Family Favorite Archives - Silvana's Kitchen

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Hash Brown Waffles with Sausage Apple Patties and Fried Eggs

Breakfast is my family’s favorite meal of the day. So when we’re feeling like comfort on a plate or when I need a break in my cooking routine, I make dinner for breakfast. This summer, I’m busy wrapping up recipe development for my second cookbook so I’ve been cooking up lots of old favorites for the family, including this recipe—definitely an oldie, but goodie, from my first gluten-free, dairy-free book, Cooking for Isaiah.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Holiday Cookie Party!

The kids start holiday break this Friday, which gives me exactly five days to do all of my baking for the festivities (and of course, Santa). The past few months have been a whirlwind, both personally and professionally, so this year I’ve rounded up my favorite cookie recipes for easy one-stop baking.

I wish you and your family a wonderful, cookie-filled holiday!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Spiced Powdered Doughnuts

My close friend Brittany Angell—aka Real Sustenance—and I had the pleasure of teaching gluten-free cooking classes at a family farm outside of Pittsburgh called Soergel Orchards last weekend. What a fun, food-filled weekend it was! If you’re ever in the neighborhood, please check it out. Amy, who grew up on her family’s farm, has curated one of the best gluten-free food shops in America!

If you’ve been to any of my cooking classes, you know that I like to feed people plenty of personal stories and experiences—and doughnuts. This time I made classic powdered doughnuts and just spiced things up a bit with a mix of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. You could always add your favorite spices or just go ahead and leave them out completely!

Please come say “hi” over in my online community, Silvana’s Kitchen. I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Thank you, as always, for reading and sharing!

For ingredient substitutions, please see the detailed chart at Gluten-Free 101.

Let’s get baking,

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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Spiced Powdered Doughnuts

Yield: 10

Ingredients

For the doughnuts:

1½ cups Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup milk or dairy-free milk (I use rice milk)

For the spiced sugar:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, for coating

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Make the doughnuts: Preheat the oven to 350º; grease two nonstick 6-doughnut pans with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and milk until smooth; add to the flour and whisk until combined. Spoon into the prepared doughnut pans until ¾ full; bake until springy and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Make the spiced sugar: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves. Let cool slightly; dredge in the warm doughnuts with the spiced sugar.

https://silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-spiced-powdered-doughnuts/

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Minestrone Chard Soup with Garlic Croutons

Where I live, in New York City, things are just starting to warm up. That’s why I wanted to get in my family’s go-to soup. It’s easy to make and relies heavily on what you already have in your veggie crisper and cupboards.

When I make the minestrone, I like to include at least one green—here, I use Swiss chard—and some fresh herbs. It gives the soup a bright flavor and pop of color. The garlic croutons add a nice crunch. So take the chill off the start of spring season with my hearty greens-and-beans soup.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chunky Monkey Banana Ring Cake

I believe in banana bread.

Ever since I was a little girl, I knew the meaning of speckled ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen counter. And this brought me real comfort. It still does, but not just for me anymore, for my kids.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Nutella Coffee Cake

Growing up, I moved around every three to five years. My Roman-born father, Silverio, worked for the Italian government and the second we started settling into our new hometown, it was time to pack up our suitcases again. The one constant besides family, was Nutella. My mom, Penny, would spread the luscious chocolate-hazelnut spread on Italian bread as sandwiches for lunch and she’d swirl it into cakes. My brother, Bernardo, and I would also eat it by the spoonfuls

Turns out the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. My son, Isaiah, craves the stuff so much so that when he was diagnosed with dairy intolerance (along with his more severe gluten intolerance), we had to say our goodbyes. But, in my constant determination to spoil my kids, I made my own dairy-free Nutella knockoff. Suddenly, there was no turning back to the store-bought kind. Whether you make your own or use the jarred stuff, you’ll love this chocolate-hazelnut twist on classic crumb cake.

Please come say “hi” over in my online community, Silvana’s Kitchen. I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Thank you, as always, for reading and sharing!

For ingredient substitutions, please see the detailed chart at Gluten-Free 101.

