{and a happy dance and a tiny bit of bragging...}
i plopped the meal that was left in the napkin into a little green bowl that used to be my grandma's and set it aside. (thanks to teresa over at affectionknit.blogspot.com i knew that there would be a good use for this! and, i would have no waste!)
then i set to mixing up my blue ribbon coffee cake. ben thought i should keep my recipe secret, but, i figured this is too yummy to keep to myself and none of you are going to compete with me at the fair next year. also, there is still a shortage of easy, wonderful gluten-free recipes, so i am happy to share my favorites!
{i adapted this recipe from one i found at candacecreations.blogspot.com}
the makings of the cinnamon cake bar, otherwise known as blue ribbon coffee cake, because, well, i won a blue ribbon at the fair for this treat!
mix together
scant 1 cup rice flour (i prefer white rice flour)
scant 1 cup tapioca starch
3 TBS coconut flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 TBS baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
in another bowl, mix together
1/2 cup oil (i prefer grapeseed)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk of choice (today, i used freshly made almond milk)
mix wet and dry ingredients together, then spread in a well-greased 9x13 pan
for the topping, mix 1 cup brown sugar and 1 TBS cinnamon, then cut in 1 stick salted butter
top your cake batter with this buttery yumminess
bake at 350 F for about 25 min. - till toothpick comes out clean
while your cake is baking, you should brew some coffee. your house will smell like heaven. let your cake cool as long as you can stand to wait. be prepared to eat piece after piece. share with people you want to love you forever. because they will love you for making this for them.
while my cake was baking, and my coffee was brewing, i made the almond meal into "cream cheese". i had read that teresa added some lemon juice, some cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. i wasn't sure of measurements, so i did some googling. i first added 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp cider vinegar and 3/4 tsp salt. i mooshed this around with a fork. i taste tested. too dry and a bit bland. after adding a bit more and a bit more and a bit of water, i think i used about 3 tsp cider vinegar, 2 tsp lemon juice and stuck with the original 3/4 tsp salt. i also added about 2-3 TBS water - just until i could make a ball that held together.
it tastes quite good! tomorrow, i am going to make pumpkin bars or muffins and "cream cheese" frosting! i am SO excited about this! aside from butter and a tiny bit of parmesan or goat cheese (as in, once every month or two), i have been dairy free for a year and a half. my body thanks me, but i am quite excited to try this alternative!
so, friends, i hope you are enjoying a cozy saturday evening! i sure am. (coffee and blogging are wonderful companions, and i just might get my beads and wire out next.)
practice kindness and gratitude and be wonderful.
~e