Vla - a Dutch Custard

Vla is pronounced flah like blah. This is a simple recipe to mimmick the dutch custard. I have never had the real dutch version, so this might not do it justice, but it is a delicious pudding like dessert!

tub of plain yogurt

500 ml. whipping cream

1 sm. pkg. instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

Make pudding according to directions and let it set, whip the cream (with a touch of sugar) then whisk all three together. Top with berries or mandarin oranges. Oh so yum!

Boterkoek - Dutch Butter Cake

Boterkoek has almond flavoring and real butter in it, so try and eat just one wedge!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 cups flour*
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. baking powder

Cream butter, sugar, egg, and flavoring together. add remaining ingredients. press into an 8" or 9" round pan. moisten top with milk. bake at 350 for 30 minutes. cut into wedges.

Carrot Cake

3 large eggs
1 1/3 cup oil
2 cups flour (I used sorghum blend*)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
3 cups finely grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs well with oil. mix dry ingredients together and fold into egg/oil mixture. Fold in nuts and carrots. Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 35-40 mins.

Cream Cheese Frosting 
I cup icing sugar
3/4 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

*sorghum blend - mix 1.5 cups sorghum flour 1.5 cups potato starch flour and 1 cup tapioca flour. whisk together and store in an airtight container.

Buttercream Icing

I topped the birthday cupcakes with buttercream icing. I usually make my own mixture of milk and icing sugar, but it wasn't ever that yummy. This icing is scrumptious - it should be a dessert on its own!

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
3 cups icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar)
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. whipping cream

beat the sugar and softened butter for 4 minutes. add the vanilla and cream and beat for 1 minute

I used a Ziploc bag to pipe the icing out. I just cut a small corner off, scooped the icing into the bag, zipped it shut, and squeezed it out. I know it's nothing fancy but it was honestly my first time piping out icing. you get the idea

Mocha Cake

Today is Caleb's birthday, so I made him cupcakes from scratch. This tastes just like a box cake and uses normal  ingredients. It is From Our Country Kitchen Cookbook put out by Rehoboth Christian School I use this cookbook for so many recipes. I will put up a carrot cake recipe sometime. It's delicious too!

Mocha Cake

2 cups flour (*I use sorghum blend)

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter softened

2 tsp. instant coffee

2/3 cup cocoa 

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups water

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

preheat oven to 350. grease two muffin tins or two 9" round cake pans 

mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl. add water, eggs and vanilla and beat for 4 mins. on high speed. pour into pans/tins and bake for 30 mins for a cake or 20 mins for cupcakes (or until a toothpick comes out clean) makes almost 2 doz.


*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

Jell-O Cake

This cake has become a birthday tradition here. My Aunt made it for me 8 years ago when I had my first baby, and my kids choose it for their birthday cake every year still!

This makes 2 large cakes, with a creamy middle. top with your favorite fruits

500 ml whipping cream
500 ml sour cream
1 container cool whip (thawed)
2 small cans of mandarins
2 small packages of jell-o (strawberry or orange)
1 GF vanilla cake mix

prepare cake mix as directed on pkg. (I used the Bob's Red Mill vanilla cake mix)
pour into two 9" spring form pans and bake until tooth pick comes out clean - 20 mins. should do it.

take liquid from mandarin cans and heat to boiling
pour 2 pkgs of jell-o into boiling liquid
stir until dissolved
pour one cup cold water into jell-o mix
set aside to cool you don't want it to set just cool off

(put the pan in your sink surrounded with cold water for faster cooling)

prepare whipping cream in your LARGEST bowl
pour sour cream and cool whip in and stir
add cooled jell-o and stir
it seems fairly runny and you'll think it didn't work but it's ok
pour over cooled cake
refrigerate immediately

just before serving put mandarins, strawberries, and kiwis on top

Magic Lemon Squares

1 cup oats
1 cup flour (I use sorghum blend*)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice


preheat oven to 350. combine oats, flour, xanthan gum, coconut, walnuts, brown sugar, baking powder and melted butter. stir to form a crumbly mixture. set aside. stir together the condensed milk and lemon juice. pat half the crumb mixture into a 9x9 (I used an 8x8) baking pan. spread the milk mixture on top, and sprinkle with the remaining crumbs. bake 25-30 mins. or until lightly browned. cool thoroughly before cutting.


*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

Layered Lemon Dessert

crust:

1 cup GF flour. I use a sorghum blend*

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 cup ground almonds or pecans

1/2 cup butter softened

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 cup icing sugar

1 (8oz.) tub of cool whip (divided)

2 pkgs. shirriff lemon pie filling 

Cream together the flour, xanthan gum, almonds and butter to form a dough. Press into a 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 for 20 mins. cool. mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and 1 cup of the cool whip. spread over crust. Make the lemon pie filling according to directions. cool for 20 mins. and spread over cream cheese layer. spread the remaining cool whip on top when serving.

*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)