Pumpkin Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

I tried this moist and delicious pumpkin chocolate cake that was posted at one of my favourite gluten free blogs: The Baking Beauties: Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Sheet Cake.    You can use wheat flour if you don't need a gluten free version and omit the xanthan gum.  I also omitted some applesauce she had in the recipe and used all pumpkin.  I had made a chocolate zucchini cake in the past but not one using pumpkin or squash puree and was please to find out that I like this recipe.  The icing a cream cheese and sour cream mixed.

The photo below shows a great harvest I had on summer when I grew an abundance of lemon pumpkins, baby sugar pumpkins and just plain old fashioned orange pumpkins.  Below is a shot of the pumpkins still on the vine after being hit by an October frost.

Click on this link to go to a printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
4 1/2 cups pumpkin puree - 1.25 litres - from a can or a smaller sugar/pie pumpking
1 1/2 cups sugar, cane - 375 ml - I used organic
1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil - 125 ml
4 eggs
3 cups gluten free flour mix - 750 ml - I used Bob's Red Mill
2 tsp xanthan gum - 10 ml
1 Tbsp baking soda - 15 ml
2 tsp cinnamon - 10 ml
1/2 cup cocoa powder - 125 ml - I used fair trade organic Cocoa Camino
1/2 tsp sea salt - 2.5 ml

ICING:
1 cup sour cream, 14% MF - 250 ml
8 oz cream cheese - 225 g
2 tsp vanilla - 10 ml - I used pure, fair trade
1 cup icing sugar - 250 ml

METHOD:

1. If using fresh pumpkin you will have to cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and bake in a 350'F oven until soft.  I add some water to the baking pan so it steams and bakes..

2.  Add sugar, oil and eggs to bowl of food processor and mix until well combine.  Pour into the pumpkin puree and process until smooth.  

3.  In another bowl use a whisk to combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon,, cocoa and salt.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet adding a little at a time as you stir by hand.

4.  Grease cake pan.  I used a spring form pan that is usually used for cheesecakes.  Bake at 350'F for 45-60 minutes or until cake tests done.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

5.  Frost with cream cheese sour cream icing (below).  You can top with chopped nuts like walnuts or even honey roasted pumpkin seeds.

For the icing:

1.  Beat the cream cheese and sour cream with an electric mixer. You can also use a food processor. The cream cheese should be at room temperature.
2.  Sprinkle in icing sugar, vanilla and lemon zest (optional) and beat some more until smooth and well combined.  You can add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
3.  Spread over fully cooled cake.  Your icing will run if you put it on a warm cake.

Nutrition Facts (based on 1/12th of the cake): 360 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 60 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 6 g protein. % Daily Values: 4% calcium, 10% iron, 410% vitamin A, 6% vitamin C.

A rich moist cake.

Roasted the seeds on an oiled pan until lightly browned and toasted.

I baked a sugar/pie pumpkin to get 4 1/2 cups of pureed.  Simply scooped it out.

The caked baked up nicely in a spring form pan.

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/

Rhubarb, Cranberry and Thyme Crumble with Coconut Flour Oat Topping

This rhubarb cranberry crumble was absolutely delicious. I made this lovely dessert at camp in Temagami last summer in the vintage oven I so love.  It was sweetened with local honey and fresh orange juice and I sprinkled on thyme leaves and blossoms for an interesting twist.

Click on this link for a printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Topping

2 cups (500 ml) oats, large flake
1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut flour

1/4 - 1/2 cup (60-125 ml)brown cane sugar, organic

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon ground

1/3 cup (85 ml) butter or coconut oil

4 cups (1 litre) Rhubarb, sliced

2 cups (500 ml) Cranberries, fresh or frozen

1 Tbsp (15 ml) orange zest (avoid the white pith)
Juice medium size orange - about 3/4 cup - 175 ml
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves stripped off the stems.  Include blossoms if available

1/2 - 2/3 cup (125 - 175 ml) local honey 

METHOD:

1.  Make topping by combining large flake oats, coconut flour, brown cane sugar, cinnamon and butter.  Mix with your clean hands until crumbly.

