Tuesday, November 6, 2012

How to Make a Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake

Because everybody loves Red Velvet Cake. And almost everybody (these days) is gluten-free.

The office where I work celebrates its employees by having a birthday party a month for the appropriate folks. When there are more than 3 in a month, or we're just wanting extra reasons to shirk work and eat cake, we have multiple birthday parties.

Goes without saying, those months are the best.
 
Now because the people I work with are patient, accommodating, and selfless (practically sainted), they allow me to butt into their lives enough to actually make their respective (usually gluten-free) birthday desserts, thus foregoing their shot at the decadent cakes available at any one of our several fabulous bakeries. I imagine they do this with the same mindset as when they allow their small, begging children to decorate the Christmas tree:

"This is NOT going to go well, but it means so much to them. Why not." Beer swig.

The results are pretty much the same, too: only the bottom gets decorated, I may or may not lose interest halfway through (and subsequently half ass the rest), and I never know if the outcome is really any good because everyone's pretty much obligated to gush over it. Also I make a huge mess and lick everything.

So.

The most recent of these little adventures was a red velvet cake I made with Better Batter brand gluten-free flour (we have some wheat allergies around the office). BB swaps 1:1 with all purpose flour and requires no additional ingredients. Also there's no funky taste to it like with some gluten-free flours.

Who shall remain nameless.

Ahem.
How to Make a Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake


Crumb Coat Method

Have you ever looked at a perfect carrot, red velvet, or even chocolate cake and wondered, "How in the heck do they keep the frosting so perfect? And blissfully crumb-free?" Have you then sighed, remembering all the crumby cakes you yourself have turned out, certain that only the crème de la crème of bakers could know the secret technique behind flawlessly smooth frosting veneers?

Well, cher. I am about to give you the key to the castle. For freezy.

The trick to a beautifully frosted cake is the Crumb Coat Method. Here she be:

Crumb Coat Method


Monday, October 29, 2012

Southern Loving

Y'all know I just love these little doo-dads. 
Good manners: one of the many things Mississippians still do right. 




Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Best Ever if You're A Low-Carbie

Diet root beer and cream or half and half (local dairy, please). Y'all, this is a damn root beer float. At least it sure starts to pass as one when you haven't had the real thing in several sad, deprived years.  And even though I'm trying to slowly but steadily ditch my diet soda habit, I'll still have one of these if/when a craving for sweetness starts to eat me alive. Hope you think it's as good as I do!




Y'all Come Back Now!

Photo by Michelle Chasser/Brainchild Theories

Monday, October 8, 2012

Cornbread. Hold the Sugar.

I went to this "Cajun" restaurant once in Massachusetts. I wish there was something more emphatic than quotes to express just how allegedly "Cajun" this place was. I'm not trying to sound snooty, I promise. Ok maybe a little. It's just...Yankees do good lobster. Sorry, "lahbstuh." And it's called Boston Cream Pie for a reason. But the red beans and rice? Negatory. Sweet tea? Nonexistent. And, oh god, sin of sins. 

The cornbread.

Was.

Sweet.

I'll give you a moment to digest that. And have indigestion. And contemplate a bulimic episode. 

Sweet cornbread = corncake. Period. End of story. I'm sorry, I am a good Southerner and I took my oath and on this I cannot budge one single iota. That said, the BEST cornbread I've ever had was my great-grandmama's recipe. Probably my great-great-grandmama's recipe, since that's generally how great-grandmamas came by their recipes back then. Anyhow, it has never met its rival (unless we're talking about YOUR great-grandmama in which case, of course, hers is superior. Commence war of courtesy) 

And now, for the first time ever, I am publishing Granny Morris' Cornbread Recipe on the Internet. For you, dear 10 readers. For you.

So Let's Make Some Damn Cornbread!