GLUTEN FREE,AND YUMMY TOO!

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

As a teacher, I’ve noticed the growing number of children with severe allergies. Peanut butter probably tops the list, but Gluten is becoming a contender for the title! I‘ve always loved to make treats for my students so I’ve found good gluten free mixes to make cookies and cupcakes . This way my kids with allergies don’t miss out on all the fun. Here are three top rated recipes for those with gluten allergies. Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE EGGNOG CAKE

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free yellow cake mix

2/3  cup milk

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 ½  teaspoons rum extract

 1  teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs

¼ cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of (8- or 9-inch) round or square pan. Beat cake mix, milk, butter, extracts, nutmeg and eggs in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 33 to 41 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around inside edge of pan. Cool 30 minutes longer.

EATERY IS OPEN FOR MEMORIAL DAY - Patriotic Flag Cake

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Want a super easy but star studded dessert for Memorial Day? Try this Patriotic Flag cake. There are several variations to please every dessert lover!

 

You can buy a flag shaped pan like mine, or simply use a rectangular pan. Either way, people will love your patriotic spirit!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray pan with Baker’s Secret or grease and flour.

Ingredients:

1 box vanilla cake mix

4 egg whites

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup water

Mix all ingredients, pour into pan a and bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown and cake springs back to touch. Cool for 20 minutes then invert on platter.

Icing:

 50 fresh blueberries, 2 pints fresh raspberries, 1 can vanilla icing, 1 cup cool whip.             

Mix canned icing and cool whip well. Frost cake and put remaining icing in a pastry tube. Place 50 blueberries on left top corner of cake (10 across , 5 down). Place raspberries to represent red stripes. In the “in between” rows, pipe white icing florettes for the white stripes. Pipe a border around the entire base of the cake. Chill before serving.
* My favorite variation: Use devil's food cake mix instead of white and replace fresh raspberries with Cherry Pie Filling!

Happy Memorial Day!

EATERY IS OPEN - Nana's Cooking

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

I received a lovely comment from someone named “Georgia Peach” asking for a recipe that would rival her grandma’s old recipe for Butter Pecan Cake. Here is a recipe that my Nana used to make. She wasn’t from Georgia, but she was Pennsylvania Dutch and believe me, no one could bake cakes like she could!

Nana’s Butter Pecan Cake

Ingredients:

2 2/3 c finely chopped pecans

1 ¼ c butter, softened and separated

2c sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1c milk

¼ c sour cream

Prepare 3 9inch cake pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix pecans with ¼ c butter in baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl. Cream remaining butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing as you go. Fold in flour, baking powder, salt, milk and sour cream. Beat until smooth. Fold in remaining pecans.

Pour into 3 prepared 9inch cake pans and bake at 350 for 25 – 30 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

Frosting

1 c butter, softened

8 ½ c confectioners sugar

1 can evaporated milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add all other ingredients and beat well. Frost between layers, sides and top of cake. Garnish with some chopped or whole pecans if desired.

(Now in the interest of all women who are super busy these days, you can make a Betty Crocker brand  butter pecan cake mix  but add 1 pkg instant butterscotch pudding, ¼ c sour cream, reduce water to 1 cup and 1 c finely chopped pecans. Pour into 2 prepared 9 inch pans and bake according to package directions. Frost with 1can cream cheese frosting mixed with 1tsp maple or rum extract. Not as rich, but great in a pinch!)

I hope this does the trick for Y’all!  Enjoy!