Cookbook by Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel
By Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel – The writing and photography team behind the blog Gluten Free Canteen and authors of Nosh on This: Gluten Free Baking from a Jewish-American Kitchen.
Summer is a great time to use seasonal (and local, hopefully) berries and fruits in our baked goods. Though they may be a little more expensive and scarce because of the California drought, we are grateful that they are still available.
Muffins, cupcakes, tarts and shortcakes are all great ways to incorporate summer fruit into your baking. Don’t be afraid to experiment or substitute one berry or fruit for another in these recipes.
If you haven’t tried making Fromage Blanc and serving it with berries, I can tell you that it is a treat. You will need the culture starter, but it is worth the effort. Think of it as an alternative to yogurt. It’s also lots of fun to do with kids.
If you have a summer birthday party coming up, the banana split cone cupcakes are a real treat and lots of fun to decorate. That they are actually good for you is an added bonus.
No summer is complete without a short cake. While we like scones for the base, biscuits or pound cake are also pretty tasty with berries and whipped cream.
Fromage Blanc with Summer Berries Once you have the culture in hand, there is nothing to this. It is great fun to watch a gallon of milk turn into silky smooth custard –like dessert. Serve very cold topped with berries. Add honey if you like.
Peachy Blueberry One Bite Tarts Need a picnic or barbecue dessert? These are perfect little one-bite treats. One recipe makes plenty for a crowd. They can also be prepared ahead which makes life easier. Use fresh summer jams as a shortcut.
Blueberry Swirl Cupcakes Some people refer to these as Smurf cupcakes because the blueberries can make the cake a little blue. But it doesn’t take away from the great flavor provided by plenty of perfectly sweet berries. Just fold them in carefully and the cake will be swirled with blue rather than all blue.
Chocolate Banana Split Cone Cupcakes Think of these as the birthday party treat every kid would love. The cake is banana and chocolate with tofutti icing – all dairy free. Don’t tell anyone that it might even be healthy – for cake.
Strawberry Scone Shortcake Use any berry you wish for this dessert. Non dairy whipped cream works, too. Scones are easy to make and take minutes to prepare. They are best served fresh for this dessert.
