Vegan gluten free sesame peanut cookies - one from the old days....

This really wasn’t such a big project.  I just have this nature that has to work on everything over and over.  So until the recipes were submitted in final form by Dustin, I was working to make them more betterer.

This sesame coated, peanut butter cookie recipe is a classic from the old Bread and Roses days.  It has gone through quite a few changes through the years. The original version was a crunchy cookie made with hydrogenated margarine (gasp) and wheat.  Now it is the softest and most melt in your mouth delicious glutenfree confection, with subtle undertones of coconut.  This cookie has long been a favorite of mine, as you can see by my loving description.

We also tested the pie crust recipe, which I scaled down to one 9 inch crust, and a citrus almond custard pie.  Dustin was quite taken with the custard pie and had it for breakfast three days in a row!

The pie crust recipe was brilliantly reworded by the (oft mentioned) recipe tester extraordinaire, Dustin. I will be reposting it here in the next few days.  As I most humbly thanked him and said “How many more ways can I find to praise you???????” he replied – get ready for the quote of a life time here –  “Oh, please. I am Forrest Gumping these recipes. You are The Supreme Master Genius from the Vegan Culinary Isle of Lesbos.”

Well if you insist…..

Vegan glutenfree apple cake from the FoA test kitchens.

I am so late in posting after day three! I am literally done! Dustin has a few more recipes to test, but my portion is done. I slept in and took a long walk and drank a lot of tea and did a whole lot of nothing. I may even eat a proper meal today!

The hard part of this project for me was scaling down the measurements while keeping the final product true to the original recipe.  This is easy enough if you like math, which I do, but recipes need to be user friendly.  That was where the biggest challenge was for me.  It actually resulted in an entirely new recipe for a product we make all the time. Yup, the bi-product of this project is a new product for local Gone Pie people.  I will be tweaking that this weekend and offering it to stores next week.

So feast your eyes on the latest results from the test kitchen. I won’t tell you what Dustin renamed this cake, but let’s just say that if we don’t finish testing all these recipes soon, we will both need entirely new wardrobes!  Thankfully it is the weekend, as we are now banned from sending any more sweets into his partner’s office.  Our taste testers are incredulous they are eating vegan, glutenfree items and taking seconds.  And thirds.  And so on ….

Here is a closer look at a version of the cake I made when I was writing the recipe.

Apple cake fancied up with a sliced pear topping

Glutenfree vegan sourcream chocolate cupcake from the FoA/Gone Pie test kitchens!

Day two was a bit busier around here. I was working on the last couple of recipes for the chapter while Dustin was checking in with questions about the cupcake recipe.

Dustin called in the middle of the batch to check on a measurement that I had given him as “1/c c” (?). He had already guessed the amount correctly by the time I returned his call and was scooping cupcakes. Mid conversation he exclaimed “this batter is delicious”. Oh the joys of vegan baking. Guilt free batter tasting!

After the recipe was completed and passed the test, Dustin politely said “I have changed wording here and there.”

My lesson for today is that making recipes is challenging but it’s only part of the job. Making a recipe usable for others is another HUGE task. For example, Dustin asked “Should I also make a comment on the dough itself for the cupcakes? It’s much thicker than a typical cupcake batter…I wouldn’t want people to think they’ve done it wrong.” Um. Yes please….

Dustin’s final comment of the day:
“You could make an incredible gluten free chocolate cake from that cupcake recipe! That’s an impressive final product. I am going to make it as a cake next time!”

My final comment of the day: “DUSTIN, DUSTIN, DUSTIN! I HEART DUSTIN!”

Glutenfree vegan oatmeal cookies from the FoA test kitchens!

If you know me or read this blog, you know I am one serious baker. Perhaps not how you picture the carefree life of a baker, magically concocting and spreading sugary joy. I do that too. But before I unveil a recipe or a treat, I obsess! Kind of a lot….

I worry when Gone Pie sells something that it will be what the customer is expecting. And hopefully even a bit more. I try to be creative when I present a product, but still stay close to what is expected. You know, nothing much. Just all things to all people.

When I write a recipe, I turn that obsessing up a notch. Egads! I want everyone’s results to delight them. I am guiding their use of time, energy and ingredients and hoping they will be pleased with their efforts. I really really really need to make my recipe tasty and unique.

It is with all of these humble goals in my mind, I enter this latest project I am working on. I am happy to be submitting several glutenfree recipes to the soon to be released second edition of Dining with Friends

Enter Dustin Rhodes, recipe tester extraordinaire who is currently test baking the submitted recipes. Today was oatmeal cookie day. I think Dustin’s cookies look better than mine! And I couldn’t be more pleased…..

UPDATE:

Dustin Rhodes, recipe tester extraordinaire, received the following feedback on our joint effort:
“They are delicious; I love the texture and the way they just melt in my mouth. 9.9 out of 10 (just because 10 is hardly ever used).”

You’re definitely going to want to order this cookbook!