Fall is here
and it’s glorious! The trees are
turning, nights are chilly, days are magnificently perfect. We all need to
enjoy and appreciate them while they’re here. I’ve been watching "Alaska: The
Last Frontier" on Discovery Channel, and believe me, those people know how to
take advantage of any and all good days to get things accomplished, enjoy the
day, and be outside before the eight months of winter shuts them in and cabin fever isn’t an “if” but a “when”. We took Guayo for a walk
around our neighborhood and took some photos of the
glorious colors coming out just blocks from us. I would love to take a little
road trip (certainly not 3 months again!!!) for a couple days up to the White
Mountains, Flagstaff, and Oak Creek Canyon areas and check out the fall foliage. It’s
not as spectacular as the Northeast part of the U.S., but it’s still glorious
and the drive is so beautiful and relaxing. We’ll have to see if we can make it
next week.
day, and be outside before the eight months of winter shuts them in and cabin fever isn’t an “if” but a “when”. We took Guayo for a walk
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| The great Lizard Hunt |
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| Dining Room Decked Out for Fall |
While in
Silverton, BC Canada this summer during our road trip, I met neighbors of my
friends Bill and Priscilla. They were
all wonderful, fun, great people. One neighbor had a reportedly amazing recipe
for a Gluten Free Chocolate Cake…the name she gave me was Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake, and while that is true, the title is much too
simple. It should be Gluten Free Moist Decadent Delicious Amazing Chocolate
Cake!
I have, of
course, messed with the recipe a little, and have given
substitutions to make
it not only gluten free, but dairy free, sugar free, espresso flavored, and
blood orange flavored. All have been
tried by family, neighbors, and friends, and they find it difficult to make a
decision as to which one is tastier.
So for all
those watching your gluten and/or dairy intake, here’s a winner you can serve
any time to anyone and no one will be the wiser, and it will command oohs and
ahhhs from everyone who tries it. Enjoy, and do go enjoy these short days of
perfect autumness!
MOIST
GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Substitutions/changes are in
parenthesis () for Espresso Mocha and Blood Orange variations.
2/3 c. golden or white quinoa
1 1/3 c. water (add 2 T
espresso powder to water for Espresso Mocha Torte)
1/3 c. milk (for dairy free use 1/3 c. vanilla almond milk)
4 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract (for Blood Orange variation substitute 1 t.
orange extract)
¾ c. butter, melted and cooled (for Blood Orange variation,
substitute ¾ c. blood orange olive
oil—for dairy free variation
substitute ¾ c. olive oil)
(For Blood Orange variation, add ½ of a peeled whole orange)
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/3 c. sugar (for sugar
free substitute equal amounts of TruVia or Stevie in the Raw…others
have a bitter taste)
1 c. unsweetened coco powder (I use organic cocoa powder, and
when I can find it, dark organic
cocoa powder)
(Add 2 T. espresso powder for
Espresso Mocha Torte)
1 ½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
Bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover reducing heat to a
simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and leave on burner for 10 more
minutes. Fluff with a fork. (For
multiple batches, make a large batch of quinoa and then use the 2 c. cooked
quinoa for each batch…leftovers are great with some onion/garlic/veges sauted
in olive oil with herbs and stirred into the quinoa). Cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease 2 8” round or square pans (or one 13x9 pan) Line with
parchment paper (VERY IMPORTANT so bottom does not stick—I use baking spray on
the pan, put in the parchment or waxed paper circle, then spray that also).
Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, melted butter and 2 cups of the
cooked quinoa in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add blender
contents to dry ingredients and mix well with whisk (if a little too stiff, add
a little more milk/almond milk) .
Pour into greased/lined pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until
center is firm and sides are pulling away from pan. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Can be served as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, with
ganache frosting, or with an orange glaze for the Blood Orange Torte.
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