Laua *Party*!

Vanilla Orange layer cake with a Hibiscus flower I drew on it (I used a stencil :) )

Saturday we had a hawaiian themed party. Several of my friends and family have birthdays in the month of May, plus it was Mother's Day weekend and so we rolled it all up into one big party! It was a really great party, we all had fun. Coconut race, singing, candle dance, banana pass, dancing, etc.

"Hairy", the coconut, was not someone to mess with! If you were caught with him when the music was randomly stopped, you'd get water, ice, banana, orange juice or whipped cream in your face! :)

As usual, there was tons of desserts. Here's just a few more pictures of the cake I made. I couldn't find any of the other desserts (my sisters made cookies, cakes, bars and fudge).

I hope you all had a good mother's day! I made some Black Gold Cookies for Grandma, she always appreciates them and I hadn't made them in awhile for some reason. 

Well, sorry this wasn't a long post . . . I am pretty tuckered out. We had a late night last night also, we had 2 does kid. That was quite eventful. Let me just say we had 6 kids out and were in bed by 2am :).

~ Hanunyah

The Twin's 7th Birthday Cake

Well, I guess it's better late than never, but this was the cake that I made for the twins - the youngest two. (This post just kinda got lost in the chaos of life ;).) They turned 7 years old (!!) on the 3rd of this month, and Mom's birthday was on the 4th.

Chocolate cake with orange filling and fluffy orange frosting.

~ Hanunyah

Happy 25 Anniversary to my Parents and GAPS Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Yesterday, the 17th, was my parent's 25 anniversary. You probably already guessed: we had a party (again) and I made cake. Just another reason for a party, as my dad (Abba, as we call him - means dad in Hebrew) said.

I made 2 cakes - one GAPS one, since Abba is on the GAPS diet, and one chocolate cake. I'm sure you can tell which one is the GAPS cake ;).

Raisins and freshly roasted peanuts on top of a egg white/honey frosting.

Chocolate chips on the same fluffy stuff. I counted 104 chocolate chips, just incase you are wondering :).

Here's the GAPS cake recipe. It is a cinnamon raisin bread, but I doubled it and baked in a round baking pan for the cake above. It is actually fluffy and pretty yummy - it uses a lot of eggs - 10 for the cake above! A big thanks goes to Nourished and Nurtured for the recipe that we adapted - go check out her GAPS recipes, they're awesome!
      So, here it is - this is the recipe not doubled.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread (GAPS legal, Grain, Sugar, Gluten, Dairy, Corn, Soy-Free)
Adapted from Nourished and Nurtured

5 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey, or to taste
3/4 cup almond meal/flour*
1/2 cup raisins**

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease pans (see note below) with coconut oil or other GAPS legal fat.

2. Beat together the eggs, soda, cinnamon and honey to taste. Stir in the almond flour. Fold in the raisins.

3. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 25-35 minutes, until the middle is set and the top is golden brown. (see note below).

Notes:
*The recipe used 1/3 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup almond flour, but we use just almond.
**You may substitute safe nuts for the raisins or omit the raisins all together, if desired.

Here are a few of Sarah's notes and tips:
"I used loaf pans that were 7.5X3.75X2.25 inch.  Although the batter would all fit into a larger loaf pan, it will cook better as two smaller loaves so that the coconut flour will not be overcooked before the middle is set."
"I like to cook this bread for a few minutes past when the middle is set so that the bread will be nice and dry for toasting."
"Store in the fridge or freezer.  I like to use a good bread knife to cut each loaf into many slices.  I then place a small square of parchment paper between each slice, wrap it all in plastic wrap, and store it in the freezer.  The parchment paper ensures that I can easily pull out just one slice at a time.  This bread freezes very well, and makes great toast!"

One more thing . . . while I was experimenting with GAPS recipes (which is not very common for me), I remembered a friend who is on a diet for her Lyme disease. She really likes chocolate. So, I created a grain and sugar free recipe for CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES! She was sooooo excited! They are yummy . . . recipe later, Lord willing ;). The base for the recipe for these yummy, chewy cookies can be found at Nourished and Nurtured (I told you she has great recipes!).

~ Hanunyah


Linked to Show and Tell Saturday by Be Different Act Normal

Dark Chocolate & Strawberry Cream Cake for Hannah

The 10th of this month (a week ago) was a good friend's 17th birthday. We totally surprised her several times - it was great!

