My Recipe Box - Gingerbread

 My mother's gingerbread was from this cookbook in the 60s and 70s.

Vintage Cookbooks: The Gold Cookbook - Up Close with Claire  

Gingerbread

Servings: 16 from one (9-in) square cake

Cook Time: 35 minutes 

Total Time: 50 minutes 

Ingredients

 

1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

⅔ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

⅔ cup mild-flavored molasses, such as Grandma's Original (not Robust or Blackstrap)

⅔ cup boiling water

1 large egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-in (23-cm) square metal cake pan with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Baker's Joy. (Alternatively, grease the pan with butter and lightly coat with flour.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, and boiling water. When the mixture is luke warm, whisk in the egg.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined and there are no more lumps. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges look dark and the middle feels firm to the touch. Set the pan on a rack to cool slightly, then cut into squares and serve.

 This cake is best served warm out of the oven or reheated.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: The gingerbread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

My Recipe Box - Scones (Variations)

 September 2025 - Toronto ON

I have all kinds of scone recipes but I decided to make the old Irish recipe that my Irish mother used.

I had a copy in an old Irish cookbook that I've had forever.

Traditional Irish buttermilk soda scones used three simple ingredients, flour, baking soda and buttermilk. No eggs, no butter, just a simple dough.

Today buttermilk is made by adding acid to regular milk and the fat content is not as high as the real buttermilk of years gone by. You can overcome this by substituting some heavy whipping cream for buttermilk in most of my baking recipes. I happen to always have heavy whipping cream.

I slightly altered the recipe after reviewing others.

BUTTERMILK SCONES

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 teasp. of baking powder

Salt

1 teasp baking soda

I added

Raisins and lemon peel

Set oven to 400F.

Dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk. Mix the flour with baking powder with the buttermilk, add a pinch of salt, and blend until a soft dough forms.

OPTIONS

Cranberries lemon 

Blueberries - BUT I usually use fresh frozen, and they tend to "bleed" into the dough.

Orange

Chocolate chips - but I wouldn't do that

Apple cheddar

Raisins and lemon peel

Dried currants, dried cranberries, orange peel

Savoury

Cheese and herbs

Bacon and cheese jalapeno 

Maple bacon

Hot cross buns - scones

sultanas

chopped dried apricots

cut mixed peel

ground mixed spice

MAPLE RAISIN - SMALL BATCH

October 2025

I came across a small batch scone recipe - it only makes 4!!! Perfect for the two of us.

UPDATE - I can get 8 average sized scones.

Ingredients

1 cup (125g) plain flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 TBS (43g) butter, cold and cut into bits

1/4 cup (30g) raisins OR whatever you choose

2 1/2 TBS of pure maple syrup, divided

1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream

3 TBS (25g) icing sugar, sifted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375*F. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a food processor. Blitz for 10 seconds to combine.

Drop in the cold butter. Pulse 5 or 6 times to cut the butter in. It should resemble coarse cornmeal with a few larger bits. 

TBH it would be easier to just use your fingers to combine and not bother dirtying the food processor. Also my food processor tends to spill the flour everywhere.

Transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the raisins.

Whisk the cream and 1 1/2 TBS of the maple syrup together to combine well. The syrup should have dissolved completely into the cream.

Pour this mixture over top of the flour mixture and mix in with a fork until you have a shaggy dough. Gently knead for 5 to 10 seconds until the dough comes together.

Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape into a round that is 3/4 inch thick, sealing any cracks that might appear.

Using a sharp knife cut into 4 equally sized wedges. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each wedge. You could make them smaller, and cut into 6.

OR

I like to use a cookie cutter and make 6 round scones. My favourite to use.

AT THIS POINT I freeze them using the method below.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 23 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through the bake time. They are done when golden brown on the edges and bottom.

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for 20 minutes.

OPTIONAL - NOT IF YOU ARE FREEZING!

Whisk the icing sugar and remaining maple syrup together to form a thick glaze. If it is too thick then add a few drops of water to thin.

Drizzle over the scones. 

Let the glaze set completely before serving.

MINI FANCY

Divide the dough into 12 even balls. Place one ball into each cup of the mini muffin tin. Use your floured tool or tart press to gently press a well into the center of each dough ball.

Bake the scone cups for 15 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and re-press the wells using your floured tool to redefine the centres.

Let the scone cups cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Fill each cup with your favorite jams, jellies, curds, whipped cream, or fresh fruit.

JAM FILLED

Divide your dough in two and flatten each piece out into identical rounds.

To simplify, I like to line an 8″ round cake pan with plastic wrap. Next, pat each dough half into the pan so that each round is the same size. Place one dough round on a prepared baking sheet and smear with a layer of jam of your choice.

Freeze Unbaked Scones 

This method allows you to have "fresh-from-the-oven" scones in about 20-30 minutes. 

Prepare and Shape: Make your scone dough and cut them into your desired shapes (wedges or rounds).

Pre-Freeze: Place the raw, cut scones onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 1 hour until solid.

Store: Transfer the frozen scones into a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container, removing as much air as possible.

Freezer Life: They can stay frozen for up to 3 months.

Baking: Bake directly from frozen. You do not need to thaw them, though you may need to add 2-5 extra minutes to the baking time. 

My Recipe Box - Rugelach

 

This recipe is from the cookbook Gluten Free Baking for the Holidays. I made these after flipping through the book.

Pronounced roo·guh·laak

My first attempt, not very pretty! But delicious, we preferred the cinnamon currant filling. The marmalade was too much.

2 cups (280 g) gluten free flour - I use Cup4Cup

Pinch of salt

1 cup (225 g) cream cheese cool but not cold, cut into cubes
1 cup (225 g) butter cool but not cold, cut into cubes

2 Tbsp sugar

Vanilla - optional

Tapioca flour for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
In a small bowl, add cream cheese, butter, and sugar. Mix well with an electric mixer.

Add dry ingredients and beat until dough becomes a lump. By this time, your mixer will be working hard.

Gather the dough and bring it together into a cohesive mass. Divide the dough and shape each half into a disk. Use immediately or wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to three days or refrigerate for six months. If using right away, put other disk into the fridge.

Sprinkle rolling surface and rolling pin with tapioca flour. Roll the dough into a 12 inch circle.

Use a pastry cutter (or pizza knife) to cut into triangles.

You could also roll into a rectangle, sprinkle half the filling and then roll into a log, refrigerate until firm, then slice and bake. Repeat with second disk.

Brush with egg wash. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

FILLINGS

RASPBERRY ALMOND
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar OPTIONAL
1/2 cup raspberry jam, homemade or a good-quality store-bought brand, such as Bonne Maman
1 teaspoon sparkling sugar

CINNAMON CURRANTS WALNUTS 

½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup walnuts
½ cup raisins or currants or cranberries
4 teaspoons cinnamon

HONEY NUTS

2 1/4 ounces (1/2 cup) walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided OPTIONAL
1 tablespoon (15ml) clover or wildflower honey
1 tablespoon (15ml) freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

PISTACHIOS

CHOCOLATE

MARMALADE and CHOCOLATE CHIPS

LEMON CURD WITH ZEST

PEANUT BUTTER 

Notes to self:

Use the pastry mat to measure.

  

My Recipe Box - Lemon Cranberry Sour Cream Bread

 April 2023 - Toronto ON

This is a great cake for breakfast or afternoon tea.

EQUIPMENT

standard 10-12 cup bundt cake OR a loaf pan

INGREDIENTS
DRY INGREDIENTS

2 cups (or 250 grams) gluten-free flour OR all-purpose
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

WET INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cups (or 157 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (180 grams) full-fat yogurt OR sour cream
zest from 1 or 2 lemons
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice, zest your lemon before juicing!
3/4 cup (175 ml) vegetable oil OR melted butter

OPTIONAL

Berries - cranberries, blueberries, raspberries

Nuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350F
Butter and flour a standard 9-inch bundt pan OR loaf pan.
Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
Beat the eggs for 2 minutes until pale and thick. Gradually beat in the sugar.

Blend in the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.
Fold in the dry ingredients and mix just until completely blended.

Add optional ingredients.
Turn the batter into the pan, if using gluten-free flour, let it sit for 10 minutes for the flour to absorb the liquid.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just beginning to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. 
Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes before turning it out. I like to flip it over so the rough edge faces up. Let cool completely OPTIONAL before dusting with sugar OR cream.

MORE TOPPING IDEAS

Add lemon syrup ~ If you’d like to add extra lemon flavor, plus moisture to this cake, made lemon syrup to pour over the warm cake: heat 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool. After you have removed the cake from the pan, poke holes all over the top with a skewer. Spoon the syrup over the top, letting it sink into the holes.
Add a lemon glaze ~ Mix 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar with enough fresh lemon juice to make a spreadable glaze. Drizzle or spread over the cooled cake.
You can use milk, cream, or buttermilk in place of the yogurt.

My Recipe Box - Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns

 April 2023 - Toronto ON

I made these hot cross buns for Easter and they were delicious, but are best on the day baked so judge your timing. They are labour intensive but fun to make. 

I have added my notes/changes in red. I rearranged some steps to suit me as there is some prep work to do before following the ingredients.

Raisins, sultanas and currants are all types of dried grapes. Raisins and sultanas are soft, sweet and juicy, while currants have an intense, sweet and tangy taste. Raisins are typically the largest of the three.

I also didn't do the flour (traditional) crosses, instead I make an icing sugar/milk mixture.

I didn't use my mixer.

I ended up with 8 plus a mini as I measured them for 4.5 ounces so you could get at least 9.

Prep Time 1 hr
Cook/Bake Time 30 mins
Proof Time 1 hr
Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Servings 8 buns
Author Kat | The Loopy Whisk

INGREDIENTS

For gluten free hot cross buns

PREP BEFORE STARTING

85 g (½ cup) sultanas or raisins/currants golden and black 

16 g (3 tbsp) whole/rough psyllium husk (If using psyllium husk powder, use only 14g.)
260 g (1 cup + 1 ½ tbsp) warm water

8 g (2 ½ tsp) instant yeast (If using active dried yeast, use 10g.) I use active dried yeast

140 g (½ cup + 1 ½ tbsp) whole milk, warmed

Melt the butter

Bring egg to room temperature (put in a bowl of warm water to speed this up)

MIX

DRY INGREDIENTS
230 g (2 cups) tapioca starch (You can also use an equal weight of arrowroot starch, cornstarch (US) or cornflour (UK), or potato starch.)
160 g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) millet flour, plus extra for flouring the surface (You can also use an equal weight of finely milled brown rice flour.)
70 g (⅓ cup + 3 ½ tbsp) sorghum flour (You can also use an equal weight of buckwheat, white teff or gluten free oat flour.)
50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
8 g (1 tbsp) xanthan gum
8 g (1 ¼ tsp) salt

SPICES
1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp allspice
1 tsp cardamom

30 g (¼ stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 UK medium/US large egg, room temperature

90 g (about ½ cup, 3 oz) mixed candied lemon and orange peel

For egg wash:

1 UK medium/US large egg
15 g (1 tbsp) whole milk

For crosses: I DID NOT DO THIS

50 g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) plain gluten free flour blend (I used Doves Farm Freee plain gluten free flour, which doesn't contain xanthan gum.)
¼ tsp xanthan gum (Omit if your GF flour blend already contains xanthan gum.)
10 g (2 tsp) sunflower oil
60 g (¼ cup) water

You will also need: OPTIONAL

50 g (2 ½ tbsp) apricot jam
8 g (½ tbsp) water

INSTRUCTIONS

For gluten free hot cross buns:

Line a large baking sheet with baking/greaseproof paper.

In a small bowl, pour boiling hot water over the sultanas or raisins until completely covered. Set aside for about 10 minutes, until the sultanas/raisins have plumped up and re-hydrated.
Drain the water, making sure to squeeze out any excess water from the sultanas/raisins. Set aside until needed.

Tip: If using active dried yeast, activate it first by mixing it with the warm milk and a teaspoon of the granulated sugar. Set aside for about 5-10 minutes, until you see bubbles/foam appearing on the surface – this shows that the yeast is alive and active.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the psyllium husk and water. After about 15 seconds, a gel will form. Set aside until needed.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer, if using), whisk together the tapioca starch, millet flour, sorghum flour, sugar, xanthan gum, salt, yeast and cinnamon.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the milk, melted butter, egg and psyllium gel into it.

Using a wooden spoon, mix well until the dough starts coming together. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, making sure that you scrape down the sides of the bowl to remove any dry, un-mixed patches of flour.

