Salted Caramel Sauce

I've already posted this recipe but it's been hiding in the salted caramel ice cream blog. I think it deserves its own page. I've used it on several occasions to save baked goods that didn't come out so well. Trust me, it makes everything taste delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 TB Earth Balance butter
• 2 TB maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 TB almond milk

In a saucepan, melt butter on low-medium heat. Add the milk, sugar and syrup. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until it begins to bubble. Add salt, to taste. My "butter" is salted already so a pinch will do. Remove from heat and place in a glass container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. It will thicken. 

Depeding on what you are using it for, you might want it a bit thicker. Add a TB of coconut oil and a tablespoon of constarch (made into a slurry first with a few drops of cold water). It won't alter the taste much. If you are concerned about nut allergies, you can skip the almond milk or substitite an alternative milk. 

Crazy Cakes (allergen-free)

Crazy Cake or Wacky Cake recipes are all over the Internet. I didn't believe this Depression-era cake (no milk, nuts, butter, eggs) could be nearly as good as its online reviews but I was pleasantly surprised.

For my daughter's 4th birthday party, in a moment of desperation, I made a chocolate crazy cake with salted caramel sauce to accommodate guests with nut and seed allergies. I didn't intend to serve it, I simply needed a larger surface for several birthday candles (we ordered mini cupcakes from a nut-free bake shop). I think it was the mystique of a "staged" cake - some insisted on trying it and they really liked it! Curious to try another one, with my cousin and daughter, we made this mocha crazy cake and it was even better than the chocolate version.

I should also mention that I made a small vanilla cake as my first attempt/trial run. It was very moist but not that flavourful. Frosting or salted caramel sauce is an easy fix. Play around with this simple recipe and you're bound to find one that suits you (lemon, pumpkin spice, mocha). You don't need any fancy equipment, not even a bowl. I usually have all of the the ingredients on hand which makes it an appealing last-minute dessert.

I made a few substitutions to suit my needs like gluten-free flour, coconut palm sugar and coconut oil.

 

Ingredients

• 2 ¹⁄₂ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups coconut palm sugar
• ¹⁄₂ cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ²⁄₃ cup vegetable oil (I have used melted coconut oil, olive and avocado oil successfully)
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups cold decaf coffee (use water to make a chocolate cake)

Topping*

• ¹⁄₄ cup coconut palm sugar  
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon cinnamon 

*Topping is optional but highly recommended. It's simple and delicious and a lot less sugar than icing.

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Place flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into an ungreased Springform pan or 9x13-inch cake pan. Stir with a fork to blend all of the dry ingredients. 
3. Make 3 wells in the mixture. 
4. Put oil in one well, vinegar in one and vanilla in the last one. 
5. Pour the coffee over all of the ingredients and stir with fork until well mixed (do not beat, simply mix it until the big lumps have disappeared). 
6. Combine the sugar & cinnamon topping and sprinkle it over the top of the cake batter evenly - it will from a light crust when baked.  
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick runs clean in the centre (my oven takes 45-50 minutes)

Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

After Hannukah, I had extra potatoes. With a newborn keeping me busy (and starving!), I was searching for a simple and delicious recipe that would use up my potatoes. Hasselback potatoes look fancy but are surprisingly easy to make. These crispy potatoes are tasty and their appearance will impress your guests.

http://www.feastingathome.com/2014/10/rosemary-garlic-hasselback-potatoes.html

Favourite Spice Mix

I discovered this recipe years ago as I was searching for something to hide the taste of fish. It does the trick. Now, I keep this spice mix on hand and use it to perk up potatoes, tofu and vegetables. I prefer to leave out the white pepper and use extra black pepper instead. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-tilapia-with-secret-hobo-spices/

Horseradish

Making and eating homemade horseradish is an experience. If you like the kind you buy in a jar, you will LOVE the real thing.  It will burn the nose hairs you didn't even know you had! Open a window and wear goggles. This stuff is strong.

This isn't an exact recipe but it's hard to mess it up:

1. Peel horseradish with a sharp knife. Most vegetable peelers don't work that well. 
2. Dice into small cubes and place into a food processor.
3. Add cold water, just enough to cover to cover the blades. Add a few ice cubes. 
4. Blend until you've reached desired consistency. 
5. For each cup of grated horseradish, you will want to add 2-3 TB of white vinegar and 1/2 ts of salt. If you don't like it too hot, add the vinegar right away. Wait 3 minutes or so to add the vinegar if you want it stronger. Depending on the desired consistency, you might want to strain it.

Gluten-free breadcrumbs

I keep ruining perfectly good recipes with bad, store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs. It's worth the effort to make your own. Use your favourite gluten-free bread and follow these guidelines.  I like to season them with extra garlic and onion powder and salt.

Gluten-Free Potato Latkes (pancakes)

Potato latkes are part of the Hanukkah tradition but can be enjoyed all year round. This recipe is considered a "rich man's latke" since there is no flour to stretch the batter. The taste and texture of these latkes are much better if you grate the potatoes by hand rather than in a food processor. The disadvantage is that they fall apart more easily. Either way, I much prefer this recipe to the classic flour-based latkes.