Gluten Free French Almond Cake

 We have the remains of a hurricane passing over us, and I have lost my co-supervisor at work: I am stress baking tonight! Giving it up for a French Almond Cake, mainly because I had all the ingredients on hand.

We are simplifying things a bit, because I do not have a springform pan, and I am NOT greasing the bottom of a pie pan just to layer it with parchment paper and more grease! So. 

You could probably give this a go with dairy-free, if you needed to, using melted coconut oil in place of the melted butter? If anybody gives that a try, message me and I’ll add in the edits! 

FRENCH ALMOND CAKE

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2C sugar (regular granulated sugar)

1/3C milk

2t baking powder

A grind or two of sea salt

1t vanilla extract

2t almond extract

1/2C (one stick) butter

3C almond flour

For the top: 

Sliced almonds

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Generously grease a 9-inch pie pan. 

In a large mixing bowl with a hand whisk (don’t use electric beaters), whisk eggs, sugar, milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. 

In a small bowl melt the butter in the microwave on low power. Set aside. 

Measure three cups almond flour out. I measured them into another bowl, leveling off each cup as I measured it. Start adding the flour to the mixing bowl with the egg mixture, a handful at a time. After whisking a handful or two of flour in, add the melted butter. (You don’t want to add hot butter directly to the eggs, or it will cook them.) Continue adding flour until all is mixed together. 

Use a spatula to turn the cake batter out into the prepared pan. Press the almonds onto the top. They don’t burn while cooking, really! I doubted that myself. 

I baked the cake for 20 minutes before checking on it, then put it in for another 5. After 25 minutes, I covered it with foil to prevent the top from getting too brown (those almonds, you know, I was worried about the almonds). A knife inserted in the center came out clean for me after 30 minutes. 

Let the cake cool. Seriously, this is a cake you want to let all-the-way cool. Dust with powdered sugar once it’s all the way at room temperature. 

Make-Ahead Mac & Cheese

 

If you need a make-ahead macaroni - or if you’ve got the time for a make-ahead macaroni, even - this is the simplest homemade macaroni and and cheese ever, truly. You don’t even make a sauce! 

Gluten folks - the Barefoot Contessa takes the credit for yours. Overnight Mac &Cheese I adapted it for Tinkyada pasta and those of us who can’t do breadcrumbs! If you want to follow my easier instructions below? Cook your regular elbow noodles for four minutes exactly. Drain them right at four minutes, and go on with my instructions!

My gluten-free folks - make a note that this was made using Tinkyada elbow macaroni. Different GF pastas with different ‘al dente’ cooking times are probably going to require some adaptation, here. 

A full day before you are serving this, cook your Tinkyada elbows for seven minutes exactly. Drain them right at seven minutes!

Meanwhile, shred your cheeses if you need to. I bought mine shredded, a mixture of cheddars. 

Mix the 6 cups half and half with three cups of the cheese, and stir in the pasta. Stir well, and then cover by pressing plastic wrap down on top of the noodles. Does that make sense? You don’t want any air between the pasta and the plastic wrap. Press it right down on top, tightly. 

Then you just - put it in the fridge. That’s it. 

Cook the pasta; toss it with the half and half and part of the cheese; cover, and refrigerate overnight. Boom. Done!

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When you come back the next day to cook it, bring the bowl back to room temp. I just let mine sit out on the counter for about an hour; you could microwave it a few minutes, too. Whatever. Pull off the plastic wrap and stir it well. 

Preheat your oven to 400. Put it in a greased casserole dish; top with the remaining cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through if your oven needs it, or until the cheese are melted and bubbly.

It’s seriously so simple I can’t believe it. Love. It. 

MAKE-AHEAD MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

16oz Tinkyada elbows

6C fat free half and half

16oz cheeses, shredded (4 cups roughly)

A day before serving, cook the Tinkyada elbows for seven minutes exactly. Drain. 

Stir together drained elbows, half and half, and roughly three-quarters (three cups) of the cheese in a large mixing bowl. Cover by pressing plastic wrap down on the top.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bring pasta mixture back to room temperature (an hour on the counter or four minutes in the microwave, roughly). Preheat oven to 400. Cover casserole dish or 9x13 well with pan spray. Pour noodle mixture in; top with remaining cheese.

Back at 400 for 20-25 minutes, rotating once if needed, or until cheese are melted and bubbly,