Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread

I just spent two days of work this week in training for a new reporting system - SAP.   My company has been going through the transfer for almost two years now, doing different divisions and plants over this time.  It has finally reached my division, which they saved for last because it is the biggest.  It should be interesting as the go live date is this Sunday and come Monday we will battle through new reporting, training and leaning.   Many things in this new system will be quite different and it is going to take some getting used to for a lot of folks.  I happen to be one of the lucky people who is involved in coaching and training.   Should be fun since I have barely had time to play with it myself.  Doesn't finance sound so fun?  HA!    Are you surprised I love baking now?

Yesterday was a good day at work as I got to meet Christina Marsigliese - http://www.christinamarsigliese.com/, who wrote Scientifically Sweet.  I got to try some of her desserts and got her new cookbook signed.   I will probably bake something from it this weekend so I will tell you about that and her tips in a post very soon.  

I realize that St. Patrick's Day has come and gone and no body wants to eat Irish Soda Bread anymore.   After looking at pictures from around St. Patricks everyone's bread just looked so good.  I couldn't help but CRAVE it and I had to make my own.   I decided to try a gluten free version though to continue with my GF experimenting..

Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
(Adapted from Gluten Free Baking from the CIA)


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups flour blend
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp (1.5 oz) butter, cold in small pieces. 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup dried raisins or cranberries
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Flour Blend  (makes 5 1/2 cups)

• 1 1/2 cups white rice flour ( I used brown)
• 1 3/4 cups tapioca starch
• 2 1/4 cups soy flour

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. 

2) In a large bowl, sift together flour blend, baking powder and salt. 

3) Cut in cold butter. 

4) Add the sugar, cranberries and caraway seeds to the flour mixture and toss to combine. Make a well in the middle. 

5) In a large measuring cup combine buttermilk, egg and baking soda. 

6) Add the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. 

7) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.   Shape into a round loaf with out kneading. 

8) Place the dough into a small dutch oven (approx 8 in round), score the top with an X. 

9) Bake for 40 minutes or until top is nicely browned. 

I warmed up a sliced, put some honey cinnamon butter on it and I was happy.   I am always wearing of gluten free breads and their textures but this was quite good.   I would make it again. 

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!

Food Trucks @ my Work

Today was an exciting day. It was Food Trucks at my work day.  I live in the suburbs outside of Toronto and there isn't always a lot of food trucks there.  It also isn't easy to make it downtown to Toronto for all the events or even just for lunch to catch them at their locations. I am a huge fan of the food truck movement, so when I received an email about a food truck eats event at my work I was so excited. The wonderful benefits of working at a major food company. I just hope this event will repeat it self. 

The tricky thing was which food truck do I eat from?  There were five food trucks coming.  

• Gorilla Cheese - kicked up grilled cheeses
• Smoke's Poutinere - kicked up poutines
• Toasted Tangerine - an eclectic mix of sandwiches, pasta and other cool dishes
• El Gastrónomo Vagabundo - a menu of gourmet tacos, tapas and south Asian dishes. 
• Cupcake diner - obviously cupcakes

Tough call eh? I decided to stick with the basic comfort foods and split a Gorilla Cheese and a poutine with a co-worker. I have tried the Toasted Tangerine before, since they occasionally come around my  work so I wanted to try something else.   I was actually the first in line for Gorilla Cheese after I secretly bumped in front of a bunch of people waiting for it to open.   I got the grilled cheese, my friend got the poutine.   

I will tell you there is certainly a reason that these food trucks are so popular, they are damn GOOD!! I almost all the poutine with letting my friend have any. Ooops. 

On May 5, there is an event in Toronto called Street Food Block Party.  It will be an amazing food event full of food vendors and trucks.   Tickets were sold out in hours and I was lucky enough to snag mine.  The food choices will become even harder and I really just can't wait.  

Here are my tasty choices from today and stay tuned for my block party post next weekend. 

The grill cheese

Poutine

Me and my first Gorilla Cheese

 MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS!

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies - Gluten free

Well, we never made it to the garden store.  After some mid day cleaning, we were on our way there after just picking up a base for our outdoor umbrella.  However when leaving the patio store parking lot my hubby decides to back my car into a curb dislocating the muffler.  There was some serious rattling going on so we figured it needed to go to the shop.   Luckily my sisters boyfriend offered to take a look and managed to put the muffler back where it belongs. PHEW!  Other than a few small scraps the car is okay.  After than I didn't feel like going to the garden center.   I just went to the bulk barn and stocked up on a few things for some future baking.

I think there is no better way to get yourself out of a baking lull other than brownies.  Fudgy brownies with peanut butter cream cheese swirl. 

 Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies - Gluten free

INGREDIENTS:

• 175g unsalted butter
• 175g dark chocolate (I used 72%)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup xylitol (you can use all sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Peanut Butter Filling

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/3 icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter and dark chocolate in a heat safe bowl over a double boiler.  Set aside to cool. 

2) In a large bowl or mixer bowl , whisk together eggs, sugar, xylitol and vanilla.

3) Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. 

4) Fold in flour, salt and cornstarch.  Pour into a 9 inch square pan lined with foil and sprayed with non stick spray. 

5) In a medium bowl add peanut butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat together.

6) Add icing sugar, beating to combine and add egg, combine again. 

7) Using a small ice cream scoop add 12 heaping rounds into the brownie mixture.  Then using a knife swirl around the mixture.
8) Bake for 30 minutes,  toothpick will come out mostly clean.  Brownies will be fudgy.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS

Five Friday Pin Up - April 20

So maybe I am not quite up to my usual self since I only got one post out this week,  but I finally did bake some brownies last night and the post should come out this weekend. Progress.  I was actually busy several nights this week working on a First Communion cake order, that will be picked up tonight.  My hands as of this morning are still a light shade of purple due to some fondant dying last night.  Pic to follow soon.

My agenda for the weekend is pretty sparse right now, so I do foresee a trip to the bulk barn and some baking in my near future.  We are also hoping to tackle some landscaping this weekend, weather permitting of course.   The hubby and I are unfortunately one of the   "bad lawns" on the street.  Money, time and effort all playing a factor.    We ideally would like to do some serious landscaping to our backyard and front yard.  The tricky thing is the backyard is a much bigger and more costly job than the front but there is no sense in doing the front because that will get ruined when the machines have to go to the back.  So we are in a stalemate until we save enough money.  This also means I don't get my veggie garden for at least another year which is also sad.   Our efforts now are simply to maintain a "pretty" enough front yard to not get banned from the street parties for our bad lawn. haha!

Any gardening advice?  What's easy and pretty?  

Although my baking isn't up to old levels I have caught up on some serious pinning.     Here are some of my favorites.   I have also started a new Food for the Summer board.  So excited for summer!

1) No Bake Strawberry Milk Cheesecake by Sprinkle Bakes : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330382392/

2) Lemon Berry Cheesecake Parfaits by Kitchen Confidante : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330381732/

3) Smores Rolo Monkey Bread by Picky Palate : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330376245/

4) Butterscotch Spiral Coffee Cake by The Gallery Gourmet : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330382380/

5) Whole Grain Strawberry Donuts by Chocolate & Carrots : http://pinterest.com/pin/149744756330370602/


Have a Sweet weekend!

Raspberry Quinoa Muffins

I am back from the sun and relaxation.  It was a great trip and Barbados is a beautiful island.   I spent most of my days at the pool reading, going through 2.5 books.  We did manage to squeeze in a rum and history that took us on a tour of the island, some kayaking and catamaran trip.  Unfortunately my plan for turtles was swatted by a cruise ship over feeding turtles and some motion sickness in the water, so I sadly saw none.   Here are a few pics,  I oddly didn't take that many and just had the temperamental point and shoot.

This was a plantation we stopped at on our island tour.   Lots of old cool things in side.

These are some old shoes.  Look how thin they are.

This was the cabinet of old cameras.  There was two of these.   Very Cool.

We stopped at one of the many churches on the island.   This church had the tree of life in the cemetery,  I had to hug it. 

This is the East side of the Island.   A litte more rough and rocky.

This is the west side of the island at our resort.  Calm, sandy and wonderful.

Now back to reality and work. Ughh...who wants that.   The first few days back have been miserable and I have been one cranky lady in the office.   I am sure it is just first week back blues or maybe I just need some baking to get me back to normal.  I finally got this blog post out so I must be getting back on track.  This weekend will involve baking and some photo/recipe pinning.   Here are some healthy muffins to get me back on track after a week of a lot of desserts.

Quinoa Raspberry Rhubarb Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup cooked Quinoa
1 1/4  tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup pureed dates
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen rhubarb

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Soak 1/2 cup of pitted dates in hot water. Let soak half an hour and puree until smooth.
2) Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners
3) Combine whole wheat flour, oats, quinoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir together.
4) In a large bowl or mixer bowl beat together oil, dates and honey until well combined.
5) Add egg and vanilla, mix to combine
6) Stir in dry mixture until almost combined.
7) Fold in raspberries and rhubarb gently to minimize the raspberries from breaking and running.
8) Using a 1/4 cup scoop, fill the muffin liners, two thirds full.
9) Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool completely.

I love fruity muffins.  

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS!