purple kilt .... done!

My Beloved's new kilt is done.  I think the best compliment is that he is currently wearing it even though it is not perfect.  I would do the pockets differently next time, as well as the under apron.  But that is part of the learning process.

Especially when you are adding new bits that are not in the original pattern.

I wonder what color he will chose next....

peanut butter chocolate ice box cake

I had a reason that I was making the chocolate shortbread yesterday.  There was a team potluck today at work and we were all supposed to provide the desserts.  Pizza was to be ordered for it.  The thing is, that I know for a fact that we have one person who is vegetarian on Thursdays and will not eat eggs.  Then there is someone else who is gluten free.  Most of the time, there is not much for either them to eat so I try to make sure there is.  

I adapted a Martha Stewart recipe to be gluten free.  There have been more then a few ice box cakes bumping around foodie and design blogs this summer, so I thought I would give it a try.  I am not sure this really turned out the way that it was supposed to.  The cookies really did not get soft.  But I can tell you it was yummy.  The pictures I have it after it are done are not the best because it was picked at.  The last bits even look worse in my kitchen.  I do believe this is a compliment!

Peanut butter chocolate ice box cake

1 recipe chocolate shortbread or gluten free chocolate wafer cookie

4 cups whipping cream

2/3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup peanut butter (I used an old fashioned kind)

Take a eight inch round cake pan, that sides are three inches high, and cross two pieces of plastic wrap across.  Make sure there is a lot of extra hanging off and that no part of the cake pan comes through.

Take three cups of cream and the powdered sugar and put into large bowl.  Whip until soft peaks form.

Put the peanut butter and the last cup of cream into a small bowl, and mix together.

Fold into the sweetened cream.

Spread a layer of the peanut butter cream on the bottom of the cake pan.  Layer a layer of cookies.  Repeat until the pan is full.

Wrap well and put in the refrigerator at least overnight.  I put it in the freezer for three hours as well (it was 102 today).

Unwrap the cake.  Put a plate on top of it.  Flip and slide the pan off.

Let the hungry hordes at it!  

See, I told you it was not pretty.

MY gluten free chocolate shortbread

I decided that I could use my shortbread recipe and make it gluten free.  And if it was a failure, the cookies were meant for an icebox cake, so who would know anyhow if they did not turn out quite right.  

I feel like I am finally getting a hang of this gluten free baking because they did turn out.  I took my shortbread recipe, that no one can seem to emulate and I do not know way, changed, and had lovely chocolate tallbreads.  Part of the problem is that this recipe is so simple that you actually taste someones touch.  The other thing I wish to say, if a gluten free dough does not have the same consistency as a gluten dough when it comes to cookies, they will not work.  I have read so much about gluten free baking because I needed to learn.  But, really, it is just baking.  If the dough does not seem right, there is a good chance it is not.  It has taken me awhile to learn this.

This is a very simple recipe.  It really is about touch.

chocolate shortbread

Note:  The only difference between this recipe and my regular chocolate shortbread is the flours.  If you wish to use wheat flour, use 2 cups of all purpose flour.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted (more intensity, use dark chocolate - lovely)

1 cup millet flour

1 cup almond flour

1 cup teff flour

1 cup arrowroot flour

granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the sugar and butter together until light yellow.

Mix in the vanilla and chocolate.

Mix in all the flours.

Cover baking sheets with silpat or parchament paper.  Put some granulated sugar in a bowl.

Take a teaspoon of dough, roll it into a ball, and roll in the sugar.  I was able to fit about 20 cookies per baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

This are delicate when coming off the baking sheet so be careful or let them cool before you transfer them.

They taste right!  Am I the only one who makes an ingredient for a recipe?

craving kneading

Since we have been back from our land, it has been hard on me.  There is always a craving to make bread but that craving to get my hands in dough was even more extreme then normal.  I put a galette bressane together the other morning and was telling my Beloved how I wished I could start every morning kneading bread.  He said we have friends who would appreciate the donations.  He is right!

I put together more bread dough and was kneading it last night.  It was bringing calmness to my life.  

And then I had small hands help me.  Small Mister finds this process quite fascinating.

A bit of calm.  A bit of meditation.

pumpkin cake

After canning 57 pints of pumpkin, you would think that my Beloved and myself would not wish to see anymore pumpkin.  I actually made a pumpkin cake for dessert yesterday.  This tastes very much like a spice cake with just a hint of pumpkin.  I let my Beloved put the spices in so I am going to give a range for cinnamon here.  He likes cinnamon, so it was very strong in this cake.  I could have upped the ginger a little bit.  Go ahead and play.  Make this your own!

Pumpkin cake

1 cup butter, softenend

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups purreed pumpkin

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

135 grams almond flour

135 grams millet flour

135 grams arrowroot flour

135 grams sorghum flour

1 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 - 2 teaspoons ginger

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 9 inch springform pan.

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  If the batter seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream.  My pumpkin was very wet.

Pour into the pan.  Bake  1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

This is lovely.  It is actually getting better as it sits.  I think of this as a humble cake.  No frosting needed.  But i if you wished too, you could add a cream cheese or butter cream frosting.  I wanted to try about a cup of chocolate chips in the cake but I got vetoed.  Maybe some other time.

Otherwise, just a cake to enjoy with a cup of tea.  Or toasted a little bit for breakfast.  Yes, really.