Easy as... Pie?

Tonight, my mom mentioned she had a hankerin' for pie. Being the attentive daughter that I am, I immediately  jumped into action, explaining that I've been wanting to try my hand at a Lemon Crumb Pie. We agreed this was a good plan... I could tackle my pie project, she would get to eat pie. Win-win!

Here's the thing, though. Whoever came up with the phrase "easy as pie" obviously never actually made a pie. You see... one does not just whip up pie ingredients, slice oneself a piece and then sit with tea and indulge. Oh, no. There are 47 steps (give or take 10) to making pie... all of which require a refrigeration phase, resting phase or heating up phase. In the end, pie takes 3 days to make. OK, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. But it does take more time than I had tonight.

So - I love you Mom, but pie is out. For tonight, that is.

Instead, I went with a Lemon Cornmeal Cake. By nature, it's already gluten free... thus making my life so much easier. No tweaking, no calculating... just baking!

My mom, being the type who is always up for spontaneity and adventure, was all for the change from pie to cake. Such a good mama.

In comparison, this recipe really is easier than pie! It only bakes for 25 minutes or so... and because it's a thin cake (think tart) it cools incredibly fast so that you really do have enough time to sit with a cup of tea and enjoy it.

Though I must admit... it smelled so good that we sliced it up and stood there, in my kitchen, next to the cake pan... and munched away. It was mostly silent, except for the "Oh wow, is this good" and the "I love the crunch on top!" and then "Mmmm... I want another slice" that came from my mom.

Forget pie. Think Lemon Cornmeal Cake! It's yummy, it's got great texture... and it's easy as pie.

Gluten Free Lemon Cornmeal Cake

1 cup (gluten-free) cornmeal

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coarse sugar, such as turbinado or organic sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-inch or 10-inch cake pan with 2-inch-high sides (I used a springform cake pan). Dust pan with cornmeal, tapping out excess.

Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat butter in large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Add cornmeal, ground almonds, baking powder and salt to wet ingredients and combine thoroughly.

Transfer batter to pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Run knife around pan sides to loosen. Turn cake out onto plate then turn onto a rack, coarse sugar side up. Cool completely.