Chilly Bakes Gluten-Free

Hi Bakers, No one wants to make donuts, but being gluten-free, I can't find a great one…So I'm making them. Here is what to expect from this recipe: a classic chocolate cake flavor with a moist, slightly dense crumb. Sweet white chocolate ganache adds richness and a beautiful glaze to these. Swap out the white chocolate for dark if you want the uber chocolate experience. You can make this! It's quick, easy ,and I know you will love them as much as I do. I hope you try them and send me pictures of your creation. Silicone mold and piping bag were bought online and are recommended equipment. Enjoy~CarolynGluten-free Chocolate Donuts with White Chocolate Icing Adapted from King Arthur Flour's recipe for Chocolate Fudge Donuts. Dry Ingredients 1 cup Cup4Cup Multipurpose gluten-free  Flour (original Blend with milk powder)1/4 cup blanched almond flour3/4 cup light brown sugar1/2 cup cocoa powder1 teaspoon sweet rice flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon espresso powder Wet Ingredients8 tablespoons melted butter, cooled to room temperature2 large eggs1/4 cup milk +1 tablespoon4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon white vinegarIcing12 ounces white chocolate (I use chips for this)4 ounces of cream Decorationssprinkles, cocoa nibs, mini chocolate chipsPreheat the oven to 350°F. Oil the donut molds and place them on a cookie sheet. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. Scrape the bowl to make sure it mixes thoroughly. The dough will be very thick. Pipe or scoop into the donut pan and smooth out the top. Do not overfill or the donuts will be misshapen. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until the donut springs back when touched. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and then remove it from the mold to cool completely on a rack. Heat the cream and white chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments. Stir after each time and continue heating until smooth but not boiling. This should only take 1 minute or so. Let ganache cool slightly for a thicker coating or use immediately for a lighter coat. Dip the donut into white chocolate icing and swirl gently to coat. Immediately decorate with sprinkles or other decorations. Let the ganache set for 10 minutes and enjoy. Donuts are best eaten the day they are made, so dig in!  

Hi Bakers, This might be the best scone you ever had. It's buttery and tender with a zesty orange flavor and sweet tiny currants in every bite. The easy recipe that takes minutes to mix and only 15 to bake. This is one of my favorite scones to eat and share. Try this for your next Sunday brunch or when you want something flakey and delicious with your cup of coffee. Enjoy~CarolynGluten-Free Orange Currant SconesMakes twelve 2” sconesDRY2 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour1/2 cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon Koda Farms Sweet Rice flour1/2 teaspoon salt1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda4 tablespoons granulated sugar1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks2 teaspoons orange zestWET1 large egg2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce1/2 cup buttermilk1/4 cup fresh orange juice1/2 cup dried currants, cherries or cranberriesOptional: cream or egg wash for brushing the tops, large grain sugarPreheat the oven to 400F and place the rack in the middle position. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Add the cold butter and cut into the dry mixture until it resembles crumbs with a few larger bits of butter remaining. Stir in the orange zest. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together leaving out the dried fruit. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until almost combined. Add the currants and continue stirring until just mixed. The dough will be soft but it can be shaped with a bit of care. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured counter and pat it into a circle. The height of the dough should be about 3/4 inch tall. Cut the scones with a 2" cutter and them on a lined cookie sheet. Next, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. The scones will brown better with an egg wash. Bake for about 10-14 minutes or until browned on top and firm in the middle. Cool on a rack and enjoy:)  

Hi Bakers, This dessert failed…sort of. Creme brûlée without a torch?…Not so simple! I wanted to try both sugar and toffee as the topping in case people didn't want to make the toffee. Regular sugar didn't caramelize under the broiler and completely heated the custard. Thankfully, the toffee bits melted quickly and were amazing. Espresso Toffee Creme Brûlée is naturally gluten-free and easy to make. The combination of toffee and custard is phenomenal and something you can't get in a restaurant. I used milk and cream for a lighter custard, but if you want something richer, reduce the amount of milk to 1/4 cup and increase the heavy cream amount to 2 3/4 cups. Sorry, this video was a hot mess but it was a good experiment in making something I had never tried before! Enjoy ~Carolyn Note; Ramekin size stated wrong on the video but the correct size is listed in recipe!  Espresso Toffee Creme Brulée  makes 6 ramekins 3.5” x 1.5” 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup whole milk 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder 5  large egg yolks  1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of salt Garnish whipped cream toffee bits Preheat oven to 300F and place rack in the middle position. Line a 9” x13” baking pan with a small towel and place greased ramekins on top of it. Set aside. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, stir together cream, milk, espresso and salt. Heat  and stir milk mixture until bubbling but not boiling. Slowly add a cup of hot milk mixture to the egg yolks while whisking. Pour egg yolk milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer into saucepan with remaining milk. Whisk together well. Ladle into prepared ramekins. Add 1 1/2 inches of warm water to baking pan containing ramekins being careful not to get water into them them. Carefully place pan into the oven and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until just set but still jiggling in the middle. Remove from water containing pan and let cool to room temperature. Cool overnight in the fridge or at least a few hours. Prepare toffee topping with recipe below or buy plan toffee to use as topping. Toffee Topping 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring until mixture reaches 305F or hard crack stage. You can measure with a candy thermometer or other favorite method. I like to drop some into cold water and if it's hard and shatters when you bite it, that's hard crack. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract. Pour onto a silicone mat or marble slab. Cool and break into chunks saving some for garnish. Chop toffee with a large knife into small pieces to cover brûlée and broil as topping. How to broil toffee topping Set the oven to low broil and place rack in the top position. Add chopped toffee to cover about 1 tablespoon per ramekin. Broil for a few minutes or until toffee melts but doesn't brown. Add a sprinkle of large grain salt and serve immediately. If  melting takes more than a few minutes in your oven, chill to reset the brûlée and toffee for 10 minutes. Garnish with whipped cream and chopped toffee bits right before serving. Do not broil toffee topping and leave overnight, the toffee top starts to get soft and butter that was melted gets solid and not in a good way.

HI Bakers, This is a great hand waffle.  If you want a regular waffle this isn't it…These gluten-free Pumpkin Liege waffles are made from a yeast dough studded with lots of pearl sugar bits which makes them sweet enough to eat plain. There is pumpkin in the dough too but honestly you can't really taste it. Expect a sweet yeasty waffle that's a perfect grab and go treat. They make the perfect brunch buffet dish because they're easy to make ahead and delicious at room temperature. I hope you try these fun and tasty waffles that keep you reaching for just one more! Enjoy! ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Pumpkin Liege Waffles  Modified from Bountiful Kitchen's recipe Yeast solution 3/4 cup warm milk 1 packet instant yeast Wet 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder soaked in 1/4 cup water to form a gel 2 large eggs 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 10 tablespoons melted butter (plus more to grease waffle iron) Dry 3 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free Multipurpose Flour 1/2 cup blanched almond flour 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 6 ounces Belgian pearl sugar** Combine the yeast and warm milk by whisking together. Set aside and let it get foamy. In a very small bowl, stir psyllium husk powder and water together and let this sit until a gel forms. Whisk together dry ingredient making sure the sugar is well distributed. In a medium bowl, stir together wet ingredients (including psyllium get) and yeast. Add the combined dry ingredients and stir well. Make sure the gel mixes in completely. Stir in the pearl sugar and form into 12 patties. Let rise on a warm greased cookie sheet or parchment until doubled in size. Heat up the waffle iron. Grease the iron liberally with butter and put one of the patties in the center. Cook according to the waffle iron directions. Let cool on a wire rack and continue cooking the rest of the dough. Serve with a powdered sugar dusting and some fresh fruit or your favorite. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat before eating. ** I ordered mine online

Hi Bakers,  These vanilla cupcakes are the best I've ever eaten. You know the bakes that you want to hide a few to make sure you get to eat more than one? This is that kind of dessert. They are moist with the perfect amount of vanilla flavor and soft crumb. I love the deep, rich caramel icing slathered on top with an extra drizzle of real caramel syrup. They are decadent and amazingly gluten-free. You will need a napkin or two to eat these but it will be a mess well worth eating. Enjoy ~Carolyn Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Browned Butter Caramel Icing Makes 12 cupcakes  Caramel syrup 1 cup granulated sugar pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup water Vanilla Bean Cupcakes Dry 1 1/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1/2 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 tablespoon baking powder pinch baking soda Wet 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg plus one egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1/4 cup buttermilk 3 tablespoons milk Browned Butter Caramel Icing 3 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup browned butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1.5 tablespoons caramel syrup ~2 tablespoons milk Caramel  Prepare the caramel syrup by heating sugar in a flat non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the sugar starts to melt, use a heatproof spatula and stir gently to mix the unmelted sugar into the melted and keep it from burning. If sugar clumps onto the spatula, scrape it off and let it melt into the rest of the caramel. Continue heating and gently mixing until all the sugar is melted and the caramel is dark amber-colored. Remove from the heat and add salt and vanilla. Gradually add the water and return to the heat. Boil gently while stirring until the syrup is smooth. You want the thickness of pancake syrup, so continue cooking if the syrup is too thin. Remove from the heat and cool before using. You can make this the day before you bake the cupcakes, but keep it at room temperature so you can drizzle it. Store for a longer period in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Cupcakes Preheat the oven to 350F and set the rack to the middle position of the oven. Grease or line the cupcake pan. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. În a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until well creamed. Add the egg, egg yolk and beat well. Add the vanilla, applesauce and milks beating and scraping after adding. Next, beat in the dry ingredients until just mixed. Scoop cupcakes into pan to fill 3/4 of the way from the top. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when touched in the middle. Cool completely.  Browned Butter Caramel Icing Once the cupcakes are cool, prepare the icing. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat while stirring. The butter will melt, foam up, and then start browning. Continue cooking until you see golden brown milk solids at the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove from the heat. The icing is easier to mix if you cool the browned butter first, but you can use it right away too but you will need to mix it a bit longer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and beat well. The icing will be crumbly at this point. Add caramel and beat in. Next, add milk one tablespoon at a time until icing comes together and is smooth and creamy. Frost cupcakes immediately since the icing will firm up as it sits. Drizzle with a bit of caramel syrup right before eating.

Hi Bakers! Grab a mug of tea and a warm, buttery cinnamon-sugar-covered apple cider donut. Take a big bite and savor the sweet apple flavor with a crunchy sugar exterior. If you bake anything this Fall, make these iconic donuts! They'll bring a smile to your face and you'll be glad it's apple season! Concentrated cider in the dough makes these treats smell and taste divine. Don't want to stand over the stove for 30 minutes to cook the cider down? No problem, I have an easy hack you can use instead. This is one of my most loved recipes and I hope you adore it too! Enjoy! ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Apple Cider Donuts Revised for gluten-free from Sally's Baking Addiction makes 12 donuts (unless you overfill them like I usually do!) Dry Ingredients 1¾ cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose gluten-free flour ¼ cup blanched almond flour 1½ teaspoons sweet rice flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon nutmeg Wet Ingredients 3 tablespoons melted butter ½ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup light brown sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup 2% milk ¼ cup applesauce, unsweetened ¼ cup apple cider, (reduced amount)****  For rolling Melted butter  Cinnamon Sugar (In a wide shallow cereal bowl combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.) Directions: ****Begin by pouring 1½ cups of apple cider into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat until boiling over medium heat until cider is reduced to ¼ cup. This will take about 30 minutes. If you don't want to reduce the cider, you can use apple juice concentrate instead. Simply thaw it and measure out ¼ cup.  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Oil the donut pans, and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Mix melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until well combined.  Add egg, vanilla, milk, reduced cider, applesauce, and mix well. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.  Spoon the batter into a piping or large ziplock bag and twist the end shut. Then, cut the tip off the bag so you have a 3/4” inch opening. Pipe the batter into the donut pan so it is about ¾ full. Batter is very thick so this takes some work. Bake the donuts for 10-12 minutes until the donut springs back when touched with your finger. Cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a wire rack. Dip the donuts in melted butter, front and back, and then coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Donuts are best eaten the day they are made but will be good in the fridge for another day. Heat briefly in the microwave if desired.

Hi Bakers, If you're afraid to make a pie, make this first! Pandowdy is like a pie for dummies. It has all the same ingredients and taste but you only make the top crust and it's cut into pieces too. Peach Blueberry Pandowdy takes advantage of the last summer fruits before Fall is in full swing. This lightly sweet peachy dessert with buttery crust pieces on top is just perfect for an easy weekend treat. Make this today and see how easy it can be! Enjoy! ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Peach Blueberry Pandowdy Modified from Cook's Illustrated's Apple Pandowdy recipe. makes a 10” skillet Gluten-Free Pie Dough ** Makes 1 pandowdy crust 1 cup Cup4Cup Multipurpose flour 1/2  teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/2  teaspoon whey protein isolate, unflavored 1/8  teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4  teaspoon salt 1/2  teaspoon sugar 1/3  cup butter, cold 1 tablespoon shortening 1 3/4 tablespoons cold water Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter and shortening. The mixture should resemble crumbs with a few pea-sized butter bits. Sprinkle in the cold water gradually while mixing with a fork until the mixture starts to form larger clumps. Add only as much water as needed to form a dough. Press dough into a ball and pat or roll out on a floured surface to about a ⅛” thick circle. Using cookie cutters or a knife cut the dough into pieces about 2-3 inches in diameter.  Set aside and prepare the peach blueberry filling. Peach Blueberry Filling 5 cups fresh peaches or nectarines, sliced 1/4-1/2” thick 1  cup blueberries 1/3-1/2 cup granulated sugar (add the greater amount if you want it sweeter) 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cornstarch  2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon melted butter Preheat the oven to 400F and place your rack in the middle position.  In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Mix peaches, blueberries, lemon zest, and juice in a large bowl. Next, gently stir in the sugar mixture. Melt butter in a 10” high-sided metal skillet that can be used in the oven. Add the fruit to the pan and then cover with cut pieces of pie dough. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven. Using a large flat spoon, gently press the fruit down to get some juice and then spoon over the dough pieces a bit.  Bake an additional 15 minutes or until the crust has browned. Cool for 15 minutes and top with vanilla ice cream.  ** The original recipe makes enough crust almost to cover the top, if you want more coverage use the doubled recipe below For more crust, use this Doubled Crust Recipe 2 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose flour 1  teaspoon sweet rice flour 1  teaspoon whey protein isolate, unflavored 1/4  teaspoon xanthan gum 1/2 teaspoon salt 1  teaspoon sugar 2/3  cup butter, cold 2 tablespoons shortening 2-4 tablespoons cold water

Hi Bakers, Lavender Lemon Panna Cotta is the queen of no-bake desserts. Elegant, bright, creamy and floral. This is everything you'd expect an Italian dessert to be. This is phenomenal and perfect…I make a lot of treats but I don't say that too often! You need to eat this at least once in your lifetime. Treat yourself to something truly special and surprisingly quick and easy. I adore this dessert and I know you will too. Savor every bite of this one ~Carolyn #food #foodvideo #pannacotta #glutenfree #italiandessert #easy #lemon #lavender #recipe  Lavender Lemon Panna Cotta with Blackberries Makes one 5” mold Recipe modified from the Lemon Panna Cotta Recipe from All Recipes.com  1 packet unflavored gelatin (0.25 ounces) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 cups cream 1 cup half&half  1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 fresh sprigs lavender zest of one lemon Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to soften it. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir if needed to hydrate. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cream, and half&half over medium heat until the mixture is simmering and sugar is dissolved. Add the softened gelatin and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon zest. Cool for about 4.5 hours overnight in the fridge. The Panna cotta will save for a day or two but be sure to cover the dessert with plastic wrap to keep them fresh. To un-mold, set the mold in hot water for a few seconds to loosen it. You will see the dessert getting  melted a bit on the edges. Immediately, place a plate or bowl over mold and turn upside down. If you are having trouble getting it free, just let it sit a bit longer in the water. Mine sat too long in heat and melted more than I had wanted. It still looks pretty and tastes delicious anyway! Garnish with  homemade lavender flower syrup, blackberries and fresh lavender flowers. Use some lemon slices or rind if you want a bit of bright color on top. Enjoy! Lavender Flower Syrup 2 tablespoon fresh lavender flowers*  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup water 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender flowers 5-7 blueberries (used to color the syrup) and/or a few drops of red and blue food coloring Boil the fresh lavender, sugar and water until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens to a thin syrup consistency. Add the vanilla, blueberries and dried lavender. Bring to a boil. Taste the syrup, If you want more flavor, add a bit more dried lavender and bring to a boil cooking until the syrup thickens. Remove from the heat. Strain into a jar and add a few drops of red food coloring to change the color if desired. Chill until needed. * One tablespoon is about six small sprigs worth. Make sure the flowers are unsprayed and washed.

Hi Bakers, Lavender Lemon Panna Cotta is the queen of no-bake desserts. Elegant, bright, creamy and floral. This is everything you'd expect an Italian dessert to be. This is phenomenal and perfect…I make a lot of treats but I don't say that too often! You need to eat this at least once in your lifetime. Treat yourself to something truly special and surprisingly quick and easy. I adore this dessert and I know you will too. Savor every bite of this one ~Carolyn #food #foodvideo #pannacotta #glutenfree #italiandessert #easy #lemon #lavender #recipe  Lavender Lemon Panna Cotta with Blackberries Makes one 5” mold Recipe modified from the Lemon Panna Cotta Recipe from All Recipes.com  1 packet unflavored gelatin (0.25 ounces) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 cups cream 1 cup half&half  1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 fresh sprigs lavender zest of one lemon Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to soften it. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir if needed to hydrate. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cream, and half&half over medium heat until the mixture is simmering and sugar is dissolved. Add the softened gelatin and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in lemon zest. Cool for about 4.5 hours overnight in the fridge. The Panna cotta will save for a day or two but be sure to cover the dessert with plastic wrap to keep them fresh. To un-mold, set the mold in hot water for a few seconds to loosen it. You will see the dessert getting  melted a bit on the edges. Immediately, place a plate or bowl over mold and turn upside down. If you are having trouble getting it free, just let it sit a bit longer in the water. Mine sat too long in heat and melted more than I had wanted. It still looks pretty and tastes delicious anyway! Garnish with  homemade lavender flower syrup, blackberries and fresh lavender flowers. Use some lemon slices or rind if you want a bit of bright color on top. Enjoy! Lavender Flower Syrup 2 tablespoon fresh lavender flowers*  1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup water 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender flowers 5-7 blueberries (used to color the syrup) and/or a few drops of red and blue food coloring Boil the fresh lavender, sugar and water until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens to a thin syrup consistency. Add the vanilla, blueberries and dried lavender. Bring to a boil. Taste the syrup, If you want more flavor, add a bit more dried lavender and bring to a boil cooking until the syrup thickens. Remove from the heat. Strain into a jar and add a few drops of red food coloring to change the color if desired. Chill until needed. * One tablespoon is about six small sprigs worth. Make sure the flowers are unsprayed and washed.

Hi Bakers, This pastry is my favorite thing to make when you want a homemade pie but don't want all the fuss! The rustic free-from galette takes minutes to assemble and bakes in under half an hour. Adding salted caramel on top elevates the fresh fruit and crust to something a bit more complex and suitable for a fancy dessert. You won't regret making this beauty! Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Salted Caramel Peach Galettes Crust Dry 2 cups gluten-free flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour ¼  teaspoon xanthan gum ½  teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon plain protein powder isolate 1 teaspoon granulated sugar ⅔ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks 2 tablespoons shortening Wet 3¼ tablespoons ice water Add dry ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk thoroughly.  Cut in the butter and shortening with a fork, pastry blender, or fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs but still has some pea-sized bits of butter. Add the ice water gradually while stirring and stop when the mixture makes small clumps. Try pressing it into a ball. If the dough stays together, stop adding water. Mix dough to completely combine and then divide into 4 portions. Roll each piece into balls and flatten it into discs. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for use at a later time or use immediately. Galette Filling Sugar Mix  ⅔  cup granulated sugar 4 teaspoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon lemon zest a pinch of salt 4 cups fresh peaches (can also use nectarines or plums) Topping Salted Caramel Sauce Large grain salt Preheat the oven to 400F. In a small bowl mix together sugar and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Add the lemon zest and set aside. Slice large fruits no bigger than ¼ thick or chop into small ¼” chunks. Add the fruit to ¾ the sugar mixture and stir gently to mix.  Roll out the galette crust on a lightly floured silicone mat or cutting board. Flour the top of the dough as well to prevent sticking. Roll into a rough circle about 1/16 of an inch thick. Patch any holes in the dough or edges by pressing them together gently. Repeat for each portion of dough. Place a spoonful of the remaining sugar mix in the center of each dough circle extending outward leaving about 1½ - 2 inches clear. Then place about ⅔ cup of fruit in the center by arranging it in a row or piling it into the center. Gently fold the dough edges over the fruit center by about ½ inch. Repair any tears by smoothing them with your hand or using any extra dough to patch them. Brush the edge of the dough with an egg wash (one egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water) and sprinkle with large-grain sugar.  Bake the galettes for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is browned and the fruit is bubbling. While the galette is hot from the oven, brush with the salted caramel sauce and sprinkle with large grain salt. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature. These galettes are best eaten the day they are made since they have a lot of juice that can make the dough soft over time.

Hi Bakers, I am sorry it took so long to get you this episode. These cookies are worth the wait! If you love very sweet treats with a cloud-like exterior and a chewy chocolate chip center these are your cookies. Meringues made at home are nothing like the kind you buy because they taste a lot better and have a totally different texture. With some helpful tips and tricks, these are easy to bake with delicious results. I got a bit adventurous and made half the recipe with chocolate chips but the other half with purple sweet potato powder…stay tuned to the end to see how that turned out. I've included the full recipe and the two half versions I made on the episode below so you can try either or both of these cookies. Have fun with this unusual and memorable bake ~Carolyn Whole Recipe Meringue Chocolate Chip Cookie  6 large egg whites 3/8 teaspoon salt 3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a brown paper bag cut to fit the baking sheet. In a large bowl use a hand mixer, to beat the egg whites, salt, vanilla, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while beating until the batter is pure white and marshmallow cream consistency. Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a lined cookie sheet. Swirl a design on top if desired. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until cookies are browned and have a firm crust on the outside. Let cool for five minutes and peel off paper. Eat within a day. Half Recipe Purple Sweet Potato Meringue Cookie 3 large egg whites heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt heaping 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon purple sweet potato powder, freeze-dried 1/2 cup granulated sugar Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a brown paper bag cut to fit the baking sheet. In a large bowl use a hand mixer, to beat the egg whites, salt, vanilla, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while beating until the batter is pure white and marshmallow cream consistency. Whisk the sweet potato powder into 1/2 cup of sugar. Gradually add sugar with potato powder. Drop by spoonfuls onto a lined cookie sheet. Swirl a design on top if desired. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until cookies are browned and have a firm crust on the outside. Let cool for five minutes and peel off the paper. Eat within a day. Half Recipe Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookie 3 large egg whites heaping 1/8 teaspoon salt heaping 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup + 2 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a brown paper bag cut to fit the baking sheet. In a large bowl use a hand mixer, to beat the egg whites, salt, vanilla, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while beating until the batter is pure white and marshmallow cream consistency. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto a lined cookie sheet. Swirl a design on top if desired. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until cookies are browned and have a firm crust on the outside. Let cool for five minutes and peel off the paper. Eat within a day. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Thanks so much for listening to my podcast and I'm so sorry that this one will be later than expected... but sometimes life gets in the way! You can look for this Merangue Chocolate Chip Cookie episode coming in June instead of May 1st. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, These are such a pretty spring color I adore the way they look and taste. Green scones may not be everyone's idea of yummy but I love matcha and the earthy rich flavor it brings to everything. Adding bright and sweet lemon is the perfect partner to these delicious and tender gluten-free scones. They are a fun break from the usual with a lovely look and phenomenal taste. I hope you give these a try. Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Matcha Lemon Scones  makes one dozen 2”x2” scones DRY 2 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/2 cup blanched almond flour or oat flour 2 teaspoons matcha powder* 1 teaspoon Koda Farms Sweet Rice flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup cold butter cut into chunks WET 1 large egg 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup lemon juice zest of one lemon Optional: cream or egg wash for brushing the tops and large grain sugar ICING 1 cup powdered sugar ~2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest Preheat the oven to 400F and place the rack in the middle position. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, matcha powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar. Add the cold butter and cut into the dry mixture until it resembles crumbs and only a few larger bits of butter remain. Place the mixture in the refrigerator. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and pat it into a large rectangle. The height of the dough should be about 3/4 inches tall. Cut the sconces with a 2” cutter. Place the scones on a cookie sheet and brush with egg wash or cream and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Scones will brown much better if you decide to brush with either liquid. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until browned on top and firm in middle. Cool on a rack and prepare the icing.  In a small mixing combine icing ingredients adding lemon juice gradually until desired consistency is reached. You want a thick icing that spreads but stays on top. Garnish with lemon zest and a light sprinkle of matcha powder. Scones are best enjoyed the day they are made but can be stored in the fridge for another day.  *I used Trader Joe's Matcha Green Tea Powder to achieve this bright green with no food coloring. The brand of matcha you use matters since some are more camo colored than spring green. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Baking is my happy place and I really needed some of that this week. I decided to make a fabulous and somewhat time consuming dessert that's a raspberry lovers delight. This pink cheesecake is full of raspberry taste with a beautiful color too. I ramped up the flavor by adding raspberry sauce and freeze dried raspberries to the rich cream cheese filling. Then, I used even more raspberry sauce and fresh berries to garnish. Ruby chocolate in the filing brings additional fruity flavor to the filling. Buttery graham cracker crust and tangy sour cream topping perfectly complement the raspberry flavor of this decadent bake. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to make and chill this epic dessert. Enjoy~Carolyn Gluten-Free Raspberry Cheesecake Makes one 9 1/4” cheesecake Crust 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham crackers 1/4 cup almond flour or more graham crackers 1/4 cup granulated sugar 6 tablespoons melted butter Raspberry Sauce 12 ounce bag frozen raspberries Cheesecake Filling 1 1/2 pounds full fat cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1/3 cup raspberry sauce 4 tablespoons freeze-dried raspberry powder 3 ounces ruby chocolate or white chocolate, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup) 1 tablespoon lemon juice Sour Cream Topping 1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest Garnish fresh raspberries raspberry sauce raspberry powder fresh mint Preheat the oven to 325F. Crush the graham crackers in a sealed plastic bag with a rolling pin until only fine crumbs remain. Add almond flour, sugar and whisk together in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom and 1” up the sides of a 9 1/4”springform pan. Press crumbs firmly with a flat measuring cup or your hand into the pan. Chill in the fridge until ready to use. Heat frozen raspberries in a saucepan over medium-heat until thawed and the liquid is thickened slightly. Stir as needed to prevent burning. Strain out the seeds and reserve 1/3 cup of mixture for the filling. Save the rest for garnish. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and mix until just combined. Next, add the remaining ingredients mixing to combine after each addition. Wrap the bottom of your springform pan in a single piece of foil to prevent butter leaks in the oven. Pour Cheesecake batter into the pan and smooth the top. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake for about 44-55 minutes or until the cheesecake tests done in the center. You want some creamy cheesecake on the tester but not liquid batter. It should still jiggle if you shake the pan gently. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for 6 hours minimum. In a small bowl, mix the sour cream topping ingredients together until smooth. Remove the chilled cheesecake from the fridge and spread topping evenly over the center. Garnish with fresh berries and mint if desired. Use extra raspberry sauce and/or freeze-dried powder to garnish individual servings. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Ditch the granola bar for something better. Don't you want a cookie for breakfast? One that's packed with oats, mini chocolate chips and just the right amount of real banana flavor. These Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies are a gluten-free treat that you can enjoy all week. They freeze well and are cheaper than buying most gluten-free snacks. A vegan option is included at the end of the recipe too. Enjoy~Carolyn #shorts #food #banana #chocolate #cookies #podcast #celiacfriendly #wheatfreebaking #youtube #cookiesofinstagram #cookiesoftiktok Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies Makes one dozen 3.5” cookies Dry 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats, old fashioned 1 1/4 cups Cup4Cup brand gluten-free flour 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces Wet 1/4 cup sour milk (add 1/2-1 teaspoon of lemon juice to milk to sour) 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas 1/2- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 -1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup pecans, chopped Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients with a whisk. Cut in butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and milk. Add mashed bananas and mix together. Pour wet into dry and stir until almost mixed. Add the chocolate chips and pecans and mix in. Scoop into ~2 tablespoon sized balls onto a lined baking tray. Press the tops down gently so that the cookies is about 1/2” thick. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until cookies have browned around the outside but are still puffed and soft in the middle. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container. For better storage, put in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy! Vegan Option substitutions - Cup4Cup Flour for a dairy free and gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur Measure for Measure flour) -butter for 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegan stick style butter -milk for creamy oat milk and sour with 1 teaspoon lemon juice -chocolate chips for vegan chips Add 1 teaspoon of ground chia seeds and 2 teaspoon water to mashed bananas and mix together before combining with wet ingredients Bake for about 13-16 minutes or until the cookies are brown on top but still soft in the middle. Cookies will be puffier than the regular version but still taste delicious. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, You'll forget you're gluten-free when you eat this loaf…because it tastes just like ones with wheat. If you love pound cake and lemons this Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf is the bake for you. Bright and full of fresh lemon flavor with a generous amount of lemon icing. Poppy seeds add a welcome pop of color and crunch to this gluten-free treat. Expect a pound cake-like texture with the same density without as much butter in the recipe. This is an easy bake that is lovely and sure to please. I hope you try it! Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Iced Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf adapted for gluten-free from Sally's baking addiction makes one 8.5” x 4.5 “ loaf Dry Ingredients 1 1/4 cup Cup4Cup Brand Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup blanched Almond flour or just 1/4 cup gluten-free flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons poppy seeds Wet Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1/4 applesauce, unsweetened 1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk* 2 teaspoons lemon zest 4 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Icing 1 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2-2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest Preheat the oven to 350F and line or grease a 8.5”x9.5” loaf pan. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until well mixed. Add the eggs beating after each addition. Next add the applesauce, buttermilk, zest, juice and extract. Beat until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients until just mixed. Spoon the batter into loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes clean. Let cool five minutes. Prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar and juice in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave until just boiling about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze over the top of the loaf and let cool completely. Prepare the icing by gradually mixing the juice and sugar together until it's smooth and the consistency you like. I prefer a thicker icing to keep the loaf from getting soggy. Spoon over the top letting it run over the sides. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and a bit of mint just before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. *add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to 1/4 measure and fill with milk to sour --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, It's not easy to find a perfect muffin, and it's even rarer to find one that's gluten-free. However, this Blackberry Streusel Muffin is a rare gem that's worth the search. This muffin is moist, tender, and bursting with flavor because it's packed with berries. You've found the perfect companion for a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon snack that's not too sweet, yet satisfying. Once you taste it, it will become your new favorite treat. These are seriously good, I ate three of them in a row and still wanted more… Enjoy ~Carolyn #shorts #glutenfree #wheatfree #recipe #muffin #blackberry #streusel #celiacfriendly #food #homemade #muffinsofinstagram #muffinsoftiktok Gluten-Free Blackberry Streusel Muffins Makes 1 dozen Streusel 3/4 cup Cup4Cup gluten-free multipurpose flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 2 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons melted butter sprinkle of ground ginger Dry ingredients 1 3/4 cup Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour or Cup4Cupflour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Wet 1/2 cup butter, soft 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups fresh blackberries Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups. In a small bowl, whisk together streusel ingredients except for the butter. Cut butter into the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs and has no large chunks. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until well mixed. Add half the dry mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix egg, yolk, milk, applesauce and vanilla together in a cereal bowl. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the remaining flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the blackberries. The batter will be very thick. Scoop and fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full. Cover muffins with a generous amount of the streusel. Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the muffin comes clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes and then remove from the tin. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, This is one of the most decadent desserts to eat. A classic Chocolate Mousse is rich and satisfying but also light and airy. It's more elegant than a pudding but not much harder to make. I cooked the egg yolks and whites in this version to avoid eating raw eggs and that takes a bit longer to prepare with a few more steps. The heated egg whites look funky, like a curdled mess that smell scrambled…but they beat into lovely whites that don't taste like scrambled eggs at all. If you are not worried about uncooked eggs, you can whip the whites raw instead.  