{gluten free} pumpkin muffins with maple cream cheese frosting - make this now.

My great friend, The Sharynator {as in - a fun combo of her name and The Terminator? Get it? Yep. I am a great friend.} bought me a can of pumpkin a few weeks ago, after we had just heard about the great pumpkin shortage of 2010 and started to kind of PANIC and FREAK THE FRACK OUT because we noticed our local grocer was not stocking the pumpkin like they used to but then she spotted it on the shelves of another market. {Food Ciiiiiiii-Tay! - if you've ever shopped there, you know what I mean. I LOVE shopping there. Especially FRIDAYS!} and picked us each up a big ol' can. {oh holy run on sentence} And I have been staring at it ever since, because my trusty pumpkin bread recipe just isn't going to work this year {since we've been gluten-free since January} and I hate to waste time making things that are going to end up tasting like sadness. BUT I have tried to start to give myself credit for finally getting a handle on what gf flours work for what and so I decided {after a successful foray into making pancakes with what I had on hand vs an actual recipe}to try to modify my bread recipe into gf muffins. They turned out SO DELICIOUS I am going to share them with you:

Ingredients needed to make 24 regular sized muffins + 24 mini muffins:

{Halve the recipe to make about 18 regular sized muffins}

• 1 c unsalted butter {2 sticks}, softened
• 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp gf vanilla extract
• 2 c canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2  c gluntinous rice flour {widely available at asian or int'l supermarkets for VERY inexpensive- I can get it in AZ for about 99 cents a pound}
• 1 c sorghum flour
• 1 c tapioca starch
• 1/2 c almond flour
• 2 tsp guar gum
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup buttermilk {you can substitute powdered buttermilk + water}

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tins with paper liners OR grease and flour the cavities. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients: the flours, guar gum, soda, powder and spices. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugars and honey until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add vanilla and pumpkin and beat until well mixed. Add the buttermilk and flour, alternating between the two, until everything is mixed together. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

To make the delicious frosting, whip together 1/2 c softened butter, 1 block softened cream cheese, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp maple flavoring and 2 tbsp half and half. {start by adding 1 tbsp and add 1 tsp at a time until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Add more half and half as needed} Frost your muffins once they are completely cooled. ENJOY!

Gluten free baking does not need to be scary :)

{Make This!} A flourless chocolate cake {gluten free living} It doesn't taste like sadness!

Since we decided to go gluten free as a family this past January, I have really tried to modify our family {food} traditions to not only be as healthful as possible, but also super yummy. Because, really? NO ONE wants their child's birthday party memories to taste like sadness and deprivation, right? While thinking about what type of cake I could make for Kennedy's birthday {this was in February}I stumbled across a bunch of flourless type cake recipes. And these made me think back to my 16th birthday, when my dad took me for lunch at a local {fancy} Italian food restaurant, where I tasted flour-less chocolate cake for the first time. I remember it being heavenly. So, I attempted one for Ken's birthday, with great success. And then again, yesterday for Camden's birthday. Please note two things. 1) This is SO to die for, you don't need to be on a GF diet to appreciate it and  2) No one should EVER have to eat Betty Crocker's gluten free cake mixes and think they are acceptable or delicious. They are neither. They are gross. They taste like sadness. Betty should be ashamed of herself. And at 6 dollars a box? Arghhhh! There are so many better things out there, you shouldn't to think that is as good as it gets. 

Start out with these ingredients:

*1 {12 oz bag }gf, high quality bittersweet chocolate chips {or baking chocolate squares}

*1 cup + 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks

*1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

*6 eggs

*1 cup gf unsweetened cocoa powder

*1 tablespoon half & half {you can substitute any kind of 'milkish' drink}

*1 tablespoon honey

*1/4 teaspoon gf vanilla extract

Also, gf cooking spray, parchment paper and a 9" spring-form pan.

First, you need to prepare your pan. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom of your pan. {I trace the bottom and then cut out the circle. Because I suck at cutting circles, free hand. So. Not. Martha.}

Now, spray your whole pan with cooking spray.

And stick your perfectly cut circle into the pan. You pan is now ready for the party. Set her aside for a minute.

 

Now, measure out 8 ounces of your chocolate.  

Cook the chocolate chips and 1 cup {2 sticks} of the butter {cut up} over medium-low heat, stirring often, until melted.

Stir. Stir. Stir. Don't burn, burn, burn.

It really REALLY helps if you have a cute kitchen helper named Brighton :)

When everything is melted and it looks like this ^ carefully transfer to a large bowl.

Add sugar and mix well. {worst picture EVER and I only took one. Sorry.}

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.

Sift cocoa powder into bowl {ahem. or not. I hate to sift. my cakes have still been delish.}and stir until blended.

Your batter is ready to bake! So easy, peasy!

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until cake has risen and top has a crust. The cake should be firm-ish in the middle when done.

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. {or... the top of your gas stove that is rack-ish}

Then, invert on your serving dish and remove the spring form pan.

Is your mouth watering? OMG This cake is SO YUMMY!

It has the BEST texture! Now, let the cake cool completely - for like, an hour? You can speed up cooling by sticking it in the fridge. Yeah. I know, I am a last minute girl, too :)

To make the SUPER EASY glaze {make it when you are ready to glaze your cooled cake} take the rest of your chocolate chips {4 ounces) and butter {3 tbsp}and melt over medium low heat. {Don't tell Chef Ramsey, but I use the same pan from before WITHOUT WASHING IT! Ahhhhhh the HORROR!}

Remove from heat and then, just stir in the honey {1 tbsp}, half and half {1 tbsp} and vanilla {1/4 tsp} and mix until combined.

Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake.

Use your spoon to gently coerce the chocolate to the sides of the cake. I like it to drip over the edges a bit.

It will look like this when you are done. Now is the time to add chopped nuts, if you so choose. {while the glaze is wet.}

Now, chill the cake {uncovered} for 30-60 minutes and enjoy. And oh, my. You WILL enjoy it!