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| Across East Main Street from Capital University |
A new gluten-free bakery opened in Central Ohio this week and I stopped in the day after the grand opening of Cherbourg Bakery to try some of their gluten-free treats. Of course, I was so excited at the prospect that I forgot my camera and so my iPhone shots will have to tempt you to Bexley to see this little gluten-free gem for yourself.
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| Gluten-Free Bakery in Bexley |
It is first an adorable, French inspired little shop and it feels so special to walk into a dedicated gluten-free bakery where every beautiful baked goodie is safe. I’ve travelled all over the country and to Europe and taken photos of cozy little gluten-free bakeries full of delectable and beautiful treats, but the thrill of finding a place in my hometown is even more special. (more…)
Rachel Albert-Matesz ,author of The Ice Dream Cookbook, contacted me last month and asked if I’d like to review her two cookbooks. Coincidentally, I had just purchased her book Garden of Eating and loaned it to a friend before I could even look at it. She kindly sent me another copy and I spent the past few weeks reading through both books. I was intrigued by the idea of coconut milk instead of dairy for her “ice dream” recipes. We have been using the Purely Decadent coconut ice cream since this spring and both teens like it. It is expensive at 6.49 for a small container. I got an ice cream maker for my birthday last summer and hadn’t gotten it out yet. It was time to attempt a recipe before the summer was over. I picked the vanilla ice dream recipe and thought I’d give the chocolate gluten-free cookie recipe and an “ice dream” sandwich a try.
I don’t know quite how to keep the ice dream firm enough to stick to the cookie and not melt before it got to the freezer. Maybe the ice cream maker had to go a little longer. So this batch wasn’t pretty, but I’m told they are wonderful by the kids. They are labor intensive, but worth it for a special occasion. I read the calorie count after I finished–472 calories each. Maybe it’s a good thing half of the filling oozed out.
Now for the mystery. The man of the house found this blob on the counter. It took him a moment to realize it was my favorite pair of olive green, leopard spotted reading glasses. Seems when I bent over to pull the cookies out of the oven, my glasses slipped from the front of my shirt and landed on the bottom of the oven. A tip: If you see smoke coming out of the oven and a funny smell in the kitchen even though you turned the oven off and took out the cookies, it’s best to investigate sooner rather than later. It’s probably easier to peel your glasses off the oven floor before they melt completely.
Here are the results of my test of the Toro Sponge Cake mix. The sponge cake worked well for my strawberry trifle which turned out to be a raspberry trifle. After seeing those gorgeous berries at Pike Place Market, the sad, old, strawberries at my local Kroger did not inspire me. I chose the frozen Cascadian Farms raspberries in my freezer and stirred in a little agave syrup before layering it in the trifle. My youngest balked at using the Toro because it contains wheat starch. After learning to read labels and avoid wheat, it was hard for all of us to try this brand from Norway, even with the less than 20ppm gluten levels used in Europe. That said, the end results were good with a light airy texture and no grit. The mix also has rice and potato flour.
The package will make three cakes. I made one cake and had almost enough to make the pizza crust recipe on their Web site. I did reduce the water and make the crust anyway. It reminded us of the Jules Gluten Free/Nearly Normal crust we use most often. It made a tasty ramp pizza. Both the cake and the crust are casein free until I started flinging shredded cheese and heavy cream around.
Last week was the big launch of Starbucks’ first Gluten-Free offering. I tried it at my local Starbucks. I had to ask for it when I didn’t see it in the case. The staff had just received their shipment and they were afraid to put it anywhere near the other pastries. They were keeping it still in the box in the back and had to go get one for me. I found it pleasantly orangey and not too sweet. These are fat bombs with 290 calories and 16 grams of fat, mainly from eggs and almonds. Share half with a friend. Some find the orange over-powering, but we didn’t. I stopped in a few days later and found one unwrapped cake for display in the case and the rest safely uncontaminated in their wrappers. I’ve heard of one Starbucks where the helpful staff had unwrapped all the cakes and put them in the case with the gluten filled pastries. OOOPS. Time to re-train about cross-contamination.
I also tried the second package of Pamela’s Cornbread and Muffin Mix that they so kindly sent me. This time, I made the corn bread following the recipe on the package. The kids say this is now their favorite. It reminded me of Marie Callender restaurant’s sweet cornbread. It was light with a great texture like all of the Pamela’s mixes. It does use one stick of butter for one pan of cornbread and I haven’t tried it casein free. I have also given some thought to my use of the mix as a crust. I think in the future I will not even try to roll it out, but will continue to press it into the pan like a cheesecake, crumb crust. It worked so well and rolling it out was too difficult. The teens liked that tamale pie and I will be making it again.
We’ve been wanting to try the Toro Sponge Cake mix and Diane’s strawberry challenge is the perfect excuse. The mix can also be used for a pizza crust which we will try next week.
This is a work in progress that will be ready for dessert with the roasted chicken for dinner tonight. Just layer sliced strawberries, whipped cream, sponge cake cubes, and custard in a trifle bowl or individual wine glasses or some other clear vessel so you can see the layers. That’s dessert. Easy. Festive. Gluten Free.
