Gluten Free Betty

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Mmmm...chocolate and peppermint. An excellent pairing any time of the year, but especially perfect for Christmas baking. Thanks to Caroline at the G-Spot for hosting this months ratio rally. You can check out the bottom of my post for links to all the fabulous gluten free cookies created by ratio this month.

Ruhlman's ratio for cookies is 3:2:1 of flour:sugar:fat, but this produces a shortbread type cookie and I wanted to do a drop cookie. Ruhlman suggests a ratio of 1:1:1 for drop cookies. I was a little skeptical. 1:1:1 seemed like a lot of sugar and fat and I don't like cookies that leave a fatty film on the roof of my mouth (even if they taste good). Since I am new to baking by weight, I decided to figure out the ratio for my favorite chocolate chip cookies and see how they compare to Ruhlman's. It turns out that Ruhlman knows what he's talking about (surprise, surprise). Shame on me for doubting! My chocolate chip cookies have slightly more sugar and a tad less fat than the 1:1:1 ratio, but they were pretty close. For these chocolate peppermint beauties I decided to compromise and do a 1:1:2/3 (or 3:3:2) of flour:sugar:fat. To make chocolate cookies I used cocoa powder as part of my flour mix and I chose to use shortening as the fat because I didn't want a flat cookie. You'll notice that there isn't any peppermint in the cookie. My husband is not a fan so I only added peppermint to the frosting. You could certainly add a bit to the cookie dough if you'd like. These cookies have a slightly crunchy edge and a soft center. They are delicious frosted or plain and would be fantastic with any kind of chip added in. They'd also be really good if you sandwiched the frosting between 2 cookies. I don't know how they are the next day - we ate them all within a couple of hours!

Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
yield: 15-20 cookies

100 grams brown sugar
66 grams shortening
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
75 grams gluten free flour mix
25 grams cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream the sugar and shortening together. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated. Add vanilla and mix. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Drop dough by tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. I used a small (2 teaspoon) cookie scoop so they'd be the same size. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and cool before frosting.

Please forgive me for not weighing the frosting. My 2 year-old was helping and I got distracted trying to keep the ingredients inside the mixing bowl...

Peppermint Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 teaspoons milk
1/4-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (less if using oil)
Crushed candy cane for decorating

Combine powdered sugar, half of the milk and half of the peppermint extract in a mixing bowl. Give it a little taste to see if you need more peppermint. Add a drop of food coloring if desired. Mix well. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you like.

Frost cooled cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Allow the frosting to set (about 5 minutes) and enjoy!

Blueberry Pie

2011-11-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to the pie ratio rally for months! Pie has always been scary for me and I was determined to find a delicious and flaky crust that I could come back to year after year. I also found a great deal on a Cuisinart food processor and was excited to incorporate it into my pie making routine. I experimented with 3 different flour combinations and found one that I absolutely love. Yeah!!! I want to say that trial and error led to my pie success, but it was probably the food processor!

The pie crust ratio is 3-2-1 (flour-fat-water). And once you find a great crust there's nothing stopping you from creating just about any kind of pie you can dream up. The only negative is that an 8 or 9 inch pie is too much for our family. We usually only eat half of the pie. Enter the 6 inch pie dish. When working with ratios you can easily scale a recipe to fit your needs. Now I've got a recipe that is the perfect size for our family. I'll be making pie year round!

This pie is for a double crust 6 inch pie plate. If you'd like to make it to fit a 9 inch dish multiply everything by 3.

Gluten Free Blueberry Pie
6 inch pie

Crust:
40 grams gluten free oat flour
40 grams white rice flour
40 grams corn starch
40 grams cold shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
40 grams frozen unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
40 grams ice water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine flours, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until aerated. Add shortening and butter and pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles course meal with a few larger pieces remaining. Slowly pour in the ice water and pulse 5 times or until the mixture just begins to come together. If mixture is dry add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time.

Divide dough in half, place on plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap each disk in the plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes. Make filling (below).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove chilled dough from the freezer and let rest on the counter for a few minutes before rolling. If it's been in the freezer longer than 30 minutes you'll need to let it thaw a bit longer before rolling. Unwrap the disk from the plastic wrap but keep the disk on the plastic wrap while you roll. Roll out dough to an 8-9 inch circle (about 1/8 on an inch thick) and place into your 6 inch pie plate. If dough rips gently press it back together. Fill the pie plate with the blueberry filling. The filling will be higher than the pie plate and might start to spill over but when it cooks it will shrink so you want more than you think you'll need. Roll out the 2nd dough disk just like the first and gently place it over the filling. Fold it under the bottom crust and use a fork to crimp the edges. Cut a few slits in top of the crust to let out the steam. Brush the crust with a little cream and sprinkle with sugar crystals if desired. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit on the oven rack one notch lower than the middle for 20 minutes. You'll probably want to bake it on a cookie sheet to avoid blueberry juice spilling in your oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes.

Filling:
2 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Stir together until all of the blueberries are coated. Place in bottom pie crust.

For links to more amazing gluten free pie recipe visit this months host Lisa over at Gluten Free Canteen.

Gluten Free 7UP Biscuits

2011-10-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

These soft biscuits are delicious and so simple. You only need 4 ingredients including a gluten free baking mix. I used Pamela's but you could use the gluten free baking mix of your choice. We like them smothered with honey or homemade jam.

Gluten Free 7UP Biscuits

2 cups Pamela's gluten free Baking and Pancake Mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut sour cream into Pamela's mix and stir in 7UP until just combined. Dough will be sticky. Flour your work surface with additional Pamela's mix and pat dough out to 3/4 inch thick. Place butter in a 9 inch square (or round) pan and place in the preheated oven to melt the butter. Cut into nine 2 inch circles (I used a drinking glass to cut them). Remove pan with melted butter from the oven and place cut biscuit dough into the pan. Return pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve warm with topping of your choice.

PIZZA! GF Ratio Rally

2011-10-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

Making pizza by ratio has definitely been a learning experience for me. I've made over 8 pizzas in the last 3 weeks (which is a lot for a family of 3) and I have yet to find a "perfect" gluten free pizza recipe. That being said, I do have a go to recipe that is yummy and easy and for now that's good enough! This month's rally was hosted by Karen of Cooking Gluten Free. Check out her blog for the complete list of links to the delicious gluten free pizza recipes created for this months rally.

Here are some things I learned:

Ruhlman's Ratio- For Pizza Ruhlman's ratio is 5:3 of flour and liquid. I tried this and it was a dismal failure. The dough was heavy and dense and looked compressed and underbaked. It felt like a rock in my stomach. Gluten free flours need more liquid. I figured out the ratio for my go to crust, the one I posted here and have been using ever since. The ratio for this is 6:3:1 flour:liquid:egg This ratio is close to Ruhlman's but the addition of an egg adds the right amount of moisture to create a nice firm crust that you can pick up with your hands without being heavy and dense. For the flour I found that I like a crust with more starch than my usual flour blend so I went with 50% high protein flour (brown rice, millet, soy) and 50% starch (tapioca, potato, corn)

I knew I had a crust I liked before I started the challenge, but I wanted a go to crust that didn't use eggs. I tried a few more flour:water ratios including:

10:7 (dense and heavy)

19:16 (excellent)

8:7 (also excellent but I cheated and used an egg as part of the liquid)

1:1 (batter too thin)

Like I said, I learned a lot...there's nothing like a good failure to get the noggin thinking!

Even though I tried several ratios, my main focus really was more on technique. I cooked my pizza at a hotter temperature (450 degrees Fahrenheit), I let it rise for an hour before rolling it between 2 pieces of parchment paper, and I pre-baked it on the rack with a hot pizza stone on the oven rack beneath it before adding the toppings. All of these things, together with the 19:16 ratio made for a great crust.

19:16 sounds like a strange ratio, but if you multiply it by 10 grams you'll end up with an easy 18 inch pizza crust. Here's the Recipe:

Pizza Crust by Ratio
makes one 18 inch crust (or two 8 inch crusts)

190 grams gluten free flour

95 grams high protein flour (I used equal parts of millet, sorghum and soy but play with this using flours you like or have on hand)
95 grams starch (I used 70 grams tapioca and 25 grams potato starch)

160 grams warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix water with yeast and sugar and let proof for about 10 minutes or until nice and foamy. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture and olive oil slowly to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture is well incorporated. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix for 4 minutes. The dough will be sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour or until doubled.

After an hour preheat the oven to 450 Degrees Fahrenheit and put a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper. Spray a second piece of parchment paper and place it on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin and with light pressure roll the dough to about an 1/8 inch thick (thicker if your prefer, but you'll need to adjust the baking times). Remove the top parchment and slide the bottom parchment with the crust onto the oven rack. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust just begins to brown. Remove crust from the oven and top with your favorite toppings. Return the pizza to the oven for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and crust is brown on the edges. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcakes

2011-09-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl turned two this month and requested cupcakes for her birthday. She calls them "Happy Birthdays". I love that. She loves the color pink lately and strawberries are one of her favorite fruits, so strawberry cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting was the only way to go! My husband says these are the best cupcakes he's every had and probably his second favorite dessert behind Aunt Betty's Chocolate Cake. They really are that good!

Gluten Free Strawberry Cupcakes

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (3 oz package) gluten free strawberry jello mix
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4-6 strawberries; chopped and mashed or pureed to equal 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan(s) with 12-15 cupcake papers. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar, jello and eggs at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Pour batter into the pans dividing evenly and filling each cupcake 2/3 full. I like to use my 1 1/2 Tablespoon cookie scoop and put 2 scoops of batter in each cupcake liner. Bake cupcakes in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the pan to finish cooling. Frost cooled cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. (below)

**I never frost all of my cupcakes. Instead I put half of them in the freezer, unfrosted and I store the extra frosting in the fridge. Whenever we want cupcakes I grab a few out of the freezer along with the frosting from the fridge. The cupcakes thaw on the counter within 20 minutes or 15 seconds in the microwave. Just frost and enjoy. Fresh cupcakes every day for a week (less in our house)!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 Tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 strawberry, chopped & mashed or pureed (1-2 Tablespoons)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
milk if needed

Place cream cheese, butter and pureed strawberry in a mixing bowl and beat until combined. Mix in the lemon juice (optional but brightens up the flavor). Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined then turn mixer to high and beat for 1-2 minutes until frosting is light and creamy. Check the frosting's spreading consistency at this time. Cream cheese frosting tends to be on the soft side so you probably won't need any additional liquid. If the spreading consistency is too stiff mix in some milk 1 teaspoon at a time checking spreading consistency after each addition. Store frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

**The strawberry makes the frosting a pale pink. I added a little food coloring to make it brighter.

Strawberry "Happy Birthdays"

Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad - Gluten Free

2011-08-31T15:09:00.000-07:00

We've been eating a lot of salads lately. Not only are salads a great way to incorporate veggies into our diet, but it's been crazy hot in Arizona and salads make a nice cool meal! It can get a bit boring having salad 3 times a week, so I'm always on the lookout for a new twist on a familiar favorite. The buffalo wing sauce used in this otherwise traditional Cobb Salad fits the bill and tastes delicious.

