Coconut Flour and Blitztorte! (gluten-free lemon cupcakes)

I always feel that German titles should end with an exclamation point, especially when the title happens to mean "quick lemon cake!" Oh, so this one gets an exclamation point in English too.
Week two of the pancake themed-tradition and I'm already changing the subject. Cupcakes aren't exactly the health food I have been trying to feed my family either. But in the name of culinary science, I carry on.
The original recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking, and chances are, it's fantastic. The thing is, this is my first time making this cake, and I've already strayed from the recipe quite a bit. Here's what I've done. I'll let you know how it works once they've cooled. They're out of the oven, they're lemon scented (as promised), but also with a hint of coconut. And they did not rise above the top of the pans...
Coconut flour. I happened upon its existence on a website the other day. The writer glorified coconut flour as a gluten-free sweet savior of sorts, so off the PCC I went. I am excited to see all the different kinds of flour Bob's Red Mill produces (and labels so clearly): almond, hazelnut, carob. I've known about tapioca and potato (hello delicious pizza and scones), but green pea and black bean? Intriguing. Anyway, in my new-food excitement, I bought some coconut flour. Because I would love to make a light, fluffy chocolate cake for my son's first birthday next month.

Gluten-Free Blitztorte Cupcakes
3/4 cup rice flour
1/4 coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (about one lemon; you'll have left over zest)

1/3 cup chopped or sliced natural (unblanched) almonds or other nuts (optional, for topping)
1 heaping Tablespoon sugar (optional, for topping)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour one 8x2" round pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper, or prepare cupcake pan
Whisk together the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds.
Gradually add the sugar and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 3 to 5 minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Beat in the zest and lemon juice.
Stir in the flour mixture just until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. If desired, sprinkle the top of the mixture with 1/3 cup chopped or sliced natural almonds or other nuts and 1 heaping Tablespoon of sugar.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle, about 30 to 35 minutes, about 20 minutes for cupcakes. For a real treat, try baking cupcakes in ice cream cones (bake for about 25 minutes). Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.
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The verdict: When they were warm, they were a little too soft and moist, but the flavor was delicious. As promised, the coconut flavor was not too noticeable. The next day Brad told me the cupcakes were delicious and worth making again. Next time I'll try the topping or a different icing (not cream cheese, it's too heavy) and mixing sorghum in instead of some of the rice flour.
Overall, delicious and easy. And I think coconut flour is here to stay.

A New Sunday Tradition

Pancakes. For this month anyway. Every year our church schedule changes, and for 2009, we meet in the morning. This means long, leisurely Sunday afternoons. I have decided this is prime time to try some new baking and bread-like recipes. There may be a name for the compulsion I feel to go through The Joy of Cooking edition I own and, by category, try every recipe I possibly can. Of course I only have gluten-free flours in the house, so hopefully that won't add too much drama.
Today's treat: Silver Dollar Hots.


image from here.

The most delightful part of these tasty little pancakes: their size. It's satisfying to see about 40 miniature treats cooling on the plate.
These actually worked quite well gluten-free, too. I served mine with honey, but next time I will make sure I have some pure maple syrup to try them with.

Silver Dollar Hots, Gluten-Free
adapted from The Joy of Cooking

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream
1/4 rice flour (or all-purpose)
1-1/2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pure maple syrup, fresh fruit, honey, or fresh fruit jam, for serving
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Whisk in the remaining ingredients.
Spoon 1 Tablespoon of the batter onto the hot griddle or pan for each pancake, nudging the batter into 2-1/2 inch rounds. Cook until the top of ea h pancake is speckled with bubles and some bubbles have popped, then turn over and cook until the underside is lightly browned.
Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Resolute

Holidays + a trip home = maximum indulgence conditions. Chocolate. Ice cream. Indian food. Candy. Cheese. I probably could use more self control this time of year, but honestly I find it so much easier to cut back on sweets after taking a vacation from self-restraint. So for a couple weeks I let myself eat a banana split and then finish off a Hershey's Cookies and Cream bar and then maybe drink some hot cocoa. During the holidays, my sweet tooth knows no bounds.
We're back in our own place now, and ready to settle into some healthier habits. After a sweet vacation, my mind clears and I focus more on what I want my normal life to be like. Can there be chocolate? Maybe a little hot cocoa now and then. Can there be Indian food? If you allow me to call what I prepare from my best recipes Indian food, then yes, that will be in my new reality as well. For me, though, there are only two realities--the sweet vacation and the healthy home life. I have yet to find that in-between place where chocolate bars disappear in small increments and the first signs of stress do not lead to a disappeared bag of chocolate chips. Perhaps my food journey will lead me there someday, a balanced and golden place in my opinion, a place where you can have your cake and eat it (slowly!) too. For now I'll stick to my all-or-nothing approach. Which brings me to my new year's resolutions.
As I've thought about what I want my life to be like starting in 2009, one of the strongest visions that materializes is all about food. More fruits and vegetables, home-baked (gluten-free) breads, and a clean kitchen are part of the picture. I also want to continue my cooking and baking education. I have learned so much and we have tried so many new foods, but I still have foundation to lay. I hope to share my successes here, and learn from the recipes that fall apart.
So in 2009, I resolve to nourish my family with healthy, fresh food and to write all about it. I want to make this my healthiest year ever and to find or create better gluten-free foods for my husband. If that's not enough, I'm sure I'll find something else to do too.
What do you resolve to do with 2009?