GFCF Weekly Roundup: Creme Brulee

It's that time again - here are this week's favorite gluten-free, dairy-free/casein-free recipes! Especially with more holiday meals right around the corner, these treats are perfect for anyone at your holiday table!

GFCF Creme Brulee (pictured at right)
Ingredients
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups Silk soy milk creamer
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
1/4 cup air-dried light brown sugar (see Tips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 275º F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half of the granulated sugar. In a small saucepan, warm the soymilk creamer with the vanilla-bean scrapings and the remaining granulated sugar until the soymilk creamer is steaming. Gradually whisk the hot soymilk creamer into the egg-yolk mixture until blended. Strain the custard and pour it into four 5-ounce ramekins or shallow gratin dishes.

Set the ramekins in a small baking dish and add enough hot tap water to the dish to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the custards are just set. Let the custards cool in the water bath for 10 minutes, then remove from the baking dish and allow them to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The custards may crack a little on top, this will not affect the taste.

Preheat the broiler. Sift a thin even layer of the air-dried brown sugar over each of the custards. Broil one ramekin at a time as close as possible to the heat source until the brown sugar melts, forming a caramelized crust on top of the custard. Serve immediately.

Tips
Instead of cream, we used Silk soymilk creamer which produced a lovely creme brulee. Their web site is www.soymilk.com and it is distributed by White Wave, Inc. from Boulder, Colorado and available nationwide.

To air-dry brown sugar, sift it onto a plate and leave it out, uncovered, for 1 day. Alternatively, if the weather is humid, the sifted brown sugar can also be dried in the oven. Set the temperature at 250ºF and put the sugar in the oven for 20 minutes.

You might also like:
GFCF Cherry Coconut Scones, perfect for a holiday brunch!
GFCF Chestnut Torte, another holiday favorite featuring a seasonal treat!

Weekly Recipe: Cauliflower and Thyme Frittata

Each week we feature one of our favorite recipes and I want to do more to share these recipes with you! This week, we are featuring a fantastic new spin on an old-time favorite: the frittata. Infused with cauliflower, baby broccoli and thyme, this favorite brunch feature is chock full of vegetables and can be enjoyed hot, cold or at room temperature.

Cauliflower Frittata with Thyme
Ingredients
2-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 medium cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 cup of baby broccoli, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh chives, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
10 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat the broiler. In a 10-inch non-stick, oven-proof skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in the olive oil. Add the cauliflower, season with salt and cook over high heat, without stirring, until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Toss the cauliflower florets in the pan. Add the broccoli and cook until the cauliflower is golden all over and both the cauliflower and baby broccoli are just tender, about 3-4 minutes longer. Add the sliced onion and 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and swirl the pan to melt it.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grates of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in the herbs. Pour the eggs over the vegetables and cook, without stirring, until the bottom of the frittata is just set, about 2 minutes. Lift the edges of the frittata and tilt the pan to allow the uncooked egg mixture to seep underneath. Continue to cook the frittata until the bottom is golden and the top is just slightly runny, about 3-4 minutes.

Sprinkle the top of the frittata with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes or until the top is just set. Slide the frittata onto a work surface or platter and cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Menu Monday: An Elegant Holiday Dinner

So as I wrote last Wednesday, I'm trying something different - more predictable - with my articles. On the first and third Mondays of the month, I will share one of our featured menus! This week, one of our favorite holiday menus for an elegant dinner.

This menu is elegant from start to finish. Start off the evening with light, but delicious Parmesan Crisps with Pecans & Basil – the perfect snack to keep your guests happy as they arrive. Follow up with a creamy and sinful Baked Swiss Chard. This dish may sound a little different but it happens to be one of our favorite starters. The Swiss chard is stuffed with cheese and then topped with cream and baked until bubbly and brown. This truly is a show-stopper. The salad is a beautiful combination of mixed greens, apples and pomegranate seeds lightly tossed with vinaigrette. The entrée will be one your guests will be talking about for months to come – Pepper Crusted Prime Rib with a Mushroom & Brandy Reduction sauce accompanied by Creamy Potato Gratin and roasted asparagus & leeks. And let’s not forget dessert! Finish the meal off with a delightful Pecan Pear Torte with Cream Cheese Frosting and if you really want to go that extra mile (and you happen to have an espresso machine), a cup of cappuccino!

-Chef Yvonne

On the Menu
Parmesan Crisps with Pecan & Basil
Baked Swiss Chard
Mixed Greens with Apples & Pomegranates
Pepper Crusted Prime Rib with Mushroom & Brandy Reduction
Creamy Potato Gratin
Asparagus & Leeks
Pecan Pear Torte with Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured at right)

Gluten Free Mama & Holiday Stained Glass Cookies

For our last post this week, you can check out our guest article over on Gluten Free Mama's blog!

From Rachel aka Gluten Free Mama:

Christmas is the time of sharing and our friends over at Glutenfreeda have been so kind to share with us one of their favorite Christmas Cookies, Holiday Stained Glass Cookies. I couldn't think of a better cookie to make the list for Day 4 of Mama's 25 Days of a Gluten Free Christmas.

Glutenfreeda.com is a great resource for those living gluten free with one of the largest gluten free recipe databases in the world. Glutenfreeda also manufactures some of my favorite gluten free products including, Gluten Free Instant Oatmeal, Real Cookies (authentic frozen cookie dough), Granola, Burritos and Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches.

My friends Kelsey and Kristine over at Glutenfreeda have been beacon of support for Gluten Free Mama, specifically by helping us with resources to expand our products into grocery stores in the Northwest region. They are such a huge support for the gluten free community. Thanks Kelsey for sharing with us! For more information on Glutenfreeda go to http://www.glutenfreedafoods.com/ or http://www.glutenfreeda.com/

Holiday Stained Glass Cookies
Since 2004, this has been one of our most requested cookie recipes! What would Christmas be without cookies? Perhaps the tradition began with our childhood and the humble offering to Santa placed beside the fireplace the on Christmas Eve. Whatever the case, cookies and Christmas seem to go hand in hand. But what happens when you add the dynamic of the gluten-free diet? Great gluten-free cookies are often a challenge. Many times they come out either flat and misshapen or so dry that if you accidentally inhale as you take a bite you may choke! We’ve spent many years experimenting and developing some great cookies that don’t taste gluten-free. In fact they are truly delicious, even for those not on a gluten-free diet.

Ingredients
2-1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
3 cups Gluten Free Mama's Coconut Blend Flour
Gluten free apricot or seedless raspberry jam

Cookie cutters: one 2-inch round, bell-shaped or ornament-shaped cookie cutter, and 1-inch cookie cutters in different festive shapes (stars, trees, bells, etc.) for the "window".

Royal Icing, if desired

Directions
With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until creamy. Beat in egg yolks, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. On low speed, beat in gluten free flour, 1 cup at a time, until just combined.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and flatten each into a smooth disk. Wrap separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out one disk at a time between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/8" thickness.

Using cookie cutters, cut dough into simple holiday shapes (bells or ornaments or disks) - make sure you have an even number of "frames"! Using the 1-inch mini-cutters, stamp out patterns in half of cookies to form the "windows".

With a metal spatula, transfer cookies to a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until pale golden.

Let cookies cool on parchment, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining disks. Spread a rounded teaspoon of jam on each of solid cookies and top each with a windowed cookie.

Decorate with Royal Icing if desired
Ingredients

4 cups confectioner's sugar (approx. 1lb), sifted
3 egg whites

Icing Directions
In a grease-free bowl combine 4 cups confectioners’ sugar and egg whites. Using clean beaters, beat on low speed. After 30 seconds, scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula and gradually increase speed to medium-high. Beat until icing is glossy and stiff peaks form when beaters are lifted, 5 to 7 minutes.

If icing is to be applied with a paint brush, stir in water, a few drops at a time, to achieve desired consistency. If icing is to be piped through a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip, stiffen icing by stirring in more confectioners’ sugar.

GFCF Weekly Roundup - Holiday Desserts

Here at the Glutenfreeda Blog we're going to try something a little different - we're going to have established columns with new articles on a weekly and/or monthly basis. From gluten-free/casein-free recipes to product reviews, you'll soon be able to mark your life by our articles! =)

GFCF Chocolate Peppermint Squares
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients
1 ounce gluten free bittersweet chocolate, melted
1/4 cup Earthbalance butter substitute, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup gluten free flour
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons Earthbalance butter substitute, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 ounce gluten free bittersweet chocolate
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour an 8x8 inch pan with gluten free flour. Cream Earthbalance, sugar and egg. Add 1 ounce of melted chocolate, 1/2 cup gluten free flour and nuts. Place mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile combine 2 Tablespoons Earthbalance, powdered sugar, water and peppermint extract. When cake layer is cool, spread Earthbalance mixture on top.

Melt remaining 1 ounce chocolate and 1 tablespoon Earthbalance; pour over filling. Chill in the refrigerator. Cut into 24 small bars.

GFCF Fresh Pear Crisp with Dried Cranberries
Ingredients
Topping
5 Tablespoons Earth Balance butter substitute, melted
1/2 cup gluten free flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
3-1/4 pounds slightly underripe Anjou pears, peeled, halved, cored and cut into 1" pieces
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest

Directions
For the topping
Melt the "butter" in a small saucepan, remove from heat. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to butter, tossing with a fork to form crumbs. Set aside.

For the filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 11"x7" baking dish. Add the pear pieces and the cranberries to the baking dish. Drizzle with lemon juice. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit. Crumble the topping over the pears. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm (for the dairy indulgent, serve over gluten free vanilla ice cream).

Other GFCF favorites
GFCF Cranberry Apple Pie* (pictured at right)
GFCF Apple Cinnamon Cake
GFCF Pumpkin Apple Sauce Bread (substitute soy or almond milk)

*For this recipe, and all of our holiday pies, we recommend using Gluten Free Mama's Pie Crust Mix which can easily be dairy-free and egg-free!