Anyway, this is the cake I made. They said it was good (she gave me a "thumbs up") with a nice fruity flavor from the strawberries. They also said it looked fancy, and it was even asked if it was store-bought (no, of course ;) ).

So, here's how it went . . .

Doubled the Oat Flour Chocolate Cake, using dark cocoa powder and not exact measuring ;) - I think it turned out better that most times!

Make some cool, fluffy stuff - beat some sugar syrup, egg whites and vanilla together. I was aiming for a marshmallow cream type thing, but that needs a little more work. So, add some chopped fresh, juicy strawberries to some of that . . . 

and cover it in the rest of the fluffy stuff. Yeah, and add some more chocolate if you want, just to make it a little more fancy.

Go outside to take a picture,

then remember that you had leftover chocolate glaze from the Tunnel of Fudge Cake that you made last week, and take it a step further.

Take it to the birthday girl's house (it survived the bumpy roads).

And watch it dissapear . . . 

in minutes . . . 

until you have a clean plate to take home.

~ Hanunyah

"Sweet 16"

Happy Birthday, brother!

This is a cake my older sister made for our brother (his birthday was on the 21st). Of course, I helped make the frosting part because she was having problems with boiling sugar.

Vanilla cake, peanut butter fudge/frosting, brownies, vanilla frosting.

~ Hanunyah

Jell-O Poke Cake

Pictured is a strawberry poke cake with a thin layer of orange frosting.

For a very flavorful, fruity, moist cake, scroll down for a simple and easy recipe. So very flavorful and moist, this was part of the sweet explosion that I made for my sister's birthday recently.

Jell-O Poke Cake (Gluten, Dairy-free)
Adapted from Cooks.com

1 9x13 inch GF cake, cooled for 20 minutes*
1 3-oz pkg. fruit flavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
frosting or safe whipped topping

1. Prepare the gelatin according to package directions, except using 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water.

2. Poke holes with a fork in the cake that has been cooled for about 20 minutes. Pour gelatin mixture over the cake and into the holes. Spread with frosting or topping.

Notes:
*For a simple cake recipe, go here or here. Both of the recipes turn out good, but I'll have to experiment with both of them to see which one is better.


~ Hanunyah

Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Chocolate Banana Muffins

This is a re-post of this recipe. I made them recently and remembered how good they are, so I figured I'd pull them to the front.

There are so many banana cake, bread and muffin recipes, it seems endless. But this recipe is gluten, dairy and corn-free, yet very moist and yummy - not to mention how easy it is to make. And of course, it is made even better by adding cocoa ;).

I think every time I make them somebody comments how moist they are. Now, that "every time I make them" is qualified with this: I realize I haven't made them enough, especially with how many bananas we have lingering around!

Chocolate Banana Muffins
Adapted from TasteOfHome.com

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I use oat and/or rice)
1/2 to 1 cup sugar*
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 1/3 cups ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup oil
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Spoon into a 12 hole muffin pan about 3/4 full.

3. Bake at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes, or until muffins test done. Good plain warm or cold, or cool completely and frost.

Notes:
*You may use however little or less sugar as you like. I've made them with only tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 cup of sugar and the full cup, and they've all turned out great. As usual, it just comes down to personal preference. I suppose you could even try them using honey - that would just top it off!

~ Hanunyah

Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays by The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Peanut Butter Frosting

Easy. Smooth. Shiny. Fluffy.

Yum, Yum. This is a very easy and smooth, shiny frosting. I got the idea to do this from Flourless Peanut Butter Cupcakes - this is the same consistency as that batter, but without the eggs and baking soda.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Hanunyah Creation


1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup lard
1/4 cup safe powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1. With a whisk, whisk all ingredients together, adding water until desired consistency.


~ Hanunyah

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Yesterday was my younger sister's birthday. I baked all day and made 3 dozen vanilla cupcakes, a strawberry jello poke cake and orange cooked frosting (triple recipe). For the cake and cupcakes, I doubled this recipe. I also added a few chocolate chips to the cupcakes and cake.

Of course, the funnest part was decorating the cupcakes. We had got a frosting dispenser from somewhere, and I just put it in the cupboard and forgot about it until yesterday. So, I pulled it out and figured it out - it turned out to be very easy to use and clean - it worked great! There are several tips with it, too.

