Apple Spice Cake

They say that necessity is the mother of invention and I would agree. All of my recipes have been developed to provide for the dietary needs of my family. And, today, you are in for a treat! My Apple Spice Cake recipe was created so that I could send my daughter to a birthday party with her own yummy dessert. It is so hard on kids with dietary restrictions to be surrounded by those who can eat whatever they want, especially at parties. This Apple Spice Cake is perfect for autumn and is full of wonderful flavor. Your child won't feel left out at all when she gets her special piece of cake at the party!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract
8 oz. applesauce
4 eggs
2 cups gluten-free flour blend
2 t cream of tartar
2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
1 t nutmeg
1 t cloves
1 medium apple, diced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 11 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

Combine sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl. Blend in vanilla and applesauce then add eggs. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in diced apple and pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes. Cool before serving.

Potato Soup with a Kick!

This nourishing soup is ideal for a cool, wet fall day. It's creamy warmth with a hint of jalapeno will take will the chill off in no time. It's also easy to make and not too spicy for little ones. : )

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove
1 medium jalapeno, seeded
3 cups vegetable broth
5 cups water
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T dried minced onion
1 T dried parsley
dash nutmeg

Directions
Place all in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree using a hand-held or standard blender. Return to stove until ready to serve.

Chocolate Chip Nut Tart

I was craving an after-dinner treat and came up with this sweet dessert. It has a light flaky crust and a gooey topping of chocolate, walnuts and coconut. I couldn't wait for it to cool when it came out of the oven so it fell apart as I was eating it. But I didn't care. It was that good!

Ingredients

1 cup gluten-free flour blend
2 T coconut oil
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions
Mix flour, coconut oil, egg, and sugar until well-blended. Press into ungreased pie dish. Evenly place chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut on top of crust and lightly press into crust. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool completely. Cut into wedges. Makes 4-6 servings.