2.  Oil a deep-dish pie plate or square baking dish.  Slice rhubarb into half inch pieces and spread over bottom of baking dish.  Spread fresh or frozen cranberries evenly over rhubarb.

3.  Sprinkle with fresh orange juice, zest of orange, fresh thyme and honey.

4.  Sprinkle topping over filling.  This is easiest to do using your hands as you can crumble larger pieces and make sure it is evenly spread out.  Bake at 425 F (220 C) for 40 minutes or until top is golden.  Baking time will vary depending on the temperature of your oven.

Here it is before it went in the oven.  Oops... I forgot to take a picture. 

I think we were too anxious to eat it!

NUTRITION FACTS made with butter (195 g - 1/8th of the pan): 360 calories, 10 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 65 g carbohydrate, 8 g fibre, 40 g sugar, 5 g protein. %Daily Values are 8% vitamin A, 40% vitamin, 8% calcium and 10% iron.

Yours in good taste,

© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc

http://nancyguppy.com/

Strawberry ricotta cheesecake

Sadly, strawberry season is coming to a close in northern Ontario.  At least for the June bearing crop.  I was on the way to the corner store tonight and I picked up Ella on her way home from working at the berry patch.  She says just a few more days for Becker's Berry Patch.  I live next to a berry farm and our road gets really busy with cars as they head to the patch to pick.  This is my view from my back porch showing the avid pickers next door.

Last year I started my own patch of ever bearing strawberries.  I wanted to see if I could grow an organic crop without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  Below is my first pick a few weeks ago.  I have a whole new respect for strawberry farmers as it is more difficult than I thought it would be.  A friend told me the crop would be stronger in the third year.  At least that is what she found with her ever-bearing strawberries.

The recipe below was first posted a year ago but it is my favourite "light" baked cheesecake.  This year I tested it with gluten free ingredients and the substitutions worked fine.  Top it with any sliced fresh fruit. During the winter I have even used home-made melted jam instead of fresh fruit with good success.  Some cheesecake recipes include a layer of fresh fruit on top and then they pour over melted jam and leave it to set in the fridge.  I usually use organic low fat ricotta made by L'Ancestre in Quebec.  If you don't have organic, you can buy ricotta in 500 ml tubs in the dairy section (e.g., Tre Stelle or Silani).  You can also use the equivalent amount of light cream cheese but it will be denser - not as light.

Guppy Granola, an earlier post from April 2009, is used as the base for the cheesecake.  I use large flake oats but you can also use part, or all, quinoa flakes.  Any granola works as a good base for cheesecake!  Healthier than graham wafer crumbs and butter.  I used my own berries, local organic eggs and all other organic ingredients.

		Ingredients:
1 cup	250 ml	Guppy Granola (crock pot - see link above)
1 lb	450 g	ricotta cheese, light
4		eggs, medium
1/2 cup	125 ml	cane sugar
1/2 cup	125 ml	yogurt, plain
1/4 cup	60 ml	lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp	10 ml	lemon zest
2 Tbsp	30 ml	brown rice flour (or other)
1 tsp	5 ml	vanilla
1/2 cup	125 ml	sour cream
2 cups	500 ml	strawberries, fresh (or frozen)
1/4 cup	60 ml	cane sugar
2 Tbsp	30 ml	lemon juice, fresh squeezed

 1 Tbsp                 15 ml                  cornstarch

METHOD:
1. Oil bottom of spring form pan. Spread granola evenly over bottom.

2. In food processor combine ricotta cheese with eggs, sugar, plain yogurt, lemon juice, lemon peel, flour of your choice and vanilla. Process until smooth. Pour cheesecake batter over granola and bake in 375'F oven for 55 minutes or until centre of cake is firm to touch. Pierce centre with a sharp knife and if it comes out clean it is done.  Let cool.

3. Spread cake evenly with sour cream and refrigerate.  This is a tasty little step I learned from Bonnie Stern....really adds to the cake.

4. Make strawberry sauce by combining fresh or frozen berries with sugar, corn starch and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

5.  To serve, remove cake from spring form mold and place on large plate.  Pour over cheesecake or serve sauce on the side.  Garnish with some seasonal garden flowers.  In the top picture I used fresh flox.

Nutrition Facts (per 1/8th cheesecake with sauce):

NUTRITION FACTS (per 1/8th cheesecake):

Calories	290
Total Fat (g)	10
Saturated Fat (g)	4.5
Cholesterol (mg)	95
Carbohydrate (g)	38
Fibre (g)	3
Cholesterol (mg)	110
Sugar (g)	20
Protein (g)	12
%Daily Values
Sodium	15
Calcium	20
Iron	15
Vitamin A	6
Vitamin C	40

		2000 Calories	2500 Calories
Total Fat (g)	Less than	65 g	80 g
Saturated fat (g)	Less than	20 g	25 g
Cholesterol	Less than	300 mg	300 mg
Sodium	Less than	2400 mg Preferably 1500	2400 mg Preferably 1500
Total carbohydrate (g)		300 g	375 g
Fibre	At least	25 g	30 g

%Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Calories per gram       Fat 9    Carbohydrate 4          Protein 4

Tastefully yours,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
Chapman's Landing Cooking Studio

Our next cooking class coming up at Chapman's Landing is "Tikka and Tandoori (Indian)" on Saturday July 10th. Please see my menu and register online at http://www.chapmanslanding.com

Red Currant Sorbet

I picked a basket of red currants from a friend's tree when I was visiting in Sudbury awhile ago. She said they are so easy to grow and "all you do" is buy the bush, dig a nice hole and fertilize the earth with some good compost, plant the shrub and in a year or two you have a nice crop of red currants! I just might do that. I have two kinds of plums growing here but no other fruit trees. I am going to try the same recipe again later in the fall with high bush cranberries and wild choke cherries that are so prolific this year.

I searched the net and found a recipe for sorbet that I wanted to try. The original called for 1 1/2 cup of sugar but I reduced it to one cup and still found it a bit on the sweet side.

Makes 6 servings

6 cups red currants - 1500 ml
3/4 cup - 1 cup sugar - 175 ml to 250 ml
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup Cointreau (or orange brandy) - 60 ml


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put red currants, stalks and all, into ovenproof dish. Add sugar, orange zest and fresh squeezed orange juice. Cover with lid and bake about 45 minutes. The picture shows the currants after baking when they are soft, juicy and a bit pulpy.

2. Turn cooked fruit through a food mill. The advantage of a food mill is that it purées and sieves at the same time. I was lucky to get mine at a garage sale one year for $2. You can also use a blender but you will need to push the cooked fruit through a sieve to remove all the seeds and stalks afterwards.





You should have approximately 4 cups (a liter) of juice. The red from these currants is so intense it is almost surreal. Once the berries are juiced you can freeze the syrup and make sorbet or dessert sauces at a later date. Stir in the Cointreau before you finish sorbet.

3. Put sorbet mixture into ice cream maker to freeze. Store in an airtight container and keep in the freezer until serving. Garnish with some of the fresh berries and a sprig of mint. I would show you a picture of the finished product but it seems to have "disappeared" overnight. Teenagers are suspected.

Freezing Sorbet Without an Ice-Cream Maker:
Pour the sorbet into a metal bowl. Position in freezer and freeze until barely firm. Then either process in food processor or beat with electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to freezer container and freeze again until firm.

This sorbet has zero fat and sodium and is an good source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C.
NUTRITION FACTS (per 125 ml serving): 230 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 51 g carbohydrate, 5 g fibre. % Daily Values are 4% each vitamin A and calcium, 100% vitamin C and 6% iron.


© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc

Our next cooking class at Chapman's Landing is "Meal from Oaxaca" Southern Mexican cooking on Saturday August 29th. Please see my menu and register online at http://www.chapmanslanding.com