Honey & Blackberry Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

by posting this recipe i am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Honey Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. i received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients.

my husband loves cheesecake.

that's his request every year for his birthday... it's the one cake he'll help me finish.

even though cheesecakes are really rather easy to make, i seem to only make them for special occasions. they're rich enough that one cake can serve a slew of hungry cheesecake lovers. just like my man, who doesn't love cheesecake? there's a whole restaurant factory dedicated to the dessert!

when the recipe redux challenged us to use honey in a creative way, as a sugar substitute, and for a special occasion recipe, i knew cheesecake was it.

and boy am i glad i did... in place of white sugar, honey lends not only a lovely color, but a subtle, mellow, natural honey-sweetness to the cake. totally smooth and perfect. some simple berries and a super easy gingersnap crust... delightful.

Honey & Blackberry Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Crust:

2       cups (about 8 ounce package) crushed gingersnaps (i used gluten-free Midel)

1/4    cup melted butter

Cake:

1 1/2   pounds cream cheese, softened

3/4      cup honey

1/3      cup heavy cream

1         tablespoon vanilla 

1         tablespoon kumquat's all-purpose gluten-free flour or other gluten-free all-purpose flour

1/8      teaspoon salt

4         large eggs

1         pint fresh blackberries

Garnish (optional):
1        pint fresh blackberries

honey

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine crushed gingersnaps and butter in a medium bowl. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch springform pan. Stick your hand in a sandwich bag to firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce heat to 300° and allow crust to rest.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese at medium speed of a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes. Add honey, cream, vanilla, flour and salt. Beat until mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Beat mixture until just combined.

Pour cream cheese mixture into prepared crust. Drop blackberries on top of mixture. Bake at 300° for 65 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cake in oven for an additional hour. Remove and allow to cool. Run a knife around sides of cheesecake. Cover and chill overnight.

Remove sides from pan. Serve with additional berries and drizzles of honey, if desired.

Yield: 1 cheesecake.

Grain-Free Honey-Soaked Pistachio Donuts

by posting this recipe i am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Honey Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. i received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients.

as promised, i have another honey recipe to present... a donut.

i am admittedly a little addicted to my donut pan. i'm also completely intrigued by baking without grains. throw in a delicious natural sweetener, like honey, and i can't resist...

donuts always remind me of high school sunday school. every sunday dozens of donuts were brought in to church. somehow i would inhale four or five of those glazed sugar bombs, washing them down with a cup of orange juice. i cringe to think of how high my blood sugar spiked.

while my love of donuts continues (really... how can you not?!), it makes me all the more happy that nut flours add some protein and healthy fats to round out those sugars, not to mention render these guys gluten-free and grain-free. ground pistachios and unrefined honey bake so nicely together to result in a beautifully browned crumb. and the honey topping makes these divine.

perfect for a brunch or shower buffet, or just a lazy weekend morning... if only i'd had these in sunday school.

Grain-Free Honey-Soaked Pistachio Donuts

1/2     cup shelled, salted pistachios, finely ground to a flour (i used my cleaned coffee grinder)
3/4     cup almond flour
1        teaspoon baking powder
1/2     teaspoon cinnamon
3        large eggs
1/4     cup melted butter
3        tablespoons honey
1/2     teaspoon vanilla
Cooking spray

1/4     cup honey
1/2     tablespoon butter
1/2     teaspoon vanilla

1/2     cup powdered sugar
about 1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine pistachio and almond flours, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter, 3 tablespoons honey, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; stir well to combine.

Spray a donut pan generously with cooking spray. Fill donut tins 3/4-full with batter. Bake at 350° for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from tins to a wire rack. Cool.

Heat 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a small saucepan until warm and combined. Pour mixture onto a plate or shallow dish. Carefully dip tops of donuts in honey mixture; return to wire rack. Allow mixture to soak into donuts and cool.

Combine powdered sugar and milk on a plate or shallow dish. Carefully dip tops of donuts in icing mixture. Allow to set.
Yield: 9 servings.

Honey & Mint Sweet Tea Granita

by posting this recipe i am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Honey Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. i received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients.

my soul has been restored. 

my little family of four has just returned from a very much-needed vacation to the beach. even six days of driving with a five-year old and a nine-month old wasn't so bad. i'm so grateful for the sunshine, blue skies, ocean breeze and warm sand. plus the extra bonus of time with some lifelong friends. perfect... thank you!

and so i've returned to a little challenge... honey! the recipe redux has invited us to use honey in a creative way as a substitutional sweetener. the true challenge was narrowing down ideas! i love honey... it is so incredibly versatile. this is not the only honey recipe you'll see this week. it was too hard to pick just one.

i'll say it again... i love honey. not only for its culinary versatility and distinct sweet flavor, but it has impressive health properties. antibiotic, antimicrobial, allergy-fighting, throat-soothing. we always have honey around.

this simple, yet delightful granita is the perfect addition (call it dessert or beverage?) to any summer get-together. naturally sweet, cool, and completely refreshing. inspired by that beach trip to the south, where sweet tea is always done right!

Honey & Mint Sweet Tea Granita

3    cups water 

1/2 cup packed mint leaves 

2    black tea bags

1/4 cup honey

Bring water to a boil; place mint and tea bags into a large pitcher or bowl. Pour boiling water carefully over mint and tea bags; steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove mint and tea bags to discard. Stir in honey.  Cool slightly.

Pour tea mixture into an 8- x 8-inch metal pan. Cover and place pan in freezer for 1 hour. Remove pan from freezer and scrape mixture with a fork, crushing any lumps. Freeze an additional 20 minutes; remove and scrape. Repeat every 20 minutes until mixture is fluffy.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Recipe Redux: Overnight Orange-Blueberry Baked French Toast

this month, the recipe redux has challenged us to share a dish worthy of gracing a celebratory brunch table.

this time of year is full of sunshine, flowers, and showers... whether celebrating babies, marriages, graduates, moms & dads, or just the end of winter. the best kind of brunch food is the kind you can prepare the day before and just pop in the oven while caring to last minute details. 

honestly, most brunches you attend include tables full of gluten, leaving your gluten-free plate filled with a spoon-full of fruit. but this dish is simply prepared with gluten-free store-bought bread. so if you eat gluten-free or if someone you invite to a shower does, please make this. simple, delicious, and everyone's belly will be delighted.

 

Overnight Orange-Blueberry Baked French Toast 

Cooking spray
18      ounces gluten-free whole grain bread (1 1/2 loaves), cut into 1-inch pieces (*i used Udi's)
16      ounces Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
2/3     cup Grade B Maple syrup, divided
1        tablespoon vanilla extract
1        tablespoon orange rind
2        cups fresh blueberries
12      large eggs
2        cups milk
1/4     teaspoon salt

Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half of bread cubes in the dish.

Combine cream cheese, 1/3 cup maple syrup, vanilla, and orange rind. Spread mixture evenly over bread cubes with a spatula. Top with blueberries. Top blueberries with remaining bread cubes.

Combine eggs, milk, salt, and remaining maple syrup in a large bowl; stir well with whisk. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers, pressing lightly with a spatula to help the top layers absorb egg mixture. Cover with foil and chill overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350°. Bake covered for 1 hour; remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes. Allow to sit 10 minutes before cutting into.
Yield: 12-16 servings.

my heart and prayers goes out to the people of moore, ok. please consider providing relief and hope through hopemob...

Grain-Free Cheese Crackers

it is may... and along with its flowers (or a possible snow flurry on thursday if you live near me - seriously?) may brings with it the honor of celiac awareness month. 

be sure to check out national foundation for celiac awareness' page to see what events, activities and information they have included in celebration of this month.

but first... today i took on a favorite in my family. my people love cheese crackers. cheddar bunnies, goldfish, cheez-its... all of them. my son, as all good-ol' american kids do, loves to snack on them. my husband, who typically limits his carbohydrates with iron-clad restraint, will down an entire bag of cheese crackers with a glass of milk if unsupervised. 

i've not had one cheese cracker in over 6 years... until today.

not only are these crackers gluten-free, but also grain-free. and because they're made of almond flour and some whey protein, at least snacking on too many of these means a little bit of added protein too.

best of all, i got two sets of thumbs up from my cheese cracker enthusiasts! too bad i have to share... now, i can't stop eating them.

Grain-Free Cheese Crackers

105   grams (about 3/4 cup) almond meal (i used trader joe's)
105   grams (about 3/4 cup) tapioca flour
1       tablespoon whey protein
1       teaspoon salt
1/4    teaspoon onion powder
1/8    teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4    cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3       tablespoons ice water

Combine first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until well-combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal.With processor running slowly add ice water until mixture forms a ball.

Remove dough onto large piece of parchment. Cover with another large piece of parchment and roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/8-inch thick. Place on a baking sheet. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove top layer of parchment and discard. Cut dough into 1-inch squares with a pizza cutter. Poke a hole in the center of square with a toothpick, if desired. Separate squares on parchment so no squares are touching. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until edges are barely browned. Allow to cool; store in airtight container.

Red Quinoa & Cranberry Salad

"here comes the sun.... and i say, it's all right."

this winter has not been an easy one. it has snowed every month since we moved to kansas in february (including this past tuesday... honestly). countless dreary, cold, rainy days too. hibernation could be an appropriate word for what i've been doing.

ahhh, but today was lovely... full of soul-feeding sunshine, blue skies, and pleasant temperatures.

hallelujah... cause this girl needs her sunlight. days like today make me want to cook and eat delicious, healthy salads.

this salad is a hit with my boy (who is also beyond thrilled that daddy just bought him an enormous outdoor trampoline). it's a great vegetarian main dish or perfect as a side for grilled chicken.

here's hoping for an abundance of trampoline-jumping, salad-eating, vitamin d-inducing, "all right" days from here forward.

Red Quinoa & Cranberry Salad

1        cup red quinoa 

2        cups water

2/3     cup dried, sweetened cranberries

3        green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/4-slices

2        cloves garlic, minced

1/2     cup chopped pecans, toasted

2        tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2        tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4     cup olive oil

2        tablespoons champagne vinegar

1        tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1        tablespoon honey

1/2     teaspoon salt

1/4     teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Set aside to cool.

Combine cranberries, green onions, garlic, pecans, mint, and parsley in a medium bowl. Stir in quinoa. 

Combine oil and remaining ingredients; stir well. Pour oil mixture over quinoa mixture; stir well. Chill or serve immediately.

       

Recipe Redux: Chocolate-Espresso Cupcakes

what a week... i think we all agree that our hearts go out to the city of boston and the tiny town of west.

cs lewis said that pain is God’s “megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” i believe it is true. prayers are lifted, humanity joins together, and our souls unite for justice, peace, and hope. suffering works to focus our distracted attention from the frivolous and brings us back to the things that are most valuable. i hope we can hang onto those precious and eternal things we have all been crudely reminded of these past days...

meanwhile, we breathe easier after friday night, knowing righteousness is alive in boston. bad guys still get got. and, Lord, may they be the end of that story. as for west, the sweet little town i’ve driven through hundreds of times on i-35, where i’ve purchased boxes of kolaches (in my gluten-eating days) and even polka-ed in their meeting hall... prayers of comfort continue for you.

these big things do help put my own things in perspective. i continue to give thanks and sow seeds of joy, even with the small. and am so grateful to have moments to return to some of the simple things that bring smiles and comfort to my own life.

a few of those things are listed here... 1. baking 2. chocolate 3. coffee 4. cupcakes 5. this blog.

