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Carol's latest book, Gluten-Free Cooking for Two, is now available. Designed for small households, each perfectly-proportioned recipe serves two people. You will eliminate unwanted leftovers and reduce waste when you cook right-size meals with the 125 recipes in this book. Enjoy!! Celebrate with me!!! Gluten-Free Cooking for Two has won two awards: named one of ten "Best Gluten-Free Cooking Books in 2017" by Healthline.com and won a Silver Medal in the 2017 Living Now Book Awards in the "Natural, Nutrition, Organic, Vegetarian" category.
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Carol's in the kitchen, cooking up recipes for her next cookbook and www.CarolFenster.com

Watch for Carol on "Creative Living with Sheryl Borden," a PBS-TV show airing on your local PBS station during 2017-2018.

Join Carol at the National Western Complex, Expo Hall level 2 in Denver on April 21,10:30 am during the GFAF Expo Conference. See you there!

Chocolate Cakes in a Cup for Valentine’s Day

[donotprint]After years of marriage, we’ve fallen into the routine of having dinner at home on Valentine’s Day—unless it’s a busy weekday. Then, we choose a weekend night that’s less rushed. Our main course will be something special that we both like—perhaps steak or salmon on the grill.

Chocolate Cake in a Cup from Gluten-Free Cooking for Two. Photo by Tom Hirschfeld

Chocolate Cake in a Cup from Gluten-Free Cooking for Two. Photo by Tom Hirschfeld

But one thing never varies: dessert will be chocolate. As “chocolate-lovers”, we agree that it isn’t dessert on Valentine’s Day unless it’s chocolate.

Since chocolate is a must for Valentine’s Day, the question is will it be cake, cookies, pie, or just straight-up dark chocolate bars. But when I want something special yet quick, I turn to these cute little cakes in a cup.  They are quick since they “bake” in a microwave in about a minute rather than several minutes in an oven.

This means you can assemble the dry and wet ingredients separately beforehand, and then—maybe an hour or so after dinner—whisk them together and cook them quickly in the microwave. Or, make them right after dinner if you just cant’ wait. Your reward is a warm chocolatey dessert that says “I love you.”[/donotprint]

Chocolate Cake in a Cup

Text excerpted from Gluten-Free Cooking for Two ©2017 by Carol Fenster. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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These cute little individual cakes microwaved in coffee cups are just perfect for couples, and they are super quick. They can be eaten right out of the cup, once they’ve cooled a bit.

1/3 cup Carol’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa (not Dutch-processed)

¹/8 teaspoon (dash) baking powder

¹/8 teaspoon (dash) salt

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Powdered sugar or chocolate syrup, for garnish

[1] Generously grease 2 shallow, microwave-safe 6-ounce (¾-cup) coffee cups. (My coffee cups are 3¼ inches in diameter and 2¼ inches high. The batter may spill over the edge during baking if you use a smaller cup.)

[2] In a small bowl, whisk together the flour blend, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt until well blended, and then whisk in the egg, oil, water, and vanilla until smooth. The batter will be soft. Divide the batter between the two coffee cups and place the cups on saucers or plates to catch any drips.

[3] Microwave on medium-high (70%) power for 50 to 60 seconds. The cakes are done when they look firm and are no longer shiny on top. They will continue to cook after they are out of the microwave. The cooking time may vary depending on the wattage of your microwave oven. Cool slightly before eating right out of the cup, dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate syrup — or both!

Makes 2 cakes

Per cake: 335 calories; 5g protein; 17g total fat; 3g fiber; 42g carbohydrates; 94mg cholesterol; 215mg sodium

Carol’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend

1 ½ cups brown rice flour (or sorghum flour)

1 ½ cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca flour

Whisk together until thoroughly blended. Store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place for up to 3 months.