Review (and a Giveaway!): Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour by Elana Amsterdam

Update: The winner of the giveaway is commenter #54. The publisher will be contacting you shortly. Thanks for participating, all!

Now that school's out for summer an indefinite period of time (yay, graduation!), I am attending to blog-related matters that have been shelved for months. It's great to be able to spend more time connecting with readers and fellow bloggers. A few books that have been sent my way for review will be featured in upcoming posts. I'll be discussing the content, layout, and of course, the recipes for you guys!

 First up is Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour, a dessert cookbook and ode to the beloved title pastry by Elana Amsterdam, the blogger and almond flour chef extraordinaire who runs Elana's Pantry.

Around the time I started my blog, I stumbled upon her treasure trove of a website. Elana's Pantry is a food and lifestyle blog with an eco-friendly flare, chock full of naturally delicious gluten-free recipes accompanied by mouthwatering photos. Elana and I first connected a couple of years ago when she gave me shout out at her chocolate peanut butter tart post. That was a huge honor since I had admired her and sung her praises since stumbling upon her site back in 2008, marveling at her creative and user-friendly recipes using fresh ingredients. I don't think anyone can match her ability to turn ground nuts into decadent desserts!

Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour is the second cookbook released by Elana, following the Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. Her second collection of recipes is a showcase of the sweet stuff, with almond flour and coconut flour having the starring roles. These two high protein, nutritious ingredients are combined with eggs, oil, and agave nectar to create a dizzying array of classic pastries and original colorful confections. Elana's creativity knows no bounds, with cookie dough cupcakes ("Cookie Suprise Cupcakes," pg. 36) and ice cream sundae cupcakes ("Banana Split Cupcakes," pg. 37, topped with a banana slice and cherry!) being a couple of the more eclectic picks. Don't those sound amazing?

Trying to decide what to make from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour was a bit of a challenge. There are so many delicious looking recipes packed into this beautiful little cookbook! Looking through the many tantalizing photos of cupcakes, I wondered what I could try that would appeal to the low carb and paleolithic eaters reading this blog. I turned the page to the Savory Treats section. Aha! Spying the recipe for "Garlic Cheddar Muffins" (pg. 86), I knew exactly what I was making. Those and the "Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins" (pg. 84) looked irresistible.

Here's how the "Garlic Cheddar Muffins" (pg. 86) from the Savory Treats section of Elana's book turned out for me. Oh my goodness, these babies are to die for. Red Lobster called, and they're totally jealous of Elana's healthy version of their beloved bread basket staple!

Here's the "German Chocolate Cake" (pg. 71) I made. Chocolaty coconut flour cake topped with a coconut pecan filling? Yes, please! The cake was moist, and the frosting had the consistency of the real deal, without the cloying sweetness. M-mm! I used honey in place of agave for you paleolithic eaters out there. The substitution worked beautifully. The recipes in this book are well crafted and easily adaptable in my experience working with them. Elana is truly an expert at what she does!

Last but not least, here's my attempt at Elana's "Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins" (pg. 84), also from her savory treats section. The chives and goat cheese pack quite the flavorful punch. Elana describes them as a great "breakfast on the run," and I agree.


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Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins (recipe p 84, image p 85)]

Makes 10

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3 large eggs

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts

5 ounces goat cheese (10 tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and black pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil and eggs. Blend the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then stir in the scallions.

Scoop 3 tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup, then press 1 tablespoon of goat cheese into each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from the edge of the muffin (to avoid the goat cheese center) comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then serve.

Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour. Copyright © 2011 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Annabelle Breakey.

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If you want the chance to win a copy of Elana's cookbook, leave a comment below. Please include your email address (with spaces, to avoid the hungry spambots). If you win, the publisher will contact you requesting your address.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post with a comprehensive discussion about the various alternative sweeteners!