled beets, diced
1 small Persian cucumber, diced
1/2 apple, cored and diced
1 green onion, sliced
pickle juice, as needed
pickled onion slices for garnish

Whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper in a glass or non reactive bowl.

Add the eggs, beets, cucumber, apple and green onion. Toss. If the salad seems too dry, then add a few teaspoons of the pickle juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Garnish with a few pickled onion slices. Serve.

Pickled Eggs & Beets

(12 pickled eggs)

Just this week we saw the temperature hit 99°F (37°C) in Dallas. I actually didn't mind it, the air was relatively dry, there was a slight breeze and it just felt like a nice summer day. If  this trend continued for the next three or four months, I'd be delighted, however in another week or two the breeze will vanish and the temperature will climb and (more or less) remain in the triple digits. Hot enough to break into a sweat walking to your car, hot enough to burn your hands on the steering wheel.

Despite the air conditioned house, I pretty much lose interest in cooking and eating, which trust me in my case isn't a bad thing, lol. I prefer snacking on cold dishes and whenever I'm inclined I'll prepare something along those lines. This week it's pickled eggs and beets. They were considered bar food (sans beets) where I grew up in Alberta. Frequently you'd find a huge jar filled with dozens of eggs next to the cash register. They were often quite rubbery, the result (I suspect) of the ratio of vinegar to water and perhaps the amount of time they had spent up on the bar.

I used medium sized eggs for this, which are more difficult to find (at least here in Dallas) than you might imagine. I would have preferred using small eggs, but I haven't seen those in years. I'm planning on checking out the Dallas Farmer's Market for small eggs next week. I might be pleasantly surprised.

1 3/4 cups water
3 medium raw beets, trimmed, peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 large sweet onion, sliced
12 hard boiled medium eggs, shells removed
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp sucanat, honey or brown sugar, to taste
1 tbsp whole mustard seeds
9-12 whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
a pinch or two ground ginger
a pinch or two allspice
a pinch or two cinnamon
a pinch or two cayenne pepper

Sterilize a large glass jar and lid (about 46oz). Set aside.

Place the water, beets and onion into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook the beets until tender; about 10-15 minutes.

Scoop out the beets and onions with a slotted spoon (reserving the cooking liquid). Place them into the sterilized jar alternating them with the eggs.

Add the vinegar, sucanat, mustard seeds, peppercorns, salt, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and cayenne to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Pour the hot liquid over the eggs, beets and onion. Add a small amount of water if the liquid doesn't cover the eggs and beets completely. Cover the jar with the sterilized lid and allow to cool.

Refrigerate. Give the jar a gentle shake every day. The eggs and beets will be ready to eat in 4-5 days. They will keep up to a month refrigerated. These eggs are great as a snack or cut up in a salad.

Intensely Chocolaty Fudgesicles

(6 -  1/2 cup ice pops)

A few weeks ago a neighbor gave me a set of popsicle molds. They were larger than what she expected and in the meantime she's managed to find some with a smaller capacity. These hold half a cup of liquid each.

I hadn't really thought much about making my own popsicles, but since getting this set I haven't been able to stop. There have been a few times I've had a new mixture ready to freeze before I even finished eating the previous batch! Up to now, these creamy fudgesicles by far have been my favorite. They are intensely chocolaty, so much better than anything you might hope to find at the store.

2 cups milk, I used 1%
1 tbsp cocoa powder, I used Hershey's Special Dark
1 tbsp corn starch
1/3 cup half & half
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips 

Pour the milk into a saucepan. Combine the cocoa powder and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk in the half & half until you have a smooth lump free mixture. Whisk this into the milk and place the saucepan over a medium flame.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and keep stirring or whisking for about one minute. Remove the pot from the stove.

Whisk in the chocolate chips until they are completely melted. Pour the warm chocolate mixture into the molds. After they have cooled, put the handles in place. Freeze them until they are solid; at least 4 - 5 hours.

To serve, run each one carefully under hot water until you can wiggle the fudgesicle out of its mold.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

(2-3 servings)

Years ago in Toronto I had a nice little flat on the top floor of an old Victorian house near the annex. There was a second flat up there shared by two students, one of them a lovely young woman of Moroccan descent, Razika. She was an amazing cook. It was in their home I tasted my first chicken tagine as well as this amazing carrot salad.

Back then Razika had shown me how she made her salad. Over the years I suspect I may have inadvertently made a few changes. I no longer remember if Razika added chopped parsley or cilantro to hers, used butter or olive oil or whether she added a tiny bit of cinnamon which is rather nice in this salad. However, one thing has remained constant for me. I still love this dish as much as I did the very first time I tried it.

1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 lb carrots, washed and sliced about 1/4" thick
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp salt
a few pinches of cayenne pepper or more, to taste
a pinch or two cinnamon
1-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Melt the butter in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium low heat and add the garlic. Stir until the mixture becomes fragrant and the butter begins to brown slightly. Quickly stir in the carrots and water. Cover the pot. Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until the carrots are tender but with a bit of a bite left.

Remove the lid and increase the heat. Continue to cook the carrots while stirring until the water has completely evaporated. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine the cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon and salt  and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the carrots. Toss until they are evenly coated with the spice mixture. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the salad and toss. Taste and make adjustments adding more lemon juice or spices as needed.

Top with the chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature.