From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

I give monthly Lithuanian cooking demos, as I studied in Vilnius, Lithuania for summer school. I also give talks, with photos, souvenirs, scrap books and a buffet of Lithuanian dishes.

The original recipe for this cake is from Treasures of Lithuanian cooking, which says it’s “an easy and delicious cake for family gathering or a weekend treat.” In Lithuanian, it’s called obuolinis pyragas.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral tasting oil—I use avocado oil
• 1 cup flour King Arthur all purpose gluten-free
• 1/2 tsp (3ml) xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp (3 ml) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (3 ml) baking soda
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, washed, cored (no need to peel) and either shredded in food processor or cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup (56 g) toasted chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk—fat free or almond milk works fine.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°c) and spray an 8×8 or bundt pan and dust with flour.
2. Beat eggs and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in oil.
3. Add in the rest of ingredients except for the apples and nuts.
4. Stir in apples and nuts.
5. Bake in oven for an hour.
6. Remove from oven and insert a toothpick or fork into the middle to make sure it’s cooked through. Cake should be well-risen, nicely golden brown but soft to the touch.
7. If using an 8×8, let the cake cool in the pan. If using a bundt pan, let cool for about 10 minutes, then use a thin plastic spatula to loosen edges and turn out onto serving plates. It might break.
8. Drizzle warm caramel sauce over cake.
9. Serve warm with ice cream. As an extra touch, add orange or lemon rind, or crystallized fruit.

Caramel Sauce

I buy Trader Joe’s caramel sauce, but Wegman’s and Rothschild’s also carry caramel sauce labeled gluten-free. If you want to make your own caramel sauce, follow the instructions below. If you don’t like caramel, I sometimes substitute sour cream mixed with honey as a topping.

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and boil for 3 minutes over medium heat.

Gluten-Free Kitchen Sink Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Crunchmaster® Hint of Sea Salt 7 Ancient Grains Crackers, crushed
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2 tsp. almond extract
• 2 cups gluten free baking mix
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1/3 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. all-spice
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/6 tsp. fresh orange zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Slowly add eggs and almond extract continue to mix.
3. In a separate bowl, combine gluten free flour mix, Crunchmaster Cracker crumbs, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well to combine. Add cinnamon, all-spice and orange zest. Mix well and portion out teaspoon sized balls onto baking sheets.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove from oven; set aside to cool before serving.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1½ cup finely ground Crunchmaster® Original Multi-Seed Crackers
• 4 Tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling

• 1 ½ cup pecan halves, divided
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp butter, melted
• ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 Tbsp tahini

Directions:

1. Roast pecans 5-10 minutes at 350°F. Remove from oven and cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind the Crunchmaster Original Multi-Seed Crackers in a food processor. In a large bowl, combine cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt. Mix until ingredients are well blended. Add melted butter and stir until the crumb mixture is thoroughly moistened.
3. Press crumb mixture firmly into a 9” deep dish pie pan, distributing mixture evenly throughout the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. In another large bowl, combine sugar, egg, corn syrup, vinegar, butter, vanilla extract, tahini, and salt. Mix until smooth. Gently stir in dried cranberries and roasted pecans. Pour the filling mixture into the prepared crust, spreading evenly.
5. Bake the tart about 30-35 minutes at 350°F. Filling will become golden.
6. Cool before serving.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

Have you taken a good look at what’s in commercial packets of fruit Jell-o? They say no artificial sweeteners but also make one that’s sugar free. Artificial flavor, color, and lots of sugar. What are those chemicals doing to our bodies and more particularly the kid’s bodies? I haven’t used one in several years.

This recipe goes back to the basics of fruit juices set with packaged gelatin(e). One of my English cookbooks has fruit set with sweetened wine. It was delicious, but even though I would happily drink a glass of this wine, in a jelly (the English name for the dish, this is not jam) it was too strong. Make this just with fruit juices, and check that the juices have as many real ingredients as possible and have high fruit content, not just flavored water. Think of various berry juices with raspberries, peach juice with nectarines, and mango juice (I love the Best brand from Egypt with 50% juice) with fresh mangoes (not frozen, I thought they were horrible). If you use wine, you have to use a wine you like the taste of in the glass, like a Moscato, Prosecco with bubbles, Reisling, fruit wine, or even one of the small bottles of champagne.

Ingredients:

Basic proportions for 4 generous ramekins, custard cups or cocotte dishes:

• 1 packet of Knox gelatin(e) 7 g packet from orange box in grocery store
• 1 cup (250 ml., 8 fl oz) fruit juice or wine and fruit juice mixed 50/50. You can make it 100% wine, I just thought it too strong
• 2 Tbsp (1 oz, 30 ml) sugar
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) liqueur to enhance flavor—optional with either wine or fruit juice for adults.
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 cup fruit of choice – I tend to buy the fresh container of mixed cut strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, but I find you need to make this the day you buy the berries or they taste fermented or go moldy rapidly.

Directions:

1. Arrange fruit in ramekins. Don’t overfill with fruit or you won’t taste the wine or juice. Put the prettiest fruit on the bottom as you’ll be turning it out.
2. Pour the water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water. Stir in the gelatin and it will turn into solid lump.
3. Microwave the lump for about 11 seconds. It will turn to a pale gold, see-through liquid with no lumps.
4. Dissolve sugar in 1/4 cup of juice and/or wine in microwave.
5. Combine the gelatin mix, sugar mix and the rest of the plain wine and/or juice, and stir. Taste to see if you want more sugar or teaspoon more liqueur, and then gently divide liquid among 4 dishes.
6. Refrigerate for several hours, then turn out onto plates. I like to use vanilla Greek yogurt as a sauce.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

Another variation of my master almond cake that was a 4 page cover wrap for Food and Wine magazine. Substitute different nut flour.

The geraniums are Martha Washington, and so were quite suitable for a July 4th party.
White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake

Cake

• 2 oz (1/2 stick, 56 g) very soft butter or coconut oil
• 2 oz (1/3 c, 80 ml) gf semi sweet chocolate chips
• 4 oz (1/2 c, 112 g) sugar
• 4 oz (1 c, 112 g) almond flour
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa (30 ml, 1/2 oz)
• 1 tsp (5 ml) gf baking powder
• salt
• 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Filling

• 1/2 c (120 ml) seedless raspberry jam or jelly – add 1-2 tbsp Chambord to jam if you want.
• Punnet fresh sweet raspberries

White Chocolate Topping
I like the flavor of Lindt white chocolate but I’m still uncertain about safety. I have made this with Kraft Baker’s white chocolate that do say they will tell us if there are ingredients containing gluten. Why can’t it just be labeled gluten-free!!

• 8 oz (224g) cream cheese, softened, I do use lite but it makes a softer frosting
• 1 x 4 oz (112g) Lindt white chocolate bar or Baker’s white chocolate. I don’t like most store brand white chocolate chips as they taste waxy.
• 1/4 c (60 ml) cream to melt white chocolate
• 1/4 c (60 ml, 1 oz) powdered sugar
• 1/2 c ( 4oz, 120 ml) cream, whipped to 1 c.
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) seedless raspberry jam or jelly

Directions

1.Melt butter with chocolate chips in microwave. Add rest of cake ingredients and beat together until smooth and then beat for 1-2 minutes, until fluffier.

2. Bottom line 9+1/2 ” spring form, spray bottom and sides with gluten-free food spray, dust with cocoa

3. Bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven

4. Remove from oven, top with seedless raspberry jam, let soften for a few minutes then spread out evenly

5. Once cool, arrange most of raspberries on top, saving a few for decoration.

6. Heat 1/4 c cream in microwave for about 40 seconds, break up white chocolate, add to cream, wait a minute, then stir until smooth.

7. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.

8. Beat in melted white chocolate cream mix.

9. Gently beat in whipped cream and spoon on top of cooled raspberry topped cake. At this stage the frosting is almost runny, you can let it flow down sides, it will set in fridge. Large raspberries will show through the frosting.

10. Put 2 tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam in microwaveable bowl. Gently heat until runny but not boiling hot. Spoon jam into snack size ziploc, snip off tiny corner and pipe parallel lines across cake, the more lines you make, the fancier the design.

11. Then take small skewer and draw tip of skewer through raspberry lines all in one direction or alternating. Garnish with a few leftover raspberries.

Keeps well in the fridge, but serve at room temperature.

Note, I did try making this with strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and semi sweet chocolate in topping rather than white chocolate but I have a weakness for raspberries and white chocolate.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

The original wheat version of this recipe came from Darbštuolė – a Lithuanian recipe magazine similar to Pillsbury Monthly. The recipe states it is from Laima Andrijauskaitė.

The original has one making an unsweetened dough, that is chilled, grated (presumably by hand like potato pancakes) and then baked to make a crunchy mix. I tried this and it was pretty awful, but it did stay very crunchy for several days in the creamy mix. So in my wheat flour days, I used a very neutral shortbread cookie ‘Sandies, simply shortbread by Keebler.’ They also boiled the can of condensed milk as we used to, to make a caramelized condensed milk. That is now available as Nestle – La Lechera – Dulce de Leche about $3 in the Goya/Mexican food aisle. Make sure you buy the right can, they also do ordinary condensed milk that looks the same but isn’t caramelized. My friend and I agreed that we had to add some rum. And then I used my chocolate ganache of cream and real chocolate melted as a topping, rather than cocoa, milk and sugar. It is very rich, so it could be cut as a small candy rather than sliced as a dessert.

Gluten-Free No-Bake Nut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 x 7.25 oz (206g) packet of Pamela’s gluten-free butter shortbread, broken into large pieces. This is quite a soft shortbread but it doesn’t turn to mush.
• 1 x 380g (13.4 oz or thereabouts) of Nestle Dulce de Leche caramelized condensed milk
• 2 cups, (8 oz, 250g), nuts, coarsely chopped and toasted in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. I used almonds and pecans. Walnuts would have been more available.
• ½ stick (2oz, 56g) butter melted
• 2-4 tbsps (30-60 ml) rum, brandy or chocolate liqueur. Or go for orange or almond liqueur to your own preference. I used 4 tbsp Myers dark rum. 2 tbsps give a nice flavor, 4 tbsps you can notice the alcohol. Plain rum should be naturally gluten-free, it’s the flavors added that are the dangers.

Topping/glaze:

• 1 c (8 fl oz, 224ml) heavy or whipping cream
• 1 c (6 oz, 168g) gluten-free semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar
• 2-4 tbsps (30-60 ml) rum, optional

Directions:

1. Open can of dulce de leche and empty into 4-6 c (1-1+1/2 ltr) microwave safe bowl. Add solid butter and microwave for a short time, stirring, until milk softens and butter is melted.

2. Stir in some of alcohol to give a smooth even mix.

3. Stir in nuts and shortbread. Now taste and decide if you want some more alcohol. Remember strength of flavor develops and you’ll be adding rum to topping/glaze.

4. Spoon mix into 9-10” spring form pan (for a fancy dessert) or 8×8” brownie pan to cut into candy pieces. OR line star, christmas tree or heart shape pan or other designs with plastic wrap and press mix into all the corners so design turns out crisp. The mix is ‘lumpy’ so won’t press into detailed design mold.

Smooth out as much as possible and then take a piece of plastic wrap, press onto surface of cake and press out even more to smooth top and compress mix and prevent too many air bubbles.

5. Refrigerate for several hours until firm enough to cut. I had originally tried this with cream instead of butter, but butter firms mix up more.

