Toasted Pecan Apple Waffles - Gluten-FREE

Does this sound like you???  (Or maybe it's just me... )  :0)

It's the end of your day and you've finally finished all of your adulting.

Headed home from your errands you realize you have no idea what's for dinner and you begin to think through what your dinner possibilities might be.

Thankfully your weekly grocery shopping always includes a 1/2 gallon of buttermilk.

WHY  buttermilk you ask???  

Because - breakfast FOR dinner is always a YES.  

Bonus for me at 4pm:  it's incredibly fast.    

This happens at least once a week that we are having breakfast for dinner, and this recipe has been a lovely addition to the list of pancakes, waffles and breakfast tacos that make it to the table as a dinner.

If you don't need to be gluten-FREE, use cake flour and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

If you don't need to feed a small army, HALF the recipe... 

OR make the whole thing!  Feed your neighbor's, the missionaries, or store the leftover batter for a breakfast later in the week... 

 

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3  cups gluten-free flour 

1  cup sugar

3  teaspoons baking powder

1  teaspoon baking soda

6  teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1  Granny Smith apple  -  peeled, cored, and grated

1  Gala  OR  Fugi apple  -  peeled, cored, and grated

8  eggs - separated 
(Be sure to keep the egg-whites in a medium or large bowl for whipping at the end)

4  cups  buttermilk  (that's 1 quart all y'all!!!)

1  cup  (2 sticks)  of butter  - melted

1  and  1/2  cups  toasted pecan pieces

Chop and toast your pecans first.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Toast the pecans in a shallow pan until they begin to get fragrant, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Let cool completely. 

Preheat your waffle maker and start gathering your recipe items.

Combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add your buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add your grated apples and mix thoroughly.

Add your egg yolks and mix thoroughly.

Add your melted butter and mix thoroughly.

Beat the egg whites until foamy.

FOLD  carefully into the waffle batter to keep the batter fluffy.

Spray each side of your waffle maker and add batter to each waffle spot.

BEFORE  SHUTTING  THE  WAFFLE  MAKER:   

ADD  1  or  2  Tablespoons of toasted pecans to each dollop of batter.

Cook according to your waffle maker's directions... 

BUT  KEEP  IN  MIND:   These will take longer to cook with the fresh fruit!  

I have to add 3 to 4 minutes cook-time to these waffles compared to other recipes.

These particular waffles take 6-8 minutes to cook in my Belgian waffle maker.

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(Your recipe FOR your recipe:)

GLUTEN-FREE  FLOUR  MIX:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill -  RICE FLOUR
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill -  TAPIOCA FLOUR
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill -  POTATO STARCH  (OR SUBSTITUE WITH CORN STARCH)

1 heaping Tablespoon Bob's Red Mill -  XANTHAN GUM

1/2 Tablespoon sea salt 

Mix throughly - keep in an air tight container or fridge.
(Note: When using in a recipe as a wheat flour substitute - OMIT up to 1 teaspoon salt.)

 

BEFORE  SHUTTING  

THE  WAFFLE  MAKER:   

ADD  1  or  2  Tablespoons 

of toasted pecans to each dollop of batter.

One of my favorite ways to chop... 

You may think...
"Nah!  I don't need to toast the pecans."
YES.  YOU  DO.

It makes all the difference and is worth the effort!!!
If you have any leftover toasted pecans you can
just save them for the next time you make these waffles.

Cutest little waffle maker EVER!!!  

I wish I had a photo that would give
you perspective on how small it is...

It usually it gets used with cake batter
for tiny waffle cakes.
OR with leftover waffle batter as seen here. 

Such a fun snack! 
Or an easy fit into a lunchbox.

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Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Baking With Natural Yeast - BRET'S DINNER ROLLS

"Bret's Dinner Rolls" - as in the lovely Bret Annalese, not the Handsome Bret Sr.

Did y'all know I have TWO Bret Davis' in my life?  

Ways that they differ:
- years apart
- BOY Bret is my husband, GIRL Bret is my fourth child and second daughter
- they both like being called Bret. However, I call GIRL Bret by the name I "won" which is Bret Annalese...

- one likes to read non-stop for days on end and then re-read whatever novel series was just devoured.  While the other Bret would rather leave the books on the shelf unless they have to do with timber-framing a house, BBQ or gardening.

- one likes to talk for and be listened to for long, long, long conversations... The other would like for you to get to the point rather quickly.  

Ways that they are similar:

- they are both taller than me...  (NOT hard to do)

- they both order the "Daily Warrior" at Smoothie King

- their chin   :0)  

- their sarcasm

- their made-up "DAD JOKES"

- their food snobbery and desire for treats

- their fire making skills

- they don't clean up after themselves (IE:  shoes are always left out... everywhere)

- they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my dog Jane Austen

MANY times we just say that they're "THE Bret's" - I  LOVE  IT!

It can be confusing to people who meet us as a family for the first time and fun for all of us at home when I'm mad and yelling at one of them and they don't know which one it is until I include a "Daddy Bret" or "Bret Annalese" with my angry commentary.

   

If you take another look at their similar list you'll see that they both are food snobs.  Which can actually come in very handy  for  ME  -  they often come up with a good idea about the food that is made in this house.  

As it happens to be the case with this idea/recipe - Bret Annalese requested that we have actual dinner rolls with our Thanksgiving dinner this year instead of our usual loaf of Natural Yeast Bread all sliced up.  Turns out, it was a great idea and a totally different result than our usual bread loaf (even though it is using the EXACT  SAME  RECIPE!).  

What brings about the difference y'all ask? 

- The rolls are shaped using grapeseed oil and then left to rise for 30 minutes before baking.  The rolls turned out to be incredibly extra-fluffy and delightful!

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TO MAKE:

You'll need make up a Natural Yeast Dough recipe the day before you want to bake your dinner rolls.  

Click the LINK  HERE:  Baking With Natural Yeast -  Basic Bread Loaf 

Once your dough is ready around the 20-24 hour mark - gather up your items needed for the shaping and baking:

a circle or a 9X9 square baking dish/pan

grapeseed oil

small dish or plate for extra grapeseed oil needed for shaping

your prepped-the-day-before and now READY dough 

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Pour a few Tablespoons of grapeseed oil into your small dish or plate.

Grease your baking dish thoroughly with grapeseed oil using your hands (they need to be adequately oiled in order to handle your sticky dough...)

Pinch off a handful dough and then pinch into a roll - my girls informed me it looks like a Chinese dumpling.  And indeed it does.

Place in your greased baking dish with the pinched side facing down.

Repeat trying to get a similar size for each roll until the dough is gone.

Let rise uncovered for 30-45 minutes. 

NOTE:  if your house is cold it will take longer!  

Keep in mind you want to see the dough rise an inch or more.

Bake in your oven at 400 degrees for 28-30 minutes.

Let cool 15-20 minutes and serve warm.

Pour a few Tablespoons of grapeseed oil 

into your small dish or plate.

Grease your baking dish thoroughly with 

grapeseed oil using your hands 

(they need to be adequately oiled in order 

to handle your sticky dough...)

Pinch off a handful dough and then pinch into a roll 

- my girls informed me it looks like a Chinese dumpling.  

And indeed it does.

Place in your greased baking dish with the
pinched side facing down.

Repeat trying to get a similar size
for each roll until the dough is gone.

Let rise uncovered for 30-45 minutes 

- if your house is cold it will take longer!

Keep in mind you want to see the
dough rise an inch or more.

Bake in your oven at 400 degrees for 28-30 minutes.

Let cool 15-20 minutes and serve warm.

I love doing these rolls in my cast iron! 
If you have a size 8 or 10 - GIVE IT A TRY! 

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

 

German Chocolate Cake Frosting - WITH Gluten-Free DOUBLE Chocolate Cake

GERMAN  CHOCOLATE  CAKE
AKA:  Mom's  Birthday  Cake 
(that no one else eats...)

MAKE  AHEAD  (in however many layers your heart desires!):

Gluten-FREE  DOUBLE  Chocolate  Cake 

-  CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE LINK

Using round layer cake pans, make and cool cake as directed in the recipe.  

Tip (But really a requirement):  

instead of using flour on the greased pans, use sugar!

FROSTING:

1  cup sugar

3/4  cup evaporated milk

2  egg yolks, beaten

1/3  cup LouAna refined coconut oil

1  teaspoon vanilla

1 and 3/4  cups coconut, flaked and un-sweetened 

1  cup pecans, chopped

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, evaporated milk, egg yolks, and shortening.  

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  

Remove from heat.  

Stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans.  

Let cool at least 15 minutes.  

Spread frosting ONLY between layers and on top of cake.

In a medium saucepan combine sugar,
evaporated milk, egg yolks, and shortening.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture 

comes to a boil.  

Remove from heat.  

Stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans.  

Let cool at least 15 minutes.

ALL  CAKES  NEED  TO  REST
-  COOL - 
and HANG OUT
for 10 minutes before they get bumped
out of their pans.

Your cakes don't have to be as cool for this
frosting as they would need to be for
a buttercream. 

That said - they CANNOT be hot.

Spread frosting ONLY between layers
and on top of cake.

Start stacking!

SIMPLE - PRETTY - AND BONUS:
DELISHOUS!

These cake layers were made wedding cake topper pans -
AND... If you didn't know it, TOTALLY appropriate
to use on my birthday cake because I got married
ON my 21st birthday.  :0) 
2020 was our 20th anniversary!

HAPPY  BIRTHDAY  TO  ME!!!
...photographed cake from 2020 -
and at the beginning of the COVID pandemic!
I thought would be over by June, maybe July at the latest.  HA!!!

Even made a matching ice cream...
Coconut Ice Cream  :0)

Click Link FOR:      Coconut Ice Cream

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Coconut Ice Cream

1/2  cup heavy cream

1 and 1/2 cups  unsweetened coconut milk

1  cup whole milk

6  large egg yolks

1/2  cup granulated sugar

Heat the heavy cream, coconut milk and whole milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. 

Place the eggs and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow in color and all of the sugar has dissolved. 

Temper about 1/2 a cup of the cream mixture into the egg mixture and whisk vigorously to incorporate well. 

Add the egg mixture to the saucepan with the cream mixture, lower the heat slightly, and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon, until the custard has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the stove and strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. 

Place the bowl in another bowl half-filled with ice and water. 

Stir occasionally until chilled.

Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer's instructions until frozen. 

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Click Link FOR:   

Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS