The Reluctant Chef

April 27th, 2010

British Pudding

The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of The Lilac Kitchen. She challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.

I was reminded again tonight while I hastily put together my daring baker’s challenge the night before it was due that I should not, I repeat should not rush through a recipe when I am cooking or baking.

Typically my mistakes revolve around either not reading the directions and just putting stuff together, changing a protein in the recipe but not the stock or my newest one using seasoned bread crumbs instead of plain in what is suppose to be a sweet dish.

You can imagine my frustration as I am pouring the bread crumbs into the mixure and I realize that they are in fact seasoned not plain and now my dessert is going to taste funny. So I did what any normal person would do when they realize they messed up the recipe and don’t have time to start over, you just start adding random things hoping it will turn out.

The following things were added in an attempt to mask the almost italian flavour I was left with: vanilla extract, almond extract and honey. The addition of these things resulted in an almost strange combination of italian and sweet, but not necessarily in a good way. I also added coconut and white chocolate chips which were the original plan prior to the breadcrumb fiasco.

While they were steaming, since apparently a proper british pudding is steamed for 2-3 hours, I made some chocolate sauce since really anything with chocolate sauce can’t be that bad. I just have to say they looked much better than they taste.

I look forward to trying this recipe again but with the correct breadcrumbs because I can see how this dish would be really good.

British Pudding

4 ounces flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/5 teaspoons baking powder

4 ounces breadcrumbs (not seasoned)

3 ounces sugar

3 ounces crisco

1 large egg

6-8 tablespoons milk

white chocolate chips

coconut

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into bowl. Add breadcrumbs, sugar and crisco. Mix to a soft batter with beaten egg and milk. Spoon into a buttered dish or ramekins and cover securely with foil. Steam steadily for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn onto a plate and drizzle with a sauce.

Tags: Daring Bakers, Pudding | Posted in Baking, Daring Bakers |

Daring Cooks April Challenge

April 14th, 2010

Brunswick Stew

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

I have always been a bit fan of any sort of thick and chunky soup or stew so when I saw this was our challenge I was very excited to make a version I had never tried.

There were two recipes that we could choose from but I liked things about both of them so I decided to do a bit of a combination. The recipes called for rabbit and since I have no idea where I would even get rabbit I decided to substitute with something I knew I could get my hands on, beef. One of the recipes called for making your own stock and since I made stock for a previous challenge I didn’t really want to try and make stock again so I went with store bought stock.

Speaking of the stock, I have a bit of a problem when it comes to changing the protein in a dish but forgetting to change the stock to go along with it. So since the recipe called for chicken stock it wasn’t until I put it in that I realized I was cooking with beef and therefore I should have used beef stock. Thankfully all of the spices masked the chicken taste and it turned out pretty good.

Overall I can’t say it was one of my favourite stews and that could be in part to the whole stock issue, but it was still good. I think if I was to do it again I would try adding some new and exciting vegetables instead of the traditional ones found in a stew such as carrots, potatoes, onions, celery.

Brunswick Stew

1/4 lb bacon, rough diced
2 Serrano stems trimmed, sliced, seeded, flattened
1 lb stew meat
1 Tablespoon sea salt for seasoning, plus extra to taste
4 cups Beef Broth
2 Bay leaves
2 large celery stalks
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes peeled, rough diced
3/4 cups carrots chopped
1 1/2 cups onion chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 14 ounce can mixed beans
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemons
Tabasco sauce to taste

Fry bacon until crispy. Add all other ingredients and cook until vegetables are tender.

Tags: Beef, Daring Cooks, Stew | Posted in Beef, Daring Cooks |

Sloppy Joes

March 21st, 2010

Growing up I loved when we had sloppy joes. The tang of the sauce and how it made such a mess everywhere is forever a memory of my childhood. My love of sloppy joes has continued into my adult years. Although I don’t have them very often whenever I do I feel like a little kid again.

My mom never had them made from scratch it was always made with the packet of manwich seasonings. My grandma use to make it with the can and give it to us open face which always felt like I was getting two sloppy joes in one. I always preferred the seasoning because there was just something about it that made it what a sloppy joe was suppose to taste like.

I got the sad news quite a few years ago from my older sister, who equally loved them, that they were no longer selling the packet of manwich sloppy joe seasonings. It was a very sad day because I knew at that point I was going to have to try all the sloppy joe recipes that I came across in hopes of finding something that came even close.

Last night I made a recipe that I came across on tastespotting and was pleasantly surprised at the end result. Although it was not like the manwich I loved it was actually very good. I loved the addition of the carrots and celery because it made me feel like I was eating something just a little bit healthier.

I did make a couple changes in search of getting that tang that I always loved by increasing the vinegar and worcestershire sauce. The end result was a yummy dinner that brought back great childhood memories. I would make this recipe again and continue to tweek the recipe in search of the elusive tang I remember.

Sloppy joe mix is also really good in a bowl with melted cheese and eaten with tortilla chips, always a great way to eat up the left overs when you are out of buns.

Sloppy Joes

Adapted from Whitney in Chicago

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large carrot, finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

1 medium onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

4 rolls split and toasted

In a pan, heat oil over medium heat and the add carrots, celery, and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for additional minute or so.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Serve on rolls.

Tags: Sloppy Joes | Posted in Ground Beef |

Thai Squash and Kale Soup

March 20th, 2010

I am a huge fan of all things thai so when I came across this soup I was instantly intrigued. I loved the combination of coconut milk, curry paste and butternut squash.

There were a few changes and substitutions I made but overall kept with the theme of the soup. I am not a huge fan of cooked spinach so I decided so substitute my favourite green leafy vegetable, kale. I also left out the chicken since we had already had so many chicken dishes this week. Finally, I used fresh butternut squash instead of puree.

The end result was a sweet thick soup that went well with crusty bread. If you don’t wan’t it as sweet I would cut down on the amount of brown sugar you use because the coconut milk is already a little sweet.

The best part is that I had it for lunch a couple days later and it was still just a good. The kale really stood up well being in the soup for a few days and kept a bit of it’s crunch.

Thai Squash and Kale Soup

Adapted from This Week for Dinner

2 cups chunked fresh butternut squash

14 ounce can coconut milk

1/2 cup water

2 cups chopped kale

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon thai red curry paste (depending on level of spiciness)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Put all the ingredient in a pot besides kale and cook until squash is tender. Use immersion blender to puree the squash until soup is smooth. Add chopped kale and cook for 5 minutes until slightly tender.

Tags: Butternut Squash, Coconut Milk, Kale, Soup, Thai | Posted in Soup, Thai |

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

March 14th, 2010

As a kid Broccoli Cheddar soup was always the one I picked if for some reason my mom was buying us canned soup, which wasn’t very often. I just loved the cheesy thick soup with the chunks of broccoli.

Broccoli is definitely a vegetable that I have loved for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I was ever one of those kids that hated all things green. I was the kid that loved brussel sprouts, broccoli and peas and to this day I am a huge fan vegetables.

This soup is similar to other recipes that I have made recently where I thought to myself that making it homemade is so much better than the store bought version. When a dish is this easy it just doesn’t make sense to buy the can of soup, plus it just tastes that much fresher.

So here is my take on a childhood favourite that was better than I ever remembered it to be.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

Adapted from the Urban Spork

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 medium chopped onion

1/4 cup melted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 pound fresh broccoli

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Saute the onion in the butter and set aside. Cook the melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes – stir constantly and then add the milk or heavy cream. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and onions to the soup and cook over low heat for an additional 20-25 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cheese and nutmeg.

Tags: Broccoli, Cheddar Cheese, Soup | Posted in Soup |

Daring Cooks March Challenge

March 14th, 2010

Caramelized Onion and Lemon Risotto

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

For my first Daring Cook’s challenge I was pleasantly surprised to see risotto. Risotto is something that I have tried on a few occasions in the past and found it to be quite easy. I had resisted making it for a long time because of the countless cooking shows where they talked about risotto in a way that it took a world class chef to be able to prepare.

The best thing I find about risotto is that you can use a basic risotto and spice it up with any ingredients you want. I have a recipe that I have made on many occasions that is seriously one of the best dishes I have ever made, Italian Sausage and Kale Risotto. Since I know the flavours are amazing in this dish I decided to use that as the inspiration, secret is that the lemon zest is my favourite part.

So for this months challenge I decided on Caramelized Onion and Lemon Risotto, and boy was I excited for this dish. You may be thinking right now that none of this sounds like much of a challenge so I guess I will take this opportunity to mention the part of the challenge that was just that a challenge for me.

Homemade stock

Reading the instructions it doesn’t seem like a particularly difficult task except for the fact that I do not like meat off a bone. I can admit that I was a bit spoiled when I was little and I really only remember eating boneless skinless chicken breasts. Until this challenge I had never purchased a whole chicken and just the thought of working with it didn’t make me very excited.

Okay enough complaining, it was time to get going on my first ever experience making homemade stock. After rinsing the chicken and placing it in the pan I realized that I definitely didn’t have a pot large enough for the instructions that said both a chicken and chicken bones, so I improvised with just the chicken. After adding all the vegetables and spices I turned it on and let it cook for the next few hours.