**a note about bleu cheese**

Bleu Cheese was traditionally made using bread as the starter and there was a question about whether or not it was gluten free. Many companies now use chemical starters for the cheese instead of bread, making the cheese free of contamination and safe for the gluten free world. However, there are some cheese makers that still use bread to make bleu cheese. Bleu Cheese tests have detected gluten at less than 1ppm (part per million). That's even smaller than itty bitty, but if you are super sensitive research some brands before you buy. And ALWAYS read the ingredients on salad dressings...or make your own using bleu cheese that you are comfortable with. That being said, my husband doesn't like bleu cheese so I used sharp cheddar cheese and gluten free ranch salad dressing instead!

Gluten Free Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad

-serves 4

6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

1 large chicken breast, cooked & shredded (1 1/2 - 2 cups)

1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (check ingredients)

1 head of your favorite lettuce, leaves torn

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or 4 ounces bleu cheese crumbles

1 avocado, cut into cubes

1 large tomato, chopped

2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1/4 cup diced red onion

gluten free Ranch or Bleu Cheese salad dressing for serving

Toss the shredded chicken with the buffalo wing sauce. Cover four dinner plates or one large platter with the lettuce. Arrange the bacon, chicken, cheese, avocado, tomato, eggs and red onion in columns on top of the lettuce. Serve with your favorite gluten free dressing.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

2011-07-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of my husband's favorite recipes from his mom. Before being diagnosed with Celiac Disease I used to make these all the time but never thought to convert them to a gluten free version until today. Chuck full of chocolate chips and oatmeal with a touch of cinnamon, these are once again on our family's list of favorites!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

3/4 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 cups gluten free quick oats
2 cups gluten free flour mix
2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9X13 cake pan with cooking spray. Combine oil, sugars, egg, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl and mix on medium for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips and mix until just combind. Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon dough into the prepared pan spreading to the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into bars.

Gluten Free S'mores Pie

2011-06-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Chocolate marshmallow is my husband's favorite flavor combination. When I saw a recipe for s'mores pie in Rachael Ray's June 2011 magazine I knew I had to make this for Father's Day - gluten free, of course! This super sweet chocolate delight is so easy to put together.

I put a layer of chocolate chips between the pudding and marshmallow topping for that melted chocolate effect that you get with smores, but only some of the chocolate chips melted. It was still really yummy (I ate 2 slices!), but next time I might try mixing the chips in with the marshmallow topping to see if they melt better.

Gluten Free S'mores Pie

Crust:
4 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups gluten free cookie crumbs (I use a 6 oz box Orgran gluten free vanilla animal cookies crushed in the blender)

Filling:
1 5.1 oz box gluten free instant chocolate pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 cup gluten free whipped topping

Topping:
1/2 cup gluten free chocolate chips
7 ounce jar gluten free marshmallow creme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a 9 inch pie dish combine the crust ingredients and use a fork or clean hands to pat the crust into the pie dish. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

While the crust is cooling, whisk together the chocolate pudding mix and milk until smooth (about 2 minutes). Stir in whipped topping. Spoon chocolate filling into the cooled crust and top with chocolate chips. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. (If you're making this ahead of time, refrigerate the pie until 30 minutes before serving. At that time, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes). Turn on your oven to broil, remove pie from the freezer and spoon marshmallow creme over the pie sealing the edges. It's sticky, so use a wet knife. Place pie under the broiler until marshmallow topping starts to brown. This only takes a few minutes so watch it carefully!

Remove S'mores Pie from the oven and serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Churros- Gluten Free Pate a Choux Ratio Rally

2011-06-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

How did I not know churros were made using pate a choux? My mom taught me how to make cream puffs when I was a little girl and I made gluten free pate a choux for eclairs soon after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. If I'd known frying the dough would make churros I would have tried it years ago! I'm not much of a food fryer - mostly because I don't like the smell that lingers in the house from the hot oil. That being said, these were so easy to make and yummy to eat I might start making them every year to celebrate the beginning of summer. There's nothing like a churro to usher in the months of summer fests and amusement parks!

Pate a choux is this months Gluten Free Ratio Rally. Our host was Erin, The Sensitive Epicure. You can check out her blog to see all the wonderful gluten free eats made with pate a choux this month. I chose to make churros because 1- I love them, 2- I missed them, 3- I'd never made them, and 4- they are made out of pate a choux (but mostly because of 1). The pate a choux ratio is:

1 part flour

2 parts liquid

2 parts egg

1 part fat

or 1:2:2:1

The ratios are done by weight. I start by weighing my egg and adjusting everything else from there.

Gluten Free Churros

makes 10-12 5 inch churros

53 grams water (almost 1/3 cup)

27 grams butter (about 5 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

27 grams gluten free flour mix (about 1/4 cup)

53 grams egg (1 large egg)

Oil for frying
1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon for rolling the churros in once they are cooked.

Boil water, butter, salt and sugar. Add gluten free flour mix. Work mixture together and cook 1-2 minutes longer. Continue working the mixture until all flour is incorporated and dough forms a ball. Remove pan from heat and cool pan by dipping into cold water for 3-4 minutes - don't let any water get into the pan. You want the dough to cool down so that it doesn't scramble the egg, but it still needs to be warm. Add the egg, and using a whisk beat the dough to fully incorporate the egg. The dough will look slippery and messy at first but continue to whisk and it will come together after a minute or so. If you double the recipe add the eggs one at a time fully incorporating each one before adding the next one. Once the mixture is smooth, refrigerate it for 1 hour or overnight.

Put refrigerated dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip. Pipe dough into 5 inch lines onto small baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes or overnight.

Add 2 inches of oil to a medium pan and heat over medium until it reaches 375 degrees. Remove the churros from the freezer and place 1 to 3 into the hot oil. Fry for 60-90 seconds and then flip the churros to cook the other side an additional 60-90 seconds. Remove from oil and place on a plate covered in paper towels. Allow the churros to cool 1-2 minutes and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Make sure the oil is at 375 before frying the rest of the churros.
Best eaten warm.

Asian Pasta Salad - Gluten Free

2011-05-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite pasta salad. It's packed with flavor without the heaviness often accompanied by pasta salad and since it doesn't contain mayo or meat, it makes a great side for an outdoor dinner. I shared this at a potluck dinner recently and was disappointed that I didn't have any leftover!

Gluten Free Asian Pasta Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup gluten free sweet and tangy or teriyaki sauce (San-J)
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup sesame oil
1 Tablespoon grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
16 oz gluten free pasta fusilli or other bite size pasta
(I used Trader Joe's organic brown rice pasta fusilli
always check package ingredients as they often change!)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup dried cranberries
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 bunch (3-4) green onions, chopped
1/2 cucumber, cut in bite size pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. Cook gluten free pasta as directed on package until al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Immediately mix cooked pasta with salad dressing so that the pasta doesn't stick together. Mix in the rest of the salad ingredients and toss gently until evenly combined. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Gluten Free Lemon Bars

2011-05-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Lemon bars. Sweet, tangy, buttery, and indulgent. A perfect dessert for spring. I've always loved lemon flavored desserts and lemon bars have been a favorite since I was a little girl. A few years ago I tried my hand at gluten free lemon bars and it was a disaster. The lemony top was okay, but the crust was gummy and raw. Yuck! Recently I've been doing some experimenting with xanthan gum, or maybe I should say WITHOUT xanthan gum. I've found that my banana bread doesn't need it, the scones I made last week didn't need it, and lemon bars most definitely don't need it! I'll continue to use it with cakes and whenever I use yeast, but I've enjoyed the experimenting and the anticipation of how the finished products texture will be.

Cheryl Bullock, my neighbor growing up, made the best lemon bars on the block. I've adapted her recipe to be gluten free. They're as delicious as I remember!

Creamy lemon top with a buttery crust. Delicious!

Gluten Free Lemon Bars

Crust:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup gluten free flour mix

5 Tablespoons cold butter cut into 5-6 pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine crust ingredients and mix on medium until dough is crumbly (kind of like sand) for about 1 1/2 minutes. Use your hands to press the dough into an 8x8 square pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, mix the lemon filling.

Filling:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons gluten free flour mix

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

In the same mixing bowl that you used for the crust (no need to wash it), combine all of the filling ingredients and mix on medium for 1 minute. Pour onto the hot crust and immediately put it back into the oven. Bake for another 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and allow to cool. Cut and serve. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Scones for the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally

2011-05-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Scones, a most delightful breakfast treat - especially while watching the The Royal Wedding of William and Kate! How perfect that scones happen to be this months challenge for the gluten free ratio rally. I remember learning about pound cake as a teenager in home-ec class: a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar; or a 1:1:1 ratio. That's what the gluten free ratio is all about - using weight to figuring out gluten free baking/cooking ratios in hopes of creating an end result of perfect gluten free deliciousness. Lauren, over at Celiac Teen is our host this month. Head over to her blog for the complete list of scrumptious gluten free scones created in this months rally.

Scones, at least the traditional English kind, were a first for me. Not only had I never made them, but I'd never eaten one before this challenge. Yes, I'd seen them in the glass cases through coffee shop windows, but since I don't drink coffee or tea, I never really thought to eat scones.

For many of the ratio rally challenges we will be using Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio and adapting as needed to make things gluten free. Ruhlman does not have a scone ratio so we (a collection of very talented gluten free bloggers) did a lot of experimenting to find the ratio that works best for us.

I had success with a ratio of 3 parts flour/ 1 part liquid/ 1 part egg/ 1 part fat. I started out by weighing my egg. I usually use large eggs, but since my local store was practically giving away medium size eggs for Easter, that's what I had on hand. Due to the size of my egg I measured everything in grams so that I would be more accurate. The nice thing about using ratios is that you can easily adapt the recipe swapping out ingredients and making more or less depending on your pantry!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Scones

50 grams sweet rice flour
100 grams gluten free flour mix
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

50 grams milk
50 grams egg (my egg was 49 grams. I added water to make it 50)
50 grams cold butter, cut into small pieces

70 grams raisins (about 1/2 cup raisins)

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and mix on low until flour mixture looks like course meal, 1-2 minutes. Place flour mixture into a small bowl and stick in the freezer to keep cold while you beat the egg. Beat the egg in the same mixing bowl that the flour was in. (you don't need to clean it). Mix on medium for 3-4 minutes or until the egg is very light and foamy. Turn off the mixer and add the milk, raisins and the flour mixture from the freezer. Mix on medium low just until mixture comes together (about 30 seconds). Scoop dough onto a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat and pat down to a 3/4 inch thick disk.

Cut out the scones with a small cookie cutter or use a pizza cutter to cut it into 6- 8 wedges. I cut out 5 triangles then pressed the dough scraps together into a small disk and got 2 more triangles plus a free form circle with the last of the scraps.

Place cut scones on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar crystals. At this point I covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight so I could bake them fresh for breakfast. If you don't want to wait, go ahead. Skip the refrigerator, bake and enjoy!

Baking instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place baking sheet into preheated oven and turn down the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (20 minutes in my oven for 7 scones).

If desired, drizzle a simple glaze of powdered sugar mixed with a little milk over each scone.

Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

2011-03-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

This has been adapted from a recipe in the Gluten Free Baking Classics cookbook and is my favorite recipe for chocolate cupcakes. Gluten free cupcakes can be heavy and dense, but these cupcakes are light, moist and oh so chocolaty - just the way a cupcake should be! I usually frost these with a chocolate butter cream frosting, but cream cheese frosting would be really yummy too.

Gluten Free Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour mix
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake papers or spray with cooking spray. In a medium bowl sift together cocoa powder, gluten free flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthum gum. Set aside. Beat sugar and egg in a mixing bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and the milk. Turn the mixer to low speed and stir until just combined. Add in the oil and the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix on low until combined. Scrap down the bowl then turn the mixer back up to medium speed and mix for 1 minute.

Fill cupcake pans 2/3 full. You should have just enough batter for 12 cupcakes. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean (mine were done in 20 minutes). Cool cupcakes completely before frosting with your favorite chocolate butter cream frosting (you'll need about 1 cup of frosting).

I usually freeze 6-8 of the cupcakes before frosting them. I store the frosting in the refrigerator and pull out a few cupcakes at a time to enjoy throughout the week. They thaw on the counter in about 30 minutes. Frost and enjoy! They taste just as good as the day you baked them.

If cake is more your style, you can bake the cupcake batter in a 9 inch round cake pan for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. For my daughter's birthday I doubled the recipe and made a chocolate layer cake. Everyone (gluten and gluten free eaters alike) loved it.

Mexican Style Black Beans and Pork in the Slow Cooker

2011-03-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of our new favorites. It's quick to put together and it tastes delicious. The recipe makes enough for 4-6 adult servings, which means leftovers for us. The first night I serve this over brown rice (I prefer short grain) and I garnish it with cilantro. Later in the week I like to make it into tacos. For tacos I heat up the pork mixture, drain off the liquid and serve it in warm corn tortillas topped with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. My husband usually adds sour cream and chipotle tabasco sauce to his. We've also had these in burritos using my gluten free multi-flour tortilla recipe. Any way you choose, this one is a keeper!

Mexican Style Black Beans and Pork

2 1 inch thick pork chops cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (based on your heat preference)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans drained black beans (or 3-4 cups if you make your own like I do)
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can water (use the tomato can once it's empty)
chopped cilantro, sour cream or any other garnishes you like

Place pork into the slow cooker and sprinkle with all of the seasonings (chili powder, salt, garlic powder, cumin, red pepper flakes and pepper) stir to coat the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the garnishes and cook on HIGH for 4 hours (or low for 6-8). Serve over rice and garnish as desired.

Slow Cooker Black Beans

2011-03-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

We love beans and have them almost every day. In an effort to save money, I decided that I wanted to start using dried beans instead of buying canned beans. I asked for and received a pressure cooker for Christmas last year with the specific intent of cooking my own beans...and it's still in the box. Frankly, I'm intimidated by it. And even though I've read the instruction manual several times, I don't want to be the one responsible if it blows up.

Last week I got out the pressure cooker, read the manual again, put it back in the box, and pulled out my slow cooker. I'd never done black beans in a slow cooker, but I have tried this recipe for refried beans without the refry so I went off that for bean and water measurments.

Success! We love the black beans! This recipe makes 6 cups of beans and I used 2 cups for a recipe (a can of black beans is almost 2 cups). Then I divided the 4 remaining cups of beans into two freezer containers and froze them until I needed them. Not only am I saving money, but since I buy dried beans in bulk I'm rotating my food storage so my beans stay fresh. Best of all, there's NO SOAKING with this recipe and the texture is very much like canned beans!

Slow Cooker Black Beans

3 cups dried black beans, rinse and remove any small pebbles or floating beans
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon kosher salt (1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons table salt)
9 cups water

Place everything into your slow cooker and cook on high for 8 hours. Drain liquid. Use beans straight from the pot or allow them to cool and refrigerate up to a week or freeze up to 6 months.

12th Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Cinnabun Cake

2010-12-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Eve! For as long as I can remember my family has had homemade cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa for a bedtime snack on Christmas Eve. I've made gluten free cinnamon rolls and they are okay, but never as yummy as I hope they will be. Several months ago I came across a recipe for Cinnabun Cake, named such because it taste like those deliciously gooey cinnamon rolls you buy at the mall. I've been saving the recipe for tonight. YUM! YUM! YUM!!!! I don't think I will ever even try to make cinnamon rolls again! This cake is moist and gooey and oh so delicious! It even looks like a giant cinnamon roll. I did use cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze they suggested. After all, it is Christmas Eve!

Gluten Free Cinnabun Cake

Batter:
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix

¾ teaspoon xanthum gum
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Streusel:
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze: (or use cream cheese frosting)

1 cup powdered sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the gluten free flour mix, xanthum gum, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 19 square inch baking pan. (You can double the recipe for a 9x13 pan).

To make the streusel, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, gluten free flour mix, and cinnamon until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Make the glaze (or use cream cheese frosting like I did for a truly decadent experience!). For glaze, place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Delicious served warm, but even better for breakfast the next day!

Thanks for sharing the Cinnabun Cake recipe picky palate!

11th Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Lemon Fruit Dip

2010-12-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Arizona: Where fresh fruit sounds better than a steaming cup of cocoa! I'm still not sure about this warm Christmas thing, but since there's always some kind of fruit in season, here's a delicious dip from my friend Camille that's good no matter the temperature outside! I usually make this with sugar free pudding and fat free or lite whipped topping. Always check that your ingredients are gluten free!

Lemon Fruit Dip

1 small box instant lemon pudding
1 3/4 cup cold milk
8 ounce container whipped topping

Combined pudding and milk and whisk 2 minutes. Stir in whipped topping and refrigerate until set (20-30 minutes). Serve with your favorite fruits.

10th Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Rocky Road Fudge

2010-12-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe 7 years ago and have been using it exclusively ever since. I've adjusted it to my taste and added marshmallows to make it rocky road. This is a Christmas favorite!

Gluten Free Rocky Road Fudge

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme

1 1/3 cups white sugar

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/8 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cups milk chocolate chips

2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with foil. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour in semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in nuts, marshmallows and vanilla. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut into 4 logs, wrap in wax paper and share with someone you love.

9th Day of Christmas Treats: "Not Yet Perfect" Gluten Free Russian Tea Cakes

2010-12-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

While these tasted good, they definitely aren't the cute little snowball cookies they were suppose to be. Maybe I needed to use a little more flour. I'll have to play around a bit with the recipe, but for the time being, this is what you get!

"Not Yet Perfect" Gluten Free Russian Tea Cakes

1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
powdered sugar for the finished cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and vanilla until smooth. Sift the 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar and gluten free flour into the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Mix in the walnuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and bake on an un-greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before rolling in powdered sugar to give them their snowy appearance.

8th Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Amish Peanut Butter

2010-12-20T20:49:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with Amish Peanut Butter in an Amish restaurant in Shipshiwana, Indiana. Lucky for me it's a cinch to make and a great gift to share with others! This is great on bread, poured over ice cream, or used as a fruit dip.

Amish Peanut Butter

1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup marshmallow creme

Mix everything together until well combined. Store in an air tight container.

7th Day of Christmas Treats: Red Velvet Gluten Free Whoopie Pies

2010-12-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

I am totally in love with anything red velvet so when I saw this recipe on better homes and garden's website I knew I had to try it gluten free. These are fantastically delicious! I swapped out the flour for gluten free and added xanthum gum. I also used cream cheese frosting instead of the filling they suggested. With their bright red color these are perfect for bringing a little Christmas cheer to anyone who's lucky enough to get one!

Red Velvet Gluten Free Whoopie Pies

2 cups gluten free flour mix
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
.5 ounces red food coloring

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment. In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together gluten free flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthum gum, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low while slowly adding the buttermilk. Stir in food coloring and mix on medium for 1 minute until well combined.

Drop cookie dough by tablespoons (a cookie scoop works best to keep them all the same size) onto the parchment paper and bake for 11 minutes or until tops are set. Allow cookie to cool. Frost bottom side of cookie with cream cheese frosting and sandwich with the bottom of another cookie. Store whoopie pies in the refrigerator.

**I had some leftover chocolate frosting from my husbands birthday so I used it in place of the cream cheese for some of the whoopie pies. They were delicious and I'm really not sure which I like better!

6th Day of Christmas Treats: Christmas Guacamole

2010-12-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

Every now and again it's nice to have a savory treat grace the table. This guacamole with chunks of avocado and tomato looks just like Christmas! Guacamole is a great appetizer to share at a holiday party but simple enough to throw together for a fun snack to munch during a college bowl game.

Christmas Guacamole

2 large ripe avocados removed from their skin and pits removed
1 small tomato, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
salt to taste (1/2-1 teaspoon)
tortilla chips for serving

Place avocados in a bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in the other ingredients. Only add part of the salt at a time and taste before adding more. Serve with tortilla chips.

5th Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Chocolate Haystacks

2010-12-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

I was planning on making butterscotch haystacks swapping out the chow mein noodles for rice chex. As I was opening the butterscotch chips I glanced at the ingredients and did a double take as I saw "barley protein" listed. I jumped online and sure enough, butterscotch morsels are NOT listed on Nestle's gluten free product list. Not to be deterred, I swapped out the butterscotch chips with semi-sweet and came out with yummy results. Lesson learned - Aways double check your ingredients!!!

Gluten Free Chocolate Haystacks

1 cup gluten free chocolate chips (I used Nestle)
1/3 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice chex

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir in peanut butter and microwave for 30 more seconds. Stir rice chex into chocolate mixtures and drop onto wax paper in golf ball size mounds. Let haystacks set before eating.

4th Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2010-12-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, technically these are made from white morsels and not white chocolate, but since I'm not really a connoisseur of white chocolate, these taste good enough for me! I followed the directions for melting the morsels found on the back of the package (I used Nestle, but any kind will do as long as they're gluten free). 3 for the neighbors, one for me...yum!

Chocolate covered Pretzels

1 cup chocolate chips or white morsels
1 teaspoon oil
40-50 glutino pretzels (or any brand you like)
sprinkles if desired

Place chips and oil in a microwave proof bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir mixture and if chips aren't melted microwave for 15 more seconds, stir, heat 15 more seconds, stir etc...until the mixture is smooth. Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface. place a few pretzels in the bowl with your melted chocolate, coat both sides (I used a toothpick to help turn the pretzels around), let the excess chocolate drip off and then place the pretzels on the wax paper to set. If you want to use sprinkles, add them before the chocolate sets so they will stick. If your chocolate mixture starts to set up in the bowl before you're finished, place it back in the microwave for 15 seconds to re-melt it.

3rd Day of Christmas Treats: Arroz con Leche

2010-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Simple and delicious. This is comfort food at it's best! While serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, my friend Concha taught me how this is made in her native country of Mexico. Arroz con Leche is a thinner version of rice pudding. While it does thicken, it will still have some milk that isn't completely incorporated into the mixture. This is a great way to use up any leftover rice in your refrigerator or you can make up a new batch using 1 cup of uncooked rice. Cook according to the package directions before continuing with the recipe below.

