Gluten free Crepes with Strawberries, cream and chocolate sauce

As a child, I remember seeing a recipe for Crepe Suzettes that was taped to the inside of our spice cabinet door. I don't ever recall our family making this recipe however.
A few years ago, I attempted to make gluten free crepes. I used corn starch instead of wheat flour and they turned out pretty well.
This time I decided to use a recipe I found online and substituted Domata gluten free flour for "regular" wheat flour.
Crepe Recipe:
4 eggs
1 cup gluten free flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Blend all ingredients together in a mixing bowl or electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. Let mixture rest a few minutes and then mix again for another 2 minutes. Let the mixture set for a few minutes in the refrigerate.
Heat a space amount of butter in a small frying pan or crepe pan, if you have one. I don't have a crepe pan, so I used a small metal frying pan.
I used medium high heat.
Measure 1/4 cup batter and put in in the hot pan. Tilt the pan until most of it is covered with batter. Gluten free batter may need some assistance. If needed, use a wooden spoon to spread batter around.
When you see lots of little bubbles on the crepe, then flip it over using a spatula.
The crepe will cook up rather quickly, so keep a close eye on it.

Creme:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar.
The electric mixing bowl and beater must be cold before making this.
I put mine into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Put the cream and vanilla in the chilled bowl. Beat this for about a minute. Then slowly add the sugar. Add one tablespoon at a time. When soft peaks form, then remove bowl and place in the refrigerator for several minutes.

Chocolate Ganache sauce
6 ounces bitter sweet chocolate (chopped into small pieces). I used Ghirardelli squares because it's easier to chop and I like the taste of Ghirardelli.
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half.
2 tablespoons sugar.
Heat cream in sauce pan over medium heat. Add sugar, stir well. Then add the chopped chocolate. Mix with spoon until sauce is nice and dark and smooth.
Take sauce off heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Chop fresh strawberries into small slivers. Place a few strawberries in the center of the crepe. Put cream on top of strawberries. Roll up the sides of the crepe. You can use a dab of cream to keep the crepe closed. Dollop cream on top of crepe. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over crepe and plate. Add strawberries if you wish.

Other topping ideas:
Bananas
Warm up chocolate sauce and peanut butter in a sauce pan and drizzle that on top of the crepe
Raspberries
any other fruit you like. I don't suggest tomatoes though :)

Double Decker White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

My latest baking quest!

The recipe calls for chocolate wafers for the crust. I couldn't find any gluten free chocolate wafers, so I used gluten free "oreo" type cookies. Take the cookies apart and discard the filling (or eat it).
I baked the crust one day ahead of time.
The recipe calls for the spring form pan to be covered in aluminum foil and placed in roasting pan. The roasting pan is to be filled with water.
I don't have a roasting pan (big gasp of shock here), so...I used a heavy cookie sheet. I put the spring form pan on the cookie sheet and placed it in the oven. Then I poured water onto the cookie sheet.
I would suggest baking the raspberry layer for a little longer, 55-60 minutes.
I accidentally added the almond extract to the top layer of cheesecake, but it didn't matter.
I was told that the raspberry layer of the cheesecake could have been "more raspberryerer". So, you add all of the raspberry puree to the raspberry layer if you'd like.
I also added my own touch to this cheesecake. I made a bitter sweet chocolate ganache to drizzle over the cheesecake.
I heated 1 cup heavy whipping cream on the stove. Then I chopped up 8 ounces bitter sweet chocolate. Then I stirred chocolate into the heated cream. I let this sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
If you have let over raspberry puree, you can drizzle that on the cheesecake like I did and garnish it with fresh raspberries.

Recipe here:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Decker-Raspberry-and-White-Chocolate-Cheesecake-104844

Honey glazed Peach Croustade

Croustades are a new dessert for me. For more on this French dessert: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croustade

If you're going to make this dessert, be aware that the bake time and temperature for the peaches should be reduced. I would suggest 300 degrees for roasting the peaches and bake them for 10 minutes. They will receive more making time when they are placed in the almond crust and baked later.
I used Domata flour for the croustade crust. The recipe calls for only the egg yoke for the dough for the croustade crust. I'd use the whole egg, as this will help the gluten free dough to stick together better and it won't fall apart as easily after it's baked
Also..make sure you have extra Domata flour in hand when working with the dough as gluten free dough always needs extra flour when kneading it.
This recipe calls for a Greek honey yogurt sauce. I'd never had Greek yogurt before. This sauce is wonderful, don't be scared to try it! I'd add about 1 tablespoon extra to the sauce.

