Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcakes

The recipe below is a delicious alternative for a strawberry cake in case you are or know someone that is gluten intolerant.  It tastes so good, kind of reminds me of the taste of Kellogg's Strawberry Cereal.  The cake is moist and has a little of a grainy texture to it (almond meal texture).  As Andrew Zimmerman would say, "It's a texture thing."  Hope you'll enjoy!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Cupcakes
Yield:  1 Dozen Large Cupcakes, 2 Dozen Regular Cupcakes

Ingredients:
8 oz. - Unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/4 Cup - Sugar
2 3/4 Cup - Rice Flour
1/2 Cup - Oat Flour
1 Tbsp - Baking Powder
3 Eggs + 1 Egg White, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp - Vanilla Extract
1 Cup - Low Fat Milk
1 1/2 Cup - Strawberries, diced (reserve 1/4 cup to top off the cupcake before baking)

Procedure:
1.  Cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow.
2.  Slowly add eggs in three parts, mix until combined.  Do not overmix.
3.  Sift dry altogether, set aside. Combine vanilla extract and milk altogether, set aside.
4.  Add dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately, ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.
5.  Fold in 1 1/4 cup of strawberries.
6.  Put into cupcake mold, top off the remaining diced strawberries and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream w/ Macerated Strawberries

Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream w/ Macerated Strawberries

Macerated Strawberries

Ingredients:

1/2 lb - Strawberries, hulled and quartered

1/8 Cup - Brown Sugar

Procedure:

1.  Combined brown sugar and quartered strawberries together to macerate.

Vanilla Bean Ice-Cream

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cup - Heavy Cream

3/4 Cup - Whole Milk, or 2%

1/4 Cup - Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean

1 tsp - Salt

5 Large - Egg Yolks

1/4 Cup - Sugar

2 tsp - Vanilla Extract

1.  Macerate Strawberries, set aside.

2.  Combine Heavy cream, milk, salt, 1/4 cup sugar.  Split the vanilla bean and bring to simmer.

 3.  Remove from heat, let seep for 30 minutes for flavoring.

 4.  Mix egg yolk with 1/4 cup sugar until light yellow.

 5.  It should have a nice ribbon consistancy.  In the meantime, place heavy cream and vanilla pot back onto the stove, and bring to simmer, slowly add 1/2 cup of heavy cream mix to egg yolk mixture and whisk, repeat one more time.

 6.  Pour the yolk mixture to the remaining heavy cream mix and stir over medium heat until the back of your wooden spoon is nicely coated.  Add 2 tsp Vanilla Extract.

 

7.  Pour mixture into a sieve and chill for 2 hours or overnight, then follow ice-cream maker instruction.

 8.  Enjoy!  As you can tell, I couldn't resist the wait of an extra 2 hours after the ice-cream maker mixing, hence the soft ice-cream consistency.  Delicious!

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

I've recently received a dessert book as a bride to be gift called, "Meitte - By:  Meg Ray."  Thanks to my friend TC, I've been looking forward to buying this book as part of my collection.  When I flipped through it, I already fell in love with the pretty scalloped pages on the edge.  Also, many of Meg Ray's recipes are using a size 6" cake pan.  Size 6"-8" cakes are ideal for me, I look forward to experimenting with this book!

 

The first recipe I wanted to try was the Buttermilk Panna Cotta.  Why, may you ask?  Well, first of all, I have a carton of buttermilk that is about to expire and second of all, I have a box of strawberries that are going to go bad soon if I don't use them.  I love panna cotta, it's like a creamy jello but I think adding buttermilk may give this panna cotta a tang to the dessert.  I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did.  Tastes like a greek yogurt with fruits but with a smoother texture.

