Ahhh, but Laurel doesn't like chocolate!

One of my best friends doesn't like chocolate. Well, let me clarify that. She likes white chocolate. Vanilla. And my Halo Cake doesn't have just chocolate, but also vanilla layers. weeeeeeee! The GF white cake recipe is very unique- totally the Irish Lass's. And the reason is that chocolate is used to glue together the gluten free flours. That's why you only see chocolate cakes and carrot cakes (BLECH!) But I've found an incredibly delicious way of doing it:



















Gluten Free White Cake

1 block cream cheese, softened
3/4C sour cream
4 large eggs
1/4C shortening, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2C glutinous rice flour ** might need more if it's a humid day
1 C water
1/4C tapioca starch
1 1/2C powdered sugar
1 1/2tsp baking soda
1 1/2tsp glycerin (available at your cake stores!)
2 1/2tsp baking powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
3 tsp Xanthan gum


1. Beat the eggs and powdered sugar until medium peaks (it's harder than normal!)
2. Slowly add cubes of cream cheese- beat hard until throughly mixed.
3. Slowly add the sour cream, shortening, vanilla, and glycerin- mix throughly.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and xanthan gum.
5. slowly, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. This will get stiff- you can beat it hard!
6. On low speed, add the water. If this is too stiff, add more water. If it's too loose add more rice flour.
7. Bake in a preheated, 350*F oven for:

For 2 pans, 9" each: 30-33minutes
For 2 cupcake pans, 12 each: 20-25minutes
For rectangle pans: 30 minutes (watch the corners)

Or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
8. cool in the pans until they are cool enough to remove the cakes. Then remove the cakes- don't wait until completely cool, or you'll never get it out!



















This is also really great for raspberry jam cake (that's another story).

Enjoy your goodies!
The Irish Lass

Death by (Gluten Free) Flourless Chocolate Torte

Ok, I'll be brief- I know you're all dying for the GF flourless chocolate cake recipe for your perfect Valentine's Day. I won't make you wait; here it is!:


Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Torte

7oz Natural cocoa + oil equivalent (you can use bittersweet baking chocolate, too, but you'll have to melt this in a double boiler, yada, yada, yada).
1 3/4 Sticks of Butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp white, granulated sugar
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp Dutch cocoa powder**
5 eggs, separated

1. Beat the eggs to soft peaks.
2. Add butter (and Oil, if using) and vanilla. Blend weell.
3. Add the sugar, slowly to not knock down the eggs.
(If you're using melted chocolate, add this slowly here)
4. Add all the salt and cocoa powder slowly (I recommend sifting the cocoa into the mixer).
5. Bake in a 9" spring form pan at 350*F for 20 minutes. Do NOT overcook. If a toothpick comes out clean, yank it out!

I recommend a blend of cocoa powders (such as bought at www.Penzeys.com ). You can feel free to just use Hershey's cocoa powder or Nestle's, but the flavor will suffer.


Also, if you want to bake in a rectangle pan, you will need to watch the corners very closely. If they start to burn, cover with foil. Also, if you use a smaller pan, you will need to reduce the temperature to 330*F and bake for 30minutes.


Enjoy your Gluten Free Valentine's Day Goodies!
The Irish Lass

Flooding, take 4

You wouldn't believe it if I told you.

Really

No, I'm serious

Ok, here goes:
The first house I bought had a sump pump in the basement, which was electrical with no battery back up; for those of you in CA, people have basements out here so that you can hide from the tornadoes. I always have been fascinated with basements because basements + earthquakes = tortilla. They have "full", which was the only kind I had ever seen (in Exeter- god help you) where it's a room with tiny windows at the top; they have "look outs", which is when the ground is at window level (cats LOVE this); and they have "walk-outs", which aren't really basements at all, but an entire floor of the house with patio that is tucked under the rest of the house (you use stairs inside the house, of course!). Oh, and they don't usually say "patio"....not sure why....but we have lots of "decks", which is the 2nd story patio where you do the "grilling" that I know as BBQ.

Anyway, anyway.
House 1: Flood due to loss of electricity during thunderstorm so that the sump pump stopped
House 2: Clean water tank on back of toilet broke upstairs and ran through the house (fun, huh?)
House 3 (current): flood due to weld breaking in water main= 28,000 gallons in the basement
House 3 (current): flood due to non-soldered pipe joint (professional plumber accident)

Now the funny thing is that I just got done re-dry walling, re-carpeting, replacing all the wood, cabinets, EVERYTHING. And the last thing to finish was the sink. I had a pro do it. Last day of construction, too. this was it.

And why do you care?

Well, besides being incredibly entertaining to laugh at and terribly theraputic for me to write all this out, I made a bit of a boo-boo in one of my recipes, left some things out, that kind of thing, as I was distracted by the sound of rushing water. It actually turned in to a really great rice pudding, but very smooth.


GF Puto Pudding

2C sushi-grade rice
1 1/2C water
1/2 C sugar
1 15.5oz can of coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix the rice in the water WITHOUT RINSING overnight.
2. Pour the rice and the water into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
3. Add the vanilla extract, coconut milk, and sugar and puree again.
4. Pour into a glass 9"x9" baking pan (square).
5. Set this square dish in a 9"x13" glass baking pan, filled with water.
6. Bake at 250*F until set (approximately 30-40minutes).

The pudding is white, opaque and delicious!

Serve cold with honey or molasses. Or top with azuki beans, peaches, or raspberry jam!

You might also try making this with rose water.