So, here are the pictures ~ I thought they turned out pretty good for my first time try using this deal ;).

This is what happens when different colors meet ;).

Rainbow!

And lastly, the poke cake - very yummy and moist! (I'll post the recipe soon, Lord willing).

Love ya, sis!


~ Hanunyah


Link Parties:
Take-a-Look Tuesday @ Sugar Bee Crafts


Sugar and Spice at seven thirty three











Food on Friday @ Carole's Chatter

Whoopie Pies

There are many kinds of whoopie pies - pumpkin, red velvet, peanut butter, banana, etc. There are so many kinds that there are books with just whoopie pie recipes. But, the traditional is made with soft chocolate cookies and vanilla cream filling.

I am learning how to bake with oat flour. It is very interesting. Gluten-free baking in general (let alone "regular" baking) is kitchen science . . . much to learn. I have just touched the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. You have to learn to expand your horizon, not just follow recipes. That's when it gets fun. You'll most likely have flops somewhere along the line, but finally success comes in if you press on.

For the filling, I made a simple powdered sugar frosting: Beat together a few tablespoons lard or shortening and about 3 cups powdered sugar, adding enough water for the right consistency. Add about a teaspoon or more vanilla.


Whoopie Pies (Gluten, Dairy, Corn-free)
Adapted from Epicurious.com

1/2 cup lard

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups oat or other gluten-free flour

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda*

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Beat together lard and sugar in a large bowl, then add egg, beating until combined well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

3. Drop by teaspoonfulls (or whatever size you want) onto large greased baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 14 minutes (depending on size of cookies), until the top is set. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack to cool completely.

4. Spread filling on bottom side of half of cookies. Top with remaining cookies.

Notes:

*The first few I baked I left the baking soda out to see how they would do. I later added some baking soda to the batter. But, I liked how the ones turned out without the baking soda - they held together way better than the ones with the baking soda. The ones with the baking soda were puffier, but if I made these again I probably would not use the baking soda, unless using some kind of gum to hold them together.

~ Hanunyah

31 for 21: Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet cake is a common cake that "is usually prepared as a layer cake with either a vanilla or chocolate flavor, topped with a creamy white icing or a cookie dough filling."

Usually when one thinks of a "Red Velvet Cake", it is common to think of the dark or bright red color. I did some research on red velvet cake history, and here is what I came up with - thanks to wikipedia.

"The reddish-brown color of the cake originally was from a reaction of the cocoa powder with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk, however red food coloring is often added especially if the cake does not contain chocolate.

James Beard's 1972 reference American Cookery^[2] describes three red velvet cakes varying in the amounts of shortening and butter. All use red food coloring, but the reaction of acidic vinegar and buttermilk tends to better reveal the red anthocyanin in the cocoa. Before more alkaline "Dutch Processed" cocoa was widely available, the red color would have been more pronounced. This natural tinting may have been the source for the name "Red Velvet" as well as "Devil's Food" and similar names for chocolate cakes.^[3][1] While foods were rationed during World War II, bakers used boiled beets to enhance the color of their cakes. Boiled grated beets or beet baby food are found in some red velvet cake recipes, where they also serve to retain moisture."

So, red food color was originally not in red velvet cake. Here is my allergy-free, delicious version of this classic without the bottle artificial color.

Red Velvet Cake (Gluten, Dairy and Corn-free)
Adapted from Cake and Cookie Yahoo group

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup lard shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups rice or other gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 cup buttermilk*
1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup rice or other gluten-free flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup lard or shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 round 9 inch baking pans (I used one 11 inch round). Add vinegar to baking soda; set aside.

2. Cream together the lard and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4. Frosting: Combine milk and flour in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook at medium-high heat until very thick (like a white bechamel sauce). Set aside. Cream sugar and lard until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and cream sauce. Beat until icing becomes thick and fluffy. Frost cake.

Notes:
*To make buttermilk - put 1 tablespoon vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the cup with goat or non-dairy milk. Set aside for a few minutes before using.
You may add red food color, if a darker red color is desired.

I quickly went outside to take a picture, as the sun was leaving fast.
I saw this straw bale and took pictures. 

~ Hanunyah


Linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays (by The Gluten-Free Homemaker)

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