Arroz con Leche (rice with milk)

2 cups leftover rice
4 cups whole milk
1/2-3/4 cups sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 cinnamon stick
pinch of salt

Place all ingredients into a 3 quart saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. The mixture will be the consistency of cream and will thicken as it cools. This is best served warm.

2nd Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies

2010-12-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

This is a childhood favorite that tastes just as good gluten free!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Brownies

1 cup shortening
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups gluten free flour mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthum gum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream everything together except the flour. Add the flour and stir until just combined. Press dough into a 1/2 sheet pan (the really BIG cookie sheet) and bake for 12 - 15 minutes. The brownies will be a very pale brown and might even look like they need more time, but DO NOT OVER BAKE! They will go from a soft brownie to a crispy one in a minute or 2. They'll still taste good, but the texture will not be brownie-like. Allow to cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tablespoons milk

Place ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Frost cooled brownies. This makes a thin layer and I usually double it because I'm a frosting girl!

1st Day of Christmas Treats: Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

2010-12-13T16:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry neighbors, this bread was so moist and delicious that I nibbled away the whole loaf and left none for you. Next time I might cut the sugar to 3/4 cup, as it was a bit on the sweet side. I'll be making this one again for sure!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine sugar, eggs, water, oil and pumpkin in a mixing bowl and blend well. Sift remaining ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir until well blended. Do not over beat. Pour batter into a 4 x 8 inch loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from the pan. It's best if you can wait until the next day to eat it so the flavors have time to mingle. Yum!

12 Days of Christmas Treats

2010-12-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

I'm stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit with this one. We moved from Illinois to Arizona 3 months ago and not a single one of our neighbors has come over to introduce themselves. I know, I know, who's to say that it's their responsibility to make the first move. But seriously, we're the new guys! Okay. I'm over it. We want to meet our neighbors and since they're never outside when we are, I guess we're going to have to knock on a few doors.

Christmas (or any holiday) is a great excuse/opportunity to make up a plate of treats and stop by to say hello to a new friend. For the next 12 days I'm going to try out some new gluten free recipes to share with our neighbors. Good or bad, I'll post the recipes and results. Wish me luck!

Gluten Free Stuffing

2010-11-23T15:58:00.000-08:00

I was never a huge stuffing fan, but 2 years ago I decided to try making it gluten free and now it is one of my favorite foods for Thanksgiving. This recipe comes from my mother-in-law and it is absolutely delicious. I've adapted it to be gluten free.

Gluten Free Stuffing

1/2 cup butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

8 cups cubed gluten free bread (I use bread that's a few days old)

1/2 - 1 pound gluten free sausage (depending on your taste)

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

chicken broth or water as needed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Brown and crumble sausage over medium heat. When fully cooked, remove sausage from pan and add butter, onion and celery. If there is a lot of grease from the sausage you can reduce the amount of butter. Cook onions and celery until onion is transparent (about 10 minutes). Mix in the remaining ingredients, including sausage and toss lightly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If stuffing is on the dry side, add chicken broth or water a few tablespoons at a time until it is to your liking. You don't want it too wet as gluten free bread is prone to sogginess and easily disintegrates. Place in greased 2 quart casserole dish and sprinkle a couple more Tablespoons of liquid over the top. Place lid or foil over the stuffing and bake for 45 minutes.

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles - Gluten Free

2010-11-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

We welcomed in November with a yummy stack of pumpkin chocolate chip waffles. They're easy since you use a gluten free baking mix as your base (I used Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix). My husband isn't a pumpkin fan of any kind unless chocolate chips are added. He was still a little skeptical when I set the plate of pumpkin containing waffles in front of him, but he changed his tune after the first bite and ate 5 or 6 waffle squares! We ate these with a little butter and syrup, but they'd be great plain if you have to eat on the run. For a special occasion (a birthday tradition at our house) serve the waffles with a scoop of ice cream on top. YUM!

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles

1 1/4 cups gluten free baking mix like Pamela's baking and pancake mix
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tablespoons oil
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat waffle iron. Mix together baking mix, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Add the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and mix until almost smooth. It's okay if there are some lumps.
Stir in the chocolate chips. If the batter seems too thick, add a little milk or water to thin it. Scoop batter into hot waffle iron and cook according to manufacturers directions. Because of the pumpkin the waffles will be more dense and heavy than regular waffles. This recipe makes about twelve 4 inch waffle squares. If desired, serve with your favorite toppings.

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes - Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I'm still trying to get used to baking in the hot state of Arizona (it's the end of October and we're still getting 90 degree temperatures!) My ghost looks a little more like the Wicked Witch of the West, "I'm melting! I'm melting!" But the cupcakes were wickedly good to eat!

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (makes 8)

2/3 cup plus 3 Tablespoons gluten free flour mix
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
scant 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (closer to 1/3 t)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 ounce red food coloring
1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare cupcake pan with cupcake papers or oil dusted with gf flour. Sift gluten free flour mix, cocoa, xanthum gum, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside. Mix sugar and egg on medium for 1 minute. Add oil and mix another minute. Add vanilla, salt and food coloring and mix until combined. Gradually stir in flour mixtures and when it is just combined slowly stir in the milk. Scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl and mix on medium for 2 minutes. Scoop batter into cupcake pan filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes before frosting. Refrigerate frosted cupcakes until ready to eat.

Not too Sweet Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese or neufchatel, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir in Vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Once combined, Beat on high for 1-2 minutes.

Gluten Free Quick Cooking Oats!!!

2010-10-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

I don't know how long these have been available, but I have been searching them out for years. 5 years, to be exact! I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 5 years ago this month and quick cooking oats have been something at the top of my list that I really missed. I checked at more than 8 stores in the Chicagoland area and after no luck I figured I'd just have to get by with regular gluten free oats. Behold my joy when I found these at Sprouts within my first week of moving to Arizona. Hallelujah! I very nearly shouted for joy right in the cereal aisle!

Now regular oats are great for granola and most baked goods, but if you want to make fudgies (no bake cookies) or have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, it is my humble opinion that quick cooking oats taste best!

I love you quick cooking oats and yes, I made fudgies as soon as I got back from the store! Maybe living in Arizona isn't such a bad thing.

Gluten Free Fudgies: Otherwise known as My Secret Indulgence when my husband's out of town...

2010-10-28T21:03:00.000-07:00

Fudgies were introduced to me when I was 8 or 9 years old by our neighbor Shane Burns. Most people know these cookies as no bake cookies (since you don't use an oven or "bake" them). I've also heard them called boiled cookies and oatmeal snackies. I've tried them with all sorts of add-ins including coconut, raisins, marshmallows and peanut butter.

By the time I was in high school I knew that I liked fudgies best with peanut butter. On Saturday nights when our curfew dictated we return home from our various activities, my sister and I would sit in front of the TV watching SNL and Remington Steele while eating fudgies straight from the pan.

Gluten free fudgies taste best with quick cooking gluten free oats, a product that I have been searching for and finally found 5 years after going gluten free. I've used the gluten free regular oats and they're just not as good with this recipe.

My husbands not big into fudgies, so I often find myself cutting the recipe down by 3rds and making a smaller portion. Otherwise I would eat all of them myself. And I would. I'd be lying if I didn't say I've made these for my dinner when my husband's out of town. So that I don't feel so guilty about this little indulgence I have reduced the fat and sugar in the single size portion. They don't set up quite as well, but they do taste just as delicious. I'm posting both recipes and you can pick for yourself. I hope they bring back or create happy memories for you too!

Gluten Free Fudgies (regular batch)

1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter (I like creamy but crunchy works in a pinch)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick cooking gluten free oats

Combine butter, milk, sugar and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Add gluten free oats and drop hot mixture by heaping tablespoons onto wax or parchment paper. They will set up as they cool. Makes about 18 cookies.

My "Not so Guilty Pleasure" Fudgies (single serving or 6 cookies)

1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup quick cooking gluten free oats

Combine butter, milk, sugar and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Add gluten free oats and drop hot mixture by heaping tablespoons onto a plate or just eat from the pan (the mixture is really hot so let it cool a few minutes if you eat it this way). They will set up as they cool but won't get as firm as the full fat/sugar version above.

Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake

2010-10-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

I love Texas sheet cake and have been making it gluten free for years. If you're craving some moist sweet chocolaty goodness covered in a fudge-like icing, this will fit the bill!

Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups gluten free flour mix
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 Tablespoons cocoa

Fudge Icing:
5 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sheet Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 10x15 inch pan with cooking spray (please DON'T use the kind that has flour in it!) Combine the butter, water and 5 Tablespoons cocoa in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, xanthum gum, sugar, baking soda and salt. On medium speed mix in the buttermilk and eggs after 1 minute add the cocoa mixture and mix until well combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, begin making the icing.

Fudge Icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla mixing until blended. Spread icing over warm cake.

Gluten Free Blondies

2010-08-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

After just one bite I knew that these would become a family favorite! I tried a lot of blondie recipes in my gluten days. They were good. A chocolate chip cookie in a pan, right? I always thought it was strange to call them blondies, until now. I finally get it... it's about the texture. A blondie is basically a brownie without the cocoa. And oh how I love the texture of a good brownie! Moist, slightly chewy and rich - not cakey and definitely not hard and crumbly. Although blondies don't have cocoa they still fill that chocolate fix since they almost always have chocolate chips. YUM!

I hope you try these and love them as much as we do!

Gluten Free Blondies

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter, melted
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups gluten free flour mix
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 360 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue mixing another minute or until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the rest of the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips and mix until just combined. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Spread batter into a greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the batter. Bake 33-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting into bars.

Gluten Free Cinnamon Streusel Breakfast Cake

2010-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been in the mood for breakfast cake for a few months now, but have had a hard time finding a recipe that I liked. I wanted something simple with cinnamon so that my kitchen would smell like fresh baked cinnamon rolls without the effort or disappointment I've had from trying to bake them gluten free. I also wanted a recipe using ingredients that I always have on hand so that I could make breakfast cake whenever the craving came. I ended up adding and subtracting things from a few recipes to come up with the following. This creates a moist and delicious breakfast cake that our entire family loves!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Struesel Cake

Cake Batter:

1-1/2 cups gluten free flour mix

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cinnamon Streusel: (double if you want to put a layer of streusel in the middle of the cake**)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon gluten free flour mix

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Combine the cake batter ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Combine the dry streusel ingredients with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

**For a sweeter breakfast cake, double the streusel topping and layer as follows: Spread half of the cake batter into the pan. The layer will be thin. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter and cover with the remaining batter. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel on top. Cook as directed above.

Gluten Free Cafe Rio Chicken Salad

2010-06-22T23:15:00.000-07:00

There are a bazillion copy-cat Cafe Rio salad recipes out there - I've got at least 3 different variations in my recipe box. (Cafe Rio is a yummy fresh Mex restaurant out West). In my humble opinion, they are all super delicious and really similar so it doesn't really matter which one you make! This salad involves making 3 recipe (4 if you're making gluten free tortillas): Green Chili Rice, Creamy Tomatillo Dressing, and Seasoned Chicken.

