Almond-Chocolate Balls (GF, DF, Vegan)
Makes about 20-30

1 cup blanched, toasted almonds (at room temperature or colder)
1/3 cup GF/DF semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 Tbls baking cocoa powder
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 Tbls cold DF butter
1 Tbls cooled espresso

2-3 Tbls baking cocoa powder

Toast almonds until they are nicely browned, but not too dark. Cool to room temperature before using, so they do not melt the chocolate. Brew espresso and cool in the refrigerator for the same reason.

In a food processor, chop nuts until they are in very small pieces. Add chocolate chips and grind until they are chopped and incorporated into the nuts. Add 3 Tbls baking cocoa, powdered sugar, DF butter, and cooled espresso, then blend to mix well. Dough should clump together a bit. If it does not gather at all, add a bit more espresso. If it appears too wet, add more powdered sugar.

Spread ¼ cup baking cocoa in a shallow bowl or plate. With your hands, form dough into 1-inch balls. The dough should stick together fairly well; if you find yourself pressing it a lot just to have it hold together, it’s too dry and you should add espresso. Roll balls in the baking cocoa to coat. Gently roll the balls on your palms to remove the excess cocoa powder. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes: As you form the balls and roll them in baking cocoa, the baking cocoa can gradually dry out the dough in the bowl. If this happens, just add a bit more espresso and mix it in well. When I make these, I usually have to add more espresso (about a teaspoon or less at a time) at least twice.

The coffee can be replaced with any type of liqueur, for a richer flavor. Be careful how much you use, though, as some liqueurs can become overpowering.

From "Favorite Things" (5.22.07)

Almond Traveling Cookies (GF, DF)
Makes about 24

8 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 pound almond paste
¾ cup vanilla sugar
2 egg whites (2 oz.)
1 cup grated coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a food processor, grind dates into a paste. Add almond paste and vanilla sugar and mix until smooth. Add egg whites as food processor runs, then mix in coconut. Dough should be like a paste—wet and sticky, but not at all runny.

Put sliced almonds in a bowl. With clean hands, roll a Tablespoonful of dough into a ball, then flatten to make a patty and roll in the sliced almonds to cover. Repeat until all dough is used. Arrange cookies on a nonstick cookie sheet so they are about one inch apart. They will not grow much. Bake about 17-20 minutes, until edges are well-browned. It is important to make sure they cook through, or the almond paste in the center will taste raw.

From "Traveling Cookies" (7.17.07)

Apple Crisp (GF, DF, Vegan)
Serves 6-9

4 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored, sliced
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ tsp cornstarch

Topping:

¾ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour
½ cup GF oats (rolled, old-fasioned)
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/3 cup DF butter, softened

Lightly greased 8x8 glass pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, stir sliced apples, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, and ½ tsp cornstarch together until apples are coated. Arrange into greased pan. In a bowl, mix together topping ingredients, cutting in butter so topping consistency is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples; do NOT tamp down. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes, until edges are bubbly and topping is lightly browned. Serve hot or cold.

From "Apple Country" (9.4.07)

Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch round pie

Crust:
1 cup sweet rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
1/8 tsp salt
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup shortening or DF butter
1 egg

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbls corn starch
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ginger
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
6 (or so) Gravenstein apples

Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white rice flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup GF oats
¼ cup DF butter
1 tsp vanilla

For crust, sift together flours, salt, and sugar. Cut in shortening, then stir in beaten egg until paste forms. Roll out on parchment paper with sweet rice flour. Lift crust and parchment paper into 9-inch pie dish and gently press crust to fit dish, leaving parchment paper underneath. Flute edges as desired. Set aside in refrigerator.

For filling, mix sugar and corn starch together in a large bowl. Add spices and sweet rice flour, mixing until uniform. Peel, core, and slice apples, tossing in filling mixture as you go. Coat all apple slices well, then mound into prepared pie crust.

For topping, sift together sugar, flours, and oats. Cut in DF butter and add vanilla. Crumble over filling, arranging in an even layer.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes. Pie is done when apples are tender and topping is slightly browned. Pie may be covered with aluminum foil if crust begins to brown too much too fast.

From "Heriloom Fruit" (9.30.08)

Banana Pecan Pie (GF, DF or SF)
Makes 1 9-inch pie

Crust:
1 cup sweet rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
2 Tbls potato starch
1 tsp corn starch
¼ cup dry milk or powdered soymilk
¼ - ½ tsp salt
½ Tbls sugar
1/3 cup water
½ tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1/6 cup oil

Filling:
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 ripe bananas
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1 cup vanilla sugar
1/16 – 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbls butter or DF butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups (6 oz) whole raw pecans

To make the crust, mix together dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor. Beat egg into wet ingredients, then pour into dry, stirring or processing just until dough forms. Do not over-work. Roll out crust on parchment paper, dusting with sweet rice flour as needed. Transfer to pie dish, leaving parchment paper as a layer between the crust and dish. Press in gently, trim excess dough, and flute edges.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt chocolate in small pan or double-boiler over low heat, stirring constantly until completely melted. Pour into crust, spreading thinly over bottom. Slice bananas about ¼-inch thick and arrange in a single layer over chocolate. Set aside.

From "Monkey Pie" (11.24.08)

Blackberry Jam (GF, DF, SF, Vegan)
Makes about 1 ½ cups, or 3 half-pint jars

5 cups fresh blackberries
2 ½ cups vanilla sugar
½ tsp xanthan gum
4 Tbls lemon juice

Put fresh berries into a large pot and heat over medium-high heat for about 5-8 minutes. Don’t add any liquid, as the berries will give off juice as they heat. When berries are soft, remove from heat and mash with a potato masher. Run through a food mill or force through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.

Mix together vanilla sugar and xanthan gum. Add to seedless berry pulp in the pot, with the lemon juice. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low, so it continues to simmer, but does not foam up. Cook uncovered for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until jam thickens. It’s done when a small amount of jam cooled on a plate sets to a jam-like consistency.

Can in jars, or store in refrigerator.

From "Jamming Off the Vine" (8.25.08)

Blueberry Tart (GF, DF)
Serves 8

2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried 

1 vanilla bean
5 Tbls vanilla sugar
2/3 cup soymilk
1 Tbls cornstarch, dissolved in additional ¼ cup soymilk
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
¼ cup vanilla sugar
1 Tbls DF butter
1 Tbls Grand Marnier

Crust
½ cup DF butter
¼ cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup sorghum flour
¾ cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour

With a sharp knife, carefully slit open the vanilla bean. Run the flat of the knife down the bean, scraping out the seeds. (The knife should be perpendicular to the bean as you scrape, so it collects seeds without cutting the bean.) Wipe the collected seeds on a cutting board, then sort through it to pull out any bits of the vanilla bean husk that were collected with the seeds. In a small container, or mortar, mix 5 Tbls vanilla sugar with the vanilla bean seeds. Mash them together well, so they are completely incorporated and the seeds are no longer sticking together in clusters. If you still see a lot of husk mixed in with the seeds and sugar, you can sift it through a tea strainer.

In the top part of a double boiler, mix together 2/3 cup soymilk and vanilla bean-sugar mixture. Heat on medium setting, stirring occasionally, until all sugar dissolves into soymilk. While this heats, combine cornstarch and ¼ cup soymilk together in a bowl. Beat in eggs, egg yolk, and ¼ cup vanilla sugar. Whisk together well.

When soymilk-vanilla bean mixture is thoroughly heated—warm, but not simmering—spoon a small amount into eggs, whisking as you go. This should gradually heat up the egg mixture without cooking the egg. If the soymilk is too hot when you add it to the egg, the egg will cook and you will have scrambled eggs in your custard, so take your time with this step. Once egg mixture is heated enough (at least half the warm soymilk has been added), pour all into the double boiler and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly. Custard should be very thick when done. Pour hot custard into a bowl and stir in 1 Tbls DF butter and Grand Marnier. Cool in refrigerator. To keep custard from forming a skin on its top, cover with plastic wrap set on the surface of the custard.

To make the crust, cream together DF butter and sugar in a food processor. As it runs gradually pour in beaten egg. Add flours and run food processor until a crumbly dough forms. Dump crust into a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan and gently press into pan. (Be careful not to work crust too much, or it will be very hard when baked.) Depending on the size of your pan, you may not use all of the dough. Prick crust with a fork to prevent puffing. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Assemble tart by spreading custard all over the bottom of the cooled crust. Pile blueberries over custard. Chill until ready to serve.

Notes: Use a double boiler for best results when making the custard. A regular saucepan can be made to work, though you will have to stir the custard constantly and watch it carefully to keep it from sticking or burning.

