ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES with Dairy Free Instructions

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

    I had two roasted sweet potatoes left and I wanted to use them before they went bad.  I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Cupcakes that won on Cupcake Wars.  My leftover sweet potatoes were exactly enough to make the cupcakes. I converted the recipe into a gluten free version and cut the sugar by half.  The spicing is perfect, no wonder these won.  

     These Sweet Potato Cupcakes are moist, tender and pure heaven.  They are similar to a carrot cake.  After one taste I decided not to frost them.  Just plain, the cupcakes were perfect for me.  If I was more ambitious on baking day I would have made some frosting just to see how it would taste.  However, since I was perfectly content savoring them unadorned, I did not bother.  

     I have not tried it yet, but I’m sure these would come out great with an egg replacer to make a vegan version.  

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE 

SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES

Makes about 24 

Ingredients

1 cup	Sorghum Flour
1/2 cup	Chickpea Flour
1/2 cup	Tapioca Flour
3/4 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1 1/2 tsp.	Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp.	Baking Powder
1/2 tsp.	Sea Salt
2 tsp.	Cinnamon
1/2 tsp.	Ginger - dry ground
1/8 tsp.	Nutmeg
16 oz./2 cups	Sweet Potatoes - cooked and soft
1/2 cup	Canola Oil or other mild flavored oil
1/2 cup	Applesauce
1/2 cup	Brown Sugar
1/2 cup	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals)
4 large	Eggs

Directions

1. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350℉.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices.  Mix well.  Set aside.

   

   Dry ingredients all mixed.

3. In a large bowl add the cooked & peeled sweet potatoes and mash them until smooth.  

   

   Cooked sweet potatoes mashed in the bowl.

4. Add the oil, applesauce, sugars and eggs.  Mix well.

   

   The wet ingredients in the bowl.

   
   

   

   The wet ingredients all mixed.

5. Add the flour mixture, all at once, to the egg mixture.  Stir together until just combined.

   

   Dry ingredients added all at once to the wet ones.

6. Using a scoop that measures 2-inches across, scoop out batter into the prepared muffin tins.

   

   Scooping out the mixed batter.

   
   

   

   Raw batter int he prepared muffin tin.
7. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently touched with a finger.  

   

   Baked cupcakes.

8. Cool in the pan a few minutes and then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
9. They are very delightful plain, but, if you want to guild the lily, a cream cheese frosting will go perfectly with these cupcakes.  Below is my recipe for cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

16 oz.	Cream Cheese at room temperature - for dairy free use non dairy cream cheese
4 Tbs.	Unsalted Butter at room temperature for dairy free use 2 Tbs. of margarine and 2 Tbs. of shortening.
½ cup	Powdered Sugar - you can adjust this to taste
¼ cup	Whole Milk - for dairy free use non dairy milk of choice.
2 tsp.	Vanilla extract

Directions

1) Add all the ingredients to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer or by hand until light and fluffy.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE SWEET POTATO CUPCAKES Makes about 24 Ingredients 1 cup Sorghum Flour 1/2 cup Chickpea Flour 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour 3/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda 1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt 2 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 tsp. Ginger - dry ground 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg 16 oz./2 cups Sweet Potatoes - cooked and soft 1/2 cup Canola Oil or other mild flavored oil 1/2 cup Applesauce 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 cup Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals) 4 large Eggs Directions Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a medium bowl add the flours, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl add the cooked & peeled sweet potatoes and mash them until smooth. Add the oil, applesauce, sugars and eggs. Mix well. Add the flour mixture, all at once, to the egg mixture. Stir together until just combined. Using a scoop that measures 2-inches across, scoop out batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cake springs back when gently touched with a finger. Cool in the pan a few minutes and then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. They are very delightful plain, but, if you want to guild the lily, a cream cheese frosting will go perfectly with these cupcakes. Below is my recipe for cream cheese frosting. Cream Cheese Frosting 16 oz. Cream Cheese at room temperature - for dairy free use non dairy cream cheese 4 Tbs. Unsalted Butter at room temperature for dairy free use 2 Tbs. of margarine and 2 Tbs. of shortening. ½ cup   Powdered Sugar - you can adjust this to taste ¼ cup   Whole Milk - for dairy free use non dairy milk of choice. 2 tsp.   Vanilla extract Directions Add all the ingredients to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer or by hand until light and fluffy.

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN NO GUILT OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     My friend found a recipe in a magazine for 3-ingredient GF Banana Oatmeal Cookies and made them.  She is not as into baking as I am and she loved that they were no fuss and easy to make.  After tasting them I decided to make them myself, adding a few more ingredients.  The cookies are yummy with a soft, moist and slightly chewy texture.  They passed the child and adult tasters approval.  

