Panna Cotta {Egg-free, Gluten-free}

We had an egg-free, gluten-free Christmas.  For our Christmas day dinner, I wanted to make something for dessert that everyone could eat.  I also wanted something fairly easy to prepare during our busy Christmas festivities.  So, I made my go to Panna Cotta recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook.  I love this recipe.  It is simple and delicious!  I am pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate me reprinting it here.  So, I found a couple of recipes online that are similar at epicurious.com and allrecipes.com.  But if you have a Joy of Cooking cookbook, be sure to look it up there!

Panna Cotta with fresh berries - Recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook

Similar recipes can be found online at epicurious.com and allrecipes.com.

Christmas Dinner {Egg-free}

What are you planning to cook for Christmas dinner?  My brother-in-law will be here.  So, we will be having an egg-free and gluten-free dinner this year.  Here are some of the dishes I am planning to have on my menu...

Pot Roast {Slow-cooker} (EF, DF, GF)

Mashed Potatoes (EF, DF, GF)

Cinnamon Jello Salad (EF, DF, GF)

Panna Cotta (EF, GF)

Vanilla Crazy Cake

The recipe I posted last year for Chocolate Crazy Cake (EF, DF) has become a favorite at my house.  We have made it for several cake worthy occasions during the past year.  So, we thought we should try a vanilla variety.

The vanilla cake was so moist and delicious.  I think the chocolate may still be our favorite but the vanilla will definitely be making a reappearance.  I also was able to make this into a layered cake!  This was my first successful attempt at making an egg-free layered cake!  Yay!

  

Two layers of moist delicious cake!

Crazy Vanilla Cake

Adapted from:   Chocolate Crazy Cake (EF, DF)

Inspired by:  Sweet Little Bluebird

3 1/3 c flour

2 c sugar

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

¾ c vegetable oil

2 T white vinegar

3 t vanilla

2 c cold water

Preheat oven to 350^o.  Sift dry ingredients together in a 9”x13” ungreased pan.  Make three wells in the dry ingredients.  In one hole pour oil, in second pour vinegar and in third pour vanilla.  Over everything, pour cold water.  Mix all ingredients together with a fork until well blended, but do not over mix.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and dust with powdered sugar or top with your favorite frosting. 

To make into a layer cake:

Cut out wax paper into a circle that fits the bottom of your two round cake pans.  Place wax paper in the bottom of the pan then grease with shortening on top of the paper and up the sides.  Mix cake in a bowl or stand mixer, but be sure to still follow the same directions by mixing the dry ingredients then making the three wells for the wet ingredients.  Pour evenly in the two prepared pans immediately and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool cake in pans on wire rack for about 20 minutes.  Invert onto wire rack, carefully peel off wax paper and cool completely.  Once cooled, frost bottom layer, stack them frost top and outside of cake with your favorite frosting.

Two round cake pans with wax paper cut to fit in the bottoms (before adding shortening).