Recipe here:
http://theyummpixel.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/honey-roasted-peach-croustade-with-almonds-and-honey-sweetened-greek-yoghurt/

Strawberry shortcake with Chocolate Mousse

This recipe called for white chocolate mousse.
I didn't have any white chocolate on hand, so I used bitter sweet chocolate instead.
The shortcake is made with Domata flour. They are a bit smaller than shortcakes normally are, as I used a biscuit cutter.
I let the strawberries marinate in the sugar and orange extract for an hour.
I also sped up the mousse process by putting it in the freezer for 1 hour and then in the refrigerator for 1.5 hours.

Recipe Here:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Strawberry-Shortcakes-with-White-Chocolate-Mousse-103286

Semi- Chocolate cake with Vanilla cream filling and ganache frosting

My first recipe made from the "Bon Appetit desserts" cookbook. Made for my sister's birthday.

This is a three layer cake. It was made using Domata flour. I accidentally forgot the buttermilk for the cake portion of the recipe. Cake was still good, but texture was of a brownie, which made it even sweeter.
The vanilla creme and ganache must chill for several hours before using. If you don't want to spent your entire evening making this cake, it's best to make the cake portion ahead of time.
The ganache is used to frost or glaze the cake. It is done in steps. The last step is the hardest because you have to melt the remaining ganache and pour it over the cake. You have to work fast as the ganache will start to solidify quickly.
This recipe tells you how to create the heart shapes on the cake.
When the paper hearts are on the cake, I dusted it with powered sugar.
After you remove the paper hearts, you will probably need to add more ganache frosting to fill in any gaps where the "hearts" are.
Powered sugar got on sides of the cake, so you can touch the sides of the cake up with sightly melted ganache.
Remember, you can always put the ganache back on the stove on a low setting to melt it to the consistency you need in order to glaze the cake.

Recipe here:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Semisweet-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-with-Vanilla-Cream-Filling-233943

The gluten free quest

I've always loved sweets. As a child I would sneak into the cupboard and pour sugar into my palm and eat it.
As a child, I began cooking in 4H. I don't remember too much from my early childhood cooking quests, but I do remember failing a lot; especially when it came to making pie crusts.
Luckily High school saved me. "What?!" you say, "High school saved you!?"
Yes, I took a baking class in high school and learned how to properly make desserts. I made my first successful pie crust in this class. It was this experience that led to what I am today:
"Becky Crocker" is the name my Mom gave to me after I began to become a successful amateur baker.
During and after high school I made pies, cakes, lavish danish rolls..anything sweet and semi complicated, much to the chagrin of my mother and her clean kitchen.


Unfortunately my baking quests came to a halt after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in the summer of 2002. I was living in Europe when I was diagnosed and there was only one store in the entire city that carried gluten free products. They didn't carry any gluten free flours, and my baking quests were put on hold.

After I came back to the U.S. I tried various gluten free flours, but found that none compared to the taste and texture of wheat flour. I was continually frustrated as I tried to make my yummy desserts. I couldn't find the right combination of flours that tasted right and Xantham gum, which is needed as a gluten replacement, was very expensive to be wasted on failed baking quests

Then in 2008, my sister told me about the brand, Domata flour. She said you could use it for any recipe as it was "cup per cup" substitute for flour.
My sister and I were living in an apartment in Kansas City. Armed with my old baking recipes, I began my quest for good gluten free baked goods.
Domata flour was my baking savior!
I started making my pies, cakes, and cookies again. There are some tricks in making desserts turn out well when using gluten free flour, but it's been fun learning along the way...and pretty tasty too!

In 2011, I was at Borders Books trying to find a way to spend a gift card I had received for my Birthday. I decided to look in the cookbook section. There I found "Bon Appetit Desserts".
I thumbed through it and fell instantly in love!

I decided I would slowly make as many of the recipes from this book as I could, but..I would make them all gluten free.

And so..here I am: "Becky does "Bon Appetit desserts" gluten free.

Enjoy! and Bon Appetit!