Panna Cotta

Recipe Book:  Miette 

By:  Meg Ray

Yield: 12 (2oz) Cups/ 6 (4oz) Cups

Ingredients:

1/3 Cups - Heavy Cream

1tsp (1/2 Packet) - Gelatin (When I add 1 tsp, it seems as the gelatin didn't set as firm as I like it to be, if you like it firmer, try adding an extra 1 tsp.  I think the whole shifting process remove some of the gelatin too)

1 2/3 Cups - Heavy Cream

1/3 Cups - Granulate Sugar

1 - Vanilla Bean or 2 tsp - Vanilla Extract

2 Cups, 2 Tbsp - Buttermilk

Diced Strawberries, for garnish

Procedure:

1.  Place 1/3 Cup of heavy cream and 1 tsp of gelatin and bloom for 10 minutes.

2.  Place 1 2/3 Cup of heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean and bring to a boil.

3.   Turn off stove, add the bloomed gelatin & cream mixture to the pot and stir.  

4.  Add Buttermilk and whisk until combined.

5.  Place mixture through a medium sieved and poured into your desired mold.

6.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

7.  Top the buttermilk panna cotta with strawberries or any other fruits that is seasonal.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Yay, finally baking again!  I've recently purchased this book:  Extraordinary Cakes: Recipes for Bold and Sophisticated Desserts by:  Karen Krasne and very much enjoy visiting her bakery in San Diego called:  Extraoridinary Desserts.  The cakes are amazing and decorated in edible organic flowers.  Pick up her book if you don't have the chance to visit her bakery, her book is categorized by seasons; amazing job.

When I came across boxes of strawberries, I was excited to use them on the Strawberry Cupcakes recipe (the second recipe from the book).  It was YUMMY!!!!

Strawberry Balsamic Ice-Cream

I went to Beachy cream from the new Santa Monica Marketplace over the weekend.  It was my second time going there and thought I give their Strawberry Balsamic w/ sugar cookie Ice-cream a try.  Their balsamic flavor is mild, in fact, I can barely taste it.  If you ever go there, try their Key lime w/ Coconut Oatmeal Ice-cream Sandwich.  I think that's my favorite for now.

I'm hoping to perfect this ice-cream recipe below.  My family and David seems to love it, but I would like it to be more creamy.  Perhaps using the second half of the milk with heavy cream instead?  Have fun with this recipe!

Strawberry Balsamic Ice-Cream
Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:
3 - Egg Yolks
70g - Granulated Sugar
200g - Whole Milk

250g - Strawberry Puree
30g - Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp - Lemon Juice

200g - Whole Milk
1Tbsp - Balsamic Vinegar

Procedure:

1.  Whisk Egg Yolk and sugar until sugar is dissolved light and pale yellow.

2.  Heat the 200g whole milk and pour into the egg yolk mix, continue to whisk until combined.  Let cool 30 minutes to 1 hour in the fridge.

3.  Puree Strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.  Put 50g of strawberry puree in fridge (set aside).

4.  Pour the remaining strawberry purees, 200g milk, and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar into the egg yolk mixture.

5.  Follow your ice-cream maker instruction after this procedure.  Then pour the remaining 50g strawberry puree 1 minute before your ice-cream instruction.

6.  Freeze until desired consistency and enjoy!

Minature Pavlova

Minature Pavlova

Ingredients
4 Large - Egg Whites, @ room temperature
1/4 Cup - Sugar
1/4 Cup - Sugar
1 1/2 tsp - Cornstarch
1 oz. Pistachio Nut, ground
1 oz. Pistachio Nut, chopped for garnish
Assorted fresh fruits for topping


Procedure
1.  Beat egg whites until soft peak forms.  Add the first 1/4 sugar and mix until medium peaks form.
2.  Combine the 1/4 sugar with cornstarch and sift into egg white mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.  It should look shiny.
3.  Fold in 1 oz. ground pistachio nut.
4.  Pipe 2" diameter circles and baked at 300F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 275F and continue to bake additional 30 minutes, let pavlova stay in the oven for additional 30 minutes inside.  Then open oven door and allow pavlova to air dry for another 30 minutes.
5.  Top miniature pavlova with desired fruits and whipping cream(optional) and garnish with chopped pistachio nuts.