This recipe can be made as a mousse pie or as mousse with no crust. Both ways to eat it are fabulous and no one will miss the crust if you decide to skip it. Enjoy this special treat ~Carolyn Chocolate Mousse Pie/Chocolate Mousse Makes one 9” pie or 5” ramekins Crust one 12 ounce package of gluten-free Oreos 1/4 cup melted butter Filling 1 1/2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips 1 large egg 2 large egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 egg whites 3 tablespoons granulated sugar Crust Remove the center of the Oreos and break apart into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until cookies are broken into small crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix until combined. This should resemble damp sand and stick together slightly. If you need to add another teaspoon of butter achieve this consistency. Press the crumbs lightly into place into the bottom of a pie pan using plastic wrap over your fingertips. Tamp down harder with a spoon or small measuring cup. Chill in the freezer until ready to use. Mousse Measure the chocolate into a large bowl. Set aside. Separate the egg whites and yolks using metal or ceramic bowls. In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the egg, yolks, 1/2 cup cream, sugar, espresso and vanilla. Heat while stirring continuously until the liquid becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Cover and let sit for a few minutes until the chocolate is melted.  Whisk until smooth. Set aside and cool to ~113F. Combine the egg whites* and sugar over a double boiler or a small metal pan set atop a pan partially filled with boiling water. Whisk and heat until the temperature reaches 170F. Remove from the heat and beat until stiff but not dry peaks form. Set the bowl aside. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup whipped cream. Gently stir in a 1/4 of beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites. Next, fold in the whipped cream. Portion into a pie pan or ramekins. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh fruit or chocolate shavings. A sprig of mint is also a pretty addition. *Uncooked eggs can be a health hazard. If you decide not to cook the egg whites(which is how many traditional recipes are written for chocolate mousse), whip them with sugar and vanilla in a metal or glass n a bowl without heating them. Add to the mousse then you achieve stiff but not dry peaks. Follow the instructions and add to the chocolate as directed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Pancakes cooking on the griddle sounds like the ultimate Saturday morning breakfast to me! Hot buttered Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are a dreamy variation of my favorite gluten-free buttermilk pancakes. Rich, but light and lemony, with a generous amount of fresh berries and a crunchy sugar sprinkle on top. Adding whipped cream is also encouraged. You need to eat these! ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Dry Ingredients 1 1/2 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free flour 1/4 cup yellow corn meal 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons cold butter Wet ingredients 2 large eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup full fat ricotta cheese 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons lemon zest 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce Garnish whipped cream fresh berries fresh lemon slices In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together except for butter. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add the dry ingredients and stir with fork or dutch whisk until just combined. Scoop onto a hot, generously buttered griddle and cook until brown on one side. Flip when the bubbles stay open on the top side. Cook until browned on the bottom and firm but tender on top. Pancakes should spring back when touched. Serve with butter and sprinkle of sugar. Top with berries, whipped cream and a lemon slice. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers,  This Double Chocolate Biscotti with Peppermint is the perfect gluten-free holiday treat to eat and giveaway. Twice baked for extra crunch and packed with deep chocolate flavor, it's the most chocolatey and crisp biscotti you could ever want. The peppermint white chocolate topping speckled with crushed candy canes is the perfect complement to the cookie base and will keep you reaching for one more bite. Enjoy this lovely and delicious cookie. ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Biscotti with Peppermint  Recipe modified from New York Time's recipe for Chocolate Biscotti Makes 35 large biscotti Dry Ingredients 1 3/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup Almond Flour 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon protein powder isolate (unflavored protein powder) Wet Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon espresso powder (dissolve in vanilla extract) 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Topping ~ 1/2 a large bag of peppermint white chocolate kisses 6 large candy canes, crushed into shards, pieces and crumbs Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar until well-mixed. Beat in the eggs, extract, and espresso. Stir in the dry ingredients until almost combined. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the dough in half. Using damp hands, shape into two wide loaves 1” high. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the loaves are firm in the center. Cool for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325F. Gently cut the loaves into 1/2” slices with a serrated knife and place cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the slices are firm. As the biscotti cools, it will become more crisp. Let cool completely. Melt the peppermint kisses** and spread over the cut edge of the biscotti and sprinkle candy cane pieces on top. Once the chocolate is set, store it in an airtight container for up to a week.   **If you want to cover the biscotti with white chocolate instead of peppermint kisses, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract to the biscotti dough. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, This Double Chocolate Biscotti with Peppermint is the perfect gluten-free holiday treat to eat and giveaway. Twice baked for extra crunch and packed with deep chocolate flavor, it's the most chocolatey and crisp biscotti you could ever want. The peppermint white chocolate topping speckled with crushed candy canes is the perfect complement to the cookie base and will keep you reaching for one more bite. Enjoy this lovely and delicious cookie. ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Biscotti with Peppermint Recipe modified from New York Time's recipe for Chocolate Biscotti Makes 35 large biscotti Dry Ingredients 1 3/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup Almond Flour 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon protein powder isolate (unflavored protein powder) Wet Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon espresso powder (dissolve in vanilla extract) 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips ~ 1/2 a large bag of peppermint white chocolate kisses 6 large candy canes, crushed into shards, pieces and crumbs Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar until well mixed. Beat in the eggs, extract and espresso. Stir in the dry ingredients until almost combined. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the dough in half. Using damp hands, shape into two wide loaves 1” high. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the loaves are firm in the center. Cool for about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325F. Gently cut the loaves into 1/2” slices with a serrated knife and place cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the slices are firm. As the biscotti cools, it will become more crisp. Let cool completely. Melt the peppermint kisses** and spread over the cut edge of the biscotti and sprinkle candy cane pieces on top. Once chocolate is set, store in an airtight container for up to a week. **If you want to cover the biscotti with white chocolate instead of peppermint kisses, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract to the biscotti dough. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, This is a better snickerdoodle than the original ones. Maybe everyone won't feel this way… But for me, this buttery, rich cookie with rum and nutmeg bring holiday delight in every sugar covered bite. This is an easy bake but, you may need to alter the cooking time to achieve a crisp exterior and a soft center. Do what I do and bake a tester cookie before making a whole batch. This way you know how your oven cooks the dough and you get the cookie baked how you like it!  Enjoy ~Carolyn Adapted for gluten-free from the Snickerdoodle recipe from Cooks Illustrated and the NYT Recipe for Eggnog Snickerdoodle Gluten-Free Eggnog Snickerdoodles makes 18 large cookies (3”diameter) Dry Ingredients 2¾ cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose flour*** 1½ teaspoons Koda Farms sweet rice flour ½  teaspoon xanthan gum 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Wet ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1½ cups sugar 1 large egg 2 large egg yolks 1 tablespoon rum extract ( I like Cook's brand) Topping for rolling In a cereal bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg and a 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Preheat the oven to 350F. Make sure the oven rack is in the middle position. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar until well creamed. Add egg, yolks and rum extract and mix again until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula at least once to clean the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix slowly until combined. Mix for an additional 1 minute to work in the flour and develop some stretch in the dough. Shape into balls using about 2 tablespoons of dough or I use a #24 scoop. Roll in nutmeg sugar topping to coat. Place on a greased cookie sheet, silicone mat, or parchment paper a few inches apart**. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are firm and the center has risen but is still soft. If you bake the cookies until they are completely firm they will not be soft and chewy at room temperature. Cool cookies for a few minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet and place them on a rack to cool completely. Gluten-free cookies do not stay moist as long as traditional cookies or last as long in general. If I am not eating the cookies within a day or two, I usually keep them in the freezer or refrigerator. **Flatten the dough in the center a bit before baking if you like a flat, crispy cookie. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, The best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten is this gluten-free Spicy Pumpkin Pie. Sure, you can buy a pumpkin pie anywhere but a great gluten-free pumpkin pie is truly rare. This family favorite has lots of spices and a few other tricks to make it richer and more flavorful than any other. The crust is tender, buttery and holds up really well to the filling unlike most gluten-free crusts. If you don't want to make the crust, simply buy some and you can whip this out in no time. Pumpkin pie lovers you need to try this amazing recipe and share it with all your friends and family! Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Spicy Pumpkin Pie Modified from Grandma Elaine's recipe makes 2-9” pies You need 2 unbaked gluten-free single pie crusts, store bought or  even better make my recipe below Gluten-Free Pie Crust Dough Dry 2 cups gluten-free flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour ¼  teaspoon xanthan gum ½  teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon plain protein powder isolate 1 teaspoon granulated sugar Wet ⅔ cup cold butter, cut into small chunks 2 tablespoons shortening ~3¼ tablespoons ice water In a medium-sized bowl whisk dry ingredients together. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs but still has some pea-sized bits of butter. Sprinkle in some ice water and mix until crumbs are just damp enough to make into a ball that holds together. You may need to use less water or more to achieve this. Divide into 2 portions for crust pies. Roll into balls and flatten into discs. Lightly flour a counter or cutting board and roll out dough  into an 1/8” thick circle large enough to cover 3/4 of the way up your pie pan. Gently move pie crust into pan trimming and shaping edges as you like. Make sure dough gets into all the curves of the pan and is flat. If  the dough rips, just press it back together. You can chill this dough as a flat disc before rolling out and store in fridge until ready to use. You will need to let dough warm up about 10 minutes before using. Save any scraps you have if you want to garnish the pie with pie crust leaves. See how below. Pumpkin Filling 3 cups pumpkin puree 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 4 large eggs 12 ounce can evaporated milk 2 tablespoons dark molasses 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Garnish fresh whipped cream pie crust  leaves** cinnamon Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Divide evenly into the unbaked pie shells. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the pie jiggles a bit in the center and has no liquid pie filling on a knife when inserted into the middle. If crust is browning too much, use foil to over the edges. Cool at room temperature for an hour and then chill in the fridge. Decorate with whipped cream and crust leaves just before serving. **With pie dough trimmings, I cut out small leaf shapes and dab them with cream, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 325F for five minutes until lightly browned. Cool before placing on the pie. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, What kind of crazy person makes toffee and then melts it down into a sauce…Me. That would be me and boy am I glad I did! This cheesecake is a toffee lover's gluten-free dream. This is a super creamy cheesecake with a graham cracker crust all topped with buttery, rich, toffee! The topping is a lot like caramel but even better. It has the complex flavor of browned sugar and butter in a sauce so rich and velvety you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Be sure to start this recipe at least the day before you want to serve it, it needs many hours to chill properly. I like to bake the cheesecake one day and make the toppings, decorate and eat it the next. I added the prep times to each step to help you understand the time you would need. I also included the original recipe's instructions at the bottom of the page for an easier version if that works better for you. Enjoy every bite of this tasty beauty ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Toffee Cheesecake recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Makes one 9” cheesecake Crust (~10 minutes prep) 1-1/2 cups gluten-free graham crackers plus more if needed 1/4 pecans, raw 1/4 cup white or brown sugar 6 tablespoons butter, melted Preheat the oven to 350F. Using a food processor,* pulse the crackers, nuts and sugar into fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse again until well combined. Mixture should be like damp sand. If too wet, add in a few more crackers. Press firmly into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9” springform pan. Chill in the freezer. Cheesecake Filling (~10 minutes prep) 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature/softened 1 cup granulated sugar 4 large eggs + one egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon lemon juice Make the filling by beating the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth (make sure it's warm enough to blend out any lumps). Scrape the sides as needed. Add the sugar and beat well. Add eggs and mix throughly. Beat in vanilla and lemon. Pour into the chilled crust and smooth out the top. Place the springform pan on a sided baking tray to catch any spills. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the sides are firm but the center jiggles a bit. Let sit at room temperature for an hour or until it's cooled. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 6 hours/overnight. Prepare the toffee candy while the cake chills or the next day. Toffee Candy (~15 minutes prep) 1 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Use a candy thermometer to the side or use cold water method (described in video and on the web site) to test doneness. Heat over medium while stirring until the mixture reaches 305F or hard crack stage. Pour candy onto a buttered baking pan or one lined with silicone and spread it out. Break into large shards. Let harden. Save the remainder of the toffee (about 3/4) to make the sauce and some for decorating. Toffee Sauce (~15 minutes) 3/4 batch of the toffee candy, broken into small pieces 1/2 cup milk Add the toffee and milk to a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on medium/medium high heat**, stir frequently as the toffee dissolves into the milk. Cook until candy has dissolved and the the sauce is smooth and thickened. Add more milk if needed to achieve the right consistency. If the sauce is too thin, cook longer, but the sauce will thicken as it cools. Garnish whipped cream semi-sweet chocolate Easier Version (original recipe instructions) 2 chocolate covered toffee candy bars 2 jars Trader Joe's Salted Caramel Sauce or your favorite The original recipe uses caramel sauce and a store-bought toffee bar to top the cheesecake. I like Trader Joe's brand salted caramel sauce (2 jars). Heat the sauce slightly if needed to make it more pourable. Pour caramel over the top of the cheesecake and spread to cover. Garnish with whipped cream and broken bits of a toffee bar. *If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the crackers/nuts with a rolling pin and a plastic bag. **Lower heat if needed to prevent burning. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, If you love that crispy brownie edge, this one's for you. Brownie Brittle is a chocolaty, thin brownie with lots of peanut candies and chocolate chips. It's easy to make and the hardest part is having the patience to spread it thinly in the pan. Eat it plain by the handfuls or it might be even better dipped into a bowl of ice cream. You decide how you want to enjoy it. Have fun with this delicious bake ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Brownie Brittle adapted for gluten-free from The Blue Jean Chef Makes one 11”x17” pan Dry Ingredients 1 cup Cup4Cup gluten-free Multipurpose Flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Wet Ingredients 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 large eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 -1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 2/3 cup Reeces candy or other candy Preheat the oven to 300F. Line a 11”x17” pan with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips and stir. Continue heating and stirring at 10 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly. Beat eggs, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl until mixtures thickens and become a pale yellow color. This will take about 4 minutes. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat well. Stir in  the dry ingredients until almost mixed. Stir in Reeces candy and chocolate chips (If you want save a few to place on the top of the batter). Spread onto parchment lined pan until  the batter covers the entire surface in a thin layer. This will take some patience and at some point I used a damp hand to make it more even. Sprinkle with a few more of the candies and chocolate chips on top. Bake for about 40 minutes. The edges should be crisp and the whole brownie will feel firm.  Let cool  completely. The brownie gets harder as it cools. Break apart into pieces and enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, I've seen this recipe in my old cookbook for decades and never tried eating or making it. Here is my first attempt…This gluten-free Jam cake was quick to make but, it fell the first and second time I tried it. I had to get creative to make it look better and I think I did a pretty good job. On the plus side, it was DELICIOUS and one of my favorite spice cakes in terms of flavor. It tastes like a deeply spiced cake with a fruity undertone that's very appealing. The whipped cream and fresh fruit with a caramel drizzle really bring out the best in this bake. The recipe needs more work so the cake doesn't fall but, the taste was so good I wanted to share it anyway. Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Jam Cake recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking Dry 11/4 cups Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour 1/4 cup almond flour, blanched 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cloves Wet Ingredients 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons of milk or sour cream 1 cup firm blackberry jam. seedless and stirred to get rid of lumps Brown Sugar Icing 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup milk or light cream pinch of salt 3/4 cup powdered sugar Combine butter, brown sugar, milk and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium while stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture isn't grainy. Remove from the heat and beat in the powdered sugar. Frost or drizzle on cake immediately. Garnish 2 cups fresh blackberries 1 cup or more fresh whipped cream as desired powdered sugar mint sprigs Preheat  the oven to 350F and set rack in the middle position of the oven. Grease a tube pan. I used 10” but the recipe calls for a 7” which makes a taller cake. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl cream together butter and brown sugar until completely combined. Add eggs and beat well. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add sour cream and mix completely. Stir in the dry ingredients until barely combined. Add the jam and mix until incorporated. Spoon batter into the tube pan and smooth the surface. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes clean except for a few moist crumbs. Let cake cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Remove the outer portion of the tube pan and run a knife round the bottom edge. Let cool completely. When cake is cool, make the icing. Turn cake out onto a platter or plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, add fresh fruit on top and a drizzle of icing*. Dot with a few dollops of fresh whipped cream and serve immediately. *the original recipe calls for icing the entire cake but, I thought it was too sweet for my tastes. If you want to frost the cake add about 1 1/2 -2 cups of powdered sugar to the icing to get it to a spreadable consistency. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, I love all things cinnamon roll flavored and these scones are no exception. They come together quickly and give all the delicious flavor of the time consuming yeast based cinnamon rolls. I've included two recipes for icing so you can chose your favorite. The cream cheese icing is a bit less sweet than the powdered sugar version, both are delicious. Good for a breakfast, brunch or anytime in-between. I hope you try these fun and simple scones and get your cinnamon roll fix the easy way. Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-free Cinnamon Roll Scones Makes about nine 3” scones Cinnamon Sugar mix 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons granulated sugar Dry 1 1/2 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten-Free Flour 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter cold and cubed Wet 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Cream Cheese Icing 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract -OR- Powdered Sugar Icing 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2-4 tablespoons milk --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, If you love a big bowl of oats in the morning but are tired of the same old thing, you need to make these pancakes. Gluten-free Blackberry Oatmeal Pancakes are mostly wholegrain and totally delicious! I am a huge fan of oats and love their unique chew and sweet taste. These pancakes start out like overnight oats with a long soak but, end up becoming hearty berry-studded pancakes instead. They are lightly sweetened and can be a healthier or a less healthy breakfast depending on what you decide to top them with. If you want less sugar and more protein, Greek yogurt, chopped nuts, and a honey drizzle is a delicious alternative to the syrup topping. The fresh blackberry syrup and an easier version of berry syrup recipes are included below. Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-free Blackberry Oatmeal Pancakes Adapted from Bon Appetit Oat Soak 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats 2 cups buttermilk Dry Ingredients 1/2 cup Cup4Cup Multi-purpose Flour 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Optional 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Wet Ingredients 2 large eggs 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened 2  cups fresh blackberries Blackberry Syrup* or syrup of your choice In a medium-sized bowl, stir together oats and buttermilk. Let the mixture soak in the refrigerator overnight or until the oats have absorbed all the buttermilk.  Whisk dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, melted butter, and applesauce. Add the egg mixture to the soaked oats and stir until completely mixed. This will be really thick and more like dough than a batter. Stir in the dry ingredients until just mixed. Heat the griddle and grease generously with butter or oil. Scoop about 1/2 cup batter onto the griddle and press a few blackberries into the dough. Cook at least three minutes on each side. I like to press them down after I turn them for more even cooking. Serve with fresh blackberries, syrup, and a pat of butter for the most decadent whole-grain pancake ever.  Fresh Blackberry Syrup 6 ounces of fresh blackberries 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons lemon juice zest of one lemon Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the berries soften and the sugar dissolves. Smash the berries and continue cooking until the liquid is syrup consistency. Remove from heat and use immediately. Store unused portion in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cooled syrup will be thick but once heated it will liquify again. Easier Berry Syrup  1 cup maple syrup  1/2-3/4 cup berry jam Heat syrup and jam until jam mixes completely into the liquid. Use immediately. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Like many old recipes, the only way you get to eat Pineapple Upside Down Cake gluten-free is to make it yourself. The good news is, it's easy and tastes every bit as good as you remember but with no wheat! Rich brown sugar and salty butter form a sweet caramel topping that makes the tangy pineapple come alive. Then, all that richness soaks into the vanill /pineapple cake below. It's as irresistible as you remember. Make this cake and get a slice of childhood memories on your plate. Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction's recipe Makes 1-10” cast iron skillet or pie pan Topping 1/2  cup butter 1/2 cup light brown sugar 8-10  canned pineapple rings, unsweetened dried cherries Dry Ingredients 1 1/4 cup Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten-Free Flour 1/4 blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Wet Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/3 cup sour cream or milk 1/4 cup pineapple juice (from canned pineapple slices) 2 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sauce/Garnish extra butter and brown sugar topping 2 tablespoon pineapple juice Preheat the oven to 350F and set the rack to the middle position. Layer pineapple slices in the bottom of your baking pan and add cherries into the center spaces. Set this aside to make the cake batter. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl or pan, heat the butter and sugar until the mixture comes together and boils for a minute. Sugar should dissolve a bit and the liquid will be less grainy. Stir thoroughly and pour/spread 1/2 this mixture over pineapple slices in the baking pan. Reserve the other half for garnish. In a large bowl. beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, sour cream, pineapple juice, applesauce and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. Spoon the batter over  the pineapple slices in the pan and level the surface. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking. If the cake is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cake cool for 20 minutes and then run a knife around it to loosen it from the pan. Invert cake onto a plate and let cool completely. Drizzle extra brown sugar sauce* over the top of the cake or on individual slices. The cake is best eaten the day it is made due to the high moisture content of the fruit. If you need to save it, be sure to store in the refrigerator. *Sauce thickens as it cools, so microwave it for a few seconds if you need it to be more pourable. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Is this too much? I'm not sure but I love these brownies! My favorite ice cream is chocolate and loaded with sweet swirls of marshmallow and caramel with tiny chocolate fish running through it…can you guess which one it is?? These decadent brownies were inspired by my love for this combination of flavors. I took my favorite brownie recipe and turned it up a notch with a few simple additions. You can make it easy on yourself and use jarred salted caramel sauce. I love Trader Joe's brand. If you want to make your own caramel, check out the website for my version of Salted Caramel Sauce. Get your chocolate and caramel fix in one easy bake. Enjoy! ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Caramel Marshmallow Swirl Brownies adapted for gluten-free from King Arthur Flour's recipe for Fudge Brownies Makes one 9”x13” pan Cocoa/Egg mixture 4 large eggs 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon espresso powder Flour Mixture 1 1/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 2 teaspoons sweet rice flour 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum Butter Mixture 14 tablespoons butter 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup salted caramel 1 cup marshmallow creme Preheat the oven to 350F and set the rack in the middle position. Grease a 9x13” pan or line it with parchment paper. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients except for chocolate chips and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together cocoa/egg mixture ingredients and set aside. This will be thick and shiny like chocolate fudge. In a heat-proof bowl, microwave the butter and granulated sugar stirring every 30 seconds until sugar dissolves a bit and mixture begins to come together and be a bit less grainy. Do not bring to a boil. Add the applesauce and mix well. Add the butter mix to the cocoa/egg mixture and beat until completely combined. Next, stir in the flour mixture until no dry bits remain. Scoop half the batter into the baking pan and smooth out to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips. Then, drizzle caramel and marshmallow in long, thick ribbons over the batter. (You may not use all the caramel and marshmallow but this leaves some extra to use to style the dish later if you want.)Cover with remaining brownie batter. Smooth the top to cover most of the caramel and marshmallow. Using a butter knife, create swirls through the batter so that the caramel and marshmallow makes streaks through it. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center has no uncooked batter clinging to it. Some moist brownie crumbs will coat the skewer and that's what you want. Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, This cake has surpassed carrot cake as one of my favorites and I just discovered it two weeks ago! It takes the best of carrot cake and banana bread and then adds tiny bits of pineapple for some tart, sweet flavor. It's fruity with spice, nuts, and a deep layer of yummy butter and cream cheese icing. If you taste it be warned you may not be able to stop eating it. Of course, I wouldn't know that from experience…. Make this and love it. I am putting it on my permanent cake rotation which says a lot. Coconut would also be an amazing addition to the cake, I would use it instead of the pecans for more tropical goodness. Enjoy ~Carolyn Gluten-Free Hummingbird Cake (adapted for gluten-free from Sally's Baking Addiction) Makes one 10” tube pan Dry Ingredients 2 3/4 cups “Cup 4 Cup” multi-purpose flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt Wet Ingredients 2 cups mashed bananas (approx 4 ripe ones) 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, partially drained (remove about 2 tablespoons) 3 large eggs 2/3 cup vegetable oil 3/4 c granulated sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped toasted pecans** or coconut Frosting 16 oz cream cheese (two 8 oz boxes, room temp) 3/4 cup butter (room temp) 5 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon milk 1 tablespoon vanilla Preheat oven to 350F and place the rack in the middle of the range but low enough to fit the tall cake pan. Grease a 10” tube pan and set aside. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together wet ingredients except for pecans and scrape the bowl if needed. Add the wet to dry ingredients and stir until almost mixed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and gently stir in pecans. Pour the batter into the tube pan and smooth the top if needed, Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes clean except for a few moist crumbs. Cool thoroughly before frosting. You can chill the cake for a day or two and frost later if needed, just be sure to wrap the cake well first. Frosting Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar until mixed. Split the cake in half horizontally and frost the middle of the cake. Frost the sides and top of the cake and swirl a design on it. Add pecans, coconut, and banana chips as you like for garnish. Store in the refrigerator. **Roast pecans at 300F for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly toasted --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, If you don't love raspberry bars, then you need to try my gluten-free version. I know that sounds funny because most gluten-free bakes are worse than the regular ones… but trust me it's so good you won't miss the wheat! These rich bars are packed with lots of raspberry filling and have a  buttery shortbread base with loads of bumpy crumb topping. You might need a fork to eat these bars because they tend to be messy but it's definitely worth getting dirty for it. I ramped up the flavor in every layer so that each one was delicious on it's own. You need to try these but be sure to get a fork and a plate -Carolyn PS The written recipe is correct but, in the audio I said the wrong amounts for salt and lemon zest. Sorry about that! I appreciate you bearing with me during the transition to video podcasting and being patient with my oops. Gluten-Free Raspberry Crumble Bars Recipe makes one 8”x8” pan Crust 1 3/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Raspberry Filling 1 cup fresh raspberries 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice Crumble Topping 7 tablespoons butter, cold 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed 1/2 cup gluten-free oats 1/2 cup Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup almonds, chopped or pecans 1/4 teaspoon salt Optional: Icing 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon water a few drops of vanilla extract Stir ingredients together in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease or line a 8x8” baking pan. Crust In the bowl of a food processor, add the dry ingredients except for butter and almond extract. Pulse for a minute to mix together. Add pieces of cold butter and pulse until chunks form and butter is in tiny bits. Sprinkle almond extract over the top and pulse for 10 more seconds. You may need to gather the dough together and mix in any dry bits at the bottom before adding it to the pan. Dump the crust mixture into the baking pan and spread it into an even layer. Press down and up the sides 1/2 inch. I like to use a sheet of parchment  to press it down so the mix doesn't stick to my hand. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crust is slightly browned and dry to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes Filling In a medium-sized bowl, combine raspberries, jam, zest and juice. Set this aside until ready to assemble the bars. Crumble Add the crumble ingredients to the bowl of the food processor and mix until the dough forms chunks. Make sure there are no dry bits at the bottom. Assemble the bars by spreading./pouring the raspberry filling over the bottom evenly. Sprinkle chunks of the crumble over the jam as evenly as possible. Bake for about 15 minutes and then rotate pan and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top is browned and cooked when you test it with a knife. It will be soft but should have cookie texture not melted doughiness. Let cool for about minutes and run a knife around the edges to loosen. Let cool completely and then chill for a minimum of a few hours. You can eat them unchilled but they will fall apart and be a huge mess! Cut bars, sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle some icing right before serving. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers! This podcast marks the first of my podcast/videos that I will be releasing. I'm super excited but a bit new at all of this so please be patient if things are a bit different for the next few episodes. Also, the video will be out soon but is not quite ready today. On to our bake… If you made a cloud into a cake this would be it. Uniquely snow white, light textured, sweet, and fat-free with a caramel-tasting browned edge. This gluten-free Angel Food Cake uses egg whites and the air beaten into them to create a delicate texture. It is not a difficult cake to make but it requires some special attention to detail. You need to know how to separate eggs and fold in the flour. I walk you through all of this and more on my podcast and a video coming soon! I sure hope you try baking this stellar cake which is a family favorite and usually is devoured in a day. Enjoy -Carolyn PS  If you have listened to me before you might be surprised that I'm sifting my flour and sugar! This is the one bake you really need to sift :)  Equipment needed: 10” tube pan, hand mixer, rubber spatula.  Special ingredients: Cream of Tartar Gluten-free Angel Food Cake Adapted from The Joy of Cooking's recipe for Angel Cake makes one 10” tube pan 1 1/4 cups of egg whites (~ from 8 large eggs is what I needed), room temp 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon salt, fine grain 1 cup Cup4Cup multi-purpose gluten-free flour 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, small grain works best 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350F and make sure your oven rack is in the middle position but low enough to fit the tube pan on the rack. Sift flour and sift sugar before measuring. Sift flour a second time and sift in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Set aside. Do not use a plastic bowl for making this cake! Any residual oil on it will prevent the egg whites from beating. As an extra measure of precaution, I always wash the beaters and bowls in hot soapy water (even if I think they are clean) to make sure they are entirely free of oil. Add egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt into the large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium until the whites are foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. If you lift the beater out of the whites and a peak forms on the surface but it falls over a bit, this is the soft peaks stage. Time to add the sugar. Add the granulated sugar by sprinkling it into the batter a 1/4 cup at a time. Beat to just combine after each addition. Continue doing this until all the sugar is used. The egg whites and sugar will get thick and marshmallow-textured. Beat until stiff peaks form. A stiff peak is when the whites form a peak that doesn't fall over when you lift the beaters out of the whites. Grab a spatula ( i know this is rubber/plastic but it's ok to use at this stage of mixing) and start adding the flour. Sprinkle 1/4 of the flour/sugar mix over the beaten egg whites and fold it in. Continue doing this until all the flour is used. Be careful to fold until the flour is just mixed in. Spoon the batter into an ungreased tube pan. Smooth it out to the edges, into the curves, and flat on top. Next, using a skewer or a knife, run it through the batter to get rid of any air pockets. Do this gently so as not to deflate the batter. You can make a pretty design on top with your knife, I usually do swirls. Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes** or until the cake springs back in the middle when touched with your finger.  To cool the cake without deflating, center a large plate over the tube pan and turn it upside down. Let cool for at least two hours. This helps the cake stay tall. Loosen the cake from the pan by running a serrated knife around the edges and base.  Turn the cake over onto a plate. Slice using a serrated knife and small sawing motions. Garnish with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. **If the cake is browning too quickly but not done, cover loosely with a sheet of foil.    --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, I really did learn how to make these cookies to impress a boy! He had strawberry blond hair, a wide smile, and a surfer's tan around his neck. I had a crush on him from 7th grade all the way into high school. I used to bring him a batch of lemon bars every Christmas but somehow things never worked out for us…Still, the recipe is one of my favorites and now I've made it gluten-free. I increased the amount of filling for a ratio I liked better and decreased the butter in the crust to keep the gluten-free flour from becoming saturated with oil.  It's a simple two-step recipe that anyone can make and it tastes like a bite of sunshine on a plate. A buttery, tender shortbread base is covered in a rich lemon filling loaded with fresh juice and zest for the brightest possible flavor. You need to make these bars and see what I'm talking about. Enjoy this one -Carolyn Gluten-Free Lemon Bars Makes one 9x13” pan Dry Ingredients 1 3/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose gluten-free Flour 1/4 cup almond flour, blanched 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1/2 cup powdered sugar 15 tablespoons butter, softened (one cup minus one tablespoon) Wet Ingredients 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons lemon zest* 4 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 1/2 tablespoons Cup4Cup Multipurpose gluten-free flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350F and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Grease or line a 9x13” pan and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and powdered sugar. Using a hand mixer or pastry blender, thoroughly mix in butter until it resembles large soft crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and 1/2-3/4“ up the sides. Make sure you get an even thickness over the entire pan to ensure even baking. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the crust is lightly brown and slightly dry and firm in the middle. Cool for 10 minutes. While the crust is cooling, start making the filling. Using the same large bowl ( you don't even have to wash it!), beat together eggs, yolk, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix for a few minutes or until the mixture is fluffy and well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and add lemon juice and zest. Beat for a few more minutes. The filling will be a bit more fluffy and smells divine. Pour filling into cooled crust and bake for about 15 minutes. Rotate the pan in the oven and continue cooking for about 10-15 more minutes or until the bars are done. Insert a knife into the center of the bars and when it has thickened filling on it, it is done. You want this to be like a thick custard, so you don't want your knife to come clean! The top of the bars will be browned and the filling will be thick enough to not move around when you take them out of the oven. Cool for about 15 minutes and then dust with a thick layer of powdered sugar. Run a knife around the edge and let the bars cool thoroughly. Cut into squares, hide from family if needed, and enjoy! If you chill or freeze the bars, the lemon flavor is even more intense.  *if you don't have a zester, you can use the fine side of a cheese grater. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Blueberry muffins are a classic bake that often goes wrong and when you make them gluten-free all bets are off. A bakery in my hometown had the most crave-able muffins that I would go out of my way to get and enjoy in the park before riding home (no I wasn't the cool kid with a car in high school but the strange one with her pants rolled up to avoid getting stuck in my bike chain) I've been searching for a similar recipe for decades…This is that muffin. With a moist crumb, with lots of sugar crunch on top and tons of berries. Not as sweet as cake but more than a scone. Rich without being oily. This muffin is the perfect complement to a hot cup of tea and some quiet time or something amazing to grab on your way out of the house for a quick bite. I hope you love this one as much as I do and get a chance to share a batch with your family and friends. Have fun in the kitchen and make something that tastes amazing- Carolyn Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins Adapted for gluten-Free from the recipe for Cranberry Breakfast Cake by The View From Great Island Makes 12 regular-sized muffins Dry Ingredients 1 3/4 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Wet ingredients  1/2 butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg + 1 yolk 1/4 cup 1/2 &!/2  1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen   Sparkling sugar for topping Preheat oven to 350F and place oven rack in the middle position. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl combine egg, yolk, 1/2&1/2, and extracts and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add egg mixture and stir until just incorporated. Add remaining dry ingredients and when mixed gently stir in the blueberries. Scoop into a lined or greased muffin tin and smooth out the top, then sprinkle with sparkling sugar. If you are using frozen berries, the batter will be very thick.  The sugar is optional but will give the tops a nice crunch and sweet boost to the fruit flavor of the tops. Bake about for 12-16 minutes for fresh berries or 25-30 minutes for frozen. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean. You may need to cover the top with foil if it is browning too much. Cool and enjoy!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, We were pancake people. We almost never had crepes growing up. Ok, sometimes waffles, but crepes? Those were fancy and way too much trouble for the average breakfast. The only crepe I ever had as a kid was at a French restaurant. I was 8 and in order to get the tantalizing strawberry crepe, I had to eat the chicken one first…it was torture. Crepes are not hard at all but they do require a non-stick pan and some spreading technique. They are really skinny pancakes that you can fill with anything you like or have on hand. Have some Nutella? Perfect, spread some of that on and give it a dusting of cocoa or powdered sugar. Lots of apples? Make a pie-type filling, add to the crepe, roll it up, and then top with ice cream. Have no fruit but a lemon? Ok, this is a classic crepe I'm told. Make your crepe and spread it with butter, some sugar, and a sprinkle of lemon…YUM! It seems there is no way to go wrong here. Like a tortilla, these things are made for filling and are incredibly customizable. The hardest part of crepes isn't difficult and in the worst-case scenario, you end up with a pancake that is still edible! I usually plan on eating the first one as a tester because it usually takes me one crepe to get it right. Are you ready to try making some? These suckers are really tasty gluten-free and the batter is indistinguishable from wheat. Enjoy-Carolyn Gluten-Free Crepes makes about 20 crepes  Dry 1/1/2 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free flour 4 tablespoons sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt Wet 4 large eggs, room temp is preferred  2 1/2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Have a flat, non-stick pan or griddle and some butter ready to go. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl until well-mixed. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together. The batter will be very thin but will get thicker after a few minutes of mixing. Scoop or spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto the middle of your buttered pan over medium/medium-high heat. Spread the batter very thinly with a crepe spreader or a spatula. It helps to work from the center out. Cook until the top is just dry and the bottom is browned. Carefully loosen the edges of the crepe and turn it over gently. Cook about 40 seconds a side. You can cook all the crepes at once and stack them together on a plate until the cooking is complete. Fill them with your favorite ingredients and enjoy! Crepes can be cooled on a rack and then stacked in an airtight container for a few days in the fridge* until ready to use. Some filling/topping ideas any soft, fresh, sliced fruit add syrup or sweetened lemon juice to the fruit 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder added to 2 tablespoons of honey. Heat for about 10 seconds and then drizzle over the crepe with fruit Nutella spread into the middle with some whipped cream topping. Add mini chips or chocolate shavings as garnish butter and granulated sugar rolled inside is one of my favorite versions and the most simple! *Is reheating gluten-free crepes a time-saving hack for a quick treat? This is a big yes!! Store in the fridge for a few days covered. Here's how I heat them up, place them in a hot pan for about 20 seconds a side, and then flip them to reheat the other side. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Who loves coconut?? I do and I love the chewy bits and rich, sweet, milky coconut taste any way I can get it! This easy cake recipe has tons of coconut flavor without the use of extract so it's naturally delicious. I put coconut milk in every bit of it… the cake, simple syrup, and the frosting. This dense, moist, coconutty cake is covered in the most addictive frosting that is a buttercream/cream cheese hybrid with the best qualities of both. This is a great cake. In fact, had a piece for breakfast with my coffee and then wanted more for lunch so you know it's good. Coconut lovers this one is for you! Enjoy -Carolyn Gluten-Free Coconut Cake Adapted from the Coconut Cake recipe by Sally's Baking Addiction makes a two layer 9” square cake Dry ingredients 2 1/4 cups Cup4Cup multi-purpose gluten-free flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt Wet Ingredients 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk, shaken 2 tablespoons applesauce, unsweetened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut desired Coconut Simple Syrup 1/2 cup coconut milk liquid or low-fat coconut milk 1/2 cup granulated sugar Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1-8 ounce package of cream cheese 2 tablespoons coconut milk solids 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups powdered sugar ( you can use more if you want the frosting thicker) Garnish coconut chips Toasted coconut chips ( Bake in a 350F oven on a baking tray for about 5- 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir these and watch carefully, they can burn quite quickly! I browned mine while the cake was cooling and the oven was still hot.) Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9” square pans. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar for a few minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs. Beat for 2 minutes or until combined thoroughly. Add buttermilk, coconut milk, applesauce, and vanilla, and mix well. Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir until almost mixed. Add coconut and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and mix briefly. Divide the dough evenly into the two baking pans and place on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake for about 15 more minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes completely on a rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes before removing them from the baking pans. If not using immediately, wrap cakes well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days until ready to frost. Coconut Simple Syrup Step In a small saucepan combine coconut milk and sugar. Cook while stirring over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is the consistency of syrup. Cool until warm. Brush the top of each cake with the syrup and let it soak in. If the cakes are cold, poke holes all over the surface of the cake to speed up the absorption of the syrup. Frosting Beat butter with an electric mixer in a medium-sized bowl until no lumps remain. Add cream cheese and coconut cream solids and beat until just combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Frosting can be made ahead and stored in the fridge or used immediately.  When the syrup has soaked in, frost the top of one of the cakes. Put the frosted side and the soaked top of the other cake together. Frost the top and sides of the stacked cake. I like to do this messy and make a lot of swirls and points for texture. Press coconut flakes onto the side of the cake and cover the top with toasted coconut. Enjoy! *Sweet rice flour is made from glutinous rice and is different from regular rice flour. I buy the Koda Farms brand online. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, If you love caramel and chocolate these are for you! Twix lovers? These bars have the same appeal as the candy but with better-tasting layers… and you get an entire pan to enjoy! No judgment here about how many pieces you had to “taste”… I modified this recipe for gluten-free by reducing the amount of butter in the shortbread and adding some different flours to give the bars the right texture. I hope you love these decadent treats as much as I did. Treat yourself to something special and curl up with one of these and your favorite hot drink-Carolyn Gluten-Free Millionaire Bars Modified for gluten-free from Sugar Spun Run's recipe for Millionaire Bars makes one 8”x8” pan Shortbread Wet Ingredients 12 tablespoons butter, softened 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Dry Ingredients 2 cups Cup4Cup Gluten-Free flour 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour Spread evenly into the bottom of a greased or lined 8”x8” pan. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until shortbread is golden brown all over and cooked in the center. Let cool completely. Once the bars are cool, start making the caramel layer. Caramel 1-14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk 8 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Add all the caramel ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan and heat on medium until the butter melts. Stir constantly and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until caramel thickens, deepens in color, and pulls away from the edge of the pan when stirred. The temperature should reach about 230-235F. Pour over the cooled bar cookie layer and spread evenly. Let cool completely. Once the caramel has set and is cooled, prepare the chocolate layer. Chocolate Ganache 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate 1/2 cup heavy cream Heat cream in a  medium-sized microwave-safe bowl until warm but not boiling. Add chocolate and stir. If the chocolate is not completely melted, heat the mixture in 5-10 second intervals in the microwave. Stir until just smooth. Spread over the cooled caramel layer. Let the chocolate layer completely cool. Brush the top of the chocolate with some gold leaf if desired to make the bars even fancier. Cut into squares and enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Don't you want to cut into a warm slightly sweet biscuit bread with a beautiful craggy top and tons of sweet dried fruit inside? Yes please, I say! I'll grab the butter and honey and we can dig in. I have no shame in saying I ate three pieces of bread during the taping of this episode because it was so darn good. This easy bake comes together quickly and you don't have to wait for the yeast to work since Irish Soda Bread uses baking soda and buttermilk to rise! Try this making this treat sometime soon and have it for breakfast, a midmorning snack, or anytime -Carolyn Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread Makes one 9” round loaf Dry 3 1/4 cups Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour 1 cup gluten-free oat flour* 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons butter, cold Wet 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened 1 large egg 1 cup currants or raisins, lightly dusted with flour Preheat oven to 375F and set the rack in the middle position. Grease a 9” cast iron pan or baking dish. In a large mixing bowl whisk together dry ingredients except for the butter. Next, cut in butter and set aside. In a small mixing bowl combine buttermilk, applesauce, and egg. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until the dough just comes together. Stir in currants to evenly distribute them. Then, gather the dough into a ball and knead it on a floured counter a few times until you can shape it into a round loaf. Transfer the dough to the baking pan and score an “X” lightly into the top with a serrated knife. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the bread is done. Check the bread about 20 minutes into the bake for color and tent with foil if the bread is already browned. The bread is done when a cake tester inserted into the middle comes clean. Cool for 10 minutes and cut with a serrated knife. I like my Irish Soda Bread with butter and honey. Enjoy! * I make my own oat flour with gluten-free oats ground in a food processor or spice grinder. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Here is a dessert for all cobbler and cherry lovers! This rich dessert is easy and so full of cherry flavor that I know you'll love it. A bit of almond extract and lemon juice in the filling brighten and enhance frozen cherries quickly into a velvety, deeply delicious filling. Lightly sweetened cobbler tops this homey favorite that deserves a place on your table! Have fun making and eating this one -Carolyn Oops alert! In the audio, I said cobbler has 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of 2 tablespoons. Gluten-Free Cherry Cobbler Cherry Filling 6 cups frozen, pitted sweet cherries, thawed 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 medium lemon zest and juice (about 1/4 cup of juice) 1/8 teaspoon almond extract Cobbler Dry Ingredients 1 cup +1 tablespoon Cup4Cup gf Flour 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup blanched almond flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter Wet Ingredients 1 large egg 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce 6 tablespoons buttermilk Preheat oven to 400F. Add filling ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan and mix together. Cook while stirring over medium heat until the mixture thickens and starts to gently boil. Take off the heat and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients except for the butter. Cut in butter until it is in small pieces and resembles bread crumbs. Set aside this mixture. In a small mixing bowl whisk together milk, egg, and applesauce. Add milk mixture to the dry and stir until a soft dough comes together. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the dry mix is incorporated. Transfer the dough to a floured counter. Pat into a circle 1/2” thick. Cut into shapes 2.5” wide. Pour filling into a round pie 9” baking pan. Arrange cobbler pieces on top of warm cherry filling. Place the cobbler pan on a baking tray to catch any drippings. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until topping is completely cooked*. The cobbler will brown well before the dough is done, so check the cobbler color in 10 minutes, if the dough is brown cover it with foil to slow browning. Cool cobbler for five minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy! *If you are wondering if the cobbler topping is cooked, you can gently lift up the edge and see if the dough is done on the bottom side. You can also use an instant-read thermometer and test the cobbler dough temperature, it should read 205F-210F. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Turn (mostly) sugar and egg whites into something spectacular! This light-as-a-cloud dessert has a delicate, crisp crust and a softer marshmallow-like center. The meringue shells are filled with fresh whipped cream, mixed berries, and a bit of sweet/tart lemon curd. This phenomenal dessert looks much harder to bake than it really is. Make this show-stopper when you really want to make a statement or just want to eat something unusually delicious -Carolyn Pavlova (meringue shells) with Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries makes six 4”x1” pavlova shells 5 large eggs or about 2/3 cup of egg whites 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 3 teaspoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon lemon juice Filling lemon curd* whipped cream Topping Fresh berries or other soft fruit Preheat oven to 300F Do not use plastic bowls for this recipe! Any residual oils will prevent the egg whites from whipping. Separate eggs being extra careful not to get any yolk into the white. Save the yolks to make the curd. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar while beating. Once the sugar has dissolved and is no longer grainy, add lemon juice and mix for a few seconds. Next, add cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. You can sift this onto the batter or just sprinkle it in. Mix completely. Your batter should be dense, thick, and look like marshmallow fluff. Using parchment paper, line the baking tray. Use a dab of meringue between the tray and the paper to keep it from slipping. Using a large spoon, shape 1 cup of the meringue into a 4” circle with a small lip around the edge. You can make swirls or points in the meringue to give it some texture. Piping the batter from a bag is a neat way to shape it as well. Turn down the oven to 225F and bake meringues for about 45 minutes or until meringues are dry to the touch. Turn off the heat and leave them in the oven for a few hours or overnight to dry out. They can then be used right away or stored in an airtight container. Assemble pavlova by spreading a bit of curd on the shell and topping it with whipped cream and berries. I like to stir some curd into the whipped cream and add to the pavlova first and then top with a whipped cream layer followed by berries. Enjoy! *Lemon Curd 5 egg yolks 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup lemon juice 4 tablespoons of butter Whisk together yolks, sugar, and juice. Heat over a double boiler while stirring for about 7-10 minutes or until the curd coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Pour into the container and cover. Cool completely. This curd is very thick and depending on how you are using it you may want to thin it with some fresh juice. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers! Welcome to Season two of the podcast!! I'm excited to bake with you for another year and share amazing gluten-free recipes with you. This bake has no flour and is naturally gluten-free but you won't miss the flour one bit. Flourless Chocolate cake is a rich and chocolaty bake that is perfect for a special occasion but easy enough to make on a weeknight. It can be made a day ahead and garnished the day you serve it. Ice cream or whipped cream and fresh fruit are two tasty ways to eat it. This recipe was modified from the New York Times recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake. I added less butter, some espresso and a bit of cocoa powder. I hope you love this rich dessert as much as I do -Carolyn Naturally Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake makes one 8” or 9” cake 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 teaspoons espresso dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water 4 large eggs 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Garnish with cocoa powder or powdered sugar top with fresh fruit, whipped cream, ice cream, or any combination of these Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in the middle of the oven. grease and line an 8” or 9” cake pan with parchment paper. You can also use a springform pan. Melt together butter and chocolate chips in the microwave or over hot water. Add espresso and stir well. This may take a minute because the chocolate mixture is very thick. Beat eggs in a large bowl until light yellow in color and fluffy. In a small bowl thoroughly combine sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Make sure no cocoa lumps remain. Add sugar mixture to eggs and stir until just mixed. Using a spatula, add the chocolate mixture to the batter making sure to scrape the bowl and incorporate the thicker chocolate completely into the egg batter. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until puffed. Cool completely. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar. Serve with fresh fruit or your favorite garnish. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Citrus Cheesecake is another top episode of 2022 that can't be beaten! I've made a lot of cheesecakes and this is my new favorite flavor! The mix of citrus together is even better than lemon or orange and has a sunny taste you can't find in a store-bought cake. The recipe takes a bit of time but none of it is very complicated. I will walk you through all the tricks and you'll see how easy it is to make this amazing dessert. This recipe was created with a slight twist on a lemon cheesecake I made years ago. I wanted a light and fresh taste with less tartness. Sweet Mandarin oranges were just the thing to round out the lemons and add to the citrusy feel. Another bonus is the beautiful orange color of the curd topping! If you choose to make the sour cream topping instead, the cheesecake will have a more subtle citrus flavor. The recipe link is included here since the whole recipe was too long for the show notes! I hope you have fun and let me know how it goes -Carolyn https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u5xB0g412hkIG37bdS9FY8w4I6n62rCe/view?usp=share_link --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, I'm revisiting some of the top episodes of season one! Spice Cake is a very special recipe to me and some of my friends and family's favorite. I hope you can share this bake over a warm cup of coffee or after a cozy dinner! This cake is moist and has a fine crumb. It has a rich flavor that only an array of spices can bring. Burnt butter icing is something my grandmother made. It's not really burnt, but the milk solids are browned just enough to bring a toffee taste to the icing. This is the cake of my childhood, a Norman Rockwell painting on a plate. Family, joy, and food! Make this and you will have to keep people from peeling the icing right off the cake! Yes, it's that addictive. I've included a link to the recipe below, it was too big to include in the show notes. Please let me know if you have any questions and how you liked the cake. Also, and FYI...some of the mixing times in the audio were shortened for editing reasons. Thanks so much for listening~Carolyn https://drive.google.com/file/d/11zGX0yfpduUk18sWOcqc2eUbTlZ1VuZM/view?usp=sharing --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, English Toffee is one of my most requested treats and always gets rave reviews! An almost magical process turns butter, sugar, and water into delicious candy. You can make this! I urge you to try and be rewarded with the best toffee you've ever eaten! It's so buttery and rich with a nice crunch followed by a chew with chocolate and nuts! This recipe has been in my collection for so long it is just a tattered scrap of paper and I believe its origin is Bon Appetit magazine but I can't find the recipe anywhere to confirm this! I hope you love it as much as I do and become a proficient candy maker too. So many candy recipes are gluten-free that it makes sense for a person with gluten intolerance to hone this skill. Have fun with this one and try not to eat it all at once- Carolyn English Toffee Recipe from my teenage recipe file (most likely from an old Bon Appetit) 1 cup butter I cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups chocolate, semisweet, milk or white chocolate chips 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped roasted nuts Grease a baking sheet or silicone mat with butter and set aside. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook butter, sugar, and water. Stir continuously over medium heat with a wooden spoon until the candy reaches 305F aka the hard crack stage. You can use a candy thermometer or use ice water to test this. If you drip a bit of candy mixture in ice water and it cracks when you break a cooled piece this is a hard crack. The toffee will be a deep brown color and smell like caramel. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour onto the prepared pan or silicone mat. If you want thinner toffee, tilt the pan a bit to spread it out. Cool completely. If there is oil on the surface of the toffee, use a paper towel to wipe it off. Spread with melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with nuts. Let cool and turn over and cover the other side with chocolate and nuts. When chocolate is hardened, break it into pieces and store it in a bag or airtight container. Enjoy! Options for not coating both sides in chocolate. Toffee brittle- Pour hot toffee onto nuts, coconut shreds or anything else you want to be covered in toffee. I really like using cashews, coconut and cocoa nibs. Break up toffee and share with friends. Dipped ends-break toffee into large chunks and dip one end into chocolate and then nuts. *It took twenty minutes for my toffee to reach the hard crack stage. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, It's the 1970's and you've just run home from school and are starving. We didn't have any cool snacks in the house growing up, but sometimes I would open the door and smell this Applesauce Cake! It was one of the few treats we had regularly and I always loved it. Maybe my Mom baked it because all the fruit made it healthier in her eyes. Applesauce cake has just a bit of spice and subtle apple flavor. It's the perfect sweetness for dessert or an afternoon snack. A cup of applesauce in the batter makes the cake moist but light. I love adding some mixed dried fruit and baking small loaves to give to friends. The fruit cake everyone enjoys! Have fun eating and baking this simple yet delicious cake-Carolyn Gluten-Free Applesauce Cake Adapted for gluten-free from The Joy of Cooking's recipe for Applesauce Cake Dry Ingredients 1½ cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Gluten-Free Flour ¼ cup blanched almond flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cloves Wet Ingredients ½ cup softened butter 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar or granulated 1 large egg 1 cup raisins 1 cup mixed dried fruit or nuts 1 cup unsweetened applesauce Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 10' tube pan. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat butter and sugar together until well combined. Add egg and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients until just mixed. The batter will be very thick like cookie batter. Add the dried fruit and mix in. Stir in applesauce until just mixed. The batter is dense, so it takes a minute or two to incorporate the applesauce completely. Scoop into the prepared tube pan and smooth the top. Bake on the center rack for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched in the center or a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool on rack. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, This is my favorite chocolate cake in cupcake form. It has the best flavor I've ever tasted and most years I make it for my birthday. The cupcake is sweet and darkly chocolate without any other flavor distractions. The whipped cream and dense fudge frosting all work with the cupcakes to make it the best possible dessert. I hope you decide to try and share these cupcakes with everyone you love -Carolyn Gluten-Free Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe modified from The Perfect Chocolate Cake by McCall's Cooking School Makes 12 large cupcakes Cocoa ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder ¾ cup +2 tablespoons boiling water Dry 1¼ cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour (preferred) or King Arthur GF Flour blend ⅛ cup blanched almond flour (2 tablespoons) ½ teaspoon Koda Farms Sweet Rice Flour 1 teaspoons baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder Wet ½ cup butter, softened 1¼ cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs ¾ teaspoons vanilla extract ⅛ cup unsweetened applesauce (2 tablespoons) Cream filling ½ cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Frosting 3 oz semisweet chocolate chips (~½ cup) ¼ cup light cream or milk ½ cup butter 1¼ cups powdered sugar Mix cocoa with boiling water in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until mixed. Set aside in the fridge to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 350F and place the rack in the middle position of the oven. Line the cupcake pan with paper liners. Mix flours, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl with a whisk. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl as needed. Mix in the dry ingredients in fourths alternating with the cocoa mixture. You want to start and end with the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Scoop batter into cupcake pan ¾ full and smooth the top. Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back in the center when touched with a finger. Cool on a rack. Once the cupcakes are completely cool, cut a cone-shaped piece out of the top of each cupcake. Put cupcakes in the refrigerator to make sure they are cold before you fill them with whipped cream. In a medium-sized bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff. Spoon or pipe whipped cream into the top of the cupcakes and set cupcakes in the freezer while you make the frosting. Frosting Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Add chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Add powdered sugar and mix thoroughly. Add cream and beat over a bowl of ice until spreadable consistency. Frost cupcakes and store them in the refrigerator. The frosting will get hard and fudge-like when cold. Enjoy these phenomenal cupcakes! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers! It's pie season and this is one of my favorites. This pecan pie has more flavor than most due to the browned butter, brown sugar, and dark corn syrup. It has a richer caramel taste without detracting from the pecans and this crust is so good no one will guess it's gluten-free. I hope you try this tastier version of an old favorite and add it to your holiday table- Carolyn Gluten-Free Browned Butter Pecan Pie Gluten-free Pie Dough (makes enough for two 9” single-crust pies) Dry ingredients 2 cups Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon whey protein isolate ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum Wet ingredients ⅔ cup butter, cold and cut into chunks 2 tablespoons shortening 3-3½ tablespoons ice water To make the crust, in a large bowl whisk dry ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Cut in butter and shortening until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture with 3-3½ tablespoons of water or enough water so that you can gather the dough into two balls. Use dough immediately or shape it into flattened disks and wrap it with plastic until ready to use. Pecan Filling ⅓ cup browned butter 3 large eggs 1 cup light brown sugar ½ cup dark corn syrup ½ cup golden or light corn syrup ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup pecan halves Preheat oven to 450F. Line the pie pan with dough and prick the bottom with a fork. If pie dough rips you can repair it with scraps and it will be just fine! Bake for 5-7 minutes which is called par-baking :) Let cool. Reduce oven to 375F In a small saucepan, heat butter until it melts and the solids start to brown and smell like caramel This can happen very quickly, so do not walk away from your butter! Set aside to cool. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and browned butter until well mixed. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour into par-baked pie shell and bake for about 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The pie should be a bit jiggly in the center but not liquid. If the edge of the crust is getting too brown, cover the edges of the pie with foil until it is done. Cool completely before cutting. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers, Do you love big soft molasses cookies? These are just what you're looking for. Boldly spiced with a ton of flavor and crisp sugary edges. These are the best! I modified my favorite recipe to be gluten-free by substituting the wheat flour for gluten-free, adding tapioca flour and sweet rice flour. I also added some xanthan gum for chew. Sweet potato helps keep them moist. Curl up in a warm blanket, put on a good movie, and enjoy this tasty favorite -Carolyn Gluten-Free Soft Molasses Cookies Adapted for gluten-free from Cook's Illustrated Spiced Molasses Cookies recipe. Dry 2 1/2 cups Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour 1 tablespoon tapioca flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet rice flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger 3/4 teaspoon cloves 1/4 teaspoon allspice Wet 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg + 1 yolk 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons sweet potato puree Preheat oven to 375F and place rack in the center position. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, combine butter and sugar. Add egg, yolk, molasses, vanilla, and potato puree, and still well. Add dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Scoop into balls about 2.5 tablespoons in size. Roll in large grain sugar and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 9-14 minutes or until the outside is set but the center is puffed and soft. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet and then transfer them onto a rack until completely cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers! If you love pumpkin and don't want to work too hard to make something unforgettable you need to try these Pumpkin Donuts with Browned Butter Icing! They are moist and delicious and such a quick bake you can't go wrong. Pairing pumpkin with my favorite icing is a match made in heaven. Really, it's hard to think of something sweet that wouldn't be better slathered in yummy browned butter. I may be biased because I spent a lot of my childhood dreaming about peeling thick layers of this off of my grandmother's bundt cake when she wasn't looking… If you've never tasted it, you can expect all the same flavors of caramel and toffee. I hope you treat your family and friends to this Fall favorite made better with browned butter. Have fun in the kitchen making this one! -Carolyn Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts with Browned Butter Icing Adapted for gluten-free from King Arthur's Pumpkin Cake Doughnut Recipe Dry 1 1/2 cup +2 tablespoons Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Four 1/4 cup oat flour or 1/4 cup almond flour or a blend of both 1 teaspoon sweet rice flour 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder 1/2-1 teaspoon of salt 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice Wet 1/2 cup canola oil 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (Libby's preferred) Preheat the oven to 350F and place the rack in the middle position. Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, combine oil and sugar then add pumpkin and eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pipe or scoop into greased donut pans. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the donut springs back when touched in the middle. Cool on a rack and frost or roll in cinnamon sugar. Brown Butter Icing 1/4 butter 3 cups of powdered sugar 1 tablespoon milk or more to achieve a thickness to dip donut :) Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat until butter solids brown and you can smell caramel. Stir or swirl to prevent uneven heating. The foam on top may stay light-colored but you should remove the butter from the heat as soon as it achieves a deep golden color. This will take about 5 minutes depending on your stove and the temperature of the butter. Remove from heat and add 2cups of powdered sugar. The mix will be the texture of dry crumbs and this is what you want. Next, add small amounts of milk to achieve the icing thickness you desire. I like to dip my donuts, so I like the consistency of thick honey. Sprinkle immediately with sprinkles or spices if you want to give donuts a festive and pretty look. These will keep for a day at room temperature but will stay fresher in the fridge. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message

Hi Bakers! Welcome back to my kitchen :) Flan is so underrated. I think most people have never had it or haven't tried a good one. For me, flan should be a sweet caramel dream. The softest milky sweet custard bathed in a golden lake of caramel. It should be incredibly smooth and light and impossible to stop eating! Don't you want to make some today? Keep in mind that the flan will need to be cooled before eating so make it a day ahead to accommodate this. There are a few steps to making flan that seem intimidating but are quite doable. Making the caramel, adding hot liquid to raw eggs without making a scramble, and knowing when the flan is done. I've got you covered on all three of these…so let's get to baking. -Carolyn Flan Recipe inspired by my Mom's recipe Caramel** 3/4 cup granulated sugar Custard 4 large eggs, beaten well 4 cups whole milk or 3 3/4 cups 2% milk + 1/4 cup cream 3/4-1 cup of granulated sugar ( I use the lesser amount if I heat my milk in the caramel pan) 1 teaspoon vanilla pinch of salt Preheat oven to 325F Place a large roasting pan in the center rack of the oven. Fill with 1-1.5 inches of water. Make sure your pan is large enough to hold all your ramekins filled with flan. You will be baking them in a water bath so they get more even heat and don't crack on the top. Have ramekins on the counter ready for the caramel. In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup of sugar for the caramel. Use medium heat and don't leave this alone on the stove! It can burn very quickly. The sugar will begin to melt at the edges and start to turn brown as it caramelizes. Gently shake the pan to move it around and melt it thoroughly You can lift the pan away from the burner if it is browning too fast…I have an electric stove and do this a lot. Resist the urge to stir! It results in a sugar candy-covered spoon :( When the caramel turns a deep well…caramel color remove it from the heat. Immediately pour into the bottom of the ramekins and try to divide the amount evenly! I am terrible at this but it doesn't matter since it turns into syrup once it has cooled overnight. In a medium-sized bowl, beat eggs until well mixed. Add salt and vanilla and beat a minute more. Use the saucepan with caramel residue in it to heat up milk (or milk and cream). Stir frequently over medium heat so that the milk is heated up and just bubbling around the edges. This is what it means to scald the mike FYI. Remove milk from the stove and slowly pour a small amount of hot milk into the egg mixture while stirring. Mix quickly and add slowly so that the milk doesn't cook the egg. Add all the milk and mix for another minute. Divide mixture into ramekins with caramel. Gently set into a hot water bath so dishes are not touching, Bake for about 45-55 minutes depending on the size of your ramekins and your oven. Test doneness by inserting a knife into the center and if no liquid milk is on the knife it is done. You should have some slightly thickened custard on the knife. Remove from the water bath and cool for one hour. Cover the flan and cool overnight in the refrigerator. You can eat them straight out of the dish which is less spectacular or unmold them. To unmold, run a small, sharp knife all the way around the edge of the ramekin to separate the custard from the dish. Cover custard with a plate with sides. invert the plate so the custard is upside down. gently remove the dish and garnish as desired. Enjoy this beauty!! YUM :) ** if you don't want to deal with the caramel you can choose to make a flan without it or add a substitute. I used a few tablespoons of real maple syrup and even 2 T of dark brown sugar instead of caramel. The flan may be lighter than the caramel one, but will still have a good taste. You can garnish this with fruit and the lighter caramel will be less noticeable --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolyn-hillyer/message