Let’s get baking,

Yum

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Nutella Coffee Cake

Yield: 9 large

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup mini chocolate chips

½ cup chopped hazelnuts (optional)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup homemade chocolate hazelnut spread or Nutella

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º; grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 teaspoons flour, ½ cup brown sugar, chocolate chips and hazelnuts, if using.
In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs,granulated sugar and remaining ¼ cup brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Whisk into the flour mixture until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using a teaspoon, evenly dollop the chocolate hazelnut spread over the batter and using a knife, swirl gently. Top evenly with the crumb mixture and bake until golden, 28 to 30 minutes.

Notes

This recipe gives an American classic an elegant Italian flair. Not that into Nutella? Use dulce de leche, lemon curd or a nut or seed butter instead.

https://silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-nutella-coffee-cake/

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chili con Chicken

While chili may be the quintessential Super Bowl food, it’s my weeknight go-to recipe. I like to switch up the ingredients depending on what I find in my fridge, but I’ve realized through all of my chili incarnations over the years that simple is really better. The idea of easy and effortless is something that I’m trying to translate to my personal life, too. I want to spend more time living and sharing real moments than worrying about every little thing—especially when it comes to putting dinner on the table. Eat this cold-weather favorite with a spoon, in a crispy corn taco shell or piled high, Sloppy Joe-style, on a gluten-free bun.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Strawberry-and-Oat Nut Bars

Change up your morning routine with make-ahead breakfast recipes, like this one for nut bars. Here, I combine oats with the classic lunchbox flavors of peanut butter and strawberry jam.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Loaf Cake

While the new year settles in, my family and I long for the familiar. With all of the talk of new year’s resolutions, I always go back to my basic philosophy of everything in moderation. No extremes, just a balanced, easy flow of family, food and fun.

That’s where this new recipe comes in. My kids (and I) love cinnamon toast, so I came up with this recipe with all the flavors and warmth of the toaster classic. Yes, the icing may be a little over the top for breakfast, but one slice will be alright. This recipe uses my cup-for-cup flour, Cooking for Isaiah® Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Multi-Purpose Flour.

If you haven’t already, please join the conversation in my online community, Silvana’s Kitchen, where you can meet my friends who are cooking gluten-free, too. I’d love to hear how you’re doing!

For ingredient substitutions, please see the detailed chart at Gluten-Free 101.

Let’s get baking,

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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cinnamon Toast Breakfast Loaf Cake

Yield: 1

Serving Size: 9-by-5-inch loaf

Ingredients

1½ cups Cooking for Isaiah® Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Multi-Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter or shortening, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cinnamon

½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon milk, nondairy milk or water

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Preheat the oven to 325º and grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl and using a handheld electric mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla until combined. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the flour mixture until just combined.
Transfer half of the batter to a small bowl. Stir in the cinnamon. Alternating, spoon the vanilla and cinnamon cake batters into the prepared pan and swirl with a knife. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

https://silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-cinnamon-toast-breakfast-loaf-cake/

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Slow-Cooker Chicken Divan with Mustard Crumb Crunch

I’m a little bit behind the slow cooker revolution, but one try and I knew I was in love: While the cooking may be slow, the kitchen prep time is fast. I also didn’t want all of the dishes I made to be stew-like. I conquered that fear with my take on this classic chicken dish.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free 7-Layer Rainbow Cookies

It’s fitting that I’m sharing this recipe with you on a Sunday. In Italy, that’s when sweets are celebrated. Growing up, when I lived in Rome, every Sunday was a ritual of going to the local pasticceria with my Neapolitan grandfather, or Nonno as I called him, to pick out a sweet selection of pastries to bring over to my aunt Laura and uncle Fabrizio’s house for lunch.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Bananas Foster Loaf Cake

There’s something that happens to a kid when they grow up in a house where there are always wonderful smells wafting from the kitchen. It changes you. It gives you unimaginable wealth of happiness that comes with not only eating, but enjoying, good food with a loving family.

I was one of these lucky children. My mom Penny is undoubtedly responsible for my love of cooking and baking—and for my kitchen confidence. She was always up to something. Not only did she make every meal and greet my brother, Bernardo, and me with snacks every afternoon after school, she baked cakes, cookies, pies, really everything.