     Even those of us who love to bake (and make fancy and time consuming desserts) appreciate an easy and fast recipe.  There are always days you don’t have a lot of time or energy for something more complicated.

     I also love that there are no sweeteners in the recipe.  If you choose to add chocolate chips they do have some sugar, but using only raisins, fruit is all that gives these cookies their sweetness.

     No eggs or dairy makes them allergy friendly and vegan too.

     You can play around by adding coconut, chopped nuts, dates or other dried fruits.  I made some with vanilla extract and some with almond extract.  I suppose you could try some orange or lemon extract or zest also.  

     Be sure to use certified gluten free oats.  I have to say something here about oats vs gluten free oats vs certified gluten free oats.  Oats themselves are naturally gluten free.  So why can’t we just use regular oats instead of the certified gluten free ones that cost at least twice as much?  Regular oats are grown where oats and other gluten containing grains grow so gluten containing grains will get mixed in when the oats are harvested.  On regular farms, oats are harvested and processed on the same equipment as wheat and other grains, so there will be some gluten in there.  With certified gluten free oats, the oats are grown on farms dedicated to growing gf oats, and are harvested and processed on equipment dedicated to gf oats.  When something is labeled certified GF it means that the product is tested at various steps of the processing to assure that the products are free of gluten.  Certified GF products have tested to have zero ppm of gluten in them.  When something is labeled GF (not certified GF) it can still have gluten in it, and testing has shown that most products labeled GF (but not certified GF) can have way more than the <20 ppm allowed by law.  Some have tested to have gluten in the hundreds of ppm.  There are no regulations requiring companies to test products for gluten even if they are labeled GF.  Don’t be fooled.  Look for “Certified GF” labels on products not just GF.  

     A bit more info about products labeled gluten free when they contain oats that are not specified as gf oats.  Some of the major manufacturers of cereals are coming out with some GF cereals that contain oats.  The oats are being grown and processed as regular oats are, but they are then screened by some process to take out the gluten containing substances that are mixed in with the oats. I am a bit wary about eating these products until it is made known if the oats and/or the final products are tested for gluten after the gluten is taken out and how many ppm remain afterwards. 

GLUTEN FREE NO GUILT OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES

Makes about 30 1-inch cookies

1 cup - about 2	Bananas - mashed
1 cup	Certified GF Oats - Quick Cooking If you use Old Fashioned Oats then pulse several times in a food processor until there is some fine flour and smaller sized oats.
1/3 - 1/2 cup	Raisins (plumped by soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes) &/or Chocolate Chips &/or Chopped Nuts &/or Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/8 tsp.	Sea Salt (optional)
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract or 1/2 tsp. of each (optional)
1/2 tsp.	Cinnamon (optional)

Old Fashioned Oats after grinding in the food processor.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. parchment or silpat
2. Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher.

   

   Mashing the bananas with a potato masher.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients of your choice and mix well.

   

   Adding some chocolate chips to the batter.

4. Using a scoop that measures 1-inch across or a teaspoon, scoop out cookies onto the prepared baking sheet.  The cookies do not spread while baking so they can be placed close together. I tried these flattened with a fork and as a ball.  Some people preferred the flattened cookies and some the balls.

   

   Batter scooped onto parchment paper.
   Some cookies were flattened with a fork.

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.  With my oven I put one baking sheet into another to insulate the bottoms of the cookies to keep them from burning and baked them about 20 minutes.

   

   Lightly browned bottoms.

   
   

   

   Cookies after baking.
   I divided the batter and added raisins, coconut,
   chocolate chips, nuts and almond extract in various combinations to portions of the batter.
   My favorite was chocolate chips and raisins and nuts and vanilla & almond extracts.

GLUTEN FREE NO GUILT OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES Makes about 30 1-inch cookies 1 cup - about 2 Bananas - mashed 1 cup Certified GF Oats - Quick Cooking If you use Old Fashioned Oats then pulse several times in a food processor until there is some fine flour and smaller sized oats. 1/3 - 1/2 cup Raisins (plumped by soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes) &/or Chocolate Chips &/or Chopped Nuts &/or Unsweetened Shredded Coconut 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt (optional) 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract or 1/2 tsp. of each (optional) 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 350℉. parchment or silpat Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add the rest of the ingredients of your choice and mix well. Using a scoop that measures 1-inch across or a teaspoon, scoop out cookies onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies do not spread while baking so they can be placed close together. I tried these flattened with a fork and as a ball. Some people preferred the flattened cookies and some the balls. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. With my oven I put one baking sheet into another to insulate the bottoms of the cookies to keep them from burning and baked them about 20 minutes.

GLUTEN FREE WHOLE GRAIN BREAD IN A BREAD MACHINE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     Thanks to my friend, I now have a bread machine (she gave me her old one that was never used).  After a thorough cleaning to de-glutinize it, I began to experiment with baking gluten free bread in a machine.  Why did I not do this before?  So easy, so good, so fresh, so inexpensive, so much better than any store bought bread. 

     Today I am posting about a great recipe I found on the Gluten Free Real Food blog.  This recipe makes a whole grain artisan type loaf. I followed the recipe as written.  The person who created this recipe won first prize at a bread baking contest that was for all bread including wheat based recipes.  It can be made dairy free. 

     I love the taste and texture of this loaf.  It is not light and fluffy, it is firm and lightly dense like a whole grain bread.  I was really missing the hearty whole grain type breads and this fits the bill.  You would not know it is GF unless told.  

     I have made this bread quite a few times. My older machine does not allow for customizing a baking cycle and does not have a gluten free bread setting, so I had to experiment.  The first time I just let the machine go through the entire “Sweet Bread” cycle, which is closest in recommended times to the recipe.  It came out great.  Then I decided to cut out some of the time by skipping the punch down and second rise cycle before baking it. The bread came out better this way, a little lighter because gluten free bread does not need that second rise.  Punching down the dough only makes it denser.  

     I had to take the loaf pan out of the machine before the punch down cycle.  I reset the machine to “Bake”, put the pan back into the machine without locking it in place (to keep the bread from deflating) and let it go through the bake cycle.  I set my loaf to “Light” since I do not like a very thick dark crust.  

     If you have a newer machine that allows you to customize the cycle or that has a gluten free bread cycle you don’t have to worry about all the resetting and taking the loaf out of the pan.  If your machine has a GF bread cycle use it with this recipe.  If the machine allows customization use the recommended settings.

     When my machine dies I will definitely get one with a GF cycle to make it even easier to make bread.  Meanwhile I am experimenting with other bread machine recipes, so far this one is my favorite.   I like this recipe so much that I mixed a few bags of the dry ingredients to keep on hand so that I can quickly make a loaf of bread when I want to.

A bag of dry ingredients ready for bread baking at any time.

WHOLE GRAIN GLUTEN FREE BREAD IN A 

BREAD MACHINE

Makes one 1.5 lb. loaf

Ingredients

Wet

3 large	Eggs
1 tsp.	Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup	Vegetable Oil (canola, olive, coconut, etc.)
1 1/3 cups	Milk or Nondairy Milk - warmed to 110℉
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp.	Honey
3 Tbs.	Brown Sugar

Dry

1/2 cup	Sorghum Flour (or millet, buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth flours)
1/2 cup	Millet Flour (or sorghum, buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth flours)
1 cup	Teff Flour (or brown rice or white rice flours)
1/2 cup	Tapioca Flour (or other starch such as potato or arrowroot)
1/2 cup	Corn Starch (or other starch such as potato or arrowroot)
1 Tbs.	Xanthan Gum
1 1/2 tsp.	Sea Salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. for top of loaf (optional)	Seeds of choice: Sunflower, sesame or flax Mix in 1/4 cup to the batter.  When the batter is finished mixing, top the loaf with 2 Tbs. of seeds if desired.

Yeast

2 1/4 tsp.

Yeast (I used Saf-Instant)

Directions

1. Take the pan out of the bread machine.  (This will save clean up of the machine from liquids and flours sneaking over the pan edges as you add them.)
2. Add all the wet ingredients to the pan and mix well.

   

   All wet ingredients mixed in the pan.

3. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients (except for the optional 2 Tbs. seeds to top the loaf).

   

   All the dry ingredients in the bowl.

   
   

   

   Dry ingredients well mixed.

4. Add the dry ingredients on top of the wet ones in the pan.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the yeast to the well.

   

   Dry ingredients on top of wet ones.
   Note the hole or well for the yeast.

   
   

   

   Yeast added to the well.

6. Place the pan into the bread machine and snap it in place then close the lid.
   
   
7. Use the Gluten Free Bread Cycle on your machine or set the machine to these settings:           No preheat
   Knead 1 - 5 minutes
   Knead 2 - 15 minutes
   Rise - 60 minutes
   Bake - 50 minutes
   Temp. 340℉
        On my machine I cannot customize settings, I chose the cycle closest to these times which was the Sweet Bread Cycle.  I pulled the pan out of the machine after the first rising cycles but before the punch down cycle.  Then I reset the machine to the bake cycle.  I put the pan back into the machine without snapping it into place (to prevent deflating the loaf) and then ran the bake cycle.  I used the “light” color setting.
8. During the first mixing cycle use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan to help it along. 

   

   Mixing cycle started.
   Note the dry flour around the edges.

   
   

   

   Using a spatula to scrape down the sides while the machine is mixing.

9. After the mixing cycles are done, reach in and pull out the mixing blade.  Then smooth out the top of the loaf with wet hands or a silicone spatula. No photos of this step because both hands were too messy to hold a camera.  (You do not have to do this step, it just leaves a smaller hole on the bottom of the baked loaf.)

   

   Dough after both mixing cycles have ended.
10. After smoothing out the top of the loaf sprinkle the loaf with 2 Tbs. of seeds, if desired.  

    

    Raw dough smoothed out and sprinkled with sunflower seeds.

11. Bake the loaf as per instructions in step #7 above.

    

    Raw loaf after rising cycles.

12. When done, invert the loaf onto a wire rack.  Turn right side up and allow it to cool before slicing and eating.  Take the loaf out of the pan as soon as you can.  The crust will get soggy if it cools in the pan.

    

    Baked bread cooling on a rack.

13. This bread keeps well at room temperature for 3 days.  After this you will have to toast the bread before eating.  Freeze slices for longer storage.  

    

    Close up of a slice of fresh & delicious bread.

WHOLE GRAIN GLUTEN FREE BREAD IN A BREAD MACHINE Makes one 1.5 lb. loaf Ingredients Wet 3 large Eggs 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil (canola, olive, coconut, etc.) 1 1/3 cups Milk or Nondairy Milk 1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. Honey 3 Tbs. Brown Sugar Dry 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour (or millet, buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth flours) 1/2 cup Millet Flour (or sorghum, buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth flours) 1 cup Teff Flour (or brown rice or white rice flours) 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour (or other starch such as potato or arrowroot) 1/2 cup Corn Starch (or other starch such as potato or arrowroot) 1 Tbs. Xanthan Gum 1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. for top of loaf (optional) Seeds of choice: Sunflower, sesame or flax Mix in 1/4 cup to the batter. When the batter is finished mixing top the loaf with 2 Tbs. of seeds if desired. Yeast 2 1/4 tsp. Yeast (I used Saf-Instant) Directions Take the pan out of the bread machine. (This will save clean up of the machine from liquids and flours sneaking over the pan edges as you add them.) Add all the wet ingredients to the pan and mix well. In a large bowl mix all the dry ingredients (except for the optional 2 Tbs. seeds to top the loaf). Add the dry ingredients on top of the wet ones in the pan. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the yeast to the well. Place the pan into the bread machine and snap it in place then close the lid. Use the Gluten Free Bread Cycle on your machine or set the machine to these settings: No preheat Knead 1 - 5 minutes Knead 2 - 15 minutes Rise - 60 minutes Bake - 50 minutes Temp. 340℉ On my machine I cannot customize settings, I chose the cycle closest to these times which was the Sweet Bread Cycle. I pulled the pan out of the machine after the first rising cycles but before the punch down cycle. Then I reset the machine to the bake cycle. I put the pan back into the machine without snapping it into place (to prevent deflating the loaf) and then ran the bake cycle. I used the “light” color setting. During the first mixing cycle use a silicone spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan to help it along. After the mixing cycles are done, reach in and pull out the mixing blade. Then smooth out the top of the loaf with wet hands or a silicone spatula. No photos of this step because both hands were too messy to hold a camera. (You do not have to do this step, it just leaves a smaller hole on the bottom of the baked loaf.) After smoothing out the top of the loaf sprinkle the loaf with 2 Tbs. of seeds, if desired. Bake the loaf as per instructions in step #7 above. When done, invert the loaf onto a wire rack. Turn right side up and allow it to cool before slicing and eating. Take the loaf out of the pan as soon as you can. The crust will get soggy if it cools in the pan. This bread keeps well at room temperature for 3 days. After this you will have to toast the bread before eating. Freeze slices for longer storage. ***UPDATE After making this recipe several times I have found some things to work really well: 1) Most important is to warm up the milk or dairy free milk to about 110℉. This gets a great rise on the bread and makes it lighter and fluffier. 2) Using the Express Bake Cycles on the machine works really well. I found the 58 minute Express Bake Cycle to work the best.

***UPDATE
After making this recipe several times I have found some things to work really well:
1) Most important is to warm up the milk or dairy free milk to about 110℉.  This gets a great rise on the bread and makes it lighter and fluffier.
2) Using the Express Bake Cycles on the machine works really well.  I found the 58 minute Express Bake Cycle to work the best.