Gluten free white cake donuts

It has been around three years since we went gluten free.  And things have come a long way but there are still a few things that we have not tackled.

This weekend was the beginning of donut experiments.  And, thanks to lots of tips that we have learned over the past couple years, baked cake donuts were a great success.

First of all, I have to admit.  I was a bit skeptical when my wife came home with the Sunbeam donut baker.  Think waffle baker made for donuts.

In the end, this thing did a great job.  A beautiful baked cake donut. 

Here is the first recipe.  This is one that I derived after a bit of study.  I hope you like it, the family certainly did.

I use the whisk attachment of the trusty KitchenAid stand mixer and if anything, I mix a good long time, so things are nice and smooth.  In the end you want the consistency of soft frosting.

Cream together:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. melted / soft butter

Add in and allow the mixer to go until smooth:

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. sour cream

Pour in the following and begin mixing slow so you don’t create a dust storm, then mix until fully incorporated:

• 1 cup sorghum flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. xanthum gum
• This should be like loose cookie dough, don’t be afraid to let it mix for a couple minutes.  If you want to change the character, swap out the almond flour for something different.  I use almond because we like the flavor.  This could be any nut flour or rice flour if you have nut issues.

Add and mix for a good long time (about 5 minutes – don’t be afraid of a good long mix it needs to be smooth):

• 1/4 cup milk

When the mixing is done you should think it looks like frosting but is a bit wet and heavy for that.

Scrape the bowl into a piping bag (I like to use a plastic bag and snip the corner) – but don’t have it open.

Place the piping bag into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  This gives everything a chance to get moist and chilled so it pipes well.

If you have the magical donut baker then now is a chance to let it warm up.  If not, then set your oven at 350 – 375 and warm your donut pan.

Once resting in the refrigerator is finished, very lightly spray the donut wells.

Pipe into each donut form, about 3/4 full (you will get the feel after a few).  Then bake away,  The donut baker takes 6 minutes, I assume the oven should as well.

Once done, pick under the hot donuts with a bamboo skewer (so not to scratch the non-stick) and let them cool on a rack.  Then repeat until the batter is gone.

Eat, enjoy!  (the family sure did).

Gluten Free Bisquick Taco Pie

Betty Crocker releasing gluten free Bisquick has been a wonderful thing, but you still need to figure out how to use it for the quick meals that you used Bisquick for before you learned you had to go gluten free.

Taco Pie was a wonderful left over meal that we uncovered over 20 years ago.  It was called “Impossible Taco Pie” and was one of those bake-off type of recipes.  And yes, I pretty much run this recipe from memory and appearance.

You can use up your left-over taco meat (from taco night) and add some green chilies, or tomatoes and chilies, onions, seasonings to make it your own.

The important thing is the ratios.  It took me a couple tries to get this right.

The background:  Gluten free Bisquick is rice flour based.  Really finely ground too.  And rice flour does not get wet.  It does not absorb water, so you have to watch the amount of liquid you add.  That is the key.

Here is the basics of Impossible Taco Pie (gluten free style):

• Browned meat – seasoned with taco seasoning.  Generally left over from making tacos.  About 1/2 pound.
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup gluten free bisquick
• 1/2 cup milk
• shredded cheese to your liking.(about 1 cup to mix in and 1/2 cup to sprinkle on the top)
• green chilies or ‘tomatoes and chilies’ – I like the fire roasted ones.
• onion – this is definitely to taste

Begin with a 9-inch pie plate (we use glass), and give it a dose of non-stick (you can spray, butter, or oil)

Turn on the oven.  350 degrees F.

In a bowl mix the eggs and milk together.  Then mix in the Bisquick.  This should be more runny than pancake batter. You don’t want this thick or else it will end up dominating the taste. You want the taste of everything except the Bisquick to dominate.

In a different bowl (yes, a multi- mixing bowl recipe) mix the browned taco meat and the vegetables.  Then mix in the cheese.  Mix until everything is evenly distributed.

Evenly spread the meat, vegetables, and cheese into the pie plate.

MIx-up and pour over the wet ingredients (rice flour settles out, mix it before you pour it).  The wet should not come to the top of the dry ingredients.

Place it in the oven.  It will take about 30 minutes to 45 minutes to bake.  This is a judgment call.  The middle should dome up and test it like a cake to determine if it is done.

Once done, top it with some extra shredded cheese and turn the broiler on.  Once the cheese is browned to your liking, consider it done.

Let it cool. Cut. Enjoy.

Oh, yes.  Add the taco sauce of your choice.  Sour cream too (good, live culture stuff).

That is it.  It takes about 15 minutes to mix together and about 30 minutes to bake.