From "If You Give a Baker Blueberries…" (6.5.07)

Churros (GF, DF)
Makes 8-10 small churros

1/3 cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
2 Tbls tapioca flour
½ cup water
¼ cup DF butter
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shortening

White sugar (for coating)

Mix together flours in a separate bowl and set aside. In a pot over medium heat, bring water, DF butter, and salt to a rolling boil, stirring to melt butter. Reduce heat to low and mix flours into water, stirring quickly, until dough forms into a ball and butter seems thoroughly mixed in. Remove from heat. Beat egg in a separate bowl, then add slowly to dough, mixing until dough becomes uniform. After dough cools about 5 minutes, spoon it into a pastry bag fitted with a large flower-like tip.

In a deep pan, heat vegetable oil and shortening over medium heat until a small amount of batter dropped in begins immediately to cook. (Amounts of oil and shortening may vary, depending on the size of your pan; it must be at least 2 inches deep to fry the churros well.)

Squeeze out 4-inch strips of dough into hot oil, being careful to keep them from touching each other. Fry 2-4 churros at a time, until they are golden brown. Turn at least once as they cook, allowing them about 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain churros on paper towels before immediately rolling in a plate of sugar, or dumping sugar over them.

Note: Add cinnamon or allspice to the sugar for extra flavor, or, for authentic Spanish churros, dip in chocolate. Vanilla sugar adds a nice flavor as well, if you have it.

From "Churros" (6.26.07)

Coconut-Laced Cookies (GF, DF, Vegan)
Makes 40 cookies

½ cup sweet rice flour
½ cup sorghum flour
2 Tbls tapioca flour
1 cup GF oats
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup freshly grated coconut

½ cup DF vegan butter
4 Tbls maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp dark rum
1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ cup DF GF dark chocolate chips
1 tsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine flours, oats, brown sugar, toasted almonds, and grated coconut. Mix well so all the ingredients are broken up. In a separate dish, combine vanilla extract, rum, and baking soda, stirring until the baking soda is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a small pot, melt butter slowly over medium-low heat. When butter is mostly melted, add maple syrup and stir frequently until the butter and syrup appear well-combined. Allow to bubble about 30 seconds to 1 minute before removing from heat. Be careful not to burn or allow to bubble too long, or the cookies will turn out more like hard candy than cookies. Add baking soda mixture to the hot liquid, stirring well.

Pour hot mixture into bowl with flours and coconut. Mix well together, until the dough gathers together and there are no more pockets of flour. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto nonstick or greased cookie sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. They will melt and spread as they bake, so allow them plenty of room. Bake about 7-8 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool on cookie sheets about 1 minute before removing to a rack to finish cooling. If you attempt to remove them from the cookie sheets too soon, the cookies will wrinkle and mash together instead of holding their shape.

When cookies are completely cool, melt chocolate chips together with canola oil in a small pan. Stir together well, so oil is incorporated into the chocolate. The oil will thin the chocolate enough for you to drizzle it successfully over the cookies. Spoon chocolate into the corner of a plastic baggie and snip the corner off to form a very small hole. Drizzle chocolate onto cookies in any pattern you desire, then let chocolate harden before serving.

Italian Orange Cookies (GF, DF, SF optional)
Makes 3 dozen

¼ cup DF butter (dairy butter if making SF)
½ cup vanilla sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbls canola oil
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
2 Tbls tapioca flour
1 Tbls baking powder
1/8 – ¼ tsp nutmeg, to taste
1-3 tsp orange juice, added as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread parchment paper on cookie sheet.

Cream together butter and sugar, adding eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, and oil until blended. Add flours, baking powder and nutmeg, then mix to form stiff but pliable dough. Add orange juice as needed so it isn’t too dry. Dough should not be sticky, but wet enough that it can be rolled into coils without cracks.

Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll into a 4-inch snake. Bend snake in the middle and twist ends to form cookie. Repeat with remaining dough and arrange close to each other on parchment-lined cookie sheet. They will not grow much. Bake 5-6 minutes, or until just done and slightly brown on the bottoms. Cool completely before glazing.

Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbls orange juice into a fairly thick, but liquid consistency. Dip top surface of each cookie into glaze, shake off excess, and let set on wire rack. Store cookies in refrigerator or cold space for up to 4 days.

Note: Fresh orange juice and zest are essential to this recipe.

