Fancy Pants Foodie

Foodie news, reviews and how-tos from Arkansas and beyond.

Chef James Harris Spotlights Gluten Free Cuisine at Eggshells (with Recipe for Gluten Free, Vegan, Sugar Free Chocolate Cupcakes)

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Frosted cupcakes captionedRemember the other day when I talked about doing a cooking demonstration at the local Gluten Intolerance Group meeting? Because it was a busy day, I felt a little discombobulated and spazzy. Not my best presentation ever.

But a good bit of my discombobulation was from being a bit nervous, due to a guest who showed up at said meeting. A chef. A “real” chef, one with years of experience specializing in gluten free cooking. (Although I have formal training, I shy away from the “chef” moniker because of my lack of restaurant experience.)

He was gracious, not correcting me when he probably should have, and chiming in gently when I asked for his input. Only later did we find out he was Executive Sous Chef at the Pleasant Valley Country Club and former chef of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness.

Dang.

After the meeting, we also learned that this chef, James Harris, was holding a gluten free cooking class of his own at Eggshells Kitchen Co. the next Monday (yesterday). I had heard about this and meant to look into it further. Now I HAD to go!

I walked in the door of Eggshells, and lo and behold, a fellow culinary student was also in attendance. Ashley is now a pastry chef, working at one of the major bakeries in town. I visited with Chef Harris, joking about our earlier meeting and my less-than-stellar demo. He graciously blamed it on the low table I was using.

Somehow, during Chef Harris’ demonstration, I ended up cooking the risotto while he worked on other parts of the demonstration. Maybe it was me wildly waving my hand in the air, saying, “Ooh, ooh, ooh, let me help!” when he lamented not having an assistant. Ashley ended up helping later on — probably due to my hollering “ASHLEY WANTS TO HELP ICE THE CUPCAKES” — with the vegan, sugar free, gluten free dessert we enjoyed.  (No, really; it was good!) Culinarians can be a rowdy bunch.

Chef Harris’ risotto recipe, using shallots, mushrooms and asparagus, was an excellent example of how delicious naturally gluten-free meals can be. He also demonstrated cooking scallops and (cough) gave us a recipe for gluten-free pasta. Let’s just say live demos don’t always work out. Oh, how I know.

Here’s the recipe for the cupcakes. This would be great for getting a “sweet fix” while on an elimination diet, or for those with multiple allergies or sensitivities. Heck, they were just good, just because. And I didn’t sugar crash after eating one. Okay, two. Sheesh.

Wanna see photos of the other food and fun? Keep scrollin’ on down, beneath the recipes.

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Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free, Vegan, Sugar Free)
Recipe provided by Chef James Harris
Makes 10

  • 1 1/2 c. gluten-free flour (recommended: Cup 4 Cup)
  • 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. gluten-free baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 c. maple syrup (pure)
  • 1/3 c. coconut oil
  • 1 c. almond milk
  • 1/3 c. coconut milk
  • 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Puree avocado in a food processor until smooth. Add maple syrup, almond milk, coconut milk, oil and vanilla and blend until creamy.

Whisk avocado mixture into the flour mixture and combine until smooth.

Spoon batter into muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick that is inserted into center comes out clean.

Allow to cool before icing.

Chocolate Mousse Icing
Recipe provided by Chef James Harris
Icing for 10 cupcakes

  • 1 c. raw cashews
  • 1/4 c. coconut milk
  • 1/4 c. cocoa powder
  • 1/3 c. dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1 T. maple syrup (pure)

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend together until very smooth. If it is too thick, add more coconut milk to thin it slightly.

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Snowpocalypse 2010 Waffles

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Of all the snow-day kid memories I might have, waffles just isn’t one of them.

Not to say my awesome stay-at-home mom neglected her snowly duties; we made Mickey Mouse pancakes, built snowmen out of laundry baskets and otherwise enjoyed our time freed from school routines.

But things will be different for my kids, I tell you. There’s just something about waffles. Crispy, chewy, and always game for add-ins. And don’t you dare let me catch you using pancake batter!

The above waffles were one result of our Snowpocalypse 2010 cooking frenzy. More dishes will appear in future posts, I promise.

The base recipe is from (I know, him again) Alton Brown on Good Eats. I swear I’m not obsessed. He just knows his stuff. I’ve tweaked a few things to make it uniquely mine, but I’m giving him some props.

Snowpocalypse 2010 Waffles

  • 4 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup (I like King Arthur)
  • 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup (Again, King Arthur)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons Turbinado sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 3 whole eggs, beaten
  • 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
  • 16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature (out? Click here and read about making some)
  • Vegetable spray, for waffle iron
  • 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar for garnish
  • Real maple syrup

In a medium bowl whisk (yes, dry whisk, it works great) together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and turbinado sugar. In another bowl beat together the eggs and melted butter (not too hot, or you’ll cook the eggs!), and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Don’t overmix, but just until you don’t see any more raw flour. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes so the flour can absorb liquids.

Meanwhile, heat up your favorite waffle maker. I’ve found that price is often a good indicator of quality, so do your research and don’t cheap out too much. Unless you just get a free one from Gevalia, which we did, and works too. It’s better than the $20 one I bought at Target.

Cranberried and sugar sprinkled, ready to go.

Finished chocolate version.

Spray the waffle maker with vegetable spray, then ladle in the amount directed by your waffle maker. (This is important…too little or too much won’t get a good product.) Now the fun part — sprinkle in some dried cranberries, chocolate chips or both. Then sprinkle some more turbinado sugar over the whole thing, to create a little crunch on top. Close the machine and cook for the amount of time your machine states.

For serving, sprinkle more cranberries and/or chips on top, drizzle with maple syrup (the real stuff, please), and dust with powdered sugar. Voila. Deliciousness.

Ganache Three Ways (and weird ones at that)

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Greetings, friends.

A couple days ago, I had myself a good old-fashioned chocolate throw-down. Well, maybe not so old-fashioned, considering the eclectic flavors, but definitely feeding the chocolate fix.

The orange-mint ganache went over well at a baby shower on Sunday, alongside a cream cheese/marshmallow fruit dip.

The orange-mint ganache went over well at a baby shower on Sunday, alongside my cream cheese/marshmallow fruit dip.

Ganache is one of my favorite foodie tricks. It’s simple yet decadent, impressive, and versatile. Depending on how you make it, you can use ganache as a coating or filling for cakes, a whipped frosting, or rolled into truffles. I usually end up eating most of it from a spoon, right out of the fridge.

Generally, ganache is simply one part chocolate to one part heavy cream, or two-to-one chocolate to cream if making truffles or other firm candy. There are many variations on the exact technique, but it is generally quite forgiving, considering the persnickety nature of chocolate.

Three bowls of chocolate, waiting for their flavorings and cream!

Three bowls of chocolate, waiting for their flavorings and cream!

For these experiments, I chose — for the first time — to use the microwave method. This means bringing the cream just to a simmer in the microwave, then pouring into a bowl of chopped chocolate. I will advise you to do otherwise on one of the three variations…not a big deal, but probably easier. We’ll get there.

I halved the typical recipe for ganache so I could make several smaller batches. I used the one-to-one ratio most commonly used for fillings and less-firm coating. This turned semi-firm in the fridge (perfect for spooning), and warmed up beautifully in the microwave as a dip (see top photo). I’ll give you the basic recipe, then the flavorings for each:

Basic Microwave Ganache

  • 8 oz. good chocolate chips, chopped finely (I used Ghirardelli in a food processor)
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Chop the chocolate chips finely in small batches with a large knife, or buzz in a food processor for about 15 seconds. Place into a small heat-resistant baking dish or bowl. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat the cream in 30-second increments until just simmering. Pour over chocolate and stir vigorously until all the chocolate is completely melted. The mixture will feel very loose at first, then tighten up as the chocolate melts. Cover and cool in fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.