it’s been several months since i’ve had the time to participate in the recipe redux. however, when i read that this month’s “challenge” was all about cupcakes, i knew that the list above could all be joined together in a very hopeful way. while watching the man-hunt in boston playing out on my television screen, my son at preschool... these were born.

i will admit that they aren’t tremendously “redux-ed” to the perfect picture of health. it’s a cupcake. and i believe a cupcake is a classic that deserves to occasionally reserve a place in everyone’s life. and like cupcakes, chocolate, and coffee have at times gotten a bad rap for being unhealthy. however...

dark chocolate and natural cocoa have been documented in more than 250 studies as having tremendous health benefits, specifically with respect to cardiovascular health, cholesterol, and blood pressure. not to mention the serotonin release that brings on that happy chocolate feeling. according to hershey, "recent research suggests that cocoa powder has significantly higher flavanol levels than other popular super fruit powders such as pomegranate, cranberry, acai and blueberry. natural cocoa contains more than 700 phytonutrient compounds, some of which research is just beginning to uncover."

coffee has recently been receiving some rather glowing press too. studies are showing that moderate amounts coffee can lower your risk for parkinson's disease, dementia, stroke, and certain cancers.

alone they are obviously delightful. together they pull out the best in each other's flavors. "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

chocolate. coffee. cupcakes. for me... a simple recipe for joy.

Chocolate-Espresso Cupcakes

For Cupcakes:

1/2       cup brewed, cooled coffee

1/3       cup dark chocolate cocoa powder

1          tablespoon espresso powder

1          teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2       cup melted, cooled coconut oil
1          cup sugar

2          large eggs

1  1/2   cups (210 grams) kumquat's all-purpose flour or other gluten-free flour

1          teaspoon baking soda

1          teaspoon baking powder

1/4       teaspoon salt

1/2       cup buttermilk

For Frosting:

1/2       cup butter

1/4       cup dark or regular cocoa powder

1/4       teaspoon espresso powder

3          tablespoons brewed, cooled coffee

1/2       teaspoon vanilla extract

4         ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cocoa or higher), melted and cooled

8         ounces powdered sugar

For Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Combine coffee, cocoa powder, espresso powder, vanilla, coconut oil, sugar and eggs in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to coffee mixture; stir well. Add buttermilk to mixture and stir until well-combined.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until pick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting:
Beat butter with a mixer (stand mixer, if you can) until pale and fluffy. Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, cooled coffee, vanilla, and cooled chocolate. Beat until well-combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until frosting is nicely spreadable, but not stiff. (add more coffee, if frosting is too stiff.) Try not to eat the entire bowl prior to frosting cupcakes.
Yield: 12 cupcakes.
 *recipe inspired by this one.

* this recipe was originally published with an ingredient error,  but has been corrected.

"Oreo" & Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes

oh, facebook. 

what did we do with all of our time when we weren't peeking into the lives of family, friends and acquaintances. honestly though, being a military wife, facebook truly is a gift to be able to keep up with all of the people i love all over this big planet. i love seeing photos of kiddos as they grow and to get little highlights of life events as they occur. but... 

 then there are my foodie friends... they post things like this... oreo and peanut butter brownie cakes. 

and then i'm forced to see if i can make them gluten-free. forced.

thanks, josh. stupid facebook.

"Oreo"* & Peanut Butter Brownie Cakes

Cooking spray

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Brownie mix 

Milk 

1 package Kinnikinnick (i used these) or Glutino chocolate sandwich cookies 

Peanut Butter 

Preheat oven to 350°. Generously spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, but add enough milk to thin the batter a bit (about 1/2 to 1 cup). 

For each cake, spread a bit of peanut butter over 2 cookies and stack them on top of each other. Place cookie stacks into prepared muffin cups. 

Pour prepared brownie batter into muffin tins over each stack of cookies. Allow to fill tin. (If you have left over brownie batter, bake separately in a muffin tin.) Bake at 350° for 23-25 minutes or until brownies are cooked through. Cool completely before removing from tins.

 Yield: 10 cakes.