From "Sweet Oranges" (2.5.08)

Pepparkakor (GF, DF, SF variation)
Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

1/3 cup DF butter (regular butter for SF)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
½ small egg
1 tsp lemon or orange zest
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup apple juice

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
¾ tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg, zest, molasses, and apple juice. Add flours on top of wet mixture, mixing all the spices and baking soda into the flour. Stir together well. Batter will be very wet and soft, but should not be runny. Scoop out onto waxed paper and form a log, wrapping the waxed paper tightly around the dough. Refrigerate overnight or freeze for at least 2-3 hours. Do not attempt to roll out dough until it is fairly stiff.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. When dough is stiff, bring out 1/3 of it at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator or freezer. Heavily flour a flat surface with sweet rice flour and roll out dough very thin, no thicker than ¼ inch and no thinner than 1/8 inch. Cut out into shapes and arrange on parchment paper on cookie sheet. They will not grow much, so feel free to squeeze many cookies onto the tray. Bake 7-8 minutes, until edges are just brown. Frost with cream cheese frosting or simple glaze.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick real butter (or DF)
8oz cream cheese (or vegan cream cheese)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 box powdered sugar, approximately

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth. Add more powdered sugar for stiffer frosting.

Glaze

1-2 cups powdered sugar
¼ - ½ cup soymilk, milk, or orange juice
½ tsp vanilla extract

Combine ingredients until smooth. Add more powdered sugar for a stiffer glaze. Add more liquid for a thinner glaze. This works best when glaze is thin enough to slowly run off a spoon, but thick enough to fully coat the spoon. It’s not an exact science, so find out which ratio works best for you. I like to pour the glaze into a baggie or piece of plastic wrap, poke a small hole in the end, and squeeze out in messy lines all over the cookies.

From "Cookie Spirit" (12.18.07)

Raspberry Decadence (GF, DF)
Makes ½ finished 2-layer cake

6oz (1 cup) DF semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup DF butter
¼ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup sweet rice flour
4 eggs, separated
½ cup vanilla sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and sweet rice flour one 9-inch round cake pan, or one 9-inch square glass pan.

Separate eggs and beat whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Beat yolks and sugar together. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pot, melt together chocolate chips and butter on low heat. Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Mix in flours and cool about 5 minutes. Beat in sugar and yolks mixture, then fold in egg whites until no white lumps remain. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake 20-30 minutes, or until cake pulls away from edges and is set in the middle. When no longer hot, turn cake out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Ganache (GF, DF)
Makes 2 cups ganache

1 cup soy cream
6oz (1 cup) DF semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp Raspberry di Amore liqueur (optional)

In a small sauce pan, slowly heat soy cream over medium-low heat. When cream thins and just begins to form a slight froth over the surface, add chocolate. Stir gently and constantly until chocolate melts and blends thoroughly with cream (about 6-10 minutes). Mix in liqueur and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using on cake.

To Assemble Cake:
When cake is completely cool, cut it in half so you have 2 semi-circles or 2 triangles, depending on the shape of your cake pan. Trim edges of cake pieces if desired, so they match perfectly. Place one half on a plate or cutting board. Spread about ½ - ¾ cup cold ganache over surface and arrange second half of cake over ganache to form a sandwich. Pour the remaining ganache over entire cake and spread evenly on top and down sides. Decorate with white glaze if desired. Refrigerate immediately, at least 2 hours before serving.

From "Decadence" (1.22.08)

Stuffed Shortbread Cookies (GF, DF, Vegan)
Makes 30 cookies

1 lb pitted medjool dates, chopped
1 cup water
zest of 1 orange, grated
½ tsp allspice

1 cup DF butter
6 Tbls vanilla sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp rosewater
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 Tbls soymilk, more as needed

Combine water and chopped dates in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, mashing softened dates with the spoon. When sauce forms a paste, remove from heat and stir in orange zest and allspice. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 300 degree Fahrenheit. In a food processor, cream butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and rose water together. Add flours and soymilk, mixing just until dough forms. Do not over-mix. Remove dough to a board and finish mixing by hand if necessary. Dough should be stiff, but not crumbly. Add soymilk as needed to obtain this consistency.

To assemble the cookies, pinch off about a tablespoon of dough and form into a ball. Hollow out center and fill with some of the date paste. Close top over and flatten slightly into a dome. Arrange on cookie sheet close to each other; they won’t grow. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 - 15 minutes, being careful not to brown.

Note: You can make these cookies sweeter by adding a bit more sugar to the dough, or rolling cookies in granulated or powdered sugar when they’re just out of the oven.

From "Stuffed Shortbread Cookies" (8.14.07)

Rum Balls (GF, DF)
Makes about 3 ½ dozen

¼ cup GF DF semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup powdered sugar

28-30 vanilla wafers
¾ cup blanched, toasted almonds
3 Tbls light corn syrup
2-4 Tbls rum, more as desired

In a food processor, grid together chocolate chips and powdered sugar until well-blended and chocolate chips are no longer large pieces. Add vanilla wafers and almonds, and grind until mixture seems like semi-fine crumbs.

Mix in corn syrup and rum until it holds together, but is not too wet or dry. Mixture should hold together in a ball when formed, but should not require a lot of pressing for it to hold together. Neither should the mixture be so wet that it is sticky or goopy. Add more rum if it is too dry; add more powdered sugar, almonds, or vanilla wafers if it is too wet.

Form mixture into 1-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar to coat. (If powdered sugar melts quickly into the balls, your mixture is too wet.) If you are making both strong rum balls and light rum balls, roll the light in powdered sugar and the strong in cocoa powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.

Note: If you are making the vanilla wafers fresh for your rum balls, be sure to allow them to cool thoroughly before grinding to crumbs. If they are hot, they will melt the chocolate and ruin the consistency.

Vanilla Wafers (GF, DF)
Makes about 5 dozen

½ cup DF butter, softened
1 cup white sugar (vanilla sugar if available)
1 egg
1 Tbls vanilla extract
¾ cup sorghum flour
¾ cup sweet rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flours, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Space them about 2 inches apart, as they will grow a bit.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes or until edges are just golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in sealed bags in freezer for up to 8 months.

From "New Year Rum" (1.8.08)

Wild Blueberry Pie (GF, DF)
Makes one 9-inch pie

Crust:
½ cup DF/vegan butter
¼ cup white sugar (vanilla sugar is best)
1 egg, beaten
¾ cup sweet rice flour
¾ cup sorghum flour
¼ cup tapioca flour

Filling:
2 Tbls cornstarch
¾ cup white sugar (vanilla sugar is best)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbls fresh lemon juice
3 cups frozen wild blueberries (Trader Joe’s sells the best ones) 

2 Tbls soymilk (or other plain DF beverage)

In a food processor, beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Add the beaten egg slowly as the processor runs, so it mixes in evenly. Mix in flours until dough forms into a ball. Don’t overwork the crust or it will be very hard after it’s baked. 

Cut off 1/3 of the dough and set aside for lattice top. Form remaining dough into a disk. Dust a piece of parchment paper with sweet rice flour and roll out dough into a circle about 1/8-inch thick. Measure crust with your pie pan by turning the pan upside-down onto the circle; crust should be at least one inch larger than pan all around. Gently lift crust on parchment paper and set into pie pan. Leave the paper between the crust and pan to bake. Lightly press crust to the form of the pan so it sits flat. Refrigerate crust while mixing filling.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt together well. Add blueberries and lemon juice, tossing to coat blueberries and mix thoroughly. Mound into prepared crust and spread evenly.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. On waxed paper dusted with sweet rice flour, roll out remaining third of the crust dough that you set aside earlier. Roll into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Using a spatula to help you, carefully lay strips over and under each other in a lattice pattern over pie. The crust is very delicate, so you may need to repair breaks as you go. Cut off strips so they end at the edge of the pie. Brush finished lattice with soymilk, using it to “glue” strips down if needed.

Flute edges of pie, or, if desired, roll out remaining scraps of dough and cut into decorative shapes. You can attach these shapes to the edge of the pie using soymilk, or a mixture of soymilk and egg.

Bake at 425F for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. Cover edges of pie with aluminum foil if they begin to darken too quickly. Pie is done when crust is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.

Notes: Only use parchment paper to roll out the crust. Parchment paper can be baked with the pie without catching fire or melting. I bake the pie on parchment paper because the crust is very delicate and difficult to transfer from the rolling surface into the pan. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can transfer the crust using a spatula and some ingenuity, but do expect to be making some repairs.

If you don’t want to (or can’t) buy vanilla sugar, try making it. Bury a whole vanilla bean in a 5lb bag of white sugar for at least 4 weeks. It will be vanilla sugar when you open it. You can speed up the process by burying a whole vanilla bean in a 1-quart glass jar of white sugar. This vanilla sugar will be stronger, but you can use some and refill it for about 8 weeks before the vanilla bean loses its potency.

