COFFEE

The first step of course, is to brew the coffee. It can be any flavor that you desire: from vanilla, mocha, french vanilla, espresso, to anything else. If you rather just use the candy all you have to do is melt it down in the microwave or in a glass bowl (within a large pot of course) over the stove top. When, one or the other is done it can be added into your flour mix.

FLOURS

As it was stated early, brown or white rice flour would be the preferable choice to use besides wheat flour because it is naturally sticky and will hold together better much better than any other gluten free flour. If you’d rather use wheat, of course, you are welcome, too. The gluten will keep the cake together.

FIRST BITE

When, you take your first bite into this delectable, sweet treat you will be glad you tried this version. Since you already have your coffee, grad a tall glass of milk, chocolate milk, or even a cup of tea and dig right on in.

Photo Courtesy of Simon James Kent

If you have Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, or even gluten sensitivity then, eating desserts outside of your house can be a bit difficult. Well now, it is not as hard as it used to be because so many chain restaurants now have gluten free dessert options.

GLUTEN FREE CHAIN RESTAURANTS

Houlihan’s has three homemade, ice cream flavors. They are caramel macchiato, chick-o-stick, and raspberry. Plus, their crème brûlée has a rich vanilla bean custard that has caramelized sugar all over the top.

Outback‘s dessert is called Chocolate Thunder From Down Under. It is an extra generous pecan brownie that is crowned with rich vanilla ice cream and drizzled with their classic warm chocolate sauce. To finish it off, they add chocolate shavings and whipped cream. This is simply a chocolate lover’s dream.

Pizza Fusion has a fresh, delicious homemade brownie. That is not only gluten free, but is vegan as well.

Chili’s has a stupendously sweet ending with their chocolate milkshake. A great choice on a hot summer day.

Bertucci’s dessert is called Chocolate Budino. It is a rich, creamy, and bittersweet chocolate mousse that is topped off with a generous helping of whipped cream.

Lastly, Carrabba’s dessert is called John Dole. It is Blue Bell vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and roasted cinnamon, rum pecans.

A NIGHT OUT

So,don’t be afraid to have an evening out! Enjoy the sweet treats of your choosing anytime!

ORGANIC DESSERTS

• There’s an apple pie with juicy organic apples and juice concentrate. It is lightly sweetened, baked in a tender butter crust made with organic whole wheat, rice, and tapioca flour. It is sweetened with honey. They do list allergens and this product contains wheat and milk.
• Next you have a chocolate cake, which is moist, light and, simply, irresistible. Some ingredients include organic wheat flour and cocoa powder. It is sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice. Allergens in this product are wheat.
• I know we have covered this one before, but it is just so good I had to mention it again: Amy’s gluten free, dairy free chocolate cake. The final result is light, tender, moist, and so delicious that everyone will enjoy it even if they aren’t gluten intolerant. This product has soy milk and a variety of flours such as whole grain brown rice flour, organic unsweetened cocoa powder, tapioca starch, garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour, and fava bean flour.
• The lemon poppy seed cake has a refreshing delicate lemony flavor obtained by lemon oil and juice. It is enhanced by a sprinkling of poppy seeds throughout that add texture and a unique taste all on their own. This cake does contain milk and wheat.
• Amy’s Orange Cake is moist, light and delicious with the sweet taste of orange accomplished with juice and oil. It is baked with organic wheat flour and evaporated cane juice.

A SLICE

So, are you ready to have a slice all to yourself? Check out AmysKitchen.com! You can also join their Facebook page.

Photos courtesy of Amy’s Kitchen. Thank you!

photo courtesy of Enjoy Life (R)

So, you are on a gluten free diet? No worries! Not all desserts are made from wheat. There is actually a wide variety of gluten free options. Some companies include Larabars, Amy’s® Kitchen, and Enjoy Life®.

RAW FRUIT BARS

Larabars aren’t only gluten free, but sugar free, too. Now you might ask, how can that be a dessert? Well, in Italy, fruit and ricotta cheese is a traditional dessert. A Larabar is a blend of raw fruit, nuts and spices. There is a variety to choose from starting with ginger, coconut, cherry, lemon, key lime, to name a few.  Each bar has a shelf life of 12 months and contains one or more of the following nuts: cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and pecans. This is one of those great “on the go” type of desserts or snack bars.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Then, the next option you have is a chocolate cake by Amy’s® Kitchen. It’s gluten free, non dairy, and a vegan friendly dessert. It’s made with organic cocoa powder and brown rice flour. You can eat this cake cold or warmed up with a cup of coffee. It is rich, smooth, and has a light texture that simply melts in your mouth. You can find this to be a little slice of heaven in Whole Foods Market or any health food store.

COOKIES AND MILK

Enjoy Life® has quite a collection of delicious cake like cookies. They are all very soft and chewy. Some of the most popular ones include chocolate chip cookies, no-oats “oatmeal”® cookies, double chocolate brownie cookies, and gingerbread spice cookies. They are great for an old fashion milk dunking!

ALWAYS HAVE A SWEET TOOTH

When you try any of the above listed desserts, you will feel like a kid back in the candy store all over again!

The Great American Pie Festival

Chocolate Raisin Walnut Pie. photo courtesy of the American Pie Council

The Prestigious Baking Competition and Family Fun, the APC Great American Pie Festival, Sponsored by Crisco®, is back!

When and Where?

On April 9 and 10, 2011, pie lovers, tasters and bakers will gather in Celebration, Florida, for two very sweet days! Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 9; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 10. The festival will be held at Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St. in downtown Celebration, Florida 34747. Admission to the festival is free.

9 Years of Celebration!

Now in its 9th year, this pie extravaganza dishes up luscious layers of fun for the young and the young at heart. Whether looking to enjoy some of the most delectable desserts in America or simply partake in one of the many entertainment and baking demonstrations staged along Main Street in one of America’s most charming small towns, attendees are sure to enjoy pure pie perfection.

From top crust to two crust, juicy to sweet, chocolate to custard all matter of flavors and fillings will flow forth for two full days in April to the delight of an anticipated 28,000 pie lovers from around the world.

Festival Events

All festival events will be held both days. Whether bonafide pie lovers or casual nibblers looking for an afternoon of fun, Celebration residents and visitors are invited to stroll through the free-admission festival and enjoy two days of family fun, reminiscent of days gone by. Attendees may opt to dig in and compete or simply sit back and enjoy the show. The events include:

• The Crisco® Kids Creation Station will give aspiring young bakers an opportunity to create their own pies or enjoy some fun with pie decorating, pie-scaping, Piecasso tin art at the Piecasso stage and many more activities!
• The Pietopia Demonstration Stage sponsored by Village Inn and Bakers Square Restaurants will feature entertainment and baking demonstrations with chefs from across the country.
• Of course, the Great American Pie Festival would not be complete without a pie eating contest, sponsored by Private Selection.

The Never Ending Pie Buffet

As the festival favorite for the past nine years, the Never Ending Pie Buffet will once again feature an all you can eat smorgasbord of 83,000 award-winning pie slices – up from 70,000 in 2009 — ice cream, toppings and beverages from local, regional and national commercial bakeries, restaurants and markets, including Bakers Square Restaurants and Pies, Bonert’s Slice of Pie, California Raisin Marketing Board, J. Horner’s Desserts, Kroger’s Private Selection, Publix Super Markets, Inc., Rocky Mountain Pies, Smucker’s Toppings, The Folger Coffee Company, Village Inn, Wick’s Pies and Winn-Dixie. This is the only paid event at the festival.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and children under 5 to enjoy all they care of eat and drink.

The APC/Crisco National Pie Championships

Lemon Swirl Cream Cheese Pie. photo courtesy of APC

When and Where?

The 17^th Annual American Pie Council^® (APC)/ Crisco^® 2011 National Pie Championships® returns to Orlando April 8-10, 2011 expecting a record number of entries across all categories, to top last year’s record entries: 417 commercial, 170 professional, 321 amateur and seven junior — totaling an astounding 907 pies!

New Categories

New this year are three categories created to reflect the sign of the times.

• A “Gluten-free” category requiring a pie that is gluten-free in all aspects including crust, filling and toppings:;
• “Crisco Innovation” category sponsored by Crisco in honor of the brand’s 100^th Anniversary this year.  The “Innovation” pie requires a blend of classic and contemporary innovative pie making technique and pie flavor selections.
• Finally, a “Royal Wedding” pie suitable for a soon-to-be-married Prince William and Kate Middleton rounds out the third new category.   The pie’s the limit with all three of the new categories as well as familiar favorites.

It will take a record number of judges — 200 prequalified volunteer pie aficionados — to eat through almost 1,000 pieces to find the crème de la crème of North American pie bakers. It comes as no surprise that the largest number of entries for a single flavor goes to America’s collective favorite — apple pie — with 39 entries in the amateur category.

Entry forms are available online for junior, amateur, professional and commercial divisions.  Entry costs are free for juniors and $15 for amateurs.  APC members receive discounts on entries.

Hotel Discounts

The host hotel Caribe Royale is offering a special $129 per night room rate for those attending or participating in the Great American Pie Festival or National Pie Championships.  To book this special rate, you must tell the hotel you are with the event.  Call 800-823-8300 to book a room.

More Info

For more information, visit the Front Porch Celebration Community or the American Pie Council®, the only organization committed to maintaining America’s pie heritage, passing on the tradition of pie-making and promoting America’s love affair with pie. The APC offers personal, professional and commercial memberships.

Crisco® is a registered trademark of The J. M. Smucker Company.