Safe Travels in Ireland - The River Restaurant and Doolin Chocolatier

The River Restaurant at the Limerick Strand Hotel

Kayleigh here. This was definitely a situation where planning ahead is wise for a gluten free traveler. We knew when we booked our stay in the Strand hotel that the restaurant downstairs would be a backup option for food, although we wanted to try wandering around and finding a restaurant downtown first. We ended up starting too late and taking too long being lost tourists, so we headed back to the hotel for a late but assuredly safe meal.

The restaurant had recently completed renovations combining two smaller restaurants into one dinner service, so I would not be surprised if the menus change significantly in the future. At the time we went there, the evening menu had clear gluten free labels on each section, but the waiter was also very attentive and willing to ask the kitchen questions and double check things for us. It was quite a nice experience overall, with a pleasant view of the city from our table.

Jason here. It was really strange having all the restaurants close so early forcing us to go back to the hotel. It was nice having so clearly labeled gluten free options, but the options are a bit limited and it felt strange not dining out at a local pub. In Ireland we did have some trouble finding dessert places to try, but the River Restaurant served some delicious gluten free brownies with ice cream. It was with this dish that I learned what redcurrants were. They were used a sort of garnish on the plate due to their bright color. I really wish I could find these in the states. They are some of the juiciest sweet and sour fruits I have ever had. Like a combination of kumquats and blackberries.

Doolin Chocolatier
Kayleigh here. After getting our bearings in Doolin and wandering around the pier for a few hours, we headed back towards the main street and bravely ventured into the chocolate shop with a glimmer of hope for gluten free chocolate. With little hope for an independent shop being safe, we were delighted to discover that nearly all of their goods were gluten free, with the exception of bars, slices, and fudges that contained biscuits or certain candies. If you are like us and not very familiar with Irish or British cookies and candies, just ask the clerk which ones to avoid.

Jason here. Woo hoo for some delicious chocolate! I picked up 3 types of fudge and the rocky road bars. Rocky road was definitely my favorite, but the triple chocolate fudge gave it a run for the money. The rocky road candy bars in particular make for a wonderful snack to enjoy while sitting cliff side and watching the waves rolls in. Just be sure to put on some sunscreen.

Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Kayleigh here. Today's recipe came out of a happy mistake. Jason had his heart set on some rich chocolate cupcakes for dessert one week, so I made a grocery list from my go-to chocolate cake recipe and set out to the store. Sadly, the star ingredient of this particular baked good was grated zucchini, and the produce section had only two battered, dejected looking squashes on the shelf. When I got back home and started racking my brain to figure out what to substitute, I realized that the cake recipe would have made quite a bit more than a dozen cupcakes, so I gritted my teeth and began to improvise on the fly.

 

 These chocolate cupcakes are beautifully moist, dense, and rich. They are not quite as sweet as store bought cupcakes, so adjust the sugar to your preference, but we found this made them a perfect match for a sweeter cream cheese frosting. We tried them with some pear and blueberry butter as well, and found that to be deliciously unique.

Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 Cups Butter, room temperature
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cups Applesauce
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup White Rice Flour
1/4 Cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/4 Cup Corn Starch
1/2 Ts Xanthan/Guar Gum
1 Ts Baking Powder
1 Ts Baking Soda
Optional- fillings such as chocolate chips or walnuts, and toppings such as a berry jam or frosting

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar into a creamy mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients one by one, mixing thoroughly, then fold in any fillings.
2) Line 12 muffin tins or grease them, then distribute the cupcake batter evenly amongst them. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
3) Place the cupcakes onto a rack to cool as soon as you can handle them, but wait until they are room temperature before putting any frosting or toppings on them. Unless you want to end up with a melty glaze instead, of course. Unfrosted, these should stay moist and tasty for two weeks if refrigerated in a sealed container, but with frosting they should be eaten within a few days- a week at most.

Jason here. Sometimes I like to make up some desserts for friends, and Kayleigh is always there to help me out. This time I was in the mood for some cupcakes. When Kayleigh mentioned we use apple sauce, I was pretty skeptical. Kayleigh often likes to substitute recipes, and I’m happy to report they almost always turn out successful. In this case, Kayleigh really saved the day with the apple sauce substitution and the cupcakes have entered our regular rotation of desserts.

The applesauce gives the cupcake a much denser and moist texture then a normal cupcake would have. It lends itself very nicely to the sweet cream icing mentioned above, but also fruitier toppings as well. If you don’t want to make your own topping, you can always substitute jam or jelly. There is still some sugar in the recipe, but these recipes are about as close to healthy as I’ve seen for cupcakes that still taste like cupcakes.

So next time you find yourself missing an ingredient, experiment a little. You never know what will come of it.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Kayleigh here. Living in a two person household, I have found the value of single serving desserts to be ten times more than when I lived in a party apartment in college, or a house with a family of four. When a cake takes us 2-3 weeks to get through, it tends to be a bit dry by the last couple of slices. Piles of cookies and platters of brownies end up getting taken into work and given away, just so we don’t have to stick with the same sweets for what seems like forever. Sure, it’s a great way to introduce friends and coworkers to how good gluten free baking can be, but I have come to really enjoy adding to my stash of quick, simple, and small desserts that can be whipped up on the spur of the moment.

Of course, we have already posted a couple of our go-to recipes (Microwave Brownies and Christmas Cookies), and several of the other ones I rotate in and out have come from the minds of very creative individuals, such as flourless chocolate cakes, strawberries and cream on sweet biscuits, and decadent pots de crème when I have a few hours notice. But what we have for you today goes perfectly with a glass of milk, a comfy chair, and your favorite TV program- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These were always a favorite of mine growing up- my mother would whip up a few dozen and pack them into our suitcases on vacations, so they became a real special treat in my memories. But what sets this gluten free recipe apart is twofold- this only makes a couple cookies (or one giant one), and it has NO EGGS. So if you didn’t want to heat up the house by turning on the oven, you could just leave it in the bowl and dig in with a spoon!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

(pics to come!)

Ingredients:

1 TB Peanut Butter (or your favorite nut butter)

1 TB Applesauce

1-2 TB Brown Sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cookies)

1/8 Cup Millet Flour

1/8 Cup Brown Rice Flour

Pinch of Baking Powder

Small Handful of Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1)      Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients but the chocolate chips. The consistency should be like a thick cake batter- soft, but will still hold a shape on the flat cookie tray. If not, add more applesauce to thin, or brown rice flour to thicken.

2)      Spoon the dough onto a baking sheet (either two regular cookies or one giant one). Keep in mind that these will not really change shape while baking, so wet a spoon and form them into the right shape. If the appearance is really important, smooth out the top of the cookie with the spoo1n, too.

3)      Bake for 8 minutes for the giant cookie, 6 minutes for the smaller cookies. Let cool for a few minutes, then enjoy!

Jason here. I’ve always enjoyed meals with little preparation, so these quick treats fit me perfectly. When you suddenly find yourself wanting a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, you don’t want to wait 2 hours for them cook. This recipe allows me to enjoy the cookie, while I still have that craving.

The cookies themselves are great. When they first come out of the oven, they still have a softer gooier texture to them. Throw it in the fridge or wait to the next day, and you have a really crunchy cookie.

Because they are so quick, they are easy to customize the taste of. Want a more chocolate cookie, just add more chocolate chips. Want a more peanut butter taste, just add more peanut butter. This is great for us because Kayleigh and I tend to be on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh baked cookies. With this recipe you enjoy that smell, plus fresh out of the oven cookies whenever you want.