recipe

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream {Gluten Free}

June 14, 2013 By Jo-Anna 7 Comments

Every once in a while I need a cupcake. It just has to be done.
I need a moist yummy caked topped with copious amounts of rich buttercream icing. Yum.

So because I felt like it, I made some. Why not? Why save cupcakes for special occasions? Sometimes a Tuesday night is special enough. ;)

Oh these cupcakes. Let me tell you about these cupcakes. They’re most, rich & bursting with flavour.
The addition of fresh strawberry puree to both the cupcake and the icing makes these cupcakes ah-mazing! No need for artificial colouring or flavouring when you have fresh berries around!

Even if you aren’t gluten free, these are worth making.
Don’t be afraid of making these…the ingredients are not complicated. The only items that you may not have in your pantry are the coconut flour and coconut oil. You can find coconut flour in most grocery stores (in Canada it’s super cheap at Bulk Barn), and the coconut oil you can find anywhere (it’s cheapest and most delicious from Costco).

Also, you might have noticed the ‘fancy’ cupcake liners that I used here (I use that term lightly). Often gluten free cupcakes and muffins stick to regular muffin liners (and I mean stick, like half the muffin sticks to the paper), so it is recommended that you use parchment paper liners. I didn’t have any around so I figured you could make your own right? But of course…guess who’s got a really simple tutorial for making your own? Martha. Of course. You can find the simple tutorial here. I followed it, but made my squares quite a bit smaller. I like the effect of them – kind of pretty meets rustic.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream {Gluten Free}

Serves: Makes 8-10 cupcakes.

Ingredients

Strawberry Cupcakes

½ cup of coconut flour
¼ teaspoon of baking soda
¼ teaspoon of sea salt
4 eggs
⅓ cup of coconut oil
½ cup of honey
2 tsp vanilla
¼ cup pureed fresh strawberries

Strawberry Buttercream Icing

2 tbsp fresh strawberry puree
½ cup unsalted butter
1¾ cups icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Making the Strawberry Cupcakes:

Combine the coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a mixer combine the eggs, coconut oil, honey and vanilla. Mix well.
Add the flour mix to the egg mixture and blend well.
Stir in the strawberry puree.
Fill your cupcake liners about ¾ full of batter.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

Making the Strawberry Buttercream Icing:

Puree about 4 strawberries, then measure out 2 tbsp. Set aside.
Sift icing sugar.
In a mixer, beat butter until soft and fluffy.
Add sifted icing sugar, and mix until well combined.
Add vanilla and strawberry puree.
Then ice your cupcakes after they have cooled, and garnish with a little slice of fresh strawberry.

Recipe adapted from Comfy Belly

And if you can imagine, these cupcakes are even better the next day.
You know, if they even last that long!
Have a delicious day!

Sharing with Whipperberry, Tatertots & Jello, Funky Junk Interiors, It’s Overflowing, I Heart Naptime, Under the Table and Dreaming

Filed Under: dessert, In The Kitchen, recipe, Wheat Free Tagged With: bu, gluten free cupcakes, gluten free strawberry cupcakes, gluten free strawberry vanilla cupcakes, strawberry buttercream icing

Easy Blueberry Jam {2 ingredients}

June 11, 2013 By Jo-Anna 17 Comments

Hello friends!
I hope this day finds you well! And enjoying summer. I’m still waiting for ours…but never mind the weather! We’re officially on the countdown to summer holidays! We are SO looking forward to lazy mornings, no schedules and fun. Just fun. Because right now we’re tired, busy to insanity, and just done. Done with school. You? I know some of you have kids out on holidays already! We’re almost there…two more weeks then it’s time for us to tackle our Summer Fun List!

For now, I’m enjoying some relative quiet time in my kitchen, while it’s just the little guy and I at home. It’s my happy place. ;) And lately I’m really enjoying making homemade jams! Even more, we’re loving eating them. There’s something so homey about a fresh, homemade jam made with love. On toast. On ice cream. From a spoon. Whatever.

My last jam, Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, was a big hit in our home. We finished the jar today! So it was time for a new one. And since blueberries seem to be in season, they’re relatively inexpensive which makes them perfect for jam!

With this recipe, you are 2 ingredients away from homemade blueberry jam! No really, you are.
Just 2 ingredients: fresh blueberries and sugar. No pectin, no fillers, no starches. SO easy.
And it’ll only take you about an hour!
Plus, there’s no need for fussing with having to seal the jars on this jam…it’s a small batch so you can keep it in your fridge for up to 4 weeks, if it lasts that long!

