Kyra's Perfect Gluten-Free Picnic

By Guest Blogger, Kyra Bussanich of Crave Bake Shop

My husband and I are both avid hikers, and because we are obsessed
with good food, a hike is an opportunity for a picnic. Food always
tastes better when you've physically exerted yourself, but it's not
necessary to travel far in order to enjoy a good picnic. A lot of
public parks have free summer concerts where you can bring food and a
cozy blanket and enjoy the live music.

I absolutely adore picnics! I prefer to spread a blanket out on the
grass and take off my shoes and squinch up my toes in the cool grass,
but in Portland it tends to rain--a lot--so sometimes we light candles
and have a picnic in our living room. Because I always get so excited
about the prospect of picnic dinner, I often end up overpacking and we
end up with enough food for 6 people in addition to us! It's a great
way to make friends (human or furry!) at parks.

Absolutely critical in our picnic dinner baskets:

• Manchego or Beechers Flagship cheese
• Quince paste (and a butter knife or cheese spreader)
• Pears
• Seedless grapes
• Cold turkey breast or fried chicken (we make our own chicken using a
• Combination of rice flour and erewhon corn flakes as a breading)
• Kalamata olives
• Baby carrots and boursin or rondele cheese
• Pinot gris
• Cheese board and slicer
• Wine bottle opener and glasses

A Few Dairy-Free Replacements

• Use roasted red pepper or garlic hummus for the baby carrots (in lieu of the boursin).
• Replace the cheeses with avocado and cucumber sandwiches.  Use the cukes as the "bread".
• Spread the avocado over Rudis toasted multigrain sandwich bread with roast beef or turkey and lettuce (see other ideas for using avocado as a dairy replacement)

Sometimes we'll add the Glutino Multigrain Crackers to our basket, but
there's always dessert.

Picnic Desserts (of Course)

Dairy free truffle brownies (see my recipe) travel really well; just wrap them
individually in waxed paper and store in a small container with firm
sides, or pack them on top of the picnic basket so as you're
unpacking, you can get excited about the dessert to follow the meal.

Other picnic treats that travel well: lemon bars or blackberry crumb
bars, or rice crispy bars (or my favorite: peanut butter fudge rice
crispy bars--the recipe will be in my upcoming cookbook). I also adore
chocolate-dipped strawberries, which are super easy and don't require
you to turn on the oven, which is a bonus if it is super hot out.

How to Make Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Melt good-quality chocolate in a microwave-safe container at 15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the chocolate is smooth. Then just dip your washed and dried strawberries into the chocolate and place on waxed paper or parchment paper and let the chocolate set.

A picnic basket isn't necessary: a small cooler, open top basket or
even a backpack will do!

About Kyra

Kyra BussanichKyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop, and the first gluten-free winner of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra graduated with honors from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program, which gave her a solid foundation of knowledge about classical French baking techniques which she was able to apply toward baking gluten-free.  Kyra was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder when she was 20 years old. Part of staying healthy meant switching to a gluten-free diet, avoiding all wheat and overly processed foods. Whenever possible, she uses local ingredients, and serves customers with multiple allergies, as well.

Truffle Fudge Brownies from Crave Bake Shop (GF, DF)

Recipe Back Story

Copyright 2011 and published with permission from Kyra Bussanich, Crave Bake Shop

When I could still eat gluten, I often made scratch brownies for potlucks and parties. Since I prefer a fudgy, not cakey brownie, I always underbaked the recipe just slightly so the center would be very moist and fudgy. This recipe makes SUPER fudgy brownies (so fudgy in fact, that when the brownies are finished baking, the toothpick inserted in the center of the pan won’t come out clean, like with most cakes. If the toothpick does come out clean, chances are high that you have overbaked the brownies!)

I’ve successfully converted these to be Paleo as well (see recipe here). This recipe is also fantastic made with coffee in place of the water. It bumps up the dark chocolate flavor without giving a discernable coffee taste.

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Yields 12 super-rich brownies

Put it All Together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-inch square baking pan and then line with parchment paper so the ends extend up over the top of the pan. Lightly oil the parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, potato starch, tapioca flour, sugar and salt. Whisk in the eggs, oil, water and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined and uniform in texture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out almost clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan and then refrigerate in the pan for 1 hour. Using the ends of the parchment paper, lift the brownies out of the pan and cut into squares.

About Kyra

Kyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop, and the first gluten-free winner of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra graduated with honors from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program, which gave her a solid foundation of knowledge about classical French baking techniques which she was able to apply toward baking gluten-free.  Kyra was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder when she was 20 years old. Part of staying healthy meant switching to a gluten-free diet, avoiding all wheat and overly processed foods. Whenever possible, she uses local ingredients, and serves customers with multiple allergies, as well.