Once it starts coming together, knead it by hand until you get a homogeneous dough with no dry patches of un-mixed flour. Just squeeze the dough through your fingers, going around the bowl until you’ve incorporated all the flour. The final dough will be quite soft and sticky, but should come away from the sides of the bowl. (Again, you can also use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook).

Add the re-hydrated sultanas/raisins and the mixed candied peel, and gently knead them into the dough until evenly distributed.

Transfer the dough onto a generously floured surface and give it a knead until it comes together in a ball. Be careful not to incorporate too much extra flour into the dough.

Roll out the dough into a long log and divide it into 8 equal pieces – I recommend using a scale to get the pieces of equal weight and therefore approximately equal size.

Shape each piece into a ball – see the blog post for detailed instructions and step-by-step photos of how to best shape the hot cross buns.
Tip: Don't worry if the surface of your buns isn't perfectly smooth – that's partially because of the absence of gluten and partially because of the high dried fruit content. As the buns bake, their surface will smooth out slightly due to oven spring.

Once shaped into buns, transfer them onto the lined baking sheet, at least ¾ inch (2cm) apart from each other. I've arranged them in two rows of four.
Tip: Don't pack the gluten free hot cross buns too closely together – if you do, this can inhibit moisture evaporation during baking, which can result in heavy and too wet buns. Additionally, if they fuse too much during baking, this will cause them to spread horizontally rather rise up vertically. If you want particularly tall hot cross buns, space them even further apart, so they don't touch even after proofing.

Lightly cover with cling film and proof them in a warm spot until approximately doubled in volume, for about 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes. After proofing, the buns will touch lightly at individual points, but shouldn't be completely fused together (as cinnamon rolls might be).

While the buns are proofing, adjust the oven rack to the middle position, place a baking tray at the bottom of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 430ºF (220ºC).

Assembling the gluten free hot cross buns – egg wash and the crosses:

For the egg wash, whisk the egg and milk together until well combined.

I MADE AN ICING of icing sugar and milk

For the crosses, whisk together all the cross mix ingredients (gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, oil and water) until you get a smooth mixture. It should be runny yet viscous.
Transfer the cross mixture into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.
Tip: If the cross mixture is too thick, add more water. If it's too runny, add more gluten free flour blend. It's better to err on the side of too runny than too thick, as a mixture that's too thick can bake up to be too hard to be edible.

Once proofed, brush the buns lightly with egg wash all over.

Pipe the cross mixture in a line along each row of buns, then pipe in the other, perpendicular direction to create crosses.

Baking the gluten free hot cross buns:

Place the buns into the oven, pre-heated to 430ºF (220ºC) and pour boiling hot water into the baking tray at the bottom. Close the oven door and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 400ºF (200ºC).
Tip: The presence of steam and the high oven temperature will maximize oven spring and slightly smooth out the surface/crust of the buns.
After 10 minutes, remove the baking tray with the hot water from the oven and continue baking in a steam-free environment for a further 20-25 minutes until the buns are deep golden brown. If the buns start browning too quickly, you can cover them with aluminum foil (shiny side up) and continue baking until done.
Tip: You don’t want to keep the steam source (baking tray with hot water) in the oven for too long, as it can make the buns too heavy.

Once baked, slide the hot cross buns off the baking sheet and off the baking paper onto a wire cooling rack – this helps to maximize steam evaporation, to get a soft crumb that isn’t too wet, sticky or heavy.

OPTIONAL In a saucepan on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, heat the apricot jam with water, with occasional stirring, until runny.
While the buns are still hot, brush them with the runny apricot jam – this softens the crust further, as well as gives them a lovely shine and extra flavour.

Allow to cool until warm or room temperature, and serve.

ICING

130 g confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla xetract OR lemon or orange extract
4 tsp milk plant milk or water or enough to make a thick, pipeable icing

Storage:

These gluten free hot cross buns are definitely at their very best still slightly warm from the oven or on the day of baking.
However, they keep well for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature, you’ll just need to reheat them briefly in the microwave (for about 20 seconds) to soften them up again – once re-heated, they’re just as soft and delicious as they were on the first day.

My Recipe Box - Blueberry Breakfast Crumb Cake

 February 2023 - Toronto ON

I scanned my recipe for this with my notes. We both enjoy this any time of day.