Stuffed Dates in Chocolate (GF, can be DF &Vegan)
Makes about 30 dates

1 lb. (about 30) Medjool dates
1 Tbls vanilla extract
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup toasted whole almonds
¼ cup DF cream cheese frosting
tiny pinch nutmeg
3-5 Tbls powdered sugar, more as needed
10 oz. DF semi-sweet chocolate

Pit Medjool dates by gently running a sharp knife along the top, starting at the small end and slitting towards the large end. As you slit, use the knife to gently pull the pit so it pokes out the large end. This can be done in a single motion, though it may take a bit of practice. Do as little damage to the date as possible (try not to cut any dates completely in half).

Soak pitted dates for 30 minutes in vanilla extract and enough hot water to just cover. Drain and mostly dry with paper towels.

Soak dates in Grand Marnier for about 45 minutes. Roll over halfway through so they soak evenly. Drain excess Grand Marnier into a bowl and reserve.

Mix 1 tsp Grand Marnier (some of what you soaked the dates in) into the DF cream cheese frosting. Add a tiny pinch (less than 1/16 tsp) nutmeg, working out any lumps. Mix in powered sugar as needed to keep the frosting from becoming too runny.

Stuff each date with 1 almond dipped in frosting. Poke more frosting into the date if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Do NOT allow to bubble or the chocolate will burn. Dip each date in chocolate to coat about 2/3 of it. Arrange on wax paper so chocolate is not touching. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Serve cold or room temperature. Don’t allow the dates to become too warm or they will melt and make a mess.

Note: Once you’ve mixed Grand Marnier into the frosting, you don’t need the excess any more. Be creative with how you use it, instead of dumping it down the drain. It makes a tasty addition to cookies, cakes, and dessert sauces. Do use it within a day of making these dates, though, because it will not keep very well.

From "Making a Date Great" (2.27.07)

Raspberry-Frosted Hearts (GF, can be DF & Vegan)
Makes about 40 cookies

1 ¼ cups sorghum flour
1 ¼ cups sweet rice (mochi) flour
2 Tbls tapioca flour
¼ tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cardamom

1 ¼ sticks butter (or DF alternative)
3 oz. cream cheese (or DF alternative)
½ cup vanilla or regular sugar
½ Tbls lemon zest
2 Tbls lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Note: The dough can be made in a food processor for easier mixing. It can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.

Cream butter, cream cheese, and vanilla sugar together well, breaking up any cream cheese lumps. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add flours and spices, mixing carefully to break up spice clumps. Form dough into a log, roll in waxed paper, and chill for ½ to 1 hour. (If keeping in refrigerator overnight, allow to rest at room temperature at least 15 minutes before rolling out.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dust a clean, flat workspace with sweet rice flour. Cut log into thirds and roll out one section at a time to about 1/8 of an inch thick. Be careful to not roll it too thin or your cookies will be too delicate to frost. Dip a heart-shaped cookie cutter in sweet rice flour and cut out hearts. Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-9 minutes, or until the edges just begin to lightly brown. The cookies will not grow, so you don’t need to worry about leaving a lot of room between them. Cool on a cookie rack before frosting with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting (GF, can be DF & Vegan)
(This is good even when made completely DF)
Makes enough for 40 cookies

5 oz. cream cheese (or DF substitute)
5 Tbls butter (or DF substitute)
1 ½ boxes of powdered sugar*
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tsp seedless raspberry jam

Soften cream cheese and butter until they are easily creamed together. Stir in vanilla and jam, mixing vigorously until all lumps are smoothed out. Chill at least ½ hour before frosting cookies.

*More or less, depending on how stiff you want the frosting

For that extra touch, decorate frosted hearts with chocolate leaves (recipe below). If you’re not that adventurous, use raspberry jam to draw hearts into the Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Chocolate Leaves (GF, can be DF & Vegan)
Makes about 20

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
½ tsp shortening
freshly picked strawberry, raspberry, or mint leaves

Wash leaves very well in warm water and dry thoroughly on paper towels. They must be completely dry before putting the chocolate on. Gently rub a very light coat of shortening onto underside of leaves.

Melt chocolate and shortening together slowly over low heat on the stove, stirring constantly. When it is completely melted and shortening is completely incorporated, remove from heat. Using a silicon pastry brush or a new paint brush, coat the underside of each leaf with a medium layer of chocolate. Wipe drips from the edges and lay chocolate-side-up on waxed paper over a cookie sheet. When all leaves are coated, allow chocolate to set at room temperature for about 1 hour. You can chill in the refrigerator to speed up the process, but DO NOT put in the freezer. Coat leaves at least three times, allowing them to set between coats. When the last coat is hard, gently separate leaf from chocolate. (This may involve some picking if the leaves rip.) Keep chocolate leaves in a sealed container in the refrigerator until use.