Cafe Rio chicken salad is served in layers. First cheese is melted onto a flour tortilla (delicious with a gluten free tortilla, corn tortillas or no tortilla!) then it is filled with the green chili rice, black or pinto beans (we prefer black) and shredded chicken. All of this yumminess is topped with the salad greens of your choice (they use romaine, but we use spinach because it's so good for you!), and if you're really ambitious you can add pico de gallo, guacamole and tortilla strips before drizzling on the amazing Creamy Tomatillo Dressing. Yum! I'm already looking forward to having leftovers tomorrow!

Seasoned Chicken

5 pounds chicken breasts or tenders

1 bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing (always check ingredients for gluten!)

1 Tablespoon Chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

Place everything in the crockpot and stir to coat the chicken. Cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours. (If chicken is frozen, cook on high 4-5 hours) Shred chicken before serving.

Green Chili Rice

3 cups water

4 teaspoons gluten free chicken bullion

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 bunch chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon cumin

1 can mild diced green chilies

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cups rice (not instant)

1 Tablespoon butter

Combine ingredients in a rice cooker and cook per manufacturers directions or cook stove top following the directions on the rice package.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

3 medium tomatillos, peeled and rinsed

1 package dry ranch buttermilk dressing (double check ingredients for gluten)

1 cup gluten free mayonaisse

1/2 - 1 cup buttermilk (start with 1/2 and add more if dressing is too thick)

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic

1/4 -1 jalepeno (depending on how spicy you like it)

juice of 1 lime

Dump everything into a blender and mix until smooth. Add more buttermilk if dressing is too thick. Chill until ready to serve.

Additonal ingredients for salad:

black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

gluten free tortillas

shredded cheese

salad greens

Optional Ingredients for salad:

Salsa (pico de gallo)

guacamole

tortilla strips or chips

any other topping that sounds good to you!

!BUEN PROVECHO!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-06-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

These cookies are not only quick, easy, and delicious, but they also don't contain flour of any sort. Since they don't have any special ingredients, this is a great recipe to share with friends or family when they want to make you a treat. Make sure the peanut butter has not been contaminated with gluten!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 1 unwrapped Hershey kiss for each cookie

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients (except chocolate) in a small mixing bowl and stir until blended. If adding chocolate chips, stir them into cookie dough just until combined. Drop dough on an ungreased cookie sheet, using slightly rounded teaspoonfuls. Do not flatten or crisscross with a fork as they will turn out too flat. Bake 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed and golden. Cookies will be very soft so let them stand 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing.

For Peanut Butter Blossoms put an unwrapped Hershey kiss on top of each cookie after they’ve cooked 8 minutes and then stick them back in the oven for the last minute.

Gluten Free Chicken Divan

2010-05-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've kind of been on a food blog hiatus ever since we put our house up for sale in February. It's hard to cook and keep a clean kitchen. I'm a bit messy when I cook and the stress of having our house ready to show ALL the time makes me a bit reluctant to start something in the kitchen! Posting recipes is something that makes me happy, and who couldn't use a bit more happiness? My food blog is going back on my list of priorities!

Chicken Divan is one of my favorite dinners in the world. This is what I've had for my birthday dinner almost every year of my life! I was reluctant to post this picture because it doesn't look half has good as it taste...casseroles are kind of like that, aren't they.

GlutenFree Chicken Divan

1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 gluten free chicken bouillon cubes
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 cups cheddar cheese, grated.
32 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed
1 pound chicken, cooked and cut into 2 inch pieces (or use tenders)
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice

Combine milk, cornstarch, pepper, and GF chicken bouillon cubes in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add butter. Cook and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. To this, add the mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice. Combine until the sauce is smooth (my mom usually double this sauce and puts half of it in a gravy boat to serve at the table for those who want extra).

In a greased 9x13 pan place broccoli followed by the cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce on evenly over the casserole. Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes. Serve over warm rice.

Triple Chocolate Cookies - Gluten Free

2010-02-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

My husband loves chocolate so to celebrate our anniversary I made him his all time favorite cookie: triple chocolate. The name says it all. These cookies have a decadent brownie like chocolaty base loaded with semisweet and white chocolate chips. YUM! Don't be surprised if they become your favorite too!

Mommy's little helper

Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and creamy for about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 1-2 minutes. Sift together dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) and gradually add to the butter mixture. Mix until blended and stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Enjoy.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

Beef and Broccoli
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Valentine's Day! Since it's also Chinese New Year, we'll be making one of our favorite Chinese entrees for dinner - Beef and Broccoli. And then, for the most important part of Valentine's Day, DESSERT! We're continuing our Valentine's dessert tradition and I've got my red velvet cake in the oven...I'm not sure if I can wait until tomorrow night to eat it! XOXO

Gluten Free PB & Honey Chex Treat

2010-02-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

I used to make this peanut butter cereal candy that had sugar, corn syrup , peanut butter, and cereal. It's really yummy, but is so unhealthy that I stopped making it. The other day I was craving the flavor of this recipe so I did a little experimenting and came up with a healthier alternative. It's so easy to make, takes about 5 minutes, and tastes great! I made up the recipe on the fly, so if you read it and have seen something like it somewhere else, I promise I didn't steal it! Enjoy!

Gluten Free PB & Honey Chex Treat
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
5 cups gluten free corn or rice chex

Combine peanut butter and honey in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat and add 5 cups of chex or other gluten free cereal to the peanut butter and honey and stir until cereal is covered. Pour onto parchment paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars - Daring Bakers January 2010

2010-01-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca. I loved this challenge! I have been missing graham crackers and since they are an ingredient in this recipe, I got to make them gluten free. They turned out pretty yummy and I was excited to have a graham cracker peanut butter sandwich for a snack today!!
The nanaimo bar (pronounced nah-nye-mo) are delicious blend of chocolate, coconut, almonds and pretty easy to make (especially if you have graham crackers on hand. We'll be making them again. Since we're trying to be a little more helthy this year, I cut the butter in half for the base and instead of the vanilla frosting layer I used some sugar-free vanilla pudding (shame on me) made with 1 cup of milk instead of two so that it was really thick. We were able to enjoy these without the guilt and they didn't seem overly sweet like some people have claimed.

Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars

For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See below for recipe)
1/2 cup Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer 1oz box sugar free vanilla pudding mix 1 cup skim milk

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Whisk pudding mix a milk for 2 minutes until pudding is nice and thick. Spread over bottom layer and refrigerate.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

Gluten Free Graham Crackers
(adapted from Rebecca Reilly's recipe)

2/3 cup bean flour

2/3 cup tapioca starch

2/3 cup corn starch

¼ cups sweet rice flour plus more for dusting rolling pin

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 ¾ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons cold water

4 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix together gluten-free flour mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.

2. Using your fingertips, work butter into dry ingredients.

3. Stir in 3 tablespoons cold water, honey and vanilla. If dough is too dry, add a little more cold water, a teaspoon at a time.

4. Gather dough into a soft ball. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper.

6. Roll out half the dough on a silicone mat to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 x 3-inch pieces and prick lightly all over with a fork. Place mat on a cookie sheet to bake.

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. If cookies spread and bake together, re-cut while still warm and loosen them. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to cooling rack.

Pasta Rosa with Spinach - Gluten Free

2010-01-26T19:14:00.000-08:00

Last night I was craving pasta with some kind of cheesey sauce. I also wanted something fast because we were hungry 30 minutes ago. Looking in my pantry I saw a jar of Classico brand Creamy Alfredo pasta sauce (I love that it says gluten free right on the jar). Not a bad start, but we're trying to eat more vegetables so I did a little experimenting and came up with this simple yet delicious rosa sauce with spinach that we are already planning to make again.

Pasta Rosa with Spinach
--serves 6-8
16 oz jar gluten free creamy Alfredo sauce (I used Classico brand)
14 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach, washed
16 oz gluten free pasta (I used Trader Joe's brown rice pasta fusilli)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Prepare pasta as directed on package. While pasta is cooking, combine tomatoes and spinach in a sauce pan on medium heat with the lid on. Remove lid when spinach begins to wilt (about 3-4 minutes). Add jar of creamy Alfredo sauce, red pepper flakes and dried basil to you tomato spinach mixture. Stir well and cook until heated through. Place the heat on low until the pasta is ready. When the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain the water and place the pasta back into the pan. Add the Rosa Sauce and gently stir until the sauce is distributed evenly over the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately.

OOH LA LA! Gluten Free Crepes

2010-01-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

We love crepes at our house! My husband served an LDS mission in Paris, France and brought this recipe home with him. When crepes are on the menu, we call it Crepe Fest and go all out! We love using all kinds of toppings from nutella to meat and cheese, fruit and pudding or lemon juice and powder sugar. Any way you top them, they are a fun change up to your menu and always delicious! It was pretty easy to make this recipe gluten free and I think the gluten free version tastes exactly the same as the original.

Shane's Famous Crepes

2 cups gluten free flour mix
6 eggs
4 cups milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon xanthum gum

Combine flour, eggs, sugar and xanthum gum in a mixing bowl. With the mixer on meduium, gradually add the milk. Continue mixing on medium high for 4 minutes. Allow batter to rest 5-10 minutes. While batter is resting, heat your crepe pans or skillet to medium heat. Give batter a stir before making each crepe. Place a small amout of crepe batter on a hot crepe pan that has been lightly greased or buttered and swirl to just coat the bottom of the pan. I use about 1/4 cup for my 10 inch pan. After about 1 minute, loosen the crepe and flip it over. Cook for another minute or until crepe is a light golden brown color. Remove from heat and top with your favorite toppings. Roll or fold into a triangle and enjoy! These refrigerate well. Reheat in the microwave or enjoy cold. Makes about 20 10 inch crepes.

Yum! Turkey and Cheese crepe!

We bought our crepe pans in France. The shallow rim makes for easy flipping. A skillet will work just as well if you don't own a crepe pan.

Gluten Free Gingerbread House - Daring Bakers Challenge

2009-12-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

This month has been crazy busy and I wasn't sure if I would get to do this challenge (even though I've been wanting to make a gingerbread house for years!) Luckily it turned out, albeit a bit sloppy as I had some humidity trouble with the icing. Everything was gluten free and I will post my recipes soon...

We had a great time decorating our house!

My husband's a pro...his family has been building and
decorating graham cracker house for years!

Mini Pumpkin Toffe Cheesecakes - Gluten Free and low fat!

2009-12-03T16:26:00.000-08:00

My husband's not a big fan of pumpkin so when I was asked to bring a gluten free dessert to a woman's activity at church I knew exactly what I wanted...pumpkin cheesecake. I adapted this recipe to not only be gluten free and cupcake size, but also to be lower in fat than regular cheesecake. They turned out so creamy and delicious that my cheesecake loving husband was able to overlook the pumpkin and enjoy one for himself!

Mini Gluten Free Pumpkin Toffee Cheesecakes

3 8 oz pkgs. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin
2/3 cup nonfat evaporated milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup Heath toffee baking chips
30 - 36 gluten free gingersnaps (I used Trader Joe's)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cupcake papers in muffin tin and 1 gluten free ginger snap, face up, in each paper.

