Monday, February 10, 2014

Praline Blondies - Gluten Free & Grain Free


Last night Marc, Marie and sweet Aiden came for dinner and I wanted to make something a little different for dessert. My Praline Buttercream sounded really good, but I didn't have a lot of time to bake and ice a cake or cupcakes. Instead I made the ingredients for Praline Buttercream the basis of a pan of quick and easy blondies.

Creaming together the butter, coconut sugar and vanilla powder I simply added a cup of Moon Rabbit Foods Cassava Flour, eggs and a dash of salt, then some chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips for good measure were stirred in. Super simple to whip up, quick to bake and so delicious.

The combination of coconut sugar and butter gives these blondies that amazing praline flavor so easily. Cassava flour provides a mild flavor and wonderful texture. No gluten free gums are necessary at all. The bars cut beautifully even when warm. Gluten free doesn't have to be hard and you don't need a bunch of different flours.

Praline Blondies
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and have a 9x13 pan ready (no greasing necessary)

Cream together

1 cup            Butter (I use Kerrygold)
1 3/4 cup      Coconut Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Powder

When well mixed, add:

1 cup           Cassava Flour (I use Moon Rabbit Foods)
3 large          Eggs
1/2 cup         Raw Pecans, chopped
1 cup            Mini Chocolate Chips
pinch            Sea Salt

Spread into 9x13 pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool and enjoy!




12 comments:

gfe--gluten free easily said...

Oh, Kathryn, these look fantastic! I've already told you that I love praline anything! ;-) This recipe will definitely have to make its way onto All Gluten-Free Desserts. :-)

From everything I've read, cassava flour, tapioca starch, and tapioca flour are all the same in the U.S. today. Do you know anything different or does this company share any info contrary to that, Kathryn?

Thanks! xo,
Shirley

chacha said...

Hi Shirley, you are too sweet. Thanks so much as I always appreciate the Shirley bump!

You are right that cassava and tapioca are the same plant. Tapioca starch (at least the kind I have found and use) is very white and a fine, fluffy powder. The cassava flour is a coarser grind, more like an all purpose flour. It is more of an off white, too.

I've used the cassava flour to make biscuits - something I don't think I would try with tapioca starch. Next experiment is to try it in my pizza crust.

xok

gfe--gluten free easily said...

That is very good to know, Kathryn! Even after Googling the info and reading what was shared, I was still questioning it all. I think I like the idea of cassava flour much more than tapioca starch/flour. It does seem that it would have more uses (pizza--yum!) and I do love that it's grain free. :-)

Oh, and it's great to share your recipes, so I'm glad there's a resulting "bump." ;-)

chacha said...

It's always fun to experiment in the kitchen, isn't it? I'll let you know how it works in pizza dough.

There is quite a bump, actually!!

=D

gfe--gluten free easily said...

Okay, that didn't come out right. Obviously, I know they're both grain free. LOL I just love that it's another choice that's grain free, but not exactly the same as tapioca flour/starch and it's more like gf ap flour!

chacha said...

I knew just what you meant. ;-)

Yes, it is more of an ap gf flour.

Cheryl Harris said...

Kathryn,
These look stunningly delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.

chacha said...

Thanks Cheryl! That means a lot coming from you. K

podraigh said...

Hi, you mentioned eggs in your article but not in the recipe. Should there be eggs and how many ? Incorporate between creaming and adding other ingredients ?
Thanks !

chacha said...

Podraigh, thank you so much for catching that error. I switched up the order of ingredients and didn't type it back in.

I incorporated them in with the cassava flour and other ingredients.

Thanks again.

Blessings.

Unknown said...

Hey you are having a Praline-love affair right now! Just in time for Valentine's Day….
xoxo

chacha said...

Laura, it's true love! None for Valentine's Day, I'm out of coconut sugar and it's snowing! Miss you....xoxoxo