Grain Free Cupcake v1

When I went off Paleo last year, I learned a lot about Gluten Free baking and even made a pretty decent sandwich bread thanks to America's Test Kitchen. Gluten Free cooking is rife with processed foods and additives, but there's some sound research on the science of baking and how to mix and match gluten free substitutes to make it work. America's Test Kitchen Gluten Free Cookbook is among the best out there, not so much for the actual recipes, but for understanding how the ingredients work together.

If you're going to engage in Grain Free baking, I find that gluten free recipes are much easier to start from than recipes depending on wheat flour. Besides ATK's book, I have this book by Bruce Fife called "Cooking with Coconut Flour" which I use as the basis for most of my experimentation with baking. I don't think I've yet followed a recipe exactly, but that's kind of my style of cooking.

The basic components you're looking for are:

• insoluble fiber for bulk
• starch for lightness
• protein for rise and browning
• soluble fiber for binding

The problem with just these components is that they don't quite mimic gluten. You can bake pretty good things with just these, but they won't really rise well or have a nice crumb. Despite the soluble fiber, they will still be a bit dry and crumbly. Many Gluten Free recipes use gums as an extra binder to more closely mimic the structure gluten builds which improves rise. These gums tend to cause me a lot of gastric distress even in small amounts (and I'm not alone in this). But wait! There's hope!

Recently I've been reading on many gluten free cooking blogs that potato flour can substitute quite well for the gums typically used in gluten free baking to replicate gluten's elasticity. I've actually used boiled potato with wheat flour in the past to improve the texture of the final bread. It makes the texture a bit more soft and tender, which is something non-grain flours definitely need. The advantage of using potato flakes (ie, instant potatoes) or potato flour (different from potato starch) is that you don't get water weight variations like you do with fresh potatoes. That being said, fresh potatoes are cheap and don't require a trip to a special grocery store. And, chances are there aren't any additives other than dirt.

I'd been wanting to try making cupcakes for some time but hadn't had the right inspiration. I appreciate coconut flour, however I'm not the hugest fan. It tastes weird, it's dry and crumbly and you have to use crap tons of eggs to even make anything decent with it. Not to mention all that insoluble fiber just goes right through me. After reading about potato flour, I got inspired. So tonight I tried my first attempt at grain-free cupcakes, and I'm quite happy with the results!

If you are looking for a more frequent treat, you can skip the icing and use minimum amount of honey (2T). For a special celebratory treat, I don't see anything wrong with a little refined sugar frosting soaked in butter.

Paleo Cupcake v1 - The secret ingredient is POTATO!

Grain-Free Cupcake v1

The Wet:

2 eggs

2 - 4T honey

3 T melted butter

1/4 t sea salt

1/2 t vanilla

2.5 oz or 72g of cooked white potato (floury or starchy, doesn't matter)

The Dry:

2 T coconut flour

1 T tapioca flour

1/4 t baking powder (homemade with 1t baking powder + 2t cream of tartar)

Beat the eggs and honey together, then add the butter, salt, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Press the cooked potato through a strainer or ricer and mix in until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and sift them into the wet ones. Mix until you have a wet, smooth batter.

I used a 12 count USA Pans muffin pan. Line the middle 2 rows (inner 6 spots) with greased paper cups and pour the batter so it fills the up about halfway. You should have enough for 6 cupcakes.

Bake in the upper part of the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Let cool completely before icing or eating so the starch has time to set. These should rise to the top of the muffin compartment.

Buttercream Frosting

Any good cupcake of course needs frosting and if you're looking for a simple buttercream, my recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour's. Granted the use of refined sugar may be offensive to some die-hards out there, but I've always considered cupcakes more of a rare celebration item and not so much of an every day of the week phenomena.

.75 ounces butter

.25 ounces lard

1/4 t vanilla

tiny pinch of salt

4 ounces confectioners sugar (I use 365 Organic with tapioca flour as the starch)

2T milk or cream

Let the fats get to room temperature, then beat them until creamy. Add 2 oz of the confectioners sugar and beat until blended, then mix in the salt and the vanilla. Add 1 T of the milk, then alternate adding in a bit of the confectioners sugar and milk until it's smooth and creamy. I put mine in a plastic sandwich bag and snipped off the corner for an instant mini pastry bag. In my photos, I've added a bit of lime zest.

If you want to add food coloring, I use gel food coloring. For a more natural alternative, you could maybe mix some beet juice and gelatin, but I haven't tried it myself ;) 

Outer crumb of Grain-Free Cupcake v1

Inner crumb of Grain-Free Cupcake v1

This cupcake is a little dense but really not too bad. The most important thing it stays together really well and actually peels off the paper almost like a regular cupcake. The coconut flour makes it a little grainy, possibly soaking the flour for a bit before putting it into the oven could help with that. I also realized I screwed up my homemade baking powder ratio when I was writing this blog and ended up doing 3 baking soda to 1 cream of tartar. I'm going to bet that these would have risen better if that had actually been right ;)

Final Thoughts

Potatoes have been a controversial subject in the Paleo community. My stance on it is my diet is not a religion and I base my diet decisions on science. Do YOUR OWN elimination/reintroduction experiment to determine what to include or exclude from your diet. There's a lot of pseudoscience when it comes to nutrition and the Paleo community is no exception (serious Snake Oil Peddling, amirite?). Recent studies have shown a diet high in starchy tubers does not necessarily lead to diabetes and obesity. The energy in starchy tubers is intended to store food and water for a plant for a long period of time, whereas a grain's starch is intended to be rapidly converted to sugar to feed a germinating seed. Ever done any home brewing? Ever tried it with potatoes? Because potato starch is intended to be released slowly over a long period of time, fermenting grain works a little better. So, logically, it seems reasonable to conclude our bodies would process the starches differently as well.

But really the ultimate test is your own reaction to the foods that you eat. In my case, I ate 1 small white potato. One hour later, I checked my blood sugar - 105 (resting is 90). Within my normal post meal range. No digestive issues or reactions. So much for that whole "glycemic index" nonsense.

Cream of Mushroom and Leek Soup

My husband really likes Cream of Mushroom Soup. I think it's ok but it's not my favorite. I usually like to add some oomph to it to make it more interesting. Leeks will give the soup a nice sweetness, so make sure you saute them so they are sufficiently caramelized.

Mushroom soup isn't particularly photogenic

Ingredients

4 T Butter
16 oz Mushrooms, separated into caps and stems, caps sliced
2 medium or 1 giant leek, chopped
1 quart (give or take) Chicken Stock (or other light stock)
8 oz Heavy Cream

Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste
Nutmeg (to taste)
1/4 Lemon (for juice)

Roux

4T Butter
1/4c + 2T Flour

Preparation

1. Saute the mushrooms and leeks in the butter for about 15-20 minutes on low until they start to emit an aroma and they are soft and shiny.
2. While the mushrooms and leeks are sauteing, add the mushroom stems to the chicken broth and simmer on medium. If using unseasoned or packaged chicken broth, add some aromatics at this time to boost the flavor.
3. Add the chicken stock to the mushrooms and leeks and simmer for 1 hour.
4. In a separate pan, make the roux using the flour and butter. Bring the soup to a boil then add the roux to the soup.
5. Boil the soup for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thick
6. Turn off the heat and add the cream. If the soup is too watery, you can turn the heat up to high and boil it until it is thick enough, just make sure you stir it frequently to prevent the bottom from scalding.
7. Add seasonings and lemon juice.

Cooking Tip

Lemon or Lime Juice is my secret ingredient. The citrus adds a wonderful brightness to dense dishes and often it's not obvious that there was lemon specifically added to the dish. I usually use a little lemon juice in stews and vegetables. Orange juice and zest works great with squash. Lime is especially nice with coconut milk or bean-based soups.

If you're worried about seeds or pulp getting into your food, you can squeeze the lemon or lime through a strainer. I do not recommend pre-squeezed juices, they aren't as good as the real deal and getting it straight from the fruit really isn't hard.

For a great refreshing soda-like beverage, squeeze 1/4 to 1/2 of a lemon into a 16 oz glass and top up with cold seltzer water. You can also add the same amount of juice when you refill your water bottle for the gym or what have you with filtered water. I often put my daily dose of liquid magnesium supplement into this mixture because the lemon covers up the bitterness!

Cheese "Crackers"

When switching to a low carb diet, one of the things I missed the most was crunchy snacks. Especially cheese flavored crunchy snacks!

These "crackers" are very easy to make as they are just melted cheese!

I recommend using a leaner cheese for these. The fat in the cheese will run out leaving you with just the protein part, so the less fat in the cheese, the more cracker you'll end up with. I like Monterey Jack the best. Monterey Jack has a very bland flavor that lends itself well to this application. So far my favorite flavoring is smoked paprika and garlic powder, but they taste great plain too.

Heat oven to 400 deg F.

Cut Monterey Jack cheese into squares.

I use parchment paper or a silicon mat on top of a baking sheet to control stickage. Place the squares on a baking sheet in whatever way works for you to prevent stickage.

Once the oven is fully pre-heated, place the baking sheet in the oven in the middle rack. It's really important that you wait for the oven to be fully preheated so the cheese melts and solidifies quickly, otherwise, it might run excessively.

Watch these while they are in the oven. Generally mine are done in about 5 minutes. When the edges are brown you know it's time to pull them out.

Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes and enjoy! If they are a little greasy, just soak it up with a paper towel.

Crustless Quiche

This quiche recipe is adapted from Julia Child's Leek Quiche recipe in her book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking".

Quiches are really easy and are a great way to use leftovers. I like to make them in 16 oz pyrex containers so they are easy to take for lunch and each individual quiche develops a nice brown cheese crust on top.

Basic Quiche Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/2c heavy cream
1/4c shredded gruyere or comte cheese
1 T butter
pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Beat together eggs and cream, then add filling. Fill 3 16oz pyrex dishes. Sprinkle cheese on top and dot with butter.

Bake for 25 minutes at 375 deg. Let cool, pop the cover on and either take it with you or put it in the fridge. I like these best at room temperature. If eating hot, I put some paper towel or a napkin in a bowl and place the pyrex container in that.

Optionally, you can blend the cheese in with the rest of the ingredients, but on top it makes a nice crust and gives a nice bite, especially if you are using a really good cheese.



For fillings, get creative and use whatever you have leftover in the fridge. Quiche is great when you have vegetables that are starting to go bad so you need to use them quick.

Fillings:
- sauteed mushrooms and onions
- sauteed leeks + another 1/4c of cheese
- ham + another 1/4c of cheese
- use Feta instead of the other cheese, kalamata olives, and 4 oz defrosted frozen spinach