As the chicken was cooking the apartment started smelling so good with the cinnamon, bay leaf and all spice; maybe this whole homemade stock wasn’t going to be so bad after all. When the chicken was all cooked I pulled it out and took the chicken off of the bone and set aside for other recipes this week. Then I put the bones back in the stock to keep cooking for another hour.

When it had cooked for what seemed like an entire day I turn it off and strained the broth to later be used in my risotto. All in all it was a very successful first attempt at homemade chicken stock. Something that I might just try again in the future, although I have to say that the stuff I buy at costco is much easier. None the less it was a great first challenge for Daring Cooks.

Chicken Stock

1 large chicken

2 onions, roughly diced

1 medium leek – white part only

2 stalks celery

2 cloves garlic, halved

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon whole peppercorn

2 bay leaves

peel of half a lemon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Wash the chicken and place in a pot, cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Skim away any scum that comes to the top.

Add the vegetables and bring back to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer very gently uncovered for an hour and a half.

Carefully lift out the chicken, set aside (or in my case take the chicken off the bones and add the bones back to the stock). Simmer the stock for another hour. Ladle the liquid into a fine sieve, the less it is disturbed the clearer it will be. Freeze what you don’t need for future use.

Caramelized Onion and Lemon Risotto

4 cups homemade chicken stock

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup Arborio rice

1/3 cup red wine

1 lemon zested

fresh grated Romano cheese

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and sugar to the pan, saute until onions are golden. Place onions in a bowl and set aside.

Add Arborio rice to a pan and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in red wine, allow to cook until the liquid had nearly absorbed, making sure to stir constantly. Once liquid is almost absorbed stir in 1 cup of broth cooking that until nearly absorbed. Continue by adding 1/2 a cup of broth at a time allowing it to nearly absorb before adding the next portion of broth. Making sure through out this process to stir constantly.

Once the rice has absorbed all of the liquid remove from the heat, stir in onions, cheese and lemon zest.

Serve with your favourite protein and vegetables.

Tags: Caramelized Onion, Chicken, Homemade Stock, Lemon, Risotto | Posted in Chicken, Daring Cooks |

Daring Bakers February Challenge

February 27th, 2010

Valencia Mocha Tiramisu

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Just days before this challenge was posted I was telling a friend that I had never had tiramisu. I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t enjoy the soggy biscuits or the strong coffee flavour. Even with these doubts I was excited to try my hand at making it.

My Valencia Mocha Tiramisu is inspired by my husband who I think is one of the few people who ever got a valencia mocha at Starbucks. He loves the flavour combination of chocolate and orange but I am not a huge fan of chocolate and orange. Because I love him (and I need him to help me eat it) I decided to go with chocolate and orange.

The first element of this challenge was making our own mascarpone choose. I was happy that I had made cheese before so that it wasn’t a completely new task, although mascarpone is different than the paneer that I made before. After a bit of struggle getting the milk to heat up I finally decided it was close enough and added the lemon juice to have it start thickening up. After straining in the fridge overnight I was left with my first batch of home made mascarpone cheese.

While the mascarpone was in the fridge straining I made the zabaglione. Zabaglione is something I have heard is easy to make but have never actually given it a try. I decided to make the zabaglione citrus flavour by adding fresh squeezed orange juice instead of the wine or coffee.

For the mocha part of my Valencia Mocha Tiramisu I made chocolate pastry cream. By adding some cocoa powder and chopped semi sweet chocolate it gave the pastry cream a nice rich flavour.

While all of the elements that needed to be cooled were in the fridge I went to making the savoiardi biscuits. Having only worked with whipped egg whites on a few occasions I was a bit nervous about folding in flour for fear of over mixing. The end result were pretty tasting an overall relatively easy. If I was to make a tiramisu again I would probably make my own biscuits again.

I was a bit worried with the chocolate pastry cream when it was all chilled, because it was very rich but when it was mixed with the zabaglione and the whipping cream it toned down the flavour quite a bit and you were left with a wonderful orange chocolate flavour.

I was pretty happy with this months challenge. I actually completed the challenge at the beginning of the month but didn’t end up actually blogging about it today, hence the very last blog post in the day. I look forward to trying different combinations of flavours for future tiramisu in the future.

Mascarpone Cheese

2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.

It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl.

Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

Zabaglione

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.

In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the orange juice, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.

Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Pastry Cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

3/4 cup whole milk

Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.

Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.)

Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Whipping Cream

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.

Assembling your Tiramisu

Have ready a rectangular serving dish (about 8″ by 8″ should do) or one of your choice.
Mix together the warm espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.

Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.

Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer or decorate as you please. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Tags: chocolate, Daring Bakers, Orange, Tiramisu | Posted in Baking, Daring Bakers |

Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta

February 10th, 2010

Every month the newest issue of Cooking Light comes out I get very excited. As I have mentioned before my issue gets delivered to my mom’s house in the states so I can only get it when I go down for a visit. I have a ritual when I comes to reading this magazine which entails flipping through the magazine quickly glancing at all the recipes and articles. The second time through the magazine I look at all of the recipes and starting thinking about the ones I want to make. My third pass through the magazine involves reading all of the articles that I previously skipped over.

My favourite part about this magazine is that after I have made my three passes through the magazine and decided the ones I am going to make the upcoming week I put it on the shelf with the rest of them and wait for the day I come back to it for inspiration. Some weeks I don’t make anything from Cooking Light and other weeks I am a crazy person and make 2 or 3 recipes.

The recipe I was inspired by this time was for Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta from the October 09 issues. I am always looking for recipes that have protein besides chicken and beef. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest and than moving to the West Coast of Canada I have always lived near the sea and therefore have grown to love seafood. This dish caught my attention because of it’s simplicity, I could just tell it was going to be a wonderful dish.

This dish will not disappoint you and I really recommend trying it out. I look forward to taking this dish and added a bit of myself to it.

Shrimp and Pine Nut Pasta

Courtesy of Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti

12 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 cup skim milk, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook 7 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain; keep warm.

While pasta cooks, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts to pan; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Place pan over medium heat; gradually stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Stir in mustard and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add drained pasta mixture, cheese, and chopped basil, tossing gently to combine. Sprinkle with nuts and torn basil.

Tags: Pasta, Pine Nuts, Shrimp | Posted in Pasta, Seafood |

Missing Blogger

February 10th, 2010

Many of you might have noticed that I have been missing lately. I have been simply posting blogs for my Daring Baker’s but not really taking the time to post anything else. I am having one of those times where I am just not inspired to blog. I am not sure if it is that I have other things going on that take my attention or whether I was just tired of it all for a bit.

I am happy to say that I am back at it and looking forward to updating everyone on the happenings in my kitchen over the last few months. I have been improving my picture taking skills with each new picture taken and trying new and different things in the kitchen.

I hope you all forgive me for being absent and continue to follow the adventures of The Reluctant Chef.

Posted in Uncategorized |

Daring Bakers January Challenge

January 27th, 2010

Nanaimo Bars

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca

As a resident of British Columbia Canada I was excited to see a dessert that is not only a Canadian favourite but also a very BC oriented dessert. Nanaimo bars are not something that I had heard of prior to moving to Canada, and even the first time I tried them I wasn’t all that impressed.

Not only was I new to nanaimo bars but also to gluten free baking, something that was a great element to this months challenge. Lauren did a great job of finding a recipe that would challenge many of us to try a form of baking we hadn’t tried before.

Making our own graham crackers but gluten free was my favourite part of this months challenge. I was happy to find all of the flours needed and was pleasantly surprised to find that the graham crackers were sooo yummy. Gluten free baking tastes just as great, if not better, than regular baking. After making the graham crackers I found myself sneaking bites because they were seriously that good.

Who knew?!?

As I was putting together the custard middle layer I thought I would try and make it even more ‘Canadian’ by making the middle layer a maple custard. Something I have learned since moving to Canada is that people here are serious about their maple syrup. And rightly so, it is really rather good.

This was truly a challenge this month as half way through the custard layer I realized that I was out of powdered sugar. After a bit of researching on the internet I found that I could simply put regular sugar in my cuisinart and pulse it until it became powder. How exciting! If I was do make my own powdered sugar again I would make sure to pulse it longer as my sugar was still a bit granular.

A big thank you to Lauren for creating such a great challenge I really felt like my baking was challenged this month. For the first month since starting Daring Baker’s I made them within the first week of the challenged being posted. I was just so excited to try something new and exciting.

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

1 cup Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)

3/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour

1/2 cup Sorghum Flour

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed

1 teaspoon Baking soda

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

7 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)

1/3 cup Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.

5 tablespoons Whole Milk

2 tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars

Bottom Layer

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

5 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

1 Large Egg, Beaten

1 1/4 cups Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)

1/2 cup Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)

1 cup Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Middle Layer

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons Heavy Cream

2 tablespoons Vanilla Custard Powder

2 cups Icing Sugar

Top Layer

4 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.

For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.

For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Tags: Daring Bakers, Gluten Free, Graham Crackers, Nanaimo | Posted in Baking, Daring Bakers |