Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Kathy over at Your Gluten Free Kitchen. com posted this recipe for a gluten free cinnamon coffee cake. (Not going gluten free? Just use your favorite all purpose flour in the recipe.) We had it for breakfast this morning, and decided it's a keeper! Our kitchen smelled wonderful! I am so glad I came across this recipe on Pinterest!

Source.

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour; with xanthan gum in it, like my GF flour blend. (See right side bar.)
4 1/2 tsp. Saf instant yeast or a rapid rise yeast (equals two envelopes)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup milk – warm to 120 degrees (use your microwave)
1 egg

For the cinnamon goodness:
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Sugar glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 4 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla

"Whisk all the dry coffee cake ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the egg and milk. Beat with hand mixer. Should look like thick pound cake batter. Pour into an 8×8 baking pan or a 9" pie plate sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, let's make the cinnamon goodness.

Mix together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large cereal bowl or 4 cup measuring cup. You can use a fork to squish the butter into the brown sugar until it forms clumps. After the 10 minute rest is up, sprinkle the top with the cinnamon butter clumps. Push a few down with your fingers into the dough.

Now, place the baking pan or pie dish in a COLD OVEN (no preheating here!). Set it for 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Remember, NO preheating. Placing this is in a cold oven allows it to rise with the increase in heat in the oven. It really does work. Not only does it save you time, it saves energy too. No wasting 10 minutes worth of energy to get the oven up to temp. Nifty huh?

When your coffee cake is done, let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover with the sugar glaze. Combine all the glaze ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until smooth and yummy. Pour over your coffee cake, slice and eat right away.

To make dairy free: just replace the butter with either dairy free margarine or use butter flavored shortening like Spectrum Naturals. Use dairy free milk (like coconut milk or rice milk or almond milk or a dairy free coffee creamer would be good here!)

Makes 8 to 9 servings depending on how big they are and who gets to them first!" -Kathy

Home made cinnamon sugar apple sauce

It really does not get much easier than this!

Fill a crock pot with chopped apples- big bite size. Add:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 T cinnamon

Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, just until apples start to break down and mash easily when stirred. Then, transfer to a blender and combine for a just a bit; seriously it's a matter of seconds. Just until the apple sauce is fairly smooth. Serve warm or let chill in the fridge for later.

Moms Apple Dumplings

I have a very clear memory of sitting on top of the kitchen island counter stuffing apples with butter and cinnamon and sugar with my mom while our family was staying at Grandpas for a time. This would place me stuffing apples at the age of four. Something this yummy sticks in ones memory! I made moms recipe last night with fresh picked apples and thought I'd share the recipe here.

 Ingredients
1 pie crust (I used my gluten free flour blend to make my own, mom always used store bought)
3 large apples, cored
5 T cold butter, divided
3 T cinnamon sugar
1 cups water
1 T corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 t cinnamon

**Instead of corn syrup, mom used hard cinnamon candies (red hots, I believe). This made the dumplings a bit sweeter and a pretty red color, unfortunately I don't think red hots are gluten free?Ah well, the corn syrup instead makes for a deliciously sweet thick sauce.

Directions
Preheat oven to 425

Divide the pie crust dough into 3 equal parts and roll each out into a circle. Set each apple in the center of a crust and stuff the hallowed core with 1 T butter and 1 generous tablespoon of cinnamon and sugar. Wrap the dough around the apples and set them in a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.

In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, corn syrup or red hots, and remaining 2 T of butter and bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid into the dish with the apples and bake for 40 to 45 minutes covered.Then bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered. Apples should be soft and crust should be cooked through.

I liked eating mine right out of the oven in a bowl with milk when I was a kid... or left over for a yummy breakfast. Last night we served them over vanilla ice cream and drizzled with home made caramel. 

Pumpkin Pie

1 whole, fresh pie pumpkin

Cut pumpkin in half without stem. Scoop out seeds and strings. Place cut side down on foil lined baking sheets. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 until tender about 90 minutes. Cool. Scoop out flesh and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Drain if too watery.

Beat together 1 1/3 cup smooth pumpkin with:
1 1/3 cup sweet condensed milk
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 cup hot water

Pour into a 9" pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees 55 to 65 minutes. (Center will still move slightly when done.) Cool and enjoy.

*Mashed pumpkin will last 5 days in refrigerator.

Pumpkin and Chicken Sausage "risotto"

Recipe courtesy of fitness magazine.
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground dried sage
6 ounces spicy chicken sausage links
1 1/2 cups farro
3 cups low-sodium fat- free chicken stock
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine pumpkin, oil and sage. Top with sausage. Roast 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Turn sausages over and roast 15 more minutes. Remove from oven, slice sausages and set sausage and pumpkin/ squash pieces aside.

Rinse and drain farro. Set aside. Bring chicken stock to a boil.

In a large pot, heat oil. Saute shallot for 2 minutes. Stir in farro. Add wine; cook until absorbed, about 7 minutes. Stir in two ladles of chicken stock. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes, add two more ladles of chicken stock cover and simmer again. Repeat this process until all stock has been used and almost completely absorbed.

Remove from heat and stir in parmesan. Cover and let risotto rest 5 minutes. Stir in sausage and pumpkin/ squash and parsley.

Serves 4. 487 calories, 25 g protein, 60 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat (4 g saturated), 8 g fiber

Pumpkin Bread

Mix together:
2 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening

Then, add:
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2/3 cup water
4 eggs

Stir in:
3 1/3 cup flour (may need to add 1/4 cup more)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Pour into a greased laof pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes