Queso

I highly recommend making this for a group of people, or you are liable to (as I did) eat bowls of queso all to yourself for days on end (not that there's anything wrong with that). 

Now, I understand that some traditional ATX queso is likely made with American cheese and flour, but as I proved to myself and my super special taste-testers, you can make creamy smooth, delicious queso using a mix of cheddar & pepper jack, and corn starch (which not only makes it gluten-free, but keeps it so creamy smooth).

Making it is so easy, and takes just about 10-15 minutes from start to chow down. 

Ingredients
11oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (grate it yourself bc purchased grated cheese won't yield as smooth a result)
11 oz pepper jack cheese, grated (again, grate it yourself)
2T corn starch
2oz cream cheese
1.5C milk
1T butter
1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 
1t ground cumin
1-2 chipotle peppers, seeded and finely chopped OR about 1-2T of El Pato Chipotle Sauce 
Garnishes can be anything you want: salsa, avocado, cilantro...have fun! 
tortilla chips for serving

Preparation
I like to serve this right from the pan to keep the queso warm, so you can use a 2Qt sauté pan or a small sauce pan. Toss the grated cheeses together in a large bowl with the cornstarch and set aside. Sauté the onion and jalapeño with the cumin in the butter on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Pour in the milk and bring to a gentle simmer, then turn down to the lowest possible setting. If it gets too hot your cheese can break. You don’t want that. 

Whisk in the cheese a handful at a time, whisking til smooth each time. This takes a couple minutes, but it will result in the perfect consistency. Once all the cheese is incorporated, remove from the heat and serve immediately. If for some bizarre reason you have leftovers, store the cooled queso in an airtight container in the fridge. It can be reheated by whisking in a small pot over low heat until melted. 

¡A Salud! 

The ONLY Gluten-Free Devil's Food Cake

When is a gluten-free cake acceptable by my standards? When I can't tell it's gluten-free. 

This is the first GF cake I've made that has the texture of a traditional devil's food cake. It is moist, very chocolatey, and has the right leavening to lift up the GF flours that can usually weigh cakes down. 

This recipe calls for hot brewed coffee to be mixed into the batter just before baking. Coffee helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate, but it can be substituted with decaf, cocoa, Pero, or simply hot water. 

This recipe makes two 8" rounds, which can serve anywhere from 8-12, and can easily be doubled to make two 10" rounds. 

I initially made a chocolate frosting, but the cake is sweet, and next time I will try a raspberry whipped cream.

Prep Your Pans
For chocolate cakes, I grease the pans very well with coconut oil, and dust the pans with sifted cocoa powder instead of flour. Then also line the pans with parchment rounds. 

Preheat the oven to 350'

For the Cake
1 3/4C all-purpose GF flour (I like Bob's 1:1)
2C granulated sugar
3/4C sifted cocoa powder
2t baking soda
1t baking powder
1t kosher salt

1C buttermilk
1/2C neutral oil (I like grapeseed oil)
2 eggs (I always use XL)
2t vanilla extract

1C hot coffee (or decaf, or cocoa made with water, or Pero made with water)

For the Frosting
1C softened unsalted butter
3C sifted powder sugar
1/2C sifted cocoa powder
1t vanilla extract 
1/4C heavy whipping cream

Make the Cake
Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients EXCEPT FOR THE COFFEE. Fold the dry into the wet. THEN stir in the coffee. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, and the cake starts to come away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto cake boards to cool completely. The cakes can be made a day or two ahead and wrapped well in plastic wrap until ready to frost. 

Make the Frosting
Cream the butter in a bowl with a mixer until soft and fluffy. SLOWLY stir in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar until combined. Stir in the vanilla and whipped cream. Mix for a couple of minutes until fluffy, but don't overmix, as the cream will eventually look grainy. Frost the cake and serve!

Alternate Frosting: Raspberry Cloud Cream
1C raspberry puree
2/3C sugar
2.5t gelatin powder (or agar-agar)
2C heavy whipping cream (keep it cold, and chill the bowl for whipping)

Stir together the gelatin and 1/4C of the puree and gently heat over a bain marie until dissolved. Stir in the rest of the puree and sugar and cool to room temp. Whip the cream in the chilled bowl til firm. Fold in the puree. Frost your cake and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. 

Note: The gelatin or agar-agar aren't absolutely necessary if you're going to frost and eat your cake immediately, but they do help keep the cream firm, and prevent the liquids from leaching out.