My Recipe Box - Gluten Free Cheese Danish

January 2023 - Toronto ON

I have always loved cheese danish! This gluten free recipe satisfies that urge, although the pastry is not as flaky as a danish. They keep well, we had them for breakfast three mornings in a row. I had frozen the rest.

Recipe says to make 10, I got 12 and I would even make them smaller and flatter so that you could put more filling on them. We found them to be a little to thick. These photos are from my first attempt, I will update as we refine our version.

 Note: to measure flour do not dip the measuring cup into the flour, using a scoop fill the measuring cup and level with a knife

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (304g) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend used Robin Hood

1/4 (108g) cup arrowroot starch

1/3 cup (67g) coconut sugar or sweetener of choice used sugar

2 tsp. GF Rapid rise yeast

1 tsp. GF baking powder

2 large eggs at room temperature, whisked

1/2 cup (110g) warm milk (120 F)

10 Tbsp. (142g) salted butter, divided 4 tbsp (57g) melted and 6 tbsp (85g) cubed and frozen

1 tsp. Fresh lemon juice

FILLING

4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 large egg, separated

1 Tbsp. Coconut sugar or sweetener of choice

1/4 cup jam (apricot, plum, cherry, strawberry, curd or raspberry)

ICING (optional)

1 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice (or as needed to reach desired consistency)

1 cup powdered sugar 

In a large bowl whisk flour, arrowroot starch, sugar, yeast and baking powder

Melt 4 tablespoons (57g) of butter and place the remaining butter in the freezer after cutting into small pieces.

Add eggs, milk, melted butter and lemon juice to dry ingredients and mix. The dough should be fairly wet. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour allowing the dough to rise.

Make the filling - cream together cheese, egg yolk and sugar. The extreme yellow is due to the very yellow egg yolks I had!

Once the dough has risen, fold the 6 tbsp (85g)frozen cubes of butter into the dough

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper

Using a large cookie scoop, scoop out 10 mounds of dough and place on the baking tray 2 inches apart. Dip your fingers in some oil and create a well in each mound of dough.

 Add one spoon of cheese filling mixture to each well and top with one spoon of jam. 

Whisk the remaining egg white and brush over the exposed dough. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes until golden.

A reminder of the size cutter I used!

For the icing, whisk the lemon juice with the powdered sugar and drizzle over the pastries.

Flavour Variations:

There are various fillings options when making a Danish. 

Add chocolate or Nutella
Add nuts
Sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar mixture
Add any flavor of jam or fruit filling you like
Apple pie filling
Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes
You can make a large shaped cheese danish in the form of a rectangle

Or bake as a loaf

No eggs
Laminate version

My Recipe Box - Scones with GF Flour Options

 January 2023 - Toronto ON

I've finally found a gluten free scone recipes that we like. I originally found it at Sugar Free Londoner and made a few changes.

We get almond flour at Costco.

I use granulated sugar, not sweetener as her recipe called for. I also reduced the amount to 35 grams.

I found this comment later in her post and have incorporated it in my recipe.

You can add a pinch of salt for extra flavor and ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum for a stronger crumb structure.

I free formed shaped them after I had tried a too small cookie cutter, I will use a larger cookie cutter next time. I made 5, however, using the smaller cookie cutter I would have gotten more.

Lemon zest is never an optional in our house! I also used lemon extract.

Fresh blueberries were added as well. I was thinking of using raisins but we had fresh blueberries. 

With raisins I would also add grated apple and cinnamon.

 I would also use cranberries, fresh or dried, I have both. Orange zest and extract with cranberry would be great too.

Orange and date will be on my list as I have dates in the fridge. Juice the orange and heat it in a pot, pour over finely chopped dates and let sit 15 minutes.

Spicy pumpkin - I will have to test.

Cheese would be good too. Cheese and bacon for breakfast! Cheese and chive.

Chorizo sausage and blue cheese would be a great way to use up leftovers.

Cheesy garlic!

You could also make a berry coulis!

Custard would be good too.

I served them with whipped cream, but lemon curd would also be great spread in the middle and add some fresh ginger into the batter.

Use fresh gingerroot if you have it. If you can't get it, then I add1 tsp ground dried ginger. Or 1 TBS finely minced candied gingerroot. You could sprinkle even more on top of the scones prior to baking.

WITH EGG

NGREDIENTS

2 ¼ cup / 225g almond flour 

½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ cup / 60g butter melted 
35g granulated sugar

Pinch of salt optional
1 egg large, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon 
1 egg optional, beaten, for brushing the tops (you'll only use ½) I didn't use

Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit (electric) or 160C / 320F (fan).
Combine the dry ingredients - almond flour, sweetener, baking powder - in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter, lemon zest, vanilla and egg. Stir into the dry ingredients until a dough forms, or use an electric mixer.
Form a dough ball and place onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Flatten into a disc shape, about 1 inch thick. Cut out 5-6 scones using a cookie cutter (or use your hands to form scone shapes). Move them apart and brush the tops with beaten egg.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden. Let cool completely in the pan - these scones are fragile when hot but they firm up as they cool down.

Lemon glaze

120g (2/3 cup) icing sugar mixture
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp finely grated lemon rind

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir until combined. Brush half the glaze over the warm scones then sprinkle with lemon rind. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool until just warm. Drizzle remaining glaze over scones.

WITHOUT EGG - Source Chef Alina

Date -    MY REVIEW

INGREDIENTS
500 g all purpose flour or GF 1:1 blend - suggested Cup4Cup
224 g brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
364-400 g heavy cream*
1 tbsp baking powder
1 - 1 1/2 cups Blueberries or mix in of choice



INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a half sheet pan with parchment or a silicon mat.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a spoon to combine.

Add half the cream, stir a few times, then add the rest of the cream, and stir until a mostly-cohesive dough forms. Finish bringing the dough together by hand, until there are no more noticeable dry spots, don’t overwork! **see recipe notes

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into two even sized piles. Use your hands, pat the dough into two circles that are approximately 6 inches wide and 3/4 inch high. Cut each circle into 8 triangles.

Evenly space on the parchment lined half sheet pan and bake at 350 for approx. 25 min. Rotate half way through baking.


RECIPE NOTES

*If using dried fruit for mix ins you will need slightly more cream, if using something wetter like sliced strawberries or banana you will need slightly less cream. start with the lesser amount and drizzle more on when you are mixing if your dough is not coming together.

**When mixing the dough I usually use my hands and squeeze it together in clumps until there are no crumbly dry spots. It is important not to overwork the dough - you don't want to use a mixer and you do not want to mix until it is a smooth dough, clumpy is good!
Scones are done when the bottoms are browned and they have a light golden brown crust.

WITHOUT EGG/VARIOUS GF FLOURS Source A Day in the Kitchen

Date -     MY REVIEW

Ingredients
50 g brown rice flour
50 g tapioca starch
30 g sorghum flour
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup dried cranberries
160 mL heavy cream (about ⅔ cup)

Instructions
Preheat oven 425 deg F (220C).
Combine all dry ingredients and the dried cranberries in a bowl and mix together with a whisk or fork.
Add heavy cream and mix well with a fork or spoon until dough forms.
On a flat surface dusted lightly with brown rice flour, shape the dough into a disc, about ¾" thick.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and score or cut the disc into 6 wedges. Separate the wedges slightly from each other.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool slightly before serving.

My Recipe Box - Cinnamon Raisin Quick Bread

 July 2020 from Taste of Home. My revisions 2026

This makes two loaves.

Ingredients

DRY

4 cups all-purpose flour I use gluten free
1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar I reduce this
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

WET
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil OR olive oil

1/2 cup raisins



Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. 

Make buttermilk by adding vinegar to milk in measuring cup.

DRY In a large bowl, combine flour, 1-1/2 cups sugar, soda, cinnamon and salt. 

WET In a small bowl (measuring cup), whisk eggs, buttermilk and oil. 

Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 

Fold in raisins. 
Spoon half the batter into 2 greased 8x4-in. loaf pans. 

If using gluten free flour - let the batter sit for 20 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the flour.
Bake 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Freeze option: Wrap cooled bread in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw at room temperature.

My Recipe Box - Raspberry Pancakes

Photo - Kensington Market Toronto ON

We had fresh raspberries so I made these for breakfast last weekend. I loved the batter and will use it again but probably with blueberries.