*i hope it goes without saying, but OREO cookies contain gluten. if you must eat gluten-free, please do NOT use OREO, but opt for the Kinnikinnick or Glutino gluten-free versions.

Totally Coconut Donuts

 

the title of this post could be an indicator of my mental state given all of the cold and snow that has covered this warm-weather girl for the past (what seems like) for-eh-ver. or could also prove that i'm desperate for a beach vacation, given the fore-mentioned coldness coupled with the strong desire to exhale, relax and enjoy some peace with my people. maybe sip a pina colada. warmth, rest and a serving of rum might all just be a good thing for my sanity...

buuuut, not right now. so, i'm settling for donuts. also a good thing. 

and these are especially good, or better, for you. being made with a slew of coconut products... flour, oil, milk, meat. they are almost totally coconut. 

and they're totally yum.

for now... i'm dreaming of the ocean waves and hoping to see them in june.

Totally Coconut Donuts

2     teaspoons ground golden flax
4     teaspoons very hot water

210 grams coconut flour
70   grams (about 1/2 cup) kumquat's all-purpose flour or other gluten-free flour

2/3  cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4  cup melted butter
1/4  cup melted coconut oil
1 1/4 cups canned, unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
1     cup milk

1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2  teaspoon coconut extract

2     large eggs
Cooking spray

powdered sugar
milk*
toasted unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine flax and water; set aside.

Combine coconut flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine butter, coconut oil, coconut milk, milk, extracts, and eggs. Add mixture and flax slurry to dry ingredients; stir well.

Press mixture into donut pan molds coated with cooking spray, filling just to the top. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until golden. Carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool.

Make a glaze with powdered sugar and milk to desired consistency. Spread on cooled donuts. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Yield: 14 donuts.

*just a side note... though, like me, you may be tempted to use coconut milk to make the glaze, let me save you the trouble. although it has a great flavor, it never dries well. think tacky elmer's glue consistency atop your donut. not so great. stick with the regular milk or another substitute you know to work.

{Year Two Celebration} Chicken Saltimbocca

happy, happy birthday, kumquat... my baby blog is two!

and for this blog birthday, i will only begin to number a few of the blessings and give thanks for some joys this past year has brought. many of these have been pure delight, others have been labored in love (even literally) and worked together for good.

i am so very thankful:

my hard-working, sacrificing husband has returned safely from an almost-year deployment to afghanistan.

for the beautiful, perfect 6 month-old baby girl that lies sleeping in my arms as i type this.

for the incredible 5 year-old boy that rolled, seamlessly, with all of the transitions and challenges this past year brought.

for the love, support, encouragement, time, money, cooking, cleaning, medical assistance, child rearing.... given to me by my parents and mother-in-law.

for the friends who were ever-willing to offer helping hands, listening ears and soft places to land.

for a very successful, half-unpacked move to a new place, and for the peace that comes when the chaos of environment is put in place.

 for the creative outlet this space is for me, and for the increasingly rare moments i have to add to it.

that this space brought so many kind-hearted, food-loving people into my life, both as readers and as fellow bloggers.

for health.

for the opportunity of a lifetime i was given to write a cookbook and see it published.

as a "party favor" for this birthday celebration of thanks i thought would share one of my favorite recipes from my book. and because i'm always heavy on the sweets (like my first-ever post, boccone dolce, and last year's celebratory chocolate cake with kumquat frosting), my chosen recipe is a savory dish for a change. i love it because it's so super easy, but incredibly tasty and pretty enough to serve to company.

here's to another good year to be thankful for...

Chicken Saltimbocca 

4 (4-ounce, or 115 g) chicken cutlets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 sage leaves
4 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (120 ml) gluten-free chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup (60 ml) white wine

Sprinkle the chicken cutlets evenly with salt and pepper. Top each cutlet with 3 sage leaves and wrap each with 2 strips of prosciutto. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until done.

Meanwhile, combine the chicken broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm.

Add the wine to the skillet and scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth mixture to the pan, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.