Gluten Free Chocolate Coconut Cake

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large eggs

Large-flake coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch square pan.

Stir together the coconut flour and baking powder, mixing to combine; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter with the cocoa, stirring until well blended. Whisk the sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs into the butter cocoa mixture. Add the coconut flour and baking powder, whisking until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle with coconut flakes, if using. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Bake the loaf or cake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean; 35-45 minutes for the loaf pan, 30-35 minutes for the square pan. Remove from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely. The cake is the easiest to slice when completely cool.  This cake will rise to 2/3 of the height of the loaf pan, giving it a moist dense texture.

Master Pizza Crust

(Makes dough for 2 pizzas. Measurements for half recipe in parenthesis)

(2 1/2 cups + 6 Tablespoons) 5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups all purpose flour  

(3/4 teaspoon) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

1 package fast acting or dry yeast

(1 cup) 2 cups water

(2 Tablespoons) olive oil or vegetable oil

          In a large bowl combine 2 cups (1 cup) flour, salt, and yeast. In a small saucepan, heat water and olive oil to 125 to 130 degrees. (Do not boil. Water should be hot, but still comfortable to the touch so as to not kill the yeast). Add to dry ingredients. Beat two minutes with electric mixer at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat two minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough (1 1/2 cups for half recipe). Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. (This is where you will use the other 6 Tablespoons of flour for the half recipe.)

          Cover; let rest 10 minutes (20 minutes for active dry yeast). Divide in half (if making double recipe). Shape and bake. Freeze remaining half.

To freeze pizza dough: Wrap air tight in double thickness of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze up to 2 months.  Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Use as directed.

To make pizza: Roll out dough to fit size of pan. I usually use a 10 x 15 inch baking sheet. Transfer dough to greased pan. Build up edges slightly.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread tomato sauce or pizza sauce over hot crust. Sprinkle meat (cooked, if meat like sausage, hamburger, etc.) vegetables,  and cheese atop.  Return to the 425 degree oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Tim's Notes: For regular or half recipe use one package of yeast. This recipe is not gluten free as of yet.

 Grandma Ethel's Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons sour milk*

3 bananas, mashed

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

* To make sour milk: Add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice plus enough milk to make one cup.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour one large loaf pan

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and beat well. Add sour milk and beat well. Add mashed bananas.  Sift dry ingredients together and add to the batter. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Makes one loaf.

Tim's Notes: This was one of my grandmother's favorite recipes. She used to have a couple of loaves of this bread in her freezer at all times and gave it away for holidays and birthdays. Is it sacrilege that I also like to add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans? I think this makes it ever so much better! I think Grandma Ethel would be all for that.

To toast pecans, place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully! I bake about 3 minutes, shake and bake 2 minutes more if needed.  Let cool and chop if needed. I buy pecan pieces because they are cheaper and need less chopping.

Banana ripeness should be to taste.  My grandma liked them when the skins were black.  Indeed, many recipes suggest this.  The riper he banana, the better. I prefer the bananas when they have spots, and the spots are just beginning to touch.

At this time, I have not been successful in translating this recipe to gluten free. Please feel free to experiment! I will eventually figure it out but haven't spent a lot of time working on it at the moment.