Lemon Bars

CRUST:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 tablespoons Earth Balance shortening or buttery-flavored spread
1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) dark brown sugar, packed

FILLING:
3 eggs
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
4 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
Powdered sugar, to sprinkle over the top

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine rice flour,
cornstarch and xanthan gum; mix well. Cream the shortening with an electric mixer. Add the sugar as you continue beating. Turn mixer to low speed, and slowly add the flour mixture. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 8x8 inch square pan (preferably non-stick). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs until blended. Add all the filling ingredients (except the powdered sugar), and mix well. Pour over the shortbread crust, and return to the oven (still at 350 degrees). Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until the filling is set; (do not over bake; check before end time). Remove from oven and sift powdered sugar liberally over the top. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares. Store in a cool place, or in the refrigerator.

Buckwheat-Coconut Cookies (or mock oatmeal cookies)

1 cup brown rice flour
6 tablespoons quinoa flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance shortening
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup raw demerarra sugar
¼ cup maple sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buckwheat flakes
1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Combine the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the shortening. Add the vanilla, demerarra and maple sugars, and mix well. Beat in the eggs. On low speed, add the flour mixture, and mix until combined. Stir in the buckwheat and coconut. Line cookie sheets with non-stick aluminum foil, and drop by teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheets; flatten slightly. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven approximately 15 minutes. They should be a mild golden-brown color, crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside; don´t overbake. (Makes about 50 cookies.)

Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich Cookies

COOKIE:

2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
2/3 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
½ cup unsweetened, high-quality cocoa powder (be sure it´s gluten free)
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance Buttery spread (dairy free)
½ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FILLING:
Approximately 1 cup raspberry preserves, or as needed

COATING:
12 ounces high quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (I recommend Scharffenberger)

Combine the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, cocoa powder and baking soda in a medium sized bowl; stir to mix, and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the buttery spread, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture; blend well. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until easier to handle.
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees, and lightly oil cookie sheets, or line with non-stick foil. Soften dough about 10 minutes, if necessary. Roll the dough between wax paper, slightly more than 1/8 inch thick. Use a 1 ½ or 2 inch cookie cutter (round) to cut the dough. Roll up the scraps, roll out the dough again and cut until all the dough has been used up. Bake about 10-12 minutes, or until just barely firm to the touch.

When the cookies are cool, turn them over and spread with raspberry preserves, joining 2 cookies together like a sandwich; (be sure the raspberry preserves is at room temperature, and give it a good stir, so it spreads easily). Melt the chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Pour the chocolate into a deep bowl. Take each sandwich cookie, and dip one half of the cookie into the chocolate, using the spatula to help, if needed; let the excess chocolate drip off. (Dip only ½ of each cookie into the chocolate, leaving the other half free). Lay the cookies on wax paper to cool and harden. (Makes approximately 36 cookies)

Fudgy Scharfrenberger Brownies

(modified from the Scharffenberger Website)

1/8 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1/8 cup tapioca flour
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
4 squares (8 ounces) Scharffenberger 70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces
6 tablespoons Earth Balance shortening
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup walnuts, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Oil an 8x8 inch square pan. In a small bowl, combine the chickpea flour, the tapioca flour and the xanthan gum, and mix well. In a medium sized saucepan, heat the chocolate and the shortening over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in the salt, vanilla and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each one. Then add the flour mixture and stir briskly for about 1 minute, or until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth and shiny and pulls away from the edges of the pan; (this may take a little longer than 1 minute. It´s very important that the mixture thickens and becomes shiny, otherwise the brownies may fall apart too easily). Stir in the nuts. Pour mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. (Brownies will be very bubbly when first done; this is okay, they will firm up as they cool). When firm, cut into squares with a metal spatula. (In my opinion, these taste best the second day. They also freeze well; just remove from freezer and thaw a few hours before serving).

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

1 cup rice flour (brown or white)
½ cup quinoa flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup pure, unsweetened coconut milk
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 eggs
6 tablespoons safflower or canola oil
1 cup pure, demerarra sugar
Juice and grated lemon zest of 1 large lemon

Combine the flours, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder and soda in a small bowl; mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the poppy seeds and coconut milk; let sit 15 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg and oil together; slowly add sugar, then the lemon juice and zest. In two additions, stir in the reserved dry ingredients and coconut milk-poppy seed mixture, alternating after each one. Pour batter into an oiled, deep dish 9 inch round cake pan. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; (cover with foil if cake browns too quickly). Let cool slightly. Sift a thin coating of powdered sugar over the top, and cut into wedges to serve. (1 9-in. cake)

Maple Apple Tart

PASTRY:

¾ cup brown rice flour
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon soy flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons pure maple sugar
7 tablespoons (very cold) Earth Balance Buttery spread (dairy free) or Earth Balance shortening, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold water (more or less, as needed)


GLAZE:
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 teaspoons water

FILLING:

Approximately 4 medium sized Granny Smith apples (or 5 smaller apples)
4 tablespoons pure maple sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Earth Balance shortening

In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients for the pastry and mix well. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture (or mix with 2 forks), until it looks like coarse meal. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the water, letting it trickle along the edges of the bowl (not in the center). Start to press the mixture together, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough clings together into a ball. With a roller, roll the dough on waxed paper into a circle, to fit a 9 inch (ungreased) tart pan; (if dough is sticky, dust lightly with cornstarch or tapioca flour). Press the dough to coat the bottom and sides of the pan, and prick all over with the tines of a fork. Bake in the lower third of a pre-heated 375 degree oven about 15 minutes, or until golden brown (cover loosely with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly). Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Combine the apricot preserves and the 2 teaspoons water in a small saucepan and cook on high heat about 1-2 minutes, until the mixture melts together and thins slightly. With a pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of the crust to coat; reserve the remaining apricot preserves to coat the top of the tart later.

In a small bowl, combine the maple sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon, and mix well. Set aside. Pour the lemon in a large bowl. Peel the apples; then quarter 1 apple, core it, and cut the quarters into thin slices (about ¼ inch). Place the slices immediately into the bowl with the lemon juice, and toss to coat. Repeat with remaining apples (this prevents browning). Pour the sugar-cornstarch mixture over the apples, and coat well. Lay the apples in the baked tart shell, starting along the outside edge, forming a pinwheel pattern all the way around. Then lay the next layer closer to the center, overlapping the first layer slightly. There will be a small space in the center; fill with some pieces of cut apple, making a rosebud design. With a rubber spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl and pour the juices over the apples in the tart. Dot the top of the tart with 1 tablespoon shortening. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven approximately 50-55 minutes, or until the apple is cooked all the way and the filling is set and slightly bubbly. Re-heat the apricot preserves over the stove, and glaze the top of the tart liberally with a pastry brush. Remove tart from pan and cut into wedges to serve. Makes 1 9-in. tart

Surprise Meringue Cookies

2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sugar (white)
1 cup semi-sweet (gluten and dairy free) chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate chunks
¼ cup chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with non-stick foil. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, while still beating. Whip until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks when the beaters are removed. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets (keep them relatively small). Bake approximately 25 minutes, or until firm and slightly browned. Cool a few minutes before removing from cookie sheets and transferring to wire racks. (Approximately 24 cookies)

Vanilla Cupcakes with Maple Glaze

½ cup (8 tablespoons) Earth Balance shortening
¾ cup powdered sugar (sift before measuring)
6 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cornstarch (sift before measuring)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Maple Glaze (recipe follows)

In a medium-large bowl, cream the shortening with the sugar. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until well combined, then add to the sugar-shortening mixture; beat until light and well-blended, along with the vanilla. Sift the cornstarch with the baking powder 3 times. Add to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until blended. Fill muffin cups or greased muffin tins ½ full. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven 15 minutes, or until lightly browned, and cupcakes spring back when touched. Spread the tops with maple glaze. (Makes about 15 small cupcakes).

MAPLE GLAZE
3 tablespoons Earth Balance shortening
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
¾ cup powdered sugar (sift before measuring)

Melt shortening over low heat; add maple syrup and stir. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar, and mix thoroughly. Let cool (mixture will thicken slightly as it cools). Whisk mixture until light. Spread a thin coating over the top of each cupcake.
(TIP: the taste of these cupcakes is reminiscent of Ladyfingers. You can also omit the maple glaze and just dust each cupcake with a little sifted powdered sugar).