Another Saturday at the Greenpoint Food Market! I went with a mini-theme this time: mini chocolate cupcakes with mocha liqueur frosting (I’m seriously digging this whole alcohol in frosting thing), mini lemon raspberry muffins, and black ‘n white cookies..for which I of course made mini samples.
After two days of baking, and a whole day of sampling, I needed a serious departure from sugar, Five Leaves blue points were the perfect way to end the day.
In memoriam.
peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting
it was at least 95 degrees in my kitchen while I baked these, but it was well worth it!
recipe via smitten kitchen
Gluten-free Adaptation with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
3 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon Xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated Nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated Ginger
½ cup (1 sticks or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark or light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (12 ounces) buttermilk, sour cream or full-fat yogurt
3 large peaches, peeled, cored, and chopped smallish (~1/3-inch dice)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 28 muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, Xanthan gum, salt, nutmeg, and ginger and set aside. Cream the butter, applesauce, and sugars together, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition, and then the vanilla. Gently mix in the buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the peach chunks.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 ½ cup powdered sugar
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup (4 ounces or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tablespoons bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ginger
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the sugar, ginger, bourbon, and vanilla, beat until frosting is smooth and light. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or until it thickens, then spread on cupcakes. Return cupcakes to refrigerator, covered will last 4-5 days.
Guess what readers? You Can’t Eat Bread!? is featured in this week’s Vendor Blender !
Read about my inspiration behind baking and stop by Saturday’s Greenpoint Food Market to sample (and buy!) my gluten-free treats.
Gluten-free market goers get excited!!! This Saturday I will be featuring herbed crackers and bread so now we can sample the wares of the other vendors that we’d previously been unable to. Stop by my table to stock up and then go scoop up the delicious wares of DP Chutney Collective and Anarchy in a Jar on my gluten-free crackers!
I will also be selling banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, they are to. die. for.
See you Saturday!
Inspired by early spring flowers (21 days early this year!), and 2 pints of blackberries I had in my fridge; I whipped up a batch chocolate cupcakes with blackberry cream cheese frosting for an impromptu Easter BBQ.
Using a tried and true chocolate cupcake recipe, I experimented a bit with the frosting, crushing and straining 2 quarts of blackberries and adding raspberry extract for an extra flavor burst.
I’m pretty sure the product didn’t disappoint! 
Recipe:
Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from the Cupcake Project):
Blackberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine cream cheese and butter in an electric mixer, whip until creamy. Add confectioner’s sugar to butter & cream cheese mixture 1 cup at a time until fully combined. Crush, and strain blackberries, add to mixture. Add extracts, mix until combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Decorate and serve with a smile!
Hello All, long-time-no-blog!
Yes, I’ve been remiss in gluten-free goodie posting, but I’m back in action!
To start the Spring off right, please stop by the Greenpoint Food Market at the Church of the Messiah 129 Russell Street (btwn Nassua and Driggs) on April 10th to get your fill of the local food talent and my gluten-free cupcakes that you all know and love.
In honor of Spring I will be making ginger-lime cupcakes with coconut frosting, peanutbutter n’ jelly sammich cookies, and alfajores.
Spring has Sprung!
Walnut Ginger Bread (adapted from cooks.com)
For Dough:
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Biscuit and Baking Mix
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Millet Flour
½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flaxseed Meal
2 tsp. Xanthan gum
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. baking soda in 1 cup boiling water
2 eggs well beaten
For Walnut Topping:
½ cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs. unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a stand-up mixer or bowl, cream sugars and applesauce. Add molasses, then eggs, mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients, blend until evenly distributed, and then slowly add to wet mixture.
In small sauce pan, add water, sugar, and butter and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Turn down heat to low, add walnuts and stir until coated. Cook until lightly browned, remove from heat. Allow to cool.
Butter the bottom & sides of a 8 x 4 in. loaf pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Fill pan with dough, and top with cooled candied walnuts. Bake for 40-50 minutes until center is firm.
Peppermint-Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies (adapted from Giada)
First follow this easy sugar cookie recipe, now my absolute go-to:
Chewy Sugar Cookies (adapted from Linda McClure)
2 ¾ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp Xanthan gum
1 cup butter softened
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
3 tbs buttermilk (can substitute with 1 tbs white vinegar in 1 cup of soymilk, then use desired amount)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and Xanthan gum. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. Add enough of the buttermilk to moisten the dough and make it soft, not wet.
Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into balls and place on an un-greased cookie sheet or Silpat.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack. After cookies are cooled they can be stored in an airtight container for at least a week.
