Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Guilt-Free, Glazed Pound Cake

I never was one to eat pound cake. I would venture to guess that most people try to stay away from it too. But for me, I never really liked it anyway. I'm more of a chocolate person.

Well, my daughter had to give up chocolate to go on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet I mentioned when I wrote up Lucy's Beef Stew Recipe last week. Shocking, yes, but she did it! And a lot of that had to do with healthy alternatives, such as the following pound cake recipe, which includes the best-kept-secret ingredient that many SCD recipes are based upon.

Not only is almond flour gluten-free and grain-free, it's also an excellent source of protein, healthy fat, fiber, vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium. So, whether you're tired of mixing all of those other gluten-free flours, or if you're trying to replace refined carbohydrates with healthier choices like nuts, you'll find that almond flour is a delicious alternative to many other flours.

One of our favorite almond flour recipes is Jenny Lass' and Jodi Bager's Glazed Pound Cake. They were so kind to let me share it with you. It comes from their cookbook, Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  Here it is:

Jodi and Jenny's Glazed Pound Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups (500 ml) finely ground almond flour

1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) honey

1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

Glaze Ingredients:

3 Tbsp (45 ml) honey

2 Tbsp (30 ml) butter, melted

1/4 tsp (1 ml) pure vanilla extract

Pound Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and line a greased 9 x 5 inch (2 L) loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix the almond flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Add the honey, vanilla, and eggs to the flour mixture and whisk together until combined thoroughly and smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a knife comes out clean when inserted, about 40 minutes.
5. Let cool.

Glaze:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until the glaze is even in color and texture. It should be runny and a little warm from the melted butter.
2. Let cool to room temperature.

Assembly:

1. Place the cooled loaf on a serving plate. Drizzle the glaze over top, allowing it to run down the sides of the loaf.
2. Refrigerate until the glaze is set, at least one hour.

 Here are a couple of tweaks/ suggestions:

• I usually omit the salt in most of my baking recipes, as I do this one. It's your preference.
• I find that one portion of glaze can be used for two cakes, so I usually double the cake recipe. I also spread the glaze on like a regular cake, but drizzling looks prettier probably!
• You can add berries in and around the cake for decoration and an extra dose of important nutrients.
• You could also sprinkle the cake with shredded coconut right after you glaze it. It would add some extra flavor, and goes well with a winter theme.
• I prefer to use glass loaf pans.
• I buy organic ingredients whenever possible.
• Almond flour, shredded coconut and other specific SCD ingredients (and information) can be purchased online through Lucy's Kitchen Shop.

You can find more information about Jenny, Jodi and their cookbooks, at the Grain-free Gourmet web site. In addition, there are other SCD products, including almond flour, available at Jodi's JKGourmet site as well.

You can find even more SCD information and recipes at www.scdrecipe.com, including some delicious almond flour cookies and cinnamon raisin bread.

I'd just like to note that the almond flour (and honey) baked goods taste so good that it's tempting to eat them too often. Like anything else, almonds and honey should not be eaten in excess. There are other types of nut flours you can use, in addition to coconut flour (great for people with multiple allergies), which is an extremely healthy alternative as well.

You can find recipes using both almond flour and coconut flour at the Comfy Belly blog and Elana's Pantry blog. And Elana has a link on her blog to The Huffington Post article in which Dr. Andrew Weil weighs in on fats vs. carbs.  I'll have related books with specific research, and more information about the benefits of low carb diets, within a week or two.

One of my biggest frustrations is that there is so much misinformation out there when it comes to nutrition. People are passing themselves off as experts even though they have very little training in the subject area. Just because someone is a doctor, for example, does not mean she or he knows much of anything about nutrition. That's why I strongly recommend that anyone who's making drastic changes in diet, or who's experimenting with supplements (which can be dangerous if not used properly), should only do so under the direct supervision of a Certified Nutrition Specialist. Such a certification requires extensive research and training that other certifications do not.

It's especially difficult to limit refined carbohydrates during the holiday season, and especially when we're all so busy. A few small changes make a big difference, though. So, even if you don't take time out to try this recipe, you can always start by replacing a bag of chips with a handful of nuts. Or, put the food away completely and read a good book or get out there and exercise!

As we head into a new year, it's a good time to reflect on 2010 and think about how we can improve our lifestyles in 2011. I hope you take some time to yourself over these last couple of weeks.