6. While mix is chilling, heat cream and sugar together, add chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth and creamy, it should look like a cross between condensed milk and Hershey’s syrup – no lumps. Stir in alcohol and chill. I usually use an immersion blender to make it smooth.

7. Remove ‘torte’ from fridge, remove from spring form, remove plastic wrap and place on decorative plate. Pour about half of chocolate mix over top of cake and allow to start dribbling down sides. If the mix is too runny when you stir once you remove from fridge, then beat it slightly with electric mixer so it doesn’t ‘run’ so easily.

8. Beat remainder of chocolate mix with electric mixer until consistency of whipped cream and then pipe around top/bottom of cake. Finish with nuts, or any decoration you want.

This lasts for several days in fridge, easily made in advance of summertime parties, but will soften too much if left out in sun during party. Still delicious, but spoonable not cutable after sun.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

Gluten-Free Caramel Sauce

I have only seen a few brands of caramel sauce actually labeled gluten-free, but with far more ingredients than this recipe. Too many ice cream/sweet sauces are based on corn syrup and flavorings.

Summertime, parties, BBQ’s – what’s easier than your favorite brownie, pound cake, sliced with selection of sauces and ice cream or just ice cream sundaes. Everyone loves that!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c sugar (6 oz, 180g)
• 1/4 c (2 fl oz, 60 ml) water
• 1 c heavy cream
• 2 tbsp (30 ml. 1 oz) butter
• 1 tsp (5 ml) gluten-free vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Put sugar in 8″ skillet with water, cover and bring to slow boil while sugar melts. Swirl pan to dissolve all sugar or sugar crystals will form.

2. Once sugar is totally dissolved, remove lid and boil syrup swirling pan as syrup changes color. You want a nice golden brown color, not dark brown. It only takes a few minutes so don’t walk away. The syrup browns at different rates so swirling pan gently mixes it all together. If pan starts smoking, it’s overcooked. Undercooked is tasteless.

3. Add cream and stand back as caramel will spatter, boil up and solidify in places. Stir to dissolve caramel. Add butter, vanilla and salt and stir all together.

4. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Dairy-free Option: Make with Asian style coconut milk and add coconut butter.

For Adults: To sauce add 1/4 c toasted chopped pecans and 1-2 tbsp rum or other alcohol. Serve with grilled pineapple rings or grilled halved peaches and ice cream, match made in Heaven.

Warning: Don’t make caramel sauce with kids or animals underfoot, sugar burns are really dangerous, plus if you’re distracted, sugar over cooks rapidly and burns, so you have to throw it out.

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Gluten-Free Raspberry/Berry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 x 12 oz – 16 oz (375 – 500g) bag of frozen raspberries or bag of frozen mixed berries
• ½ c (4 oz 125 g) ordinary sugar
• 1/2 c (120 ml, 4 fl oz) water
• ½ c (120 ml, 4 fl oz) Seedless raspberry jam or jelly for extra oomph of flavor
• Raspberry liqueur, Amaretto, brandy, rum for adults.
• Choose different jams and alcohols that match the fruit

Directions:

1. Melt sugar and water together, add raspberries (or other fruit), and simmer for just a few minutes. Stir in raspberry jam until it melts. Depending on ripeness of raspberries and your personal taste you might want to add more sugar.

I like to buy baskets of fresh raspberries in season and freeze them. Somehow they don’t break up nearly as much as bought frozen raspberries when they are simmered in sugar and water.

You can sieve the sauce and make it a ‘couli,’ so there are no seeds.

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Ganache

Melt together 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream and 11 oz bag of Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate or with Sodelicious vanilla or hazelnut creamer mixed with gluten-free chocolate. I use an immersion blender to make sauce totally smooth. Thicken as it cools, very runny when hot. Add some sugar if too ‘dark’ for kids.

This can also be used as a dipping sauce for fruit.