Cookbook Giveaway: "The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free"

Can a person have too many cookbooks?  Since I can count at least 300 of them sitting on my office shelves and stashed away in laundry baskets, I think I have plenty to spare.

So I am instituting a weekly cookbook giveaway. I will post a summary of the book and one of the recipes. If you comment on this blog throughout the week, you will be entered in the drawing. If you share this contest on Facebook, leave me a comment on this blog letting me know, and that will give you two entries.  And the comment has to be something pertaining to the blog, NOT an announcement of a sale on Rolex watches or some foreign website or spam.

 You don't have to comment with your full name. But you need to leave a first name, nickname or some type of identity. Keep in mind that your comment won't show up right away because it is sent to me before posting. And yes, if you find some ads on my site that you want to check out, feel free to click away. 

I'll announce the winner in this blog the following Friday.  At that point, you can e-mail me with your full name and mailing address, and I'll put the book in the mail to you.  No, I won't be putting your address into some type of mailing list or using it for any other purposes (Trust me, I'm not that organized!)

Today's featured book is "The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free," by Anne Byrn (Workman Publishing, $14.95).

This is yet another follow-up to Byrn's popular "Cake Mix Doctor" books, this time for people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive to gluten.  All the recipes start out with a box of gluten-free cake mix that you "doctor" up with a variety of ingredients such as almond extract, berries, cocoa powder, grated coconut, various glazes and so on.

Recipes include Almond Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Magic Brownie Bars, Caramel Melted Ice Cream Cake, Chocolate Chip Layer Cake and Peanut Butter Brownies. Since many people who are gluten-intolerant are also sensitive to dairy, Byrne includes dairy-free versions of the recipes as well.

Having used recipes from some of Byrne's other books, I can say that the directions are wordy, but very precise.

Here's a recipe from the book:

Caramel Melted Ice Cream Cake
This bundt cake uses melted ice cream as the fat and liquid. The better quality of ice cream, the better the cake.
Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pna
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar o rice flour for dusting the pan
1 pint Dulce de Leche ice cream, melted
1 package yellow gluten-free cake mix
3 large eggs
Caramel glaze
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust the pan with the cinnamon sugar, or rice flour. Shake out the excess.
Place the ice cream in a glass bowl. Melt the ice cream in a microwave oven set to th defrost setting, 2-3 minutes.
Place the melted ice cream, cake mix and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, 1 1/2-2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smoothing the top with the rubber spatula, and place the pan in the oven.
Bake the cake until it is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, 38 to 42 minutes. Transfer the Bundt pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool 10 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake, shake the pan gently and invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely, 30 minutes longer.
Meanwhile make the Caramel Glaze.
Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Pour the glaze over the cake and let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes longer, before slicing and serving the cake.
Caramel Glaze
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons lightly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cream in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and let come to a boil, stirring. Let the butter mixture boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from teh heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake of your choice.

Yes, this book can be yours - just leave me a comment.

GLUTEN-FREE AND WEIGHT LOSS SEQUELS

Sequels are popular in movies and books — look at Harry Potter, The Bourne Identity, the Twilight series, and so on. One good movie deserves another, as they probably say in Hollywood.

So it can be with news. Here are sequels to two of my past stories:

Gluten-free progress: In May, I did stories about local restaurants and bakeries who are offering gluten-free foods, in this blog and in the Deseret News. Since then, the Utah-based Costa Vida restaurant launched a gluten-free initiative. All the sauces and thickeners are being made gluten free, according to Costa Vida's executive chef Dave Prows. The white and wheat tortillas, the tres leches and key lime pie are the only items that contain wheat gluten. Customers have always been able to order a corn tortilla instead of wheat-based.

"We found a great combination that works great, with rice flour, soy flour and rice starch," he said. "The formula, of course, is proprietary, and I don't believe that there is another thickener like it."

Losing It Easy, sort of: In March 2010, I did a story on Dian Thomas, author of the bestselling "Roughing It Easy" series. She has lost 125 pounds over a six-year period,and was also leading tours to China."The response to the gluten-free initiative has been great," Prows said. "I love it when customers who suffer from celiac disease send us stories of how grateful they are to have a place to eat with so many choices. Until you see the difference it makes in peoples lives, you don't realize how big of a problem it is for those who suffer from celiac disease."

This past summer, Thomas' book, "Tipping the Scales in Your Favor," has been published. She tells of her weight-loss journey and offers a comprehensive lifestyle plan that includes nutrition, exercise and emotional well-being. You can find out more about it on her website, www.Dianthomas.com.

GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS

"Gluten-free" is a buzzword almost as common as "low-carb" was in the early 200s and "low-fat" was in the 1990s. As more and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, they are requesting wheat-free alternatives to regular foods, such as this gluten-free pizza sold at The Pizza Factory in Bountiful. 

Gluten-free pizza  at The Pizza Factory   Photo by Valerie Phillips

My story, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700134191/Utah-businesses-offer-products-off-the-wheaten-path.html which ran today in the Deseret News, talks about places in Utah that offer gluten-free foods. Allison Regan, who owns the Sweet Cake Bake Shop in Kaysville, started her dedicated gluten-free bakery because she has celiac disease herself.

Allison Regan of Sweet Cake Bake Shop, which makes gluten-free cookies, bars, cakes, breads and rolls.
 Photo by Valerie Phillips

Gluten-free treats from the Sweet Cake Bake Shop in Kaysville   Photo by Valerie Phillips

Having sampled some of the Sweet Cake goodies, I can vouch that they taste every bit as good as those made with wheat flour.   But I wish someone could make them calorie-free as well!