Peppermint Chocolate Sandwich Prep
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure peppermint extract
1 tsp canola oil
8 candy canes crushed
Combine 1 cup of chocolate chips and the cream in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peppermint extract and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. Place 1 tsp of the chocolate mixture in the center of the flat side of the cookies. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently squeeze to distribute the filling evenly.
Combine the remaining chocolate chips and canola oil in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Brush the top of each cookie in the melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight plastic container for up to 1 week.
Mini Eggnog Cupcakes with Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
(Adapted from cupcakeblog)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup eggnog
1/4 cup bourbon
2 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1 teaspoon each baking powder and soda
2 teaspoons Xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
For Cupcakes:
1. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs until blended.
3. Mix together eggnog, bourbon, and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, Xanthan gum, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
5. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients into egg mixture mixing until combined.
6. Scoop into lined mini cupcake pan and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.
7. Remove from pan, let cool completely.
Eggnog Pastry Cream:
2 tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1/2 cup eggnog
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1. Place flour in a heavy sauce pan, gradually whisk in eggnog until blended and smooth.
2. Add egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until just combined after each addition.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, removing from the heat occasionally to avoid lumps, until thickened. If necessary strain through a metal sieve to remove lumps.
4. Remove from heat, stir in butter, rum and vanilla.
5. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap, chill for at least 30 minutes.
Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
pinch salt
3 tablespoons bourbon
2 1/4 packages neufchatel cheese, room temp
3/4 cup butter, room temp
6 cups confectioner’s sugar
1. Heat brown sugar, cream, butter, salt over medium high heat whisking until sugar is dissolved. Cook for another minute.
2. Pour in bourbon and stir to combine. Take off heat and let cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until soft.
4. Add the confectioner’s sugar and beat to combine.
5. Add bourbon caramel and beat to combine.
6. Chill for at least 30 minutes
Assembly:
1. Scoop out top-center of cupcakes with small spoon (1/4 teaspoon works perfectly)
2. Fill pastry bag with chilled eggnog cream and pipe into center, be careful not to over-fill
3. Fill separate (or cleaned out) pastry bag with frosting and top mini cupcakes, be careful not to over frost as cupcakes will become top-heavy.
I will be baking gluten-free bread along with other Greenpoint Food Market vendors for Storytime & Snacks at the Word bookstore in Greenpoint this Sunday November 15th at 2pm!
The whole family and book lovers young and old are invited to join us for a reading of THE DUCHESS OF WHIMSY with Brooklyn author/illustrator duo of Randall and Peter de Sève. The story revolves around a wild duchess and an Earl with a crush who is dutifully ignored til a chef is ill and they engage in a tumultuous adventure with food, especially grilled cheese! (via Greenpoint Food Market)
Word is located at 126 Franklin Street @ Milton Street. Word is featured in this week’s first annual NYC Independent Bookstore Week
Come support your local independent bookstore, food vendors, and farms!
Finally getting my feet wet with the whole made-to-order market last week. I had the pleasure of baking a birthday cake for one of my customers from the first Greenpoint Food Market. I whipped up my pineapple-zucchini cake at her (husband’s) request with a ginger-walnut cream cheese frosting. The recipe is posted below, but take note of a few key add-ons:
1) After baking the cake I allowed the layers to cool then removed them from their respective pans, placed them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and put them back in the oven at 350 for another 7 minutes. This is an incredibly moist cake, the extra 7 minutes will give it more stability to stand up to the frosting.
2) Between the two layers I spread a liberal amount of frosting and then a layer of crushed walnuts. Again this was for both taste and to help hold the layers together. I also covered the sides of the cake with crushed walnuts, for decorative and stability purposes.
3) Being that it is Autumn, in lieu of fresh flowers I decorated the cake with thin slices of natural ginger and dried cranberries.
All-in-all it was a success!
Zucchini Pineapple Cake with Walnut Cream Cheese Frosting*
*Recipe is for 1 13”x9” sheet cake, double it for 8” layer cake.
Cake
Frosting
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, combine flour, sugar, coconut, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum and spices in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated zucchini, and pineapple into flour mixture. Add in a little splash of the pineapple juice for good measure. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and cake is pulling away from sides of pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, xanthan gum, ginger and vanilla just until smooth. Add a splash of pineapple juice and stir in chopped walnuts. Spread frosting over top of cake. You can garnish with chopped walnuts, cranberries, or ginger etc.
you can't eat bread!? 
