special needs baking
Despite being pretty damned cynical and having limited patience for other people's quirks (or my own, for that matter), I can be quite a people-pleaser when I want to. For example: at work, we've instituted the idea of Friday morning breakfast/tea/snacks as a "team-building" exercise. So far this has gone over really well, and each week different people bring in something different. One of my co-workers is allergic to wheat gluten, so when people bring in bagels or most pastries, she can't have them. I knew when my turn came around I was going to make my standard coffee cake, and I decided that maybe I'd give gluten-free baking a try... And it turned out amazingly good! It was moist, not too dense, and very flavorful! I may try this more often with other recipes!
Jewish Coffee Cake (not made with real Jew, or even Kosher, for that matter)
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
16 oz. sour cream
3 cups flour (I used a mix of white and brown rice flour, but I bet buckwheat flour might be good, too)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup suger
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Add sour cream and mix.
Sift flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, and add to wet mixture gradually while mixing. Mix an additional two minutes on med/low speed.
Grease a tube pan and put in enough of the batter to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and almonds, then add another layer of batter, sprinkle more cinnamon-sugar and almonds, and top with the rest of the batter and cover with the rest of the cinnamon-sugar and almonds. Bake for ~55 minutes.
You can also add diced apples or berries in the cinnamon-sugar layers, or use different nuts.
Jewish Coffee Cake (not made with real Jew, or even Kosher, for that matter)
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
16 oz. sour cream
3 cups flour (I used a mix of white and brown rice flour, but I bet buckwheat flour might be good, too)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup suger
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Add sour cream and mix.
Sift flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, and add to wet mixture gradually while mixing. Mix an additional two minutes on med/low speed.
Grease a tube pan and put in enough of the batter to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and almonds, then add another layer of batter, sprinkle more cinnamon-sugar and almonds, and top with the rest of the batter and cover with the rest of the cinnamon-sugar and almonds. Bake for ~55 minutes.
You can also add diced apples or berries in the cinnamon-sugar layers, or use different nuts.