1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Flour [...]]]> Red Velvet Cupcakes are very popular, so here is your gluten-free version to  enjoy. With a mild chocolate flavor―but brazenly red―they are especially gorgeous when dressed up with a fluffy white frosting and a cute garnish, such as the raspberries and mint leaves in this photo. Serve them at parties and your  guests will be elated!

1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend (see below)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or buttery spread, Earth Balance, melted and cooled slightly
2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup water, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup standard nonstick (gray, not black) muffin pan with paper liners.

[1] In small mixing bowl, whisk together flour blend, cocoa, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt until well blended.

[2] In medium bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer on Low speed until well blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add vanilla and food coloring to water. With the mixer on Low speed, beat in one-third of  the dry ingredients alternately with the water, beginning and ending with the
dry ingredients. Spoon ¼ cup of batter into each liner.

[3] Bake until cupcakes are firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from oven and cool in the pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely. Frost with your favorite frosting.

Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend
1 ½ cups sorghum flour
1 ½ cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
Whisk together and store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.

Filling

1/4 cup milk [...]]]> Decadent gluten‐free chocolate cake with no dairy or eggs? You bet! Rich, dense, and fudgy… this dessert satisfies your need for chocolate. I always say…“there’s no such thing as too much chocolate,” and this rich, fudgy, decadent delight proves it. Perfect for gluten-free vegan guests, but everyone will enjoy it. It freezes well, too.

Filling

1/4 cup milk of choice
1/2 cup gluten-free chocolate chips

Cake

1 cup Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend (see below)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon egg replacer powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (16 ounces) canned pears, drained
1/3 cup hot brewed coffee
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 teaspoons water

Filling

[1] In small saucepan over low heat, combine milk and chocolate; stir until smooth. (Or melt in microwave) Set aside to cool.

Cake

[1] Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 8-inch-round nonstick springform pan. Set aside. With electric mixer on low speed, in large bowl,  beat together flour blend, cocoa, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and egg replacer with oil and vanilla to make crumbly dry cake mixture. Set aside 1/2 cup. In blender or food processor, puree drained pears. (Discard juice.)

[2] To the dry cake mixture in the large bowl, beat in the pureed pears and hot coffee with electric mixer on Low speed until well blended. Spread batter in prepared pan. Spoon filling on top of batter. Stir nuts and 2 teaspoons water
into reserved 1/2 cup dry cake mixture and sprinkle over filling.

[3] Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until top is firm. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes; then remove from pan. Cool completely before cutting into 12 slices. Serve garnished with fresh fruit and mint sprigs.

Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend

1 ½ cups sorghum flour
1 ½ cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
Whisk together and store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.

Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend

1 ½ cups sorghum flour (or brown rice flour) 1 ½ cups potato starch (not potato flour) or cornstarch 1 cup tapioca flour/starch

Whisk together thoroughly and store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry, cool place.

Wondering how to measure flour? [...]]]>

photo courtesy of Earl Roemer, Nu Life Market

Carol’s Sorghum Flour Blend

1 ½ cups sorghum flour (or brown rice flour)
1 ½ cups potato starch (not potato flour) or cornstarch
1 cup tapioca flour/starch

Whisk together thoroughly and store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry, cool place.

Wondering how to measure flour?

All of the recipes in my cookbooks measure flour by whisking the flour a few times to aerate/fluff it and then lightly spooning it into a measuring cup before leveling it off with a knife. Don’t use the measuring cup as a scoop; you’ll get up to 20% more flour that way and don’t pack the flour down into the cup. Don’t use the glass, spouted measuring cups (which are for liquids) to measure dry ingredients like flour or sugar because you may get more than necessary. If you use too much flour, your baked goods can be dry and crumbly instead of tender and moist… so measure correctly!

You don’t have to fear making pie crust anymore! My easy techniques guide you along so you can have luscious pies, just like everyone else. Find my pie crust recipe in any of my cookbooks. With the right ingredients and my easy-to-follow instructions, your pies will amaze your family [...]]]> By Carol Fenster

You don’t have to fear making pie crust anymore! My easy techniques guide you along so you can have luscious pies, just like everyone else. Find my pie crust recipe in any of my cookbooks. With the right ingredients and my easy-to-follow instructions, your pies will amaze your family and friends.  They say a “picture is worth a thousand words” so here are photos showing what to do at each step of the process.

The photos show a Cherry Pie, but you can use these techniques for any double-crust pie. If you’re making a single-crust pie like Pumpkin or Pecan, flute the crust edges, and fill with filling, and bake as directed by your recipe. Freeze the remaining half of the dough for another pie.

	Lay damp paper towel on countertop under 12×12-inch sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Place half of dough on top and flatten into disk with hands. Top with another sheet of plastic wrap.
	Use rolling pin to roll dough, working clockwise from center out to edge, to 12-inch circle.
	Pick up dough and drape over your hand; with other hand, slowly and gently peel off plastic wrap. See how easily the pie crust drapes over my hand; the sweet rice flour gives it some pliability.
	Place dough in pie pan, plastic-side up. Center dough by shifting plastic wrap; the dough will remain stuck to it. Don’t remove plastic wrap until pie crust is in place. Leave overhang; you’ll trim it later. Press crust around bottom of pan to uniform thickness, then slowly and gently peel off plastic wrap. If it resists, try peeling from another side. If pie crust breaks, press together with your fingers or patch with small piece of remnant dough.
	Put filling in pan. Roll out second half of dough just as you did first half. Drape it over your hand, gently peel off top layer of plastic wrap and invert over filling, centering as best you can. The little yellow flecks in the cherries are pats of butter.
	Slowly and gently peel off top layer of plastic wrap.
	With small knife or kitchen shears, trim overhang of dough where it meets edge of pie pan.  Gently nudge top and bottom crusts together around edge of pan and roll crust under (toward the outer edge of pan) with your fingers.
	Shape decorative edge around rim of pan with fingers. Called crimping or fluting, you can use any style you wish.
	For better browning, brush top crust with beaten egg, fruit juice, or milk or cream. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
	To allow steam to escape during baking and lessen chances of spill-overs, prick crust a few times with sharp knife or fork.
	To brown bottom crust and reduce sogginess, place pie on rimmed nonstick baking sheet and bake on lowest oven rack for first 15 minutes, then shift to middle rack for remainder of baking.
	Voila!You have a delicious Cherry Pie!Congratulations! For best results, cool pie completely on wire rack before cutting. Best eaten on same day. Refrigeration causes sogginess; better to gobble it up while it’s fresh!

3 cups gluten-free [...]]]> Wild rice isn’t really rice at all, but the seed of a grass. Hearty and chewy, its nutty flavor and dark color complement the green snow peas, dried apricots, and citrusy flavors. It is perfect as a buffet dish, warm or cold. This dish is vegan when made with vegetable broth.

3 cups gluten-free vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup wild rice, rinsed 3 times and drained
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh snow peas
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 medium garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

[1] In large saucepan, bring broth to boil over high heat. Add wild rice and salt. Return to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until done, about 45 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid, then transfer wild rice to serving bowl.

While wild rice cooks, bring small pan of boiling water to boil. Add snow peas and cook 1 minute, then drain and immerse in cold water to stop cooking. Add them to serving bowl, along with green onions, apricots, walnuts, and parsley

In small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, orange zest, garlic, salt, and pepper until well blended. Whisk in oil until slightly thickened. Drizzle it over salad and toss to coat well. Serve at room temperature, garnished with parsley. Or, chill for 4 hours, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, and then serve. Serves 4.