Blackberry Ice Cream

Summer is almost over, and school is already starting in 2 weeks for me! The summer honestly flew by, and while I'm sad that it's coming to an end, I am ready to get back into the school routine. Plus, I miss my friends at college, and am very excited to be reunited with them as they begin to move in again. Today's recipe is a 3 ingredient ice cream! It's so easy to make, and the tartness of the blackberries combine perfectly with the cream and condensed milk.

Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup blackberry jam

Procedure
1. Whip the heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk together until it gets a heavier texture.
2. Mix in the blackberry jam.
3. Add it to a container that comes with a lid and freeze it overnight.

Voila--it's that easy! Enjoy with a gluten-free cone or on its own, with a good book outside or with Netflix inside. Eat it however you'd like, it's so delicious it doesn't matter how you eat it!
Enjoy!
-Sema

4th of July Pavlova Cake

Happy 4th of July! While it is pretty cloudy in my neck of the woods, nothing can put a damper on today's festivities. If you are in a pinch and wondering what to make last minute, I highly recommend this pavlova cake! Nothing screams the 4th of July like a cake that includes the necessary colors of red, white, and blue.

Cake Ingredients
6 room temperature eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Dash of white wine vinegar

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  
2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, we will only need the egg whites for this recipe.
3. Place the egg whites in a food mixer. That way you don't have to beat it by hand, because trust me, that would take a while.
4. Set the mixer on high, and start mixing until it turns into a creamy white substance.
5. SLOWLY add in the sugar in a thin stream, as to not clump anything up.
6. Add the vanilla, cornstarch, and vinegar.
7. Let it mix until it because so thick that it doesn't run out when you tilt it over.
8. Place parchment paper over a round oven pan. (I used a pizza pan and cut out a sheet of parchment paper to fit it.)
9. Evenly distribute the batter over the pan.
10. Set it into the oven for 1 hour. 


Topping Ingredients
1 pint of whipping cream
3 tablespoons of sugar (or however much you want to sweeten the cream)
Fruit of choice (I used blueberries and strawberries)

Procedure
1. Whip the cream, adding in the sugar. You want to whip it until it becomes spreadable.
2. Wash, cut, and dry the fruit. I cut strawberries into little bits, and added blueberries.

Once your cake has cooled down, add the whipped cream, and top it with the fruit. The cake will be crispy on the outside, but creamy on the inside, and once paired with the fruit and whipped cream, it creates a delicious treat.

Voila! You have a 4th of July dessert!

Enjoy!
-Sema

Cantaloupe Popsicles

 The perfect way to beat the heat is with an ice cold popsicle. But why buy them when you can make them? With cantaloupe season upon us, it's not hard to find them in the grocery stores. But instead of just cutting them up to eat them, you can spice things up and turn them into a healthy popsicle! This recipe only requires four ingredients, and can be eaten in popsicle or sorbet form.

Ingredients
1/2 a cantaloupe
2 tablespoons honey
2 1/2 tablespoons water
Juice from 1/4 of a lemon

Procedure
1. Cut the cantaloupe into small pieces and lay them on wax paper. Freeze it for a few hours or until frozen.
2. Add the cantaloupe, honey, water, and lemon into the blender. I didn't add all the cantaloupe at once, since adding it gradually helped the blender work better.
3. Add the mixture into popsicle molds with a popsicle stick and freeze until completely hardened.

Voila! You have a refreshing snack to enjoy out in the sun!

Enjoy!
-Sema

Gluten-free Cinnamon Swirl Cookies

Hello everyone! I have a delicious cinnamon swirl cookie recipe for you all today! With this little trick you can put a delicious twist on ordinary sugar cookies!

Here's the recipe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pxg1jksM3M

Enjoy!
-Sema

Pi Day Recipes

Happy Pi Day everyone! In order to celebrate, I have compiled a list of five round desserts that you can make today. You don't have to be able to eat gluten in order to enjoy the delicious round foods in life!

 1. Simple Gluten-free Cheesecake

2. Gluten-free Lemon Sugar Cookies

3. Easy Pavlova Cake

4. Gluten-free Norwegian Almond Cake (Suksesskake)

5. Chocolate Nemesis Cake

If your Pi Day isn't full of math, then it should be full of circular desserts, right :)?

Enjoy!

-Sema

Simple Gluten-free Cheesecake

Hello everyone! I have a really simple cheesecake recipe for you all today! Instead of using a graham cracker base, I experimented with a nut-based crust. I honestly can't believe the crusts consists only of three ingredients, it's so delicious! You can make this cheesecake to impress all your friends at a classy dinner party, or make it for yourself as a snack for your Netflix marathon (either way, you should definitely make it).

Ingredients
The Crust
1 1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup pitted Medjool Dates
Pinch of salt

Filling
2 packs of cream cheese
1 cup of sour cream
1 cup sugar
4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Blend the walnuts into a powder. I didn't blend it all the way, because I wanted my crust to be a little nutty (but not too crazy!). Get it? Ha, I love food puns.
3. Cut the Medjool dates into small pieces and add it to the blender along with a pinch of salt.
4. Line the bottom of a round springform pan with parchment paper.
5. Pat down the walnut/date mixture to form the crust.
6. In a large bowl, add the packs of cream cheese and begin to beat them with an electric mixer.
7. Gradually add all the other ingredients of the filling, scraping the sides every time you add something.
8. Add your mixture to the springform pan and set it into the oven for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When the sides begin to brown, you know it's done!

Chill it overnight in the fridge, and voila! You have a simple cheesecake!

Enjoy!
-Sema

Gluten-free Fruit Roll-ups and Mango Walnut Candies

 Hello everyone! The trees are covered with a sprinkle of snow, and I spent today baking candy while drinking peppermint hot chocolate! I'd say that's a pretty good winter day. Today I have two desserts that stem from the same recipe (only one has walnuts!). You can choose to make one, both, or neither ;).

Ingredients
2 mangoes
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 cup of sugar
A handful of walnuts

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Peel and slice the mangoes into little bits and add them to a blender.
3. Puree the mangoes, and once they reach a smooth consistency, add the lemon juice and sugar.
4. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
5. Add the mixture to a pot and set it on low heat for about 25-30 minutes, occasionally stirring until the mixture becomes thick.
6. Line the baking pan with parchment paper, and spread your mixture over it. Make sure that you spread it evenly.
7. Set it in the oven for 1 1/2 hour to 2 hours.
8. Take it out and let it cool enough to the touch.

Now this is where you have to options:
1. Cut it into strips and roll it into wax paper.
2. Cut it into larger strips, and add walnuts to strips, rolling them in. Cut them into smaller pieces.

Voila! You have two candy ideas that are equally delicious!
Enjoy!
-Sema

Coconut Macaroons and College News!

Hello everyone! Finals week is finally over, so I can take a breather! I also have some amazing news to share with you all. I was recently accepted into Washington University in St. Louis! It has always been my dream college, and I am VERY excited for the next four years. To celebrate, I decided to make coconut macaroons. This is honestly one of my favorite desserts, and this simple recipe is perfect for the holiday season. The macaroons were so good that they disappeared in no time courtesy of my family!

Ingredients
1 14 oz package of sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 pinch of salt
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional for dipping at the end)

Procedure
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Separate your egg yolks from your egg whites.
3. Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until they are firm. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites while they're mixing.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the coconut flakes, condensed milk, and vanilla extract.
5. Fold the egg whites into your mixture, and make sure everything is mixed together.
6. Line a flat baking pan with parchment paper.
7. Roll the mixture into balls and make sure they are placed at least one inch apart on your baking pan.
8. Bake it for 20-25 minutes or until the top begins to turn a golden brown.

Now for the optional part: melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring it until it gets smooth. You can dip your coconut macaroons in it, or dip clementine pieces into it!

Voila! You have a delicious dessert perfect for the holiday season!
Enjoy!
-Sema

Gluten-free Lemon Sugar Cookies

The other day I decided to make cookies from scratch. What I love about baking and cooking is that you can really be creative with what you're doing-you don't always have to bake by the rules. (Although there are certain rules that pertain to safety, so don't leave them in the oven too long or you might start a fire). The cookies turned out to be delicious, and before I knew it, they were all gone (my family pretty much ate them all)! The lemon in the cookies gave them a fresh taste without being too overpowering; it was a perfect combination.

Ingredients
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup of softened butter
2 cups of gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Andrea's Super Fine Grind Flour Blend)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
2.Combine the the butter and white sugar and mix it until you reach a smooth consistency.
3. Add all the other ingredients except for the lemon.
4. Mix it until you reach a cookie-dough type of consistency.
5. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon, mixing it in as you go.
6. Take a cheese grater and create about a teaspoon of lemon zest by rubbing the peel of the lemon on the cheese grater.
7. Mix it all in and you've got yourself lemon-y cookie dough!

Now you can can let your creativity flow! I actually changed up each batch of cookies I made, making small cookies, big cookies, and even cookies with jam in the middle. That's the wonderful thing about baking your own cookies, you can do whatever you want with them.

Set your cookies in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes, and voila! you have delicious cookies that have the refreshing taste of lemon in them.

Enjoy!
-Sema

Gluten-free Chocolate Nemesis Cake

I can't believe that I've been in school for two weeks now! It feels like I was just in Norway, laying by the ocean side with a book in my hands, sipping the coffee I got from a quaint European cafe. Since the beginning of school, I have been swamped with homework and the college application process. It's so surreal that I'll be applying for college in a few months!
A wonderful Norwegian Sous Chef by the name of Thomas Hansen sent me a recipe for the delicious Chocolate Nemesis cake that just happened to be naturally gluten-free! It's a wonderful and easy "comfort food" for those busy and stressful times (I can attest to that)! The awesome thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require too many ingredients, and its chocolate-y goodness will be the perfect addition to your evening tea or study session.

Ingredients
2 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
5 eggs

Procedure
1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius), and grease your baking pan (I used a 9 inch round pan). I also added a little sorghum flour to the pan to ensure that the mixture wouldn't stick to the edges, but you can use whatever gluten-free flour you have laying around.
2. Melt the two sticks of butter in the microwave (I did it in two forty second intervals, but it will vary depending on your microwave).
3. Melt the chocolate in a water bath and add the butter and sugar.
4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the mixture.
5. Mix it well!
6. Pour your mixture into the baking pan and set it in the oven for about an hour to an hour and a half or until it sets.
7. Here comes the hardest part-don't eat it when it comes right out of the oven. If you allow it to cool, you can cut it into nice slices. Or I guess you could eat it immediately-whatever makes you happiest! (It's so good that you might not be able to wait)! ;)

Voila! You have a deliciously easy dessert! You can garnish it with powdered sugar and berries, or just eat it out of the pan-but please don't do so in front of your guests :).

If you decide to make this dessert, be sure to post a picture of it with the hashtag #eatwithoutgluten on Instagram or Facebook, so that I can see your fabulous creation!

Enjoy!
-Sema

Easy Pavlova Cake!

School's out, which means more time to sleep and of course experiment with recipes! I'm also getting ready for my trip to Norway in two weeks, but more on that later. Today's recipe is so easy to make, yet it really brings a festive vibe to all summer parties. So, when someone asks you to bring a dessert, you can bring this naturally gluten-free cake that will have everyone asking for the recipe!

Cake Ingredients
6 room temperature eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Dash of white wine vinegar

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. 
2. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, we will only need the egg whites for this recipe.
3. Place the egg whites in a food mixer. That way you don't have to beat it by hand, because trust me, that would take a while.
4. Set the mixer on high, and start mixing until it turns into a creamy white substance.
5. SLOWLY add in the sugar in a thin stream, as to not clump anything up.
6. Add the vanilla, cornstarch, and vinegar.
7. Let it mix until it because so thick that it doesn't run out when you tilt it over.
8. Place parchment paper over a round oven pan. (I used a pizza pan and cut out a sheet of parchment paper to fit it.)
9. Evenly distribute the batter over the pan.
10. Set it into the oven for 1 hour.


Topping Ingredients
1 pint of whipping cream
3 tablespoons of sugar (or however much you want to sweeten the cream)
Fruit of choice (I used blueberries and strawberries)

Procedure
1. Whip the cream, adding in the sugar. You want to whip it until it becomes spreadable.
2. Wash, cut, and dry the fruit. I cut strawberries into little bits, and added blueberries.

Once your cake has cooled down, add the whipped cream, and top it with the fruit. The cake will be crispy on the outside, but creamy on the inside, and once paired with the fruit and whipped cream, it creates a delicious treat.

Voila! You have a dessert for every occasion! So the next time someone asks you to bring a gluten-free dessert, you won't break a sweat.
Enjoy!
-Sema

Gluten-free Bread Pudding and Vanilla Sauce

 

I haven't had bread pudding for a while, so today I set to the task of making it, as I had quite the sweet tooth this morning. It wasn't hard to make, and my mom said that she couldn't tell that it was gluten-free (even though I assure you, it most definitely was.) I decided to make this recipe lactose-free as well with lactose-free milk :).

The Pudding
Ingredients
6 slices of gluten-free bread (I used the BFree white bread, check them out!)
2 tablespoons of melted butter
4 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups milk
3/4 cup white sugar

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the gluten-free bread into little squares and them to a bread pan.
3. Sprinkle the raisins and the melted butter over the bread.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract, milk, and white sugar. Mix it well.
5. Add the mixture to the bread pan, completely covering the bread. You may have to push down on the bread to completely submerge it.
6. Bake for about 35 minutes, then take it out and cover it in foil. Put it back in for another 10 minutes.
7. Take it out to cool. 

The Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure
1. Combine all the ingredients except for the vanilla extract over medium heat in a saucepan.
2. Mix it together until the mixture becomes thick. It will begin to boil, and once it does add the vanilla extract.
3. Mix it a little more and then remove it from the heat.
4. Add the sauce to an individual bowl filled with the bread pudding.


Voila! You have a delicious dessert!
Enjoy!
-Sema

Gluten-free Norwegian Almond Cake (Suksesskake)

 

Happy pi day everyone! In honor of this special day, I decided to make a cake (because I love to celebrate with food). This cake is pretty easy to make, and I love how it's naturally gluten-free. The first time I tasted this cake was at my great-aunt's house in Norway, and ever since I've been dreaming about it :).

The Frosting
Ingredients
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Procedure
1.  Place a saucepan over low heat, and add the egg yolks and sugar, whisking them together.
2. Stir in the heavy cream until the mixture becomes really thick. (Bring the mixture to a near boil.)
3. Remove it from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature. I used an electric mixer to get rid of any lumps.
4. After it reaches room temperature, mix in the softened butter until you get rid of the lumps.
5. Set it in the fridge so it can get cold.

The Cake
Ingredients
5 egg whites
1 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Procedure  
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and grease your baking pan (I used a round 9 inch form).
2. In a bowl, mix together the egg whites with an electric mixer until they become firm.
3. In a different bowl, mix together the almond meal, confectioners sugar, and the baking powder.
4. Fold the egg whites into the mixture.
5. Pour your batter into your baking pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes! Your cake should spring back when you put your finger on it-it will also get a nice golden color.
7. Let it cool down (and sit down and enjoy the scent of an almond cake). Once cool down , add the frosting! 

Look how beautiful it is :').

Add some slivered almonds for garnish,  and voila, you have traditional (and tasty) Norwegian almond cake. The best part of the recipe is that it is entirely gluten free!
 Enjoy!
-Sema 
 

Strawberries and Cream

I spent the majority of today outside, basking in the beautiful weather. Lately, we've gotten a lot of snow and icy cold weather, so today was quite a treat (it got up to 65 F/18 C)! When I got home, I decided I wanted a simple dessert, something that was easy to make and didn't require a lot of prep time. So, I whipped 1/2 a cup of heavy whipping cream in the blender, adding a dash of sugar. I then cut up some strawberries, and shaved the side of a chocolate bar, and voila, I had dessert :).

Also, happy International Women's Day!
-Sema

Gluten-free Banana Nut Muffins

 

One of my favorite treats of all time is the banana nut muffin. And the good thing about it is that it's super easy to make! I used a gluten-free yellow cake mix (mine was a generic brand), and added one and a half banana and a handful of walnuts. It really made the yellow cake mix taste so much better with these ingredients! To garnish, I added some powdered sugar. I also sprinkled a few of the muffins with walnuts before I put them in the oven (I did them in two batches).

It made it eclectic, but at the same time it made it seem like I made a bunch of different muffins instead of just one kind :). All I needed to do was follow the directions on the packet! Sometimes it's just easier to get a mix instead of making it from scratch (I was in a time crunch at the time). Fortunately, ready-made gluten-free mixes are available in most mainstream grocery stores these days!

The next time you head to the store make sure you grab a ready made gluten-free cake mix and try it out! If you want step by step instructions then check out my banana nut bread recipe.

Enjoy!
-Sema

Thanksgiving 2014 Recap!

Thanksgiving has come and gone again :)! I got to spend it with my wonderful family, and got to eat delicious food. It actually snowed here the day before Thanksgiving, allowing us to enjoy a white Thanksgiving (it's not often that that happens...).

I was working on my next single during the day, so I was unable to make a delicious dessert from scratch this time around. That's when a pack of gluten-free instant chocolate pudding came in handy. All I had to do was add 2 cups of milk and voila, I had dessert!

I started off the day with a hearty breakfast! (And I of course drank my hazelnut creamer infused coffee.)

I actually didn't eat lunch in anticipation for the dinner :).

Here is the....drum roll....turkey!!! It's my dad's boneless turkey, and I can certainly vouch for it.

Here I am modeling the dessert.

Here is the dessert modeling itself.

Here is my fabulous family!

-Sema

I have the best recipe in store for you guys! Stay tuned for it next week!

Gluten-free Fruit Compote

 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! In my house, my mom prepares the side dishes, my dad prepares the turkey, and I prepare the dessert :)! Here is a prospective dessert for this Thanksgiving! It originates from 17th century France and is made of whole/pieces of fruits/berries in a sugar syrup and spice mix.

Ingredients
1 cup sliced apples
1 cup sliced pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch diluted in 1/4 cup of water.

Procedure
1. Combine the ingredients (excluding the diluted cornstarch) in a saucepan over medium, cooking until everything is tender.
2. Whisk in the diluted cornstarch mixture.
3. Let it cook additionally for about a minute, and pour the mixture into individual containers, and let it cool down before you eat it! I used a wine glass for a classy look :).

You can also add dash of Greek yogurt or  heavy whipping cream on top as well as walnuts!

Click here to check out another delicious dessert: Creme Caramel!

Enjoy!
-Sema