Beat cream cheese and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, cornstarch and cinnamon; beat well. Spoon into muffin tins filling each a little more than half full. Gently shake pan to distribute batter evenly.

Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are set but center seems soft. Remove from oven; top with toffee candy pieces. Let cheesecakes cool completely at room temperature and then place them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Favorite Gluten Free Brownies

2009-10-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

These are my all time favorite brownies. I still remember the first time I tried them (at Danny's mission farewell open house) this, of course, being long before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This is my friend Ellen's brownie recipe and I have since adapted it to be gluten free. They are wonderful with or without frosting, but I'm a frosting girl so that's how I usually make them. They also make a great brownie sundae if you top them with ice cream and hot fudge! I love them with chopped walnuts or pecans stirred into the batter before baking, but my husband prefers them without. To compromise, I'll often make half the pan with nuts and the other side without!

Favorite Brownies - Gluten Free

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix
3/4 teaspoon xantham gum

8 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 cup oil
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except nuts in a mixing bowl until well combined. Add nuts, if desired. Spread batter into a 9X13 pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy with or without your favorite frosting!

Macaroons - Daring Bakers October Challenge

2009-10-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macaroons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

I've been wanting to make these for awhile, so I was really excited to see this as a challenge. Everything went together easily and I didn't feel too "challenged until the finished product turned out without the "feet" on the cookies. I think I need to be more patient - I put the cookies in when my oven read 375 degrees but the internal temperature per my thermometer was at 340 degrees. I was in a hurry...

I filled them with chocolate buttercream. They taste great but don't look quite right. I'll be trying this again until I get it!

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Slow Cooker Gluten Free Lasagna

2009-10-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in the Fix it and Forget it Cook Book when we first got married and have adapted it to our taste (including gluten free) over the years. It's super easy once you get the ground beef browned and it tastes great!

Slow Cooker Gluten Free Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
28 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
15 ounce container of ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup water
8 gluten free lasagna noodles, uncooked (I use Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles)

Place the ground beef and chopped onion in a large skillet over medium heat. As the meat is browning, add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Continue cooking until meat is browned and onions are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Break noodles to fit slow cooker. Place half in the bottom of a greased slow cooker. Spread half of cooked ground beef over the noodles. Layer half of the spaghetti sauce, half of the water, half of the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese over the beef. Repeat layers.

Cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours.

Gluten Free Zucchini Muffins

2009-10-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'm down to my last zucchini and have been spreading it out all week. Sunday I made chocolate zucchini cake and today I made these yummy muffins. The original recipe was actually for Carrot Muffins, but I subbed in grated zucchini and added raisins. They turned out delicious - moist and soft with just enough spice. They'd be good with a little glaze if you make them for a special occasion!

Zucchini Muffins - gluten free

2 cups gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees and place muffin papers in muffin tin (makes 18).

Combine dry ingredients (first 8 ingredients listed in recipe) in a large mixing bowl. Add zucchini, coconut and raisins and stir to coat evenly. In a small bowl combine milk and oil. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add liquids to flour mixture and stir until just blended.

Fill muffin pans 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes (I baked for 22 minutes) or until light golden brown. They are delicious right from the oven, but taste just as good when cooled and reheated for 20 seconds in the microwave.

Breads from Anna

2009-10-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

When we got home after adopting our baby we had several friends offer to bring us dinner while we got settled into a routine with our little one. One of these fabulous dinner introduced me to my first taste of Breads from Anna. My friend made us the pumpkin read using the Breads from Anna mix and also an apple pancake and muffin mix to make later. I've seen Breads from Anna mixes before, but they seemed a bit expensive for someone who doesn't mind baking from scratch (that'd be me), so I always passed them over.

The pumpkin bread was delicious and the texture was moist and delicate. I ate about half the loaf by myself! Always on the lookout for ideas and hints I thought I'd check out the ingredients on the package. I almost fainted dead away when I saw BEAN FLOUR listed. Seriously??!!! How could I have eaten so much without noticing that chalking bean aftertaste? Anna is really on to something and I've been inspired to pick up some bean flour and do a little bit of experimenting (I'll let you know what I come up with). The apple muffins were delicious too, and one mix made 18 muffins. Maybe I'll just pick up some more of Anna's mixes instead of that flour...

Garden Fresh Tomato, Corn & Basil Risotto...Enjoy Year Round

2009-10-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

I made this risotto in July based off a similar recipe at allrecipes.com. I was looking for a risotto to highlight all of the fragrant basil we had growing in our garden. I wanted to use our garden grown tomatoes too, but because of the mild summer we had in Chicago, our tomatoes didn't ripen until September and by then the basil was gone...maybe next year we can be a bit more in sync! Even using canned tomatoes and frozen corn, this risotto was delicious and tasted garden fresh (hence the name). I'll be making this again!

Garden Fresh Tomato, Corn & Basil Risotto

4 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked arborio rice
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels (I like the "baby corn")
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into this strips
salt and pepper to taste

Heat chicken stock in small saucepan and keep over low heat. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and the rice to onions and cook for 1 minute or until garlic smells fragrant.

Begin to add the chicken stock to the rice mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until stock is almost completely absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup. Continue adding stock and stirring risotto until all of the chicken stock has been added. This will take about 15- 20 minutes.

Add the frozen corn and can of diced tomatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender but slightly chewy. Once the liquid has been incorporated, stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil. Salt and pepper the risotto to your taste preference and serve immediately.

I could stare at you all day...

2009-09-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I haven't posted any new recipes for over a month. Why blog when I could spend my time staring into these beautiful brown eyes? I've waited so long for this precious little angel to join our family. My arms have been otherwise occupied holding our little bundle of joy and I haven't cooked anything except for quesadillas for the last 3 weeks. My posts might be a little sporadic over the next few weeks, but please don't give up on me - as soon as we get a routine established I'll be cooking up a storm for our little family of 3!!!

Gluten Free Mallows (Chocolate covered Marshmallow Cookies) - Daring Bakers July 2009 Challenge

2009-07-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I was very excited about the Daring Bakers Challenge this month. Mallows were one of my favorite "special occasion" cookies growing up. You see, I grew up in a family with 10 kids and Mallow Cookies come in packages of 9-12. It just wasn't cost efficient to buy these at our house so it was a special treat when we got them. (Grandma DuPaix's Chocolate Chip Cookies, on the other hand, were a constant in our household and are still the cookie of choice among my siblings.)

This recipe turns out a delicious chocolate covered crisp cookie topped with a gooey marshmallow - yum!

Gluten Free Mallows
makes 5-6 dozen

• 3 cups (375grams/13.23oz) Gluten Free Flour Blend plus 1 teaspoon xanthum gum
• 1/2 cup (112.5grams/3.97oz) white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, whisked together
• Homemade marshmallows, recipe follows
• Chocolate glaze, recipe follows

1. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the dry ingredients.
2. On low speed, add the butter and mix until sandy.
3. Add the eggs and mix until combine.
4. Form the dough into a disk, wrap with clingfilm or parchment and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
5. When ready to bake, grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 inches cookie cutter to cut out small rounds of dough.
8. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool to room temperature.
9. Pipe a “kiss” of marshmallow onto each cookie. Let set at room temperature for 2 hours.
10. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicon mat.
11. One at a time, gently drop the marshmallow-topped cookies into the hot chocolate glaze.
12. Lift out with a fork and let excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
13. Place on the prepared pan and let set at room temperature until the coating is firm, about 1 to 2 hours.

Note: if you don’t want to make your own marshmallows, you can cut a large marshmallow in half and place on the cookie base. Heat in a preheated 350-degree oven to slump the marshmallow slightly, it will expand and brown a little. Let cool, then proceed with the chocolate dipping. (I ran out of time so I used store bought marshmallows cut in half, placed on the hot cookies and put back in the oven for 2 minutes.)

Homemade marshmallows:
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup (168.76 grams/5.95oz) sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 egg whites , room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a saucepan, combine the water, corn syrup, and sugar, bring to a boil until “soft-ball” stage, or 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let dissolve.
3. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
4. Whip the whites until soft peaks form and pour the syrup into the whites.
5. Add the vanilla and continue whipping until stiff.
6. Transfer to a pastry bag.

Chocolate glaze:
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 ounces cocoa butter or vegetable oil

1. Melt the 2 ingredients together in the top of a double boiler or a bowl set over barely simmering water.

Sweet Salsa Chicken

2009-07-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of salsa chicken (frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs thrown in the crock pot with 1-2 cups of salsa and cooked on high for 4 hours). I use it to make nachos, tacos, burritos, and chicken taco salad. This weekend my sister-in-law introduced us to a sweet twist on this amazing chicken and we loved it so much that we made it again last night! I forgot to get the recipe, but knew it was the same as salsa chicken with the addition of brown sugar so here's how I did it:

Sweet Salsa Chicken

4 frozen chicken breast or thighs (use boneless, skinless)
1 1/2 cups medium or hot salsa
3/4 cup brown sugar

Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours. Shred meat and serve. We used ours for taco meat. Additional taco toppings include black beans, corn, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro served on warm corn tortillas. The leftovers are delicious, but they go fast!

Gluten Free Bakewell Tart...er...Pudding - Daring Bakers June Challenge

2009-06-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

My Bakewell Tart...er...pudding isn't even out of the oven yet and I can tell it's going to be fabulous! The first layer of a Bakewell Tart is the tart shell. I used the Tart Shell Crust recipe from Annalise Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics Cookbook. It's a first trying this particular recipe, but I've loved all of her recipes that I've tried, so I'm not worried about how it will turn out.

After making the tart shell and putting it (unbaked) in the freezer to chill, I started on the next layer - the jam. This can be any flavor that you want. I chose peach because I had some peaches in the freezer that I've been meaning to make into jam and now was as good a time as any to make it. I followed the recipe on the box of sure-jell pectin for peach freezer jam.

With the tart shell chilling and the jam setting up, it was time to move on to the delicious third and final layer - the frangipane. The recipe we were given to use was measured by weight and although a kitchen scale is on my list of things to own day own, it has not made it to the top of my wish list yet. Instead I did some research and came up with the following proportions:

Frangipane (for a 9 inch tart)

1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 Tablespoon gluten free flour mix

1 cup almonds ground finely in the food processor

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter sugar. Add eggs one at a time mixing until well blended. Add the almond extract, gluten free flour mix and ground almonds and combine.

Now it's time to assemble and bake the tart:

Spread the chilled tart shell with 1/2 - 2/3 cup jam. Spread the frangipane on top of the jam layer and place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. The tart should be browned and firm to the touch but slightly soft in the middle. Let the Bakewell Tart cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free Pancake Mix

2009-06-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

Homemade pancakes are always a favorite, but when time does not allow it's nice to have a good mix on hand. I've tried a few gluten free pancake mixes and most are decent, but one stands above the rest in my view: Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix. This mix produces light and fluffy pancakes and nobody will ever guess that they're gluten free. We like them with blueberries or sprinkled with chocolate chips.