Easy Blueberry Jam {Small Batch Recipe}

This is a small batch of jam, making about 2½ cups.

Ingredients

Supplies:

wide saucepan or skillet (I like to use a skillet)
potato masher
spatula or spoon
hand blender

Ingredients:

2 lbs blueberries, about 6 heaping cups
1½ cups sugar

Instructions

Prepare your jars by boiling the lids, rings and jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
In a wide saucepan or skillet on low-medium heat, add the blueberries and sugar.
Stir to combine.
Then use your potato masher to smash up the blueberries and release their juices.
Turn up the heat to medium, then cook the blueberry mixture until it is gently boiling.
Keep cooking, and stirring until the mixture thickens. You must, must stir constantly or your jam will burn. As well the constant stirring will help to prevent the jam from splattering out of the pan. You will likely need to cook the jam for 30 or more minutes.
You will know that the jam is ready when the mixture is thick enough to leave an open trail behind the spoon.
Remove from heat, and let cool completely before serving.
If this jam is too chunky for you, you can use your hand blender to puree it.
Enjoy!

Notes

Because the batch of this jam is so small (2½ to 3 cups), and because this jam can be refrigerated for up to 4 weeks you don’t really need to seal the jars. It’s really just more of a hassle because 4 weeks is plenty of time to finish every last drop of this sweet goodness!

Enjoy this jam on toast, scones or even ice cream! Yum.

Have a delicious day!

Here are other homemade jams you might enjoy:
Easy Peach Jam
Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Sharing with Yellowbliss Road, Savvy Southern Style, Craftberry Bush, Five Days 5 Ways, Tatertots & Jello, Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Under the Table and Dreaming, A Bowl Full of Lemons

Filed Under: breakfast, In The Kitchen, recipe Tagged With: 2 ingredient jam, blueberry jam, easy blueberry jam, no pectin jam, small batch jam

Basil Butter Roasted Corn on the Cob

June 7, 2013 By Jo-Anna 12 Comments

It’s a beautiful day here, and I’m so thankful for it! The rain has taken a little break, and the sun is out. I tell you I need that sun…I really think I’m solar powered…when that sun is shining I’m like a different person. The world seems better, nicer and altogether full of endless opportunities! So today I’m getting out into my garden and getting down to business. With all the rain we’ve had my garden has been sadly neglected. I’m only about 75% done, and still need to plant more herbs and more veggies. With our summers being so short I’m trying something new this year, so I’m planting seedlings instead of seeds, and I’m crossing my fingers for a more bountiful harvest this year!

One veggie that I wish I could grow is corn. But in these tiny suburban yards with funny sun, it’s just not possible for me. But that’s ok because around here we have some of the most flavourful corn in the world…everyone waits patiently for Taber corn! Although Taber corn isn’t ready yet, what I have found in my grocery store is soooo good. Corn must be in season somewhere! I seriously could serve corn on the cob several times a week, but it can get kind of boring. I seem to boil my corn all the time, but there is another easy (and more delicious) way to serve it up…use your BBQ!

It’s summertime so we should be out grilling!
There’s nothing more easy and delicious than BBQ roasted corn on the cob!
The corn boils & roasts in butter and fresh herbs…seriously yum.

Basil Butter Roasted Corn on the Cob

Serves: 8

Ingredients

8 cobs of corn, husks & silk removed
2 tbsp fresh basil
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
pinch of paprika
pinch of brown sugar
salt & fresh ground pepper
¼ cup melted butter
extra basil for garnish

Instructions

Preheat your BBQ to medium heat.
In a bowl combine the melted butter with the basil, paprika, brown sugar, salt & pepper and garlic if you are using it.
Place each cob of corn in it’s own sheet of tin foil.
Brush each cob of corn generously with the butter mix.
Wrap each cob tightly in the tin foil.
Place the corn cobs onto the grill and cook for about 20 minutes, making sure to turn the cobs often or they will burn.
When they are done, you can sprinkle a little fresh basil on the cobs and serve!

Recipe adapted from All Fired Up!

What’s fantastic about this recipe too, is that you can customize it any way you like! If you don’t love basil, try oregano. Or try a combo of thyme, basil, and chives. The flavour combinations are endless! Go ahead, get creative!

I hope the weather is gorgeous where you are and that you’re soaking up the sunshine! Have a fabulous weekend! (We’re having a garage sale…boo…)

Have a delicious day!

Sharing with Whipperberry, Little Inspiration, Funky Junk Interiors, It’s Overflowing, I Heart Naptime, Craft-O-Maniac, Under the Table and Dreaming