More Posts from Kyra

Kyra's Baking Class:  Replacing Common Ingredients in Allergen-Free Baking

Truffle Fudge Brownies from Crave Bake Shop (Paleo Version)

Paleo Version

Copyright 2011 and published with permission from Kyra Bussanich, Crave Bake Shop

This is the Paleo Version of the gluten-free and dairy-free truffle brownie.  Like the other recipe this makes SUPER fudgy brownies (so fudgy in fact, that when the brownies are finished baking, the toothpick inserted in the center of the pan won’t come out clean, like with most cakes. If the toothpick does come out clean, chances are high that you have overbaked the brownies!)

I actually like to put ginger and cinnamon and cardamom and chili pepper and make it chai spiced!

This recipe is also fantastic made with coffee in place of the water. It bumps up the dark chocolate flavor without giving a discernable coffee taste.

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup GF coconut flour
1/4 cup GF almond flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups agave syrup
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water (or coffee)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Yields 12 super-rich brownies

Put it All Together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-inch square baking pan and then line with parchment paper so the ends extend up over the top of the pan. Lightly oil the parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, coconut flour, almond flour and salt. Whisk in the eggs, oil, water, agave, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined and uniform in texture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out almost clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan and then refrigerate in the pan for 1 hour. Using the ends of the parchment paper, lift the brownies out of the pan and cut into squares.

About Kyra

Kyra Bussanich is the owner of Crave Bake Shop, and the first gluten-free winner of the Food Network's Famed, "Cupcakes Wars".  Kyra graduated with honors from the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program, which gave her a solid foundation of knowledge about classical French baking techniques which she was able to apply toward baking gluten-free.  Kyra was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder when she was 20 years old. Part of staying healthy meant switching to a gluten-free diet, avoiding all wheat and overly processed foods. Whenever possible, she uses local ingredients, and serves customers with multiple allergies, as well.

More Posts from Kyra

Kyra's Baking Class:  Replacing Common Ingredients in Allergen-Free Baking

REVIEW: Crave Bake Shop (Let's move to Oregon)

 

The Box Arrives

When I interviewed Kyra Bussanich, the owner of Crave Gluten Free Bake Shop, I laughed when she said that her shipping boxes were tightly wrapped and covered with bright orange "fragile" stickers.  But she wasn't kidding.  My box arrived like it was going to war.  But when I opened it, a few tasty little friends were happily looking up at me from their crisp white bakery box.  Unbroken.  Unharmed.  Waiting to be devoured.

Those little friends were called Peanut Butter Ring Ding Swiss Rolls and Grasshopper Mint Brownies.  My inner kid was clapping. 

Last December, Kyra and I discussed the bake shop's process to prevent cross contamination.  Kyra knows what she is doing.  There is no spelt, rye, wheat, triticale in the bakery.  She sources from tested gluten-free manufacturers.  I had also sent her my allergen list, so I was confident that these treats would be safe for me to eat. As I speak to more restaurant and bakery owners, I"m finding that when the owner of a foodie establishment has serious food restrictions themselves, they tend to be much more knowledgeable about food allergy practices.

 Peanut Butter Ring Dings

Peanut Butter Ring Dings (forefront); Grasshopper Mint Brownie (back)

I tried the Peanut Butter Ring Dings first, partly because brownies are my favorite food of all time (wait.... no, they are pretty much my favorite food of all time) and I wanted to save them for last.  I also enlisted a few non-food-allergic taste testers:  my mom and my friend Val.  Kyra was the first gluten-free baker to ever win Cupcake Wars, so this tasting responsibility was not to be done alone. 

My mom took the first bite and exclaimed, "Oh these are amazing!  These are gluten-free?"  When I replied yes, she had another question, "Where are these from?"  When I responded with "Oregon", she said with finality, "Oh, we are moving to Oregon." 

What I appreciated most about the ring ding was that the cake was really light and fluffy.  Even with the advances in gluten-free baking lately, these are two rare qualities in a gluten-free cake. 

The cake and filling had also retained their moisture, even though the intended arrival was a day late (thanks Postmaster).  The hard chocolate shells that surrounded each ring ding may have had something to do with that.  The peanut butter, dairy-free "cream" was also light and the peanut butter taste was surprisingly delicate.  I'm not used to peanut butter anything being delicate, and I liked it.  The chocolate shell, however, was a little too thick to let you truly recognize the lightness of the cake and filling, so I removed half of the chocolate shell.  When I did so, I could better appreciate the talent that went into the cake and the filling. Please note that this is more of an observation rather than a complaint.  The peanut butter ring dings are delish.

I saved a second set of treats for the next day.  They were still surprisingly fresh.   I asked my friend Val stop by to get another opinion.  She grew up with a celiac sister, so she has tasted many a gluten-free item, plus her taste buds are accustomed to wheat.   I left off part of the shell for her first bite and she started raving and repeating the, "This is really gluten-free?" question over and over.   Then she said, "Hey, where's the rest of the chocolate?  Hand it over.  That's mine."  The ring ding, plus complete chocolate coating, was her favorite.

Grasshopper Mint Brownies

 Grasshopper Mint Brownie

I have been searching for the world's best brownie ever since I popped forth from the womb.  For nearly 10 years, I had also made it my mission to find the best 2 am. grilled cheese and bacon sandwich in Manhattan.  With the onset of my allergies I've had to give up one search (seriously, a gluten-free, dairy-free grilled cheese is possible?), but not my quest for the best brownie. 

Wheatless or not, my standards remain high.  I still want the perfect mix of chewy, moist and only slightly cakey.  I still want the chocolate to have depth and a nice finish.  Yes, I'm serious.  Chocolate is like wine.  You don't want your brownie to leave you hanging.

I've tasted some very good gluten-free brownies within the last decade.  BabyCakes Bakery in New York City serves a lovely brownie bite.  My own brownie tart recipe, though quite rich, is one of my favorites, too.  Until now.

Crave makes the best brownies I've ever tasted.  The texture of the brownie itself was heavenly.  Chewy, moist, just a hint of  cakey - all there.  The mint "cream" was a nice surprise.  At first, I was unsure.  There was a lot of it and I wanted just a little more brownie.  So I tried the brownie alone.  Perfect.   I tried the mint cream alone and I was amazed at the perfect balance of fresh mint flavor.  I absolutely loved the two layers together.   I wanted more.  Usually mint flavored baked goods have a rather fake taste to them, which I find offputting.  Crave's mint, however, was fresh and satisfying.  I miss that grasshopper mint brownie. 

In fact, my annual birthday brownies are coming from Crave this year, and I"m going to order a bunch. 

Find Crave

www.cravebakeshop.com

LOCATION: 460 5TH STREET, LAKE OSWEGO, OR 97034

PHONE: 503.212.2979 | FAX: 503.212.2978

EMAIL: INFO@CRAVEBAKESHOP.COM

HOURS: TUE-FRI 8am - 5pm, SAT 8am - 4pm

 Full length view: Grasshopper Mint Brownie

Recipe: Brownie Tart (Dairy- & Gluten-Free)

Backstory

My love for brownies led me to try every gluten- and dairy-free brownie mix on the shelves.  Not floored (although there are some great mixes out there now), I started making my own from scratch.  Then with alternative flour in my hair and coconut oil on my shirt, I looked for a brownie-like cake that I could take to parties and have people ask, "Who made this?"  To achieve this lofty goal, I thought it wise to start with a recipe from one of the brownie masters, The Barefoot Contessa.  I adapted her recipe so that I could safely and joyfully consume, but also have "normal" guests demand a repeat performance.  This recipe is rich (you don't need big pieces), chocolatey, chewey - all of the different textures that you want in a brownie. 

And this tart gets people to make naughty sounds. 

 Just out of the oven. It smells so, so good.

Ingredients

6 TBS of coconut oil

20 oz. (3.25 cups) of Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (or bittersweet chunks if you are really in a decadent mood)

1 cup of sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp. of gluten-free vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. of GF coffee extract (rounds out the flavor of the chocolate)

1/4 c. GF brown rice flour (I find white rice flour too sweet) - I use Bob's Red Mill

1/4 c. GF tapioca flour -- I use Bob's Red Mill

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea or kosher salt

2-3 TBS of rice, almond, coconut (or other alternative) milk

Put it Together

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With coconut oil (or safflower, grape seed), grease a 9-inch tart pan with removable sides.  Then flour the pan with brown rice flour.

Wet Ingredients:  Melt the 6 TBS of coconut oil in a bowl over simmering water.  Make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.  Add 2 cups of the chocolate chips to the bowl with the oil, then remove from heat until the chocolate melts.  If you need more heat, put the bowl of back on the simmering water for a few seconds.  (Chocolate burns easily, hence this method.)  Let chocolate cool completely.

In a bowl of an electric mixer (use the paddle attachment) beat the eggs, sugar, GF coffee extract and GF Vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate.

Dry Ingredients:  In a medium bowl, combine the tapioca and brown rice flours, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of chocolate chips.  Fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just combined.

Bake:  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the center is puffy.  Don't overbake - if the center puffs up and possibly cracks, it is good to go.  The inside will still be very soft, but the outer rim will be perfectly chewy. 

Dress Up:  Melt the remaining chocolate chips with the 2-3 TBS of rice milk (or other alternative milk).  You can do this right in the double boiler you used for the first melted chocolate.  Drizzle over the top of the tart in whatever pattern floats your boat.

Cool to room temperature before removing the tart pan sides.

 The End.