Versunkener Apfelkuchen gluten-free

Because it's been a few years since I'd made an apfel kuchen for my German-loving sons, I thought perhaps something like that would be the perfect recipe to highlight September's #ImprovCookingChallenge ingredients APPLES & HONEY. (The Improv Cooking Challenge is a once-a-month blogger recipe challenge lead by Nichole from Cookaholic Wife. You are welcome to join us for the monthly linky party...)

While googling honey + apfelkuchen I came across "sunken apple and honey cake" by Smitten Kitchen. I thought it looked beautiful and would be easy to adapt to an almond flour recipe to keep it gluten free.

The cake tasted wonderful, according to two of my four taste-testers. (One didn't like the honey flavor and the other dislikes anything that has the "eggy taste")

I thought it perfect for breakfast or brunch!

An InLinkz Link-up

GF Lucky Jack® Wacky Cake

Well, here we are – 2nd day of #Choctoberfest and I promised you a simple cake. (Oh, by the way, did you enter that Rafflecopter to win prizes from our sponsors? You can find it here.)

Wacky Cake was developed during the Depression when often you couldn’t afford to use eggs or milk in your desserts. I’m always amazed at how deliciously moist this cake can be – and even more so because I made this one with gluten-free flour!Also impressive is the fact that you don’t dirty any extra utensils. I just used an 8x8 glass dish & a fork (aside from measuring cups & spoons, that is…)

You’ll need to pre-heat your oven to 350°. Into the dish (don’t even need to grease it!) you’re going to measure:

• 1 & 1/2 c. gf flour blend (I used  Bob’s Red Mill^® Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour)
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. baking cocoa
• 1/2 t. Kosher salt
• 1 t. baking soda

You could sift this all together, but I just dumped it in & mixed carefully (that dish might not be as deep as you think…) with a dinner fork. After it’s thoroughly blended, you’ll need to make three holes, or “wells,” in the powder.

Into the first you will put 1 t. Kahlúa (mine is home-made, leftover from Christmas gifts…) and in the second you’ll pour 1/3 c. coconut oil (melted) and 1 T. vinegar goes in the last. (Don’t be surprised if that one fizzes a bit with the presence of the soda.) Lastly, you will pour one cup of Lucky Jack^® Double Black over all the ingredients. (Unfortunately, I’m afraid you’ll just have to drink the remaining 2 oz.)

Carefully stir until everything is completely combined. Pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean. Let cool.(mine cracked a bit… No worries! We’ll soon cover that up!)

While your cake is baking, measure out 2 T. whipping cream and dissolve 1 t. instant coffee crystals. After the cake has cooled, pour 2 c. cold whipping cream, 3 T. honey and the dissolved instant coffee into the Blendtec (or food processor, or mixer, or metal bowl with French whisk…)Seriously, 5 or 6 seconds on “high” gave me luscious Honey Java Whipped Cream. (Please ignore that finger-swipe strange crease, I have no idea how it got in there!)Toss a dollop on a slice of cake and you’re ready for a tea coffee party!

Check out all of today’s #Choctoberfest recipe links below:

An InLinkz Link-up

Pink Lady® Rose Tarts

The September ingredients for the #ImprovCookingChallenge are apples & oatmeal. Yea! Now I can try a recipe I’ve been drooling over for years.

I chose Pink Lady® apples so that the flesh would impart a nice tinge on the “rose petals”…

First thing I had to do was to transform the oatmeal into a flour. That was accomplished in about 50 seconds with my Blendtec.

I made my tart dough and let it set for a bit while I prepared the apples. (I sliced them nice & thin with the mandoline.) I rolled out the pastry & cut out rounds to fit my muffin tin. Rolling up the petals was a pretty slick job; I had a little difficulty transferring them neatly to the pastry.Mmmmmmmmm, they smelled so lovely whilst baking…Delicious!Here are the recipes:

Check out what my Improv friends did with their apples & oatmeal:

An InLinkz Link-up

More things I'm loving:

I love this picture done by Olan Mills Studio in 2008. The photographer's instructions were for them to look serious. It makes me smile every time I see my youngest's fake frown & my oldest's fake smile...

I love "Desert Rose" by Franciscan. I also enjoy a Valentine tea party!

I have a passion for blue tea sets. My sister has brought me a few pieces from England & Lomonosov porcelain from Russia. (Of course, she gave me the Matryoshka nesting dolls holding tea items...)

Who doesn't love a kitty in a piano?

I'm again linking up to Paisley Jade & her weekly reminder that "I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is."