I found the recipe at Taste of Home.

YIELD:4 servings

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup fresh raspberries
Raspberry jam - I didn't use
Confectioners' sugar
Directions

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda. (Add a pinch of salt if desired.) Set aside.
2. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, egg, butter and milk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until combined. Fold in raspberries.
3. Heat a griddle over moderately high heat; brush with additional melted butter. Drop scant 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto griddle; cook for 1 minute or until bubbles form on top. Turn and cook 1 minute more. Serve with raspberry jam and sugar. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutritional Facts

2 pancakes (calculated without jam and confectioners' sugar) equals 178 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 405 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

My Recipe Box - Cinnamon Buns

I made these today for the first time. Well, I prepped them last night, made the icing and the filling. 

I also mixed the dry ingredients for the dough and put two eggs inside the bowl to be cracked first thing in the morning. All I would have to do in the morning was crack the eggs, add the butter and mix.

In my sleepy state and anxiousness to get them ready I turned on the mixer with the eggs (uncracked). This meant I had to start over!! As the shells were pretty well incorporated into the mixture.

I found this recipe at Jo Cooks. Photos are mine.

CINNABONS CINNAMON ROLLS



PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins - mine took closer to 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME
40 mins - this time doesn't include the two resting periods of 1 hour and another 30 minutes.


Serves: 12 mine made exactly twelve
INGREDIENTS

Dough
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast - this is 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 cup warm milk
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup margarine (I used butter)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

Filling
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
⅓ cup margarine, softened

Cream cheese icing
6 tbsp margarine (I used butter)
1½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla
⅛ tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS
For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.
Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour to the bowl of a mixer and mix well.
Pour the milk/yeast mixture in the bowl and using the dough hook, mix well until well incorporated.
Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 16 inches long by 12 inches wide.
It should be approx ¼ inch thick.
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
To make filling, combine the butter, brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon in a bowl.
Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Alternatively you can spread the butter first on the dough and then the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. My roll ended up being 18 inches in length, allowing me to cut each roll so that it's 1½ inches in height.
Cut the dough into 1½ inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan. You might find it easier if you use a piece of floss vs a knife. Place them in a baking pan, I used a 9x13 inches and cover them with a damp towel. Let them rise again for another 30 minutes until they double in size.
Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cooking time can vary greatly!
While the rolls are baking make the icing by mixing all ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

My Recipe Box - Banana Bread

I have other tried and true banana bread recipes but this is a relatively new one that I really like as it is so quick.
Simply Recipes was my source for this version.
I first made this in 2010!!

Banana Bread Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour


INGREDIENTS
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 (76 g) cup melted butter
3.4 cup sugar 
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour OR gluten free flour

METHOD

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

NOTE - If using gluten free flour, allow the batter to sit for at least 20 minutes so that the flour can absorb the liquid.

Yield: Makes one loaf.

Optional add-ins

dried candied ginger chopped

mixed peel

chocolate chips

Sunday Baking

Finally! A whole day to myself to play!

Had too many bananas in the freezer so went looking for a really easy banana bread and this couldn't have been easier. I doubled it and it worked out perfectly. You don't even have to use a mixer on it.
I forgot to get a picture until I had cut it and frozen most of it. This half is for the next day or so.

But my main GOAL today was pumpkin cheesecake bars.  These were super easy to make, the only thing I didn't do quite right was to keep only 1/3 of the plain cream cheese batter, resulting in less than a colourful top. I had too much white to mix through the pumpkin layer.

Recipes - Chocolate Cheesecake with Sour Cream Icing

I was reading some blogs yesterday and came across this recipes for Chocolate Cheesecake. I quickly checked that I had all the ingredients on hand (everything is closed as it is Labour Day).

I keep my cocoa in the Bailey's jar.

I hopped up and began making it. Using my handy iPad to follow the recipe which is now all set up on the island and even has 233 songs so far loaded on it as of yesterday!

As the site states this is the easiest cheesecake ever to make. I would suggest using a slightly larger pie plate as this ended up being almost filled to overflowing, plus the crust could have been spread a little thinner.
I also never quite use all the sugar they recommend.

Ready for the oven.

Out of the oven and iced - now to set in the fridge

Oh my! Can you spell delicious??? Even before we started dinner DH said can we just skip to dessert?/