Variation: Orange Mint

Before measuring the cream, put 2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate in the measuring cup, then pour cream to equal 1 cup. Mixture will thicken and seem to curdle a bit, but this is OK. Crush two or three fresh mint leaves in your hands until you feel the oil, then tear into small pieces and stir into the mixture. Heat the mixture until just simmering. Using a wire strainer, strain mixture as you pour it into the chocolate.

Variation: Cranberry-Grape Sage Buzz

blastBefore measuring the cream, place 4 T. Blast XS Cranberry Grape Energy Drink Mixer (contact me for ordering info) in the measuring cup, then pour cream to equal 1 cup. Mixture may thicken a bit as above. Crush one large or two smaller fresh sage leaves until you feel the oil, then tear into small pieces and mix in. Strain and continue as above. (I suppose you could use 2 T. of frozen cran-grape juice concentrate instead, but you don’t get the caffeine and B12 buzz!)

Variation: Smoked Cayenne and Spices

Peppers and such in the cream. Given the amount of time it took to steep in flavors, this would have been easier on the cooktop.

Peppers and such in the cream. Given the amount of time it took to steep in flavors, this would have been easier on the cooktop.

Measure 1 cup cream into a small saucepan over low heat. Using kitchen scissors, cut a two-inch piece of smoked cayenne pepper into very small pieces into the cream. Add one small stick of cinnamon, two whole cloves, and about 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg. Slowly bring to a simmer and keep there for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste the cream to see if the desired amount of “kick” is acquired. (If you don’t want to buy smoked cayenne peppers, you could use a sprinkle of cayenne powder, the smoked kind if you have it.) Strain into prepared chocolate and stir as above.

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The surprising thing about the cayenne version, besides the fact that it is actually good, is the separation and delay of flavors. First you get the smokiness, then the chocolate, and lastly you get the kick of the pepper. A few seconds after you think you’re done, in fact.

Next time, I’ll try using the truffle-making proportions and see how the flavors hold up. Or maybe I can melt these back down and add more chocolate…any choco-experts out there? The pepper one would be wonderful as a truffle, rolled in cocoa powder and a bit of cayenne powder. Hmmm…..

Until then, I’ll just be eating these out of a spoon. That would, in fact, be a neat presentation for the three flavors: a plate of three Chinese-style soup spoons filled with each ganache. There you go, that was free. Someone do that and take a photo…I don’t have those spoons!

Try these or your own weird flavors, and let me know how it goes.

Non-Fancy Birthday Cake

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Finished Tractor CakeEven among us wannabe fancy foodies, there is one area that isn’t our favorite. For me, it’s cakes. I can do it, but oy, all the measuring, the accuracy!

I’m gonna (really) keep it brief tonight, since there’s nothing to brag about, really. Just wanted to tell you that even if you’re not being fancy, there’s no reason to buy a ready made cake.

Today is Ben’s second birthday. We had decided we weren’t going to do a big throw-down party. The grandparents came and showered him with gifts. We had our own little family cake-eating and present-bestowing. It was enough, and he loved it.

I baked three layers yesterday according to the recipe on the back of the cake flour box.

Today I made vanilla buttercream icing (thinkin’ I should have used Alton Brown’s version, but no matter).  Filled the layers with Nutella — who doesn’t love that?

Nutella filling

Three layers

Then I frosted with the buttercream and made “dirt” on the top out of a frozen Hershey bar. The finer dirt is shaved with a Microplane. The larger bits are shaved with a vegetable peeler, making little curls.

Dirty Cake

Oopsie, I forgot to put wax paper under each half of the cake, so I could decorate and then slide it out, leaving a nice, clean cake plate. Oh, well. Ben didn’t care.

And finally, the tractor, which was one of his little gifts for the day. It has buttons on top that make tractor-y sounds. I broke up what was left of the Hershey bar and put it in the bucket.

Two candles later, and you’ve got cake!

I sure wouldn’t make this for anyone else, as ghetto as it was, but I decided to share anyway. It’s kind of humble and sweet with its lumpy sides and simple deco.

When you’re a foodie, sometimes it’s the joy of creating that matters, even if it’s not perfect.