Gluten-free Lemon Sesame Seed Cookies

2 cups all purpose gluten-free flour

1/2 cup cold butter, chopped

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 F

Sift flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well in between. Add lemon juice and zest, followed by flour. Beat to combine.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the cookie batter into the sesame seeds and roll with a teaspoon to fully coat.  Arrange in a lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 20 minutes or until cookies are slightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oven. After about 10 minutes, move cookies to a cookie rack to cool completely.

Sweet Cinnamon Bread

3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 ounce dry yeast (1 packet highly active yeast)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup water

2 large eggs, room temperature

Honey (Glaze)

Mix 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together. Set aside.

Heat water, butter, and milk until very warm. Using a electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the flour mixture gradually until dough is thick (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and 1 cup of flour. Add in the rest of the flour, just enough to make a stiff dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. Place dough in a greased glass bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place until it doubles in size.

Filling:

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 cup raw brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Melt butter and add brown sugar. Add cinnamon. Stir to combine.

Punch dough down and roll on a floured surface with a rolling bin to make 15" by 9" rectangle. Spread generously with the filling. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Roll dough up from the 15" side. Place in a greased large bread tin or two small ones.

Cover and place in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1hour).

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Brush dough with egg-wash. Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Glaze with honey.

Almond Lemon Cake

3 cups cake flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup butter, room temperature

4 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

1/4 cup lemon zest

2 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

9 thin slices of fresh lemon (garnish)

Preheat oven to 300 F.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating well in between. Add lemon zest and almonds. Using a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt.

Combine milk and lemon juice in a small jug. Fold flour and milk mixture, alternately to the batter, making sure to start with flour end with flour.

Pour into a lined square cake pan (9"). Arrange lemon slices on top of the cake (refer to picture). Bake for 1 to 1.5 hours or until a stick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Please keep the cake at this temperature because it will burn if it's on a higher temperature. It takes time to bake it!

Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely before glazing.

Glaze:

1 cup icing sugar

1 lemon, juiced

Whisk ingredients to form a thick paste. Use a brush to glaze the cake.

Strawberry Ricotta Strudel

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon strawberry preserves

1/2 cup almond flour/meal

2 cups fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

8 sheets phyllo dough (18 1/4 by 11 1/2 inches), thawed 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and nutmeg, and toss well.

In a small bowl, combine strawberry preserves, lemon zest, and ricotta cheese. 

Unroll phyllo, cover unused portion with a damp kitchen towel as you work (to prevent it from drying out). Cover work surface with parchment paper. Place a sheet of phyllo on parchment, brush evenly and lightly with melted butter. Cover with another sheet of phyllo, and brush again with butter. Sprinkle half the almond flour over this layer. Repeat process with two more layers of phyllo and remaining almond meal, then top with two more layers of buttered phyllo.

With the long side of the pastry toward you, spread ricotta/preserves mixture lengthwise, spoon strawberries on top (keep about 1" from each edge clear). Fold the ends in, then gently roll up the dough.

Brush strudel with melted butter, then lift it on to a prepared baking sheet.  Cut small slits on top of the strudel and bake for 40 minutes or until dough is a golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and let it sit to cool for about 20 minutes.

Lemon, Basil, and White Chocolate Cookies

Cookies:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon zest, finely grated

1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup white chocolate, chips

1 cup superfine sugar

1 egg, room temperature

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, chocolate chips and basil.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, and lemon juice and beat until combined.  With the mixer on low, beat in flour mixture to combine.

Drop teaspoonfuls (about 1" apart) onto two cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked and a golden color. Remove from the oven to cool.

Frosting:

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup powdered/icing sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Whisk fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Frost cookies and sprinkle with fresh lemon zest.