Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Gingerbread Halloween Cupcakes with Chocolate-Peanutbutter Ganash




Gingerbread Halloween Cupcakes with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganash

½ cup butter or butter substitute (room temperature)
½ cup agave syrup
1 large egg
½ cup molasses
1 tbs Mexican vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
A pinch of salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup milk (more if needed)

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganash

1/3 cup semi sweet chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tbs peanut butter
¼ tsp Mexican vanilla extract

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and put it back for another 30 seconds. Whisk the ingredients until a luscious, creamy ganash is formed (about 10 seconds).

Preheat the oven at 350 F.

Cream butter with agave syrup. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients combined. Add half of dry ingredients and half of milk. Do not over mix, and do it again with the second half of dry ingredients and milk.

Spray cupcake paper and spoon in the batter. Bake for about 20 -25 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle; if it comes out dry, the cupcakes are done.

Remove from the oven and let them cool at room temperature. Dip them in the ganash and top them off with Halloween decorations.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Gluten Passion Fruit and Raspberry Cake



Gluten Free Passion Fruit and Raspberry Cake

Pastry Cream (This can be done a day ahead)

2 cups milk
1/8 tsp Madagascar vanilla
¼ cup agave syrup
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3 tbs corn starch
3 tbs butter

Boil milk, vanilla, and agave syrup in a medium-size pot.
Mix eggs with corn starch. Temper eggs with milk.
Bring to boil until it thickens.
Put the pot in ice water to cool adding small pieces of butter at a time until all melted. Cover it with plastic wrap to avoid skin from forming. Chill.

Cake

2 cups white rice flour
½ cup corn starch
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp xantham gum

3 eggs
¼ cup agave syrup
3 tsp melted butter
1 ½ cups almond milk
1 tsp passion fruit extract
1 tsp Madagascar 2-Fold vanilla extract

Garnish
1 container sugar-free whipped cream
2 containers fresh raspberries
Fresh flowers


Preheat the oven at 350 F.

Mix wet ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Mix dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients until a smooth dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to pre-oiled cake pans and bake for about 35 minutes or until light brown. Remove from the oven and let it cook for about 7 minutes. Remove from the cake pan and put them in a cooling rack.
Level up the cake with a serrated knife.

Transfer the cake to a plate and apply the raspberry diplomat filling.

Cover the cake with sugar-free whipped cream and garnish with fresh raspberries and flowers.

Filling: Raspberry Diplomat Sauce

1 package fresh raspberries
2 tbs water
1 tbs agave syrup

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup pastry cream
1 package unflavored gelatin
Agave syrup as needed

Boil the raspberries with water and syrup until they form a paste. Strain them and set them aside.

Pour the gelatin in cold cream, then warm it up to dissolve it.

Mix the cream with the pastry cream and the raspberry puree and adjust sweetness.

Pour the mixture in a Ziplock bag or a pastry bag and chill.