Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Cake

Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cake - Torta Caprese

I learned how to make this cake in Italy with Wendy Holloway from Flavor of Italy. She was so sweet to include a gluten-free recipe for me. I have since learned that this style, creamed yolks with sugar added to almond meal and folded with egg whites, is more of a technique in Italy and other areas of the Mediterranean rather than a response to creating a cake which is gluten-free.

I have adapted her recipe slightly to fit with US measurements. After making it twice, I know it will be a dessert in my repertoire. I hope you will give it a try!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cake (aka Torta Caprese)

4 ounces dark chocolate
4 ounces unsalted butter or  vegetable shortening

1 ½ cups almonds, ground fine (raw, skin on)
2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt (flakey) or kosher salt

5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Tip: Eggs are easiest to separate when cold but whip best at room temp

1. Melt butter and chocolate. Cool. Mixture should still be liquid but not hot.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a cake pan with non-stick spray or butter/oil and white rice flour.
3. Grind almonds finely. In a bowl, mix the almonds with potato starch, baking powder and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar and vanilla until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.

5. Fold in the almond mixture and chocolate mixture to the egg yolks.
6. Clean the beaters and dry. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.

7. Fold in ¼ of the egg whites at a time into the chocolate mixture.

8.     Pour into pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and the edges of the cake pull away from the pan. Cool slightly then remove from pan. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries or with vanilla ice cream.

Camping with Kids book review

The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids, 

written by Helen Olsson and beautifully illustrated by Scotty Reifsnyder

If you have kids and haven't gone camping with them yet, Helen Olsson has taken the guess work out of it for you. Her new book The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids covers everything from what to bring to what to do while you are there. Olsson's guide is a must-have for first timers. If you have camped with your children before, you might learn a few tricks.

Included in the comprehensive guide is Planning Your Trip, Gearing Up, The Campsite, Camp Grub (find a recipe for her pancakes here on my blog), Outdoor Recreation, Campsite Boredom Busters, Camp Arts and Crafts, Hygiene, First Aid and Safety. Even though we are experienced campers, I am looking forward to bringing this guide along on our next trip for inspiration and ideas. Wait. I might need to use it before as well!

There are numerous lists to help you stay organized (I am the queen of the list!). She includes the following checklists*:

• Hardware (tent, sleeping bags, etc)
• Little tykes gear (I have brought a baby camping; this is great!)
• Kitchen gear (see photo)
• Camping kitchen
• Software (clothes)
• Footwear
• Water based activities
• Camp art
• Stargazing

In the back of the book, there is a packing checklist which includes all of the above and more. 

Olsson includes Smart Tips in every chapter. As you might know, I love tips as it really helps. There's even a page dedicated to duct tape. I never realized how handy it was!

After reading this book, I am truly inspired to take my kids camping again. Coming from someone who never camped until she was 30 (my Dad believed in "motel" camping), this says a lot. If you are interested in buying the book, you can do that directly from Roost Books. Guess what?! You can get a discount. The family and friends discount code is FAMCHEF12, for 30% OFF, and expires on September 15, 2012. Enjoy this wonderful book!

*Excerpted from THE DOWN AND DIRTY GUIDE TO CAMPING WITH KIDS by Helen Olsson, (c)2012. Published by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston.  www.roostbooks.com.

Helen Olsson is a freelance travel and skiing writer and a contributor to the New York Times Travel and Escapes sections, where she writes about family outdoor and adventure travel. Visit her website at www.maddogmom.com.

Camping Pancakes recipe (with gluten-free variation)

I recently reviewed Helen Olsson's book The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids which is a great guide for any family about to venture into the outdoors (even if it's the backyard). In her book, besides great lists of what to pack and what to do, she also provides some wonderful camping recipes. I decided to try the pancakes for my family, even though I was making them in the comfort of my home. I used the same pan that I bring when we go camping; the only difference is there was probably less dirt in this version!

If you are interested in buying the book, you can do that directly from Roost Books. Guess what?! You can get a discount. The family and friends discount code is FAMCHEF12, for 30% OFF, and expires on September 15, 2012. Enjoy this wonderful book!

Below is her recipe for blueberry pancakes (I served berries on the side). My version is gluten-free, of course, but that's an easy adjustment. I have to say they were a big hit. I would absolutely make this recipe while camping.

A few tips from The Family Chef:

• Measure the dry ingredients and place them in a glass mason jar or a plastic container (see step 1; great idea!) 
• If you are using kosher salt, use 3/4 teaspoon instead of 1/2 teaspoon.
• To help the pancakes rise, add 1 teaspoon white vinegar with the liquid ingredients.
• Use vegetable oil (safflower, sunflower, etc) instead of melting butter; one less dish to wash! 
• Place oil or shortening on the griddle pan; butter burns too easily.
• Add a dash of cinnamon for flavor (family favorite). 

Camping Pancakes* (excerpt from page 96. Note: the recipe in the book is for blueberry pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour (for gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour blend and a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs
3 Tablespoons melted butter
1 1/4 cup almond milk or cow's milk
3/4 cup blueberries (I left out)

Directions:
1. At home, sift the flour twice. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large freezer bag and use a permanent marker to write the rest of the recipe on the bag.
2. At home, crack the eggs into a widemouthed Nalgene bottle and mix with the milk.**
3. In camp, whisk the wet ingredients. Add to the dry ingredients and mix lightly.
4. Melt the butter and let it cool. Fold the melted butter and then the blueberries into the pancake batter. If the batter seems too thick, add more milk.
5. Add a little butter to the pan. When the foam subsides, pour a half cup of batter for each pancake. When bubbles begins to form and bottoms are browned, flip the cakes. (About 2 1/2 - 3 minutes).
6. If your pan is large, you may need to rotate it around the smallish flame of the camp stove to evenly brown the pancakes.
**Once the eggs are cracked, be sure to cook them within two days' time.

*Excerpted from THE DOWN AND DIRTY GUIDE TO CAMPING WITH KIDS by Helen Olsson, (c)2012. Published by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston.  www.roostbooks.com.

Helen Olsson is a freelance travel and skiing writer and a contributor to the New York Times Travel and Escapes sections, where she writes about family outdoor and adventure travel. Visit her website at www.maddogmom.com.