I have a few friends who can’t have wheat or gluten. I made sure I baked some goodies that they would be able to eat over the holidays. Here are two of my favorites.
Flourless Espresso Choco Gems
This is a new one for me, from the December 2011 issue of Prevention magazine. I didn’t get around to the confectioner’s sugar, and they were delicious without!
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp espresso powder
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs confectioners sugar
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees and coat 2 12-cup mini muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. Combine chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler, stir until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the sugar, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Sift cocoa powder over top and whisk until smooth.
3. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cakes have risen, 8-12 minutes. Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove gems from tins and cool on rack. Dust with confectioners sugar.
Servings: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories 99.22
Calories From Fat (57%) 56.59
Total Fat 6.36g
Saturated Fat 3.83g
Cholesterol 36.61mg
Sodium 9.68mg
Potassium 37.46mg
Total Carbohydrates 9.77g
Fiber 0.59g
Sugar 7.87g
Protein 1.65g
Flourless Poppy Seed Cake
I found this on the Chocolate and Zucchini blog a few years ago and have made it several times, to great acclaim each time.
For the cake:
60 g (1/4 cup) butter, softened
60 g (1/4 cup) whole almond butter (or other smooth nut butter)
125 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) light brown raw cane sugar
the zest of an organic orange, finely grated
4 eggs, separated
100 g (1 cup) ground almonds (a.k.a. almond meal)
160 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) poppy seeds
a good pinch of salt
5 g (1 teaspoon) baking powder*
For the orange glaze:
30 g (1/4 cup) confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1. Preheat the oven to (350° F) and grease a (8-inch in diameter and 2-inch-deep) round cake pan. (Alternatively, you can bake the batter in paper-lined muffin molds; the recipe will yield 12 regular muffins.)
2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter, almond butter, 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar, and the orange zest. Cream together for 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and mix until fluffy.
3. Combine the ground almonds and poppy seeds in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. In a clean, grease-free bowl, combine the egg whites with the salt and baking powder. Using an electric whisk, beat until the egg whites are fluffy. Add the remaining 25 grams (2 tablespoons) of sugar, and keep beating until the egg whites form a smooth and glossy mass.
5. Working with a light hand, add one third of the egg whites to the first mixture. Fold in half of the poppy seed mixture. Add another third of the egg whites, folding it in gently with a spatula. Fold in the remaining poppy seed mixture, and add the last of the egg whites, working very gently to keep as much air as possible in the egg whites, until the egg whites are completely incorporated. Don’t worry if the mixture is a little lumpy.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes (20 minutes for muffins), until puffy and lightly brown. Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside to set for another 10 minutes.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack, let cool for 10 more minutes. Run a knife around the cake to loosen, unmold, and let cool completely before glazing, if possible.
8. Put the confectioner’s sugar in a small bowl, pour in a teaspoon of orange juice, and whisk it in with a fork to form a smooth paste. Whisk in a little more orange juice, drop by drop, until the mixture is thin enough to be easily spreadable, but not yet runny. Pour the glaze on the cake and let it set somewhere cool.
Servings: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 209.45
Calories From Fat (75%)
Total Fat 18.45g
Saturated Fat 4.2g
Cholesterol 81.25mg
Sodium 95.18mg
Potassium 178.49mg
Total Carbohydrates 6.36g
Fiber 2.87g
Sugar 2.67g
Protein 7.58g
Web Page: https://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2008/12/flourless_poppy_seed_cake.php