People tell me all the time that they cook, but they don’t really bake. And, that baking actually scares them—gluten-free or not. I never understood this since the effect baking has on me is so warming and giving that I can’t imagine how anyone would consciously shy away from it.

As the rush of December sets into our daily lives, the only thing I consciously want to do is bake so I can feel that warmth that only baking (and cuddling with my kids) gives me. Before I develop new cookies for the holiday season, I just had to bake this banana cake. It’s my comfort food. I hope you’ll take refuge in it, too. I adapted the recipe from my mom, of course. It’s just a bit fancier with its upside-down, fosters-like caramelized banana top.

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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Bananas Foster Loaf Cake

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 6

Ingredients

3 to 4 large bananas

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, buttery sticks or shortening, in 1 piece

1 large egg plus 1 large egg white

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup canola oil or melted coconut oil (unflavored or virgin)

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°. Grease a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Trim both ends off each of 3 bananas so the bananas will fit crosswise in the pan. Peel the ends and the long pieces and halve the long ones lengthwise; transfer to a plate.
In a large, heavy skillet, bring ¼ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil, without stirring. Cook until the water evaporates and the mixture just starts turning amber. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter with a fork. Add the banana pieces cut side down and cook over low heat for 1 minute; then transfer the banana pieces to the prepared loaf pan, arranging them crosswise, cut side down. Drizzle the remaining caramel on top.
Transfer 1 cup of the banana ends (add more banana if necessary to equal 1 cup) to a medium bowl; mash with the remaining ½ cup sugar. Beat in the egg, egg white and vanilla.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the banana mixture and oil and whisk until blended. Scrape the batter over the bananas in the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter and let cool completely.

https://silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-bananas-foster-loaf-cake/

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Cracker Stuffing Squares

My mom Penny makes the best stuffing in the world. (Thanks, mom, for the decades of delicious stuffing!) One look at the ingredient list and you’ll see that the classics are well represented: There’s celery, onions, carrots, mushrooms…But her star ingredient is a curious one—crackers.

Gluten-Free Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes

Say hello to the luscious, unexpected Thanksgiving dessert you’ve been waiting for. These cupcakes have Isaiah’s name written all over them. He used to religiously eat pumpkin muffins (and muffin tops) from a café before he was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. The thought of him never walking into that café and eating those muffins again hurt.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate-Peanut Butter Doughnuts

I can’t imagine my life without peanut butter and chocolate—two flavors that go all too well together. When I was pregnant with Chiara, almost every night I would indulge in chocolate-peanut butter ice cream. Now, she won’t touch the stuff.

Here, chocolate and peanut butter come together in a doughnut. This easy peanut butter frosting would be good on just about anything—even straight from the bowl. And, if you don’t have doughnut pans, bake the chocolate cake batter in a muffin tin or cake pan. Just alter the baking times. First rule of thumb to bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Otherwise, average baking time are about 18 to 20 minutes for the cupcakes, 35 to 40 minutes for an 8-inch square cake pan or 30 to 35 minutes for an 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.

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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate-Peanut Butter Doughnuts

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Yield: 12

Ingredients

¾ cup cocoa powder

1½ cups boiling water

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1½ cups Silvana's Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter or dairy-free buttery sticks

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup brown rice syrup or light corn syrup

1 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease two nonstick 6-doughnut baking pans with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water; let cool completely. Whisk in the eggs, oil and vanilla.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined; fill the prepared pans with about ¼ cup batter in each doughnut mold. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt together the peanut butter, butter, confectioners’ sugar and rice syrup over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and top with the peanuts.

https://silvanaskitchen.com/gluten-free-dairy-free-chocolate-peanut-butter-doughnuts/

Silvana’s Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour

Print Yum Silvana’s Kitchen Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Prep Time: 15 minutes Yield: About 4 pounds This recipe is reprinted with permission from Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone (Reader’s Digest, 2010)Ingredients6 cups (870 grams) white rice flour 3 cups (375 grams) tapioca flour 1½ cups […]