This past year has been amazing.  Life has been breathed into my veins more firmly than in recent years.  I’ve discovered how much I love food and how much I know about it.  I’ve made friends, had fun, and learned a lot about myself.  There have been ups and downs, in both health and food.  I’ve joined twitter, facebook, foodbuzz (just the other day, in fact!), and loved every minute of it.  There have been many recipe group-type things, most significantly the Daring Bakers and the newly incarnated Daring Cooks.

It was about August that I started really blogging.  Not just health updates and here and there, but focusing on food and learning how flours work together.  How gluten free doesn’t have to mean giving up anything.  How food has endless possibilities.

I know lots of people are doing lists, but I thought I’d share my Top 10 of 2009.  Recipes, that is.  These are the ones I’ve made the most, loved the most, enjoyed the most.  They are in no particular order and the size of their photo is just how that fit together, because I love them all =D.  Hope you enjoy!

Glorious Grain Muffins.  They are simply delicious.  We make them on an almost weekly basis, and all twelve always disappear in a hurry.  Also, they are filled to the rim with healthy grains!

Cinnamon Scones They’re cinnamony, yummy and pretty simple.  They are regulars in my house and are perfect at any time of day!

Pumpkin Cupcakes They’re pumpkin-y and yummy.  We had them for Thanksgiving instead of a pumpkin pie, and they went well!  Oh, and its got a maple cream cheese icing.  I might have eaten the leftovers of that straight out of the bowl (good thing it made a lot!).

Surprise Corn Muffins These are fun.  You see, hidden inside this corn muffin is a delicious surprise.  I’m not going to tell you what lies within, but if you’re curious, go check it out!

Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars Inspired by a friend‘s glutenous version of these, I set out to make these not only gluten-free, but grain-free!  They turned out beautifully and I love their simultaneous lightness and richness.

3-Minute Pumpkin Cake I spent a lot of time coming up with these.  Its my incarnation of the microwave chocolate cake and I love it to bits!

Quinoa Flake Pancakes and Waffles These were also inspired by a friend.  They use one of my favourite foods – quinoa flakes – as a base, and have a richer more interesting taste!  I ate these for breakfast for a solid week.  They also reheat beautifully in the microwave!

Lavash Ever wondered about making your own crackers?  Try these.  They were originally a Daring Bakers challenge, but I updated the recipe using whole grains, so you get to take your pick!  They are also not too difficult to make, just rise, roll out and bake!

Baking Powder Biscuits These get made often.  They work wonderfully on top of a pot pie or just on their own!

Cranberry Loaf Yes, its a newbie, but its also a goodie.  Leftover cranberry sauce makes the base of this light loaf!

2009 was a good year.  One of the best I’ve had in a few years.  I’ve had some energy, I’ve made lots of amazing food, and I cannot wait for 2010.  More on that later!

xoxo
Lauren

Finally, I’m back to food.  Best of all, it’s with the Daring Bakers.  I really liked this challenge.  I whipped it up one morning, and it was really nice and simple.  Oh, and September was an awesome month for DB.  It was gluten free.  And Vegan.  Awesome, right?  I think so.  The only problem with that is that I’m probably supposed to have an amazing topping.  Sorry.  I went for simple.  By the way, this challenge was Lavash.

Now, get all the ingredients out!

Mix them all together, put it in a bowl, and put the water on to boil.

Get out your favorite tea.  Vanilla Rooibos is mine right now.

Pop the teabag in the cup, and pour the hot water on top.  Then, let steep, and drink!  After all, you’ve got 90 minutes.

Hmm… did it rise??  I don’t think so.  Thats ok, crackers don’t have to be tall.

Roll it out.

And peel off the parchment paper.

Spray with water.

Then put on a topping.  I really like sesame seeds.  Yum.

Bake.  Let sit, then find a piece with the all the colours, and take a picture.

The lavash is good.  No fancy topping required.  Hey, we’ve got tomatoes in the fridge.  I need a topping.  They never said that fresh fruit wasn’t allowed.  Tomatoes are good.

Even if I can’t take a clear picture of the tomato on the lavash, hehe.

So now, you probably want the recipe.  That sounds good to me.

Lavash

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) Bette Hagmans Flour Mix

* 1 tsp xanthan gum

* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt


* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast


* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar


* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil


* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature


* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings



 

1.  In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball.  You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

*I used more.  A lot more* 

2.  For Gluten Free Cracker Dough:  The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

 

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).
 

4.  For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper.  Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment.  Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches.  Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper.  Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet. 

 

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf.  Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.)  Be careful with spices and salt – a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough.  You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking.  If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.


 6.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).



 

7.  When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.  You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.