Gluten Free Multi-Flour Tortillas

2009-06-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked what I eat to get enough fiber in my diet. As you may have guessed, gluten free products are usually lacking in fiber. Here are a couple of things that I do to get the recommended 25-35 grams a day. When it's time for a snack I usually stick to fruits, veggies, almonds, and popcorn. I try to use brown rice instead of white and I eat beans at least once a day - usually with a quesadilla and salsa at lunchtime. I usually use corn tortillas to make my quesadillas, but after adapting a recipe for gluten free rice flour tortillas by Bette Hagman, I might just switch over to using these - they've each got 5 grams of fiber and 160 calories. Plus they're easy to make and taste great!

GF Multi-Flour Tortillas

1 Cup Brown Rice Flour

1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour

1/2 cup Soy Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons milk powder

1 cup warm water

Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat on medium for 1 minute. Divide dough into 6 equal parts. Dust work surface with corn starch and roll out each piece very thin to form a 12" circle (unless you're a superstar roller, expect your circle to be a bit jagged around the edges like the picture above). If you are going to roll them all out before cooking them, use plastic wrap to separate each tortilla so they don't stick together . Otherwise, cook the first one while rolling out the next, continuing until you've done all 6.

To Cook: Heat a large griddle to medium-hot and cook each tortilla 1-2 minutes per side. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. These tortillas reheat nicely in the microwave.

Buen Provecho!

Gluten Free S'MORES

2009-05-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

Camping season is in full swing and we couldn't let this summer pass without a trip to the great outdoors. In my mind camping is synonymous with s'mores, something I've bypassed the last few years. I planned to make my own graham style crackers for our Friday night camping trip, but somewhere between Monday and Friday I ran out of time. Friday morning I found myself dashing to the health food store to find gluten free graham crackers. I found two brands, Kinnikinnick smorable graham style crackers and Josef. I went with the Kinnikinnick. Not only were they almost a dollar less for the same amount ($4.29 for an 8 oz box), but I've tried several of their products and I've been happy with them.

The crackers are a little smaller and a bit thicker than regular graham crackers. I didn't try one by itself, but with roasted marshmallows and a couple of squares of chocolate they were probably the best s'mores I've ever had! I still plan to make my own graham style crackers one of these days, but until I do it's nice to have a tasty alternative. Happy camping!

Yummy S'mores! Try one today!

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Muffins

2009-05-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

I've been in the mood for orange cranberry muffins and when I remembered that I had cranberries in the freezer I decided it was time to feed my craving. I adapted a recipe from Annalise Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics cookbook and they are probably the best muffins I've ever made (although my gluten free Loaded Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are pretty close!) These are a new family favorite!

Gluten Free Orange Cranberry Muffins - makes 12 muffins

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
3/4 - 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
Grated rind from 1 large orange
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (juice the orange after you grate the rind)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin papers. Cream butter, yogurt, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the rest of the ingredients except for the cranberries until just blended. Fold in the cranberries. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool completely before wrapping and storing in the refrigerator. They also freeze well if you don't plan on eating them within a few days.

TIP: When fresh cranberries come on sale during the holidays pick up an extra bag to freeze for later use. They freeze really well and you can freeze them right in the bag they come in.

Gluten Free Peach Strudel - Daring Bakers May Challenge

2009-05-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

Making a gluten free strudel seemed like a pretty daunting challenge and I almost gave up before I started. I'm so glad I stuck with it as this ended up being the easiest challenge I've faced as a daring baker. With a little guidance from the Culinary Institute of America I was able to adapt a recipe and ended up with something easy to mix up using ingredients I always have on hand. What more could I ask for!

The May Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Gluten Free Strudel Dough

3 Tablespoons gluten free flour blend
1 egg white (about 2 Tablespoons)
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients with a rubber spatula to form a thick dough. spread dough as thin as possible onto parchment paper making a 6"x12" rectangle. Bake for 3-4 minutes or until the sheet of strudel lifts easily off of parchment paper. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Place your preferred strudel filling (I made a peaches and cinnamon) about an inch from the edge of the dough and roll up. Brush with egg wash or melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool before serving.

You can brush melted butter around the edges to help seal your dough, but I forgot and it turned out fine.

I sprinkled it with sugar before placing it in the oven. Next time I might do a cinnamon sugar mixture to sprinkle on top.

What did you have for breakfast?

2009-05-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Last week at both Target and Meijer Grocery Stores I found boxes of the reformulated gluten free Chex replacing the Honey Nut, Chocolate, Corn, and Cinnamon Chex boxes (no sign of Strawberry yet). It's so nice to walk into a regular grocery store and be able to find a box of gluten free cereal for around $3. I've been enjoying gluten free Honey Nut Chex for the last 5 mornings (and an occasional lunch), and they are delicious. Did I mention they are gluten free?

Beef and Broccoli - Gluten Free

2009-05-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

One thing I've learned since going gluten free is that if I want Chinese food I need to make it myself (P.F. Changs does have a fabulous gluten free menu and their Chang's spicy chicken is my absolute favorite, but I can't afford to eat there every time I want Chinese food!). I found the following recipe in the cookbook "Essential Mormon Celebrations" by Julie Badger Jensen and have adapted it to be gluten free. It's very easy (under 30 minutes) and very delicious!

Gluten Free Beef and Broccoli

1 pound beef steak (we buy steak in bulk from Costco and freeze them.)

1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce (Walmart's Great Value brand is gluten free and very inexpensive)

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/4 cup cold water

16 ounces frozen broccoli florets

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons sesame oil (this is the secret to make it taste like it came from a fabulous restaurant)

Combine soy sauce, sugar, corn starch, and water in a small bowl and set aside. Cut steak against the grain into thin strips about 1/4 inch thick. I find it's easiest to cut the steak when it's frozen (thaw it for 30 minutes so that it's not rock solid). Heat a large skillet to medium high. Put the olive oil and steak in the skillet and cook both sides until brown, about 4-5 minutes. Steam broccoli in the microwave or in a steamer while steak is cooking. When the steak is brown, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the meat and cook until it begins to thicken. Stir in the sesame oil. Remove from heat, stir in the steamed broccoli and serve over rice.

I hope you enjoy this as much as our family does!

Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

2009-05-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

After a good bike ride, I usually need something to get some energy back in my body. Meredith came up with this great tasting and very energy packed smoothy, I just had to share.

1 frozen banana
1 cup milk
1 scoop chocolate protein mix
1 tablespoon (or generous dollop) peanut butter.

Blend, enjoy.

It is simple, but helps me get my energy back after a good 25 mile bike ride and ready for the rest of the day.

Gluten Free Chex - Coming to a store near you!

2009-05-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited for this! Chex has reformulated 5 of their Chex cereals to be gluten free along with the currently available Rice Chex. Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Chocolate Chex, Cinnamon Chex, and Strawberry Chex will start appearing on your store shelves in the next month. Be sure to pick up the box marked "gluten free" as the gluten containing boxes may be mixed in with them until they sell out.

Daring Bakers April Challenge - Gluten Free Cheesecake

2009-04-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

The April Challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abby's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. I love, love, LOVE cheesecake! I think it is probably the best thing ever invented ...ever! I was excited to make cheesecake for the DB Challenge this month and even more excited to eat it! I had a hard time deciding what flavor to make. I prefer fruit and my husband prefers chocolate but I only have one springform pan so I decided to experiment and do half of the cheesecake raspberry swirl and the other half chocolate chip. It actually worked out really well and I will do it that way again so that we can have more than one kind of cheesecake. Plus it was super sinple to do. I poured the batter over my gluten free sponge cake crust and then I swirled raspberry puree through one half and mini chocolate chips through the other half.

The cheesecake was creamy and absolutely delicious. I was worried about baking it too long but at 45 minutes it hadn't set. At 55 minutes it still had a lot of jiggle but because I was so worried about over-baking it I turned the oven off. It ended up being under-baked and had the appearance of room temperature Brie when I cut into it, but that didn't take away any of the pleasure this creation delivered to our senses. Next time I will bake it and additional 5 minutes.

I followed the cheesecake recipe except for the crust because it wasn't gluten free. For my crust I made a gluten free sponge cake - an idea I got from Junior's Cheesecake's in New York (theirs isn't gluten free).

Here are the recipes:

Gluten Free Sponge Cake Crust

1/3 cup gluten free flour blend
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 drops pure lemon extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (preferably a nonstick one). Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.
2. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and beat until thick light yellow ribbons form, about 5 minutes more. Beat in the extracts.
4. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand, just until no more white flecks appear. Now, blend in the melted butter.
5. Using a clean bowl and clean beaters. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl and beat with the mixer on high until frothy. Gradually add the remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form (the whites will stand up and look glossy, not dry). Fold about one-third of the whites into the batter, then the remaining whites. Don’t worry if you still see a few white specks, as they’ll disappear during baking.
6. Gently spread out the batter over the bottom of the pan, and bake just until set but not sticky, 13-15 minutes. Touch the cake gently in the center. If it springs back, it’s done. Watch carefully and don’t let the top brown. Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Abby's Infamous Cheesecake:

3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

4. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, (I'm doing mine 60 minutes next time) until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away. (I used a 9" springform pan wrapped in foil and it worked well for me.)

Gluten Free Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2009-04-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

I've been craving BBQ, but the weather isn't quite ready to cooperate so I turned to my trusty crock pot for this easy and delicious BBQ pulled pork. Make sure your BBQ sauce is gluten free. My favorite is Trader Joe's All Natural Barbeque Sauce.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2 pounds pork tenderloin

12 ounces gluten free root-beer (I've also used cola and it's just as good)

1-2 cups gluten free BBQ sauce

Place pork tenderloin and root-beer in crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove pork from crock pot, use a couple of forks to shred the meat then add the BBQ sauce to your desired sauciness. Serve over gluten free hamburger buns if desired.

We enjoyed our pulled pork with baked potatoes and this yummy 7 layer salad. The recipe for the salad can be found by following this link.

La Tortilla Factory Gluten Free Wraps

2009-04-15T10:18:00.001-07:00

I am loving the gluten free wraps from La Tortilla Factory! I saw these gluten free wraps at Meijer and being a lover of burritos, I decided to try them out. The $4.99 price tag for six, 9 inch wraps nearly scared me off, but even with the price I would still be able to make a burrito for a few dollar less than my favorite burrito bol from Chipotle. The wraps are made with millet and teff flour. I tried the ones made with ivory teff, but they also make them with dark teff. I'll have to try and find them so that I can do a comparison. These wraps are very similar to flour tortillas. I warmed them on the stove for about a minute on each side. I used the wraps to make burritos filled with refried beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, and some chipotle roast that was leftover from Easter (Thanks Camille!). YUM! These were so yummy that my husband (who doesn't have to eat gluten free) requested them 2 nights in a row. Thanks for a producing a great product, La Tortilla Factory!

French Toast

2009-04-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! French Toast used to be one of my favorite breakfast, but I got out of the habit of making it when I had to go on a gluten free diet. (I like corn tortillas more than most gluten free bread, so I don't have bread very often.) When I woke up this morning I remembered that I had bread in the freezer made from the Whole Foods brand 365 gluten free bread mix (it's practically identical to the Gluten Free Pantry favorite sandwich bread mix, tastes the same but cost a little less. Both of these are favorites when I'm making bread from a mix.) The Easter Bunny left a carton of eggs in the refrigerator that we hadn't colored yet so we decided French Toast would be the perfect beginning to a beautiful Easter Sunday. French Toast is so easy to make. Here's how:

Easy Gluten Free French Toast

(makes 6 pieces)

1 egg

1/3 - 1/2 cup milk (depending on how egg-y you like it.)

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

dash of nutmeg (optional)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Heat skillet to medium. Combine ingredients in shallow dish that fits a slice of bread - I usually use a dinner plate that has steep edges. Spray skillet with cooking spray, dip both sides of each bread slice in egg mixture and place on hot skillet. Continue this process until skillet is covered. Turn bread over when its light brown (about 2 minutes) and cook the other side until it is brown. Continue process until all of the egg mixture is gone (about 6 slices). Serve immediately with syrup or your favorite toppings.

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Bananas

2009-04-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

I've found my new favorite snack! Not only does it combine 3 of my favorite ingredients, but it is so easy to make! The peanut butter is optional and of course you can dress these bananas up by dipping them into all sorts of toppings (nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, sprinkles, etc...) after covering them in chocolate. Enjoy!

Frozen Chocolate Bananas

4 bananas at your preferred peak of ripeness (I'm picky about my bananas!)

4 teaspoons peanut butter (optional)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

assorted toppings if desired

4 popsicle or craft sticks

Cover a plate or cookie sheet with waxed paper. Peel bananas and cut about an inch off of one end. Stick about an inch of a popsicle stick into the cut end. If using peanut butter spread it onto the bananas now. Place bananas onto the waxed paper and put into the freezer for about one hour. After an hour, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until just melted. Stir to get out the lumps. If your chocolate seems to thick you can mix in 1 Tablespoon of melted butter. You do not want to overheat the chocolate or it will burn. Spread the chocolate onto the frozen bananas and dip into toppings. You'll need to work fast because the frozen bananas make the chocolate harden quickly. Store Chocolate Bananas in an airtight container in your freezer.

Lasagne! Daring Bakers March Challenge

2009-03-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Home made gluten free pasta, oh my! When I found out I'd be making pasta I was a little nervous. Pasta is something I'd always wanted to try making, but since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease and going gluten free I kind of put the whole pasta making thing out of my mind. Without this challenge I probably never would have tried gluten free pasta, and although it was a bit time consuming, it was kind of fun too. It didn't hurt that I had a especially cute sous chef by my side!

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

Here's the recipe that I used. I cut it in half and used a 9x9 inch pan.

Gluten Free Egg Pasta
1 cup corn flour
3/4 cup corn starch
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup potato starch
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 Tablespoons Xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
6 extra large eggs
3/8 cup of water
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Whisk together 3 eggs, the water, and the oil. Pour into the middle of the dry ingredients. Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon, gradually drawing more of the flour mix into the wet ingredients. Add each egg as needed. The dough will be crumbly at the beginning but will gradually come together as you add the eggs. You will need to use your hands to squeeze and mix the dough. The dough will be firm and stick together when ready. It will not have the elasticity of gluten dough therefore it will crack when kneaded and pushed. Form it into a smooth ball, oil it lightly, and cover securely with plastic wrap. Let it rest for an hour.

Put a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. This is very important as the dough will not hold together very well when lifted. Have flour ready for dusting (corn flour etc) and dust the surface lightly. Cut a piece of dough about the size of really large egg – it doesn’t matter the size but start small for the first one to gauge how much space you need. Keep the remaining dough covered so it does not dry.

Roll the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc with your hands. Put it on your work surface and flatten with your hands. Use a rolling pin and gently push the dough down and out ward from the centre. You may have to place one hand on the plastic wrap as you push the dough down and away. Gluten free dough does not stretch like wheat dough therefore it needs gentle flattening and pushing. If it breaks, pat it back together. If it is too dry, dab a little water with your finger.

The gluten free dough will be thicker than wheat dough and you will barely be able to see your hand through the dough. Once it is flattened, cut into strips or squares that will fit your pan. Set the dough aside on the plastic sheet. There is no need to dry the dough. But if you do dry the dough, it will not be able to hang because it will break. Stack the rolled out dough with plastic sheets in between.

Stack the sheets when dry and wrap securely. Store in the fridge until ready to use. Freezing will make the dough crumbly and difficult to work with – so freeze only as a last resort! This dough does not need to be precooked before being assembled into the lasagne.

Gluten Free Béchamel - White Sauce

2 & 2/3 cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter or Extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons corn starch

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Mix the corn starch with ½ cup of cold milk. Heat the rest of the milk in a small sauce pan until steaming but do not boil. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the steaming milk. Stirring constantly, raise the heat and heat the mixture until thick. Once it is thick, remove it from the heat and add the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Have the béchamel warm or at room temperature ready to assemble the lasagne. Whisk the sauce occasionally if it becomes stiff or thick.

Gluten Free Ragu Sauce

I used my spaghetti sauce recipe and added 1 pound ground sirloin

Before assembly, pour plain water into the pan, enough to form a thin film of water over the bottom. A 9 x 13 inch pan required almost ½ cup (125 mL) of water. Once the lasagna is assembled, pour a tablespoon of water into each corner of the dish. Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil. Be careful not to touch the top of the lasagna with the foil. Bake as directed.

Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a layer of about four overlapping sheets of pasta over the béchamel. Spread a thin layer of béchamel (about 3 or 4 spoonfuls) over the pasta, and then an equally thin layer of the ragu. Sprinkle with about 1&1/2 tablespoons of the béchamel and about 1/3 cup of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel sauce and topping with a generous dusting of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted but not brown.

Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes

2009-03-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've been craving cheesecake lately and yesterday I couldn't stand it any longer. After rummaging through my cupboards and doing some recipe research I came up with the following mini crustless cheesecake recipe that is so easy, delicious, and only has 4 ingredients! (not including the topping which has 3!)

Mini Crustless Cheesecakes

(makes 8)

8 oz (1 pkg) cream cheese (Neufchatel is what I had on hand)

1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Line muffin pan with 8 cupcake wrappers and fill each about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheesecakes look slightly undercooked. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator until serving. Top with blueberry topping (recipe follows) or your favorite pie filling and whip cream if desired.

Blueberry Topping:

2 cups frozen blueberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Combine ingredients in saucepan and cook on medium stirring frequently until thickened about 7-10 minutes. Allow to cool before using and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Five Guys Burgers - Fries Please

2009-03-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

After checking that everything on the menu is gluten free except the bun, I was so excited when a Five Guys Burger opened near our house. My excitement was a bit short lived - while the above statement is true and the cashier said they would wrap my burger in lettuce, when our food arrived my burger was just that and less. One hamburger patty, a tomato, and 2 pickles. Thy didn't even add the condiments I'd ordered. No lettuce. Not even a fork. How do you eat that? And why would I pay $3 for a lonely hamburger patty? After further inquiry we learned that ALL of their lettuce is shredded. They didn't even have a couple of lettuce leaves leftover that I could wrap my burger in. How disappointing! (especially knowing that the SLC, UT location will wrap your burger in lettuce.) The fries were delicious so our visit wasn't a complete waste. And the next time we go and I order a burger and fries, I'll remember to HOLD THE BURGER and just get the fries!

Gluten Free Gingersnaps

2009-03-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

I love homemade gingersnaps! The store bought variety are a little to crunchy and have a tad more ginger than I like so I never buy them. Plus, they're so easy to make you might as well make them to your specifications so that you can enjoy them! This recipe is adapted from my sisters friends recipe. She adds a 1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger to her cookies, but since I enjoy a little more mild ginger flavor I omitted it. These cookies are so yummy. They are thin and a little crisp around the edges but nice and soft in the center. They have the perfect amount of spice without being over powering. In other words, they are just the way I like them. In fact, I skipped lunch two days in a row and ate cookies instead. OOPS! For that reason I don't trust myself to make them very often . I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Gluten Free Gingersnaps

3/4 cup butter softened

1 cup sugar

1 eggs

1/4 cup molasses

2-1/4 cups gluten free flour blend

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon xanthum gum

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Additional sugar

In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, molasses and egg until light and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 – 10 minutes or until set. (When there are cracks on the top I take them out). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets. 5 dozen cookies.

Flourless Chocolate Cake - Daring Bakers February Challenge

2009-02-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

With only 3 ingredients this cake was pretty easy to put together and made our house smell heavenly. I'm serving it to company tomorrow so I haven't tried it yet. I will update my post after we eat with the verdict (but after having licked the bowl I have a pretty good feeling about the outcome!). My camera is having issues, so please forgive the photos!

**UPDATE**

Although the cake looked and smelled delicious, I was disappointed in the flavor and texture. I have another flourless chocolate cake recipe that is more complicated but well worth it so I'll continue using that unless I happen upon something better.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and

put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

For the ice cream I did a Chocolate Chip cookie Dough ice cream using cookie dough from my sour cream M&M cookies because it does not call for eggs. Because of my schedule this month I was not able to make these at the same time.

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake

2009-02-16T13:35:00.001-08:00

I've always wanted to make a red velvet cake, but once I was diagnose with Celiac Disease, even though I'd had some excellent gluten free baking opportunities, I was scared to go for the double layer cake that I wanted. Needless to say, I let this prevent me from taking that double layer leap...until now! For Valentine's Day I decided to put my fears aside and go for the gusto. I did a bunch of research on red velvet cake recipes (gluten free and glutinous), found a recipe that I could work with and adjusted it to my preferences. Most red velvet cake have 2 Tablespoons of cocoa, but if I'm having a chocolate cake I want to taste the chocolate so I added 4 Tablespoons. I also omitted the vinegar since I was using the red food coloring (I didn't need the chemical reaction it would cause to give my cake a reddish hue). And I used a cream cheese frosting which many would say is non traditional, but I love cream cheese frosting and use every excuse I can to use it! The cake was a huge success! It was moist and flavorful with a soft texture that surprised some of the non-celiac tasters. Yeah! This cake will now and forever be included on our Valentine's Day menu and it might even show up at a birthday or two!

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 ounces red food coloring

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp xanthum gum

1 teaspoons baking soda

2 ½ cups gluten free flour blend

Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make a paste with the cocoa and food coloring (add some of the buttermilk if you need more liquid to form a paste). Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the oil, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk, salt, vanilla, xanthum gum and baking soda. Add the gluten free flour blend, mixing just until incorporated. Scrap down the bowl and than mix on medium for 3 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from pans and then cool completely before frosting and assembling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Assembling the cake - Check out that color!

The finished product.

And then there was none!

Gluten Free Tuilles - Daring Bakers January Challenge

2009-01-29T06:29:00.000-08:00

It's been over 3 years since I've had an ice cream cone, so when I found out the daring bakers challenge was tuilles I knew that I wanted to shape them into cones. These turned out delicious (albeit fragile as can be!) I need to experiment with some other flour combinations to see if I can come up with one that is a little more malleable, but over all I feel great about my results!

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux

Following is a recipe taken from a book called “The Chocolate Book”, written by female