Baked French Toast

Ingredients

• 6-8 cups bread, cubed

• 7 large eggs

• 2 cups milk (I used lightly sweetened vanilla almond milk)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 c sugar

• Fruit for topping (I've used frozen blueberries [thawed] and bananas + walnuts. Apples, strawberries, and peaches would also work)

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 2 Tbsp sugar

• Spice(s) of choice (e.g., 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, sprinkle of ginger)

Steps

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a 13 x 9 pan
2.  Add bread cubes to pan. The bottom should be covered and at least 1 inch deep
3.  Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour over bread in the pan--all cubes should be touching the liquid if not covered. Let soak while preparing the fruit topping
4.  Prepare the fruit topping: chop/slice/defrost fruit and/or nuts. Place in shallow pan over medium heat with butter, sugar, and spice(s). Saute until soft and slightly caramelized.
5.  Give the bread cubes + egg mixture a quick stir, then top with fruit/nut topping
6.  Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. French toast is done when the top is golden and the center is set (check for liquid using a knife or toothpick).

Brazilian Cheese Bread

http://www.oliviascuisine.com/authentic-brazilian-cheese-bread/

Saving this recipe for posterity.

AUTHENTIC BRAZILIAN CHEESE BREAD (PÃO DE QUEIJO)

PREP TIME

10 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

Author: Olivia's Cuisine

Cuisine: Brazilian

Serves: 30 cheese rolls

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups tapioca flour
• 1¼ cups milk
• ½ cup water
• 6 tablespoons oil
• 1½ cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees with a rack in the middle.
2. Combine the milk, water, oil and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
3. Add the tapioca flour to the bowl of a stand mixer and, once the milk mixture boils, pour it over the flour. Turn the mixer on and mix it well. The texture will be fondant-like, really white and sticky.
4. With the mixer still on, add the eggs, one at a time. You will think they won't mix, since the tapioca flour mixture is so sticky, but hang in there cause they will.
5. Once the eggs are incorporated, add the cheese, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
6. The dough is supposed to be soft and sticky. However, if you're worried it's too liquidy, add some more tapioca flour. Just don't over do it or your cheese bread will be tough and not too gooey.
7. Use the small (cookie-sized) scoop to place balls of dough on silpat/parchment paper. Dip the scoop in water between balls to reduce sticking.
8. Place the balls on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bring it to the preheat oven.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden and puffed.
10. Serve them warm! :)

NOTES

To freeze them, shape the balls, place them on the baking sheet and bring to the freezer. Once they are frozen, transfer to a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer up to 3 months.
Once you're ready to use them, preheat the oven to 400 as usual and bake the frozen balls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and puffy!

The stand mixer can hold 1.5 recipes worth of dough, with only a little bit of flour spillage

Peanut butter cookies

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
280 g flour mixture
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Cream butters and sugars, then beat in eggs and vanilla.

2. Sift dry ingredients together, then add to butter mixture. Stir in chopped nuts if desired.

3. Cover and cool in the fridge for at least an hour, can be left overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F.

5. Roll cookie dough into balls (about 1" diameter) then press flat using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Cookies do not spread much.

6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the bottoms just start to brown.

Chocolate cake with berry buttercream frosting

CAKE
butter and flour or parchment paper to prep pans

210 g flour blend
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups sugar (350 g)
100 g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar + 10 min to curdle)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coffee (freshly brewed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and line 2, 9 inch pans with parchment paper or flour.

2. Sift dry ingredients together in a stand mixer.

3. Mix wet ingredients (except coffee) together in a separate bowl.

4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Once incorporated, add the coffee while stirring on low until everything is just combined.

5. Pour the batter into the two pans, about 650 g per pan.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes (do not open oven early), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Let cool in the pans for 30 min, then remove and cool completely before frosting.


FROSTING
1 cup berries (frozen is ok)
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
~3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Put berries and 1 tbsp sugar in a pan over low heat and cook until the berries have broken down. Simmer until you have about 1/3 cup of liquid, then remove from heat and cool to room temp. You can strain out the seeds if desired but will need to start with more liquid.

Cream the butter until soft, add the berry juice, vanilla, and 1 cup powdered sugar and mix very well. Add the remaining sugar and beat for 5- 10 min, adding water a little at a time if frosting is too stiff.

This recipe makes enough to frost a 2-layer, 9-inch round cake (including the filling) and has a surprisingly saturated color from the berries. It's also really tasty.

Chocolate chocolate chocolate cookies

225 g (8oz) semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
4 Tbsp (half stick) unsalted butter
120 g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
60 g flour mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
6 oz chocolate chips

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in microwave, 30 seconds at a time.
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
3. Add melted chocolate to egg mixture, being sure to not cook the eggs (let the chocolate cool, add slowly while mixing).
4. Stir dry ingredients together, add to chocolate/egg mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be more like brownie batter than typical cookie dough.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 12-14 minutes

Makes about 30 cookies, 13 g carbs/cookie.

These are awesome (and adapted from Martha Stewart's Outrageous Chocolate Cookie recipe).

Sugar Cookies 2

These are easier than the previous recipe and come out somewhat fluffy, but still hold their shape well. The dough rolls out nicely with minimal mess as long as it is kept cool.

makes about 3 dozen

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room T
1.33 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
500 g GF flour mix (50% starch, 50% whole grain)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
powdered sugar for rolling out the dough

Cream the butter, add the sugar, mix until fluffy
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between
Add the vanilla and mix well
In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix until incorporated.
Add the lemon zest (if desired).
Add more flour 25 g at a time if dough appears too sticky. It should be stiff.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, up to overnight (or freeze for later).

Roll out the dough: cover your surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll out to 1/4" thick. If the dough sticks to the counter, loosen it with a spatula before cutting out the cookies. Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters, place on parchment paper or a silpat on a pan. The cookies do not spread. Decorate, if desired.
Bake cookies at 375 for 6 minutes. They should be golden brown on the bottom, but otherwise not browned.

Vanilla Cake

Recipe makes about 12 cupcakes or one 8 or 9" round layer. Double the recipe to make an 11x13" cake.

1 stick butter, room temperature
1.5 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
150 g flour mix (about 1.25 cups, 50% whole grain and 50% starch0
1.25 tsp xanthan gum
0.25 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 c buttermilk (or 0.5 c plain yogurt plus 2 Tbsp milk)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream the butter, add the sugar, then add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.
3. Stir the dry ingredients together (flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt), then add 1/3 of the mixture to the butter/sugar. Mix well.
4. Add half the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix well. Add 1/2 the remaining flour, mix. Add the remaining buttermilk or yogurt and milk, mix. Add remaining flour, mix.
5. Prepare the pan, either with cupcake papers or oil and flour. Pour/scoop the batter into the pan, it will be very thick.
6. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes (cupcakes) or 30-35 min for 8 or 9" round.