Mina's Tea Buns

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar or baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup sultana raisins (optional)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk or (1/4 cup Carnation Milk plus 1/4 cup water)

splash of vanilla

Preparation

Soak raisins in enough hot tap water to cover and set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tarter and salt. With pastry blender, 2 knives or fingertips, cut in butter until in coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. Drain and mix in raisins.

In glass measure, beat egg with fork; add milk, stirring to blend. Remove 2 tablespoons and set aside.

Pour remaining mixture, all at once, into centre of flour mixture. Stir with fork just until dough comes together to form wet dough. Using hands, shape into ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface; pat out into scant 3/4-inch (2 cm) thickness.

Using floured 2-inch round cutter, cut out buns. Repeat with scraps once. Place on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Brush with reserved milk mixture. Bake in 375°F oven until risen, golden and firm to the touch, about 18 to 20 minutes. 

Special Instructions:

Lazy Daisy Coconut Cake

This recipe was featured on http://www.seriouseats.com. It was one bowl recipe that I thought would make an amazing gluten free cake, and I was right. They also feature a column "Gluten Free Tuesday" where a new gluten free recipe is published each week. 

 makes one 9-inch square pan, active time 15 minutes, total time 1 hour

Ingredients

For Cake:

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup milk

1/2 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft

1 3/4 cup (12 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup potato starch

3 tablespoons tapioca starch

2/3 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For Topping:

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons milk

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1 cup walnuts (or pecans), chopped

Procedures

Combine oats, boiling water, and milk; let sit 20 minutes. Adjust oven rack to upper and lower middle position and preheat to 350°F. Grease 9- by 9-inch pan. 



Add salt, butter, sugar, and vanilla to oat mixture and stir to combine. Stir in eggs and coconut. Add brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, and cinnamon to bowl, then stir until completely combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake on middle rack until just set, about 30 minutes. 



While cake is baking, mix topping in same unwashed bowl: toss butter, brown sugar, milk, coconut, and nuts to form moist crumbs.




As soon as cake is baked, remove from oven and spread topping over the top. Return pan to oven and increase heat to broil. Briefly heat until topping melts and coconut is lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool.



Gluten Free Waffles

Ingredients 

1 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch ( NOT Potato Flour)

1/4 cup tapioca flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2  teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Heat a waffle iron. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately with butter and pure maple syrup or hold in a 200 degree oven, directly on the rack (don't stack them or they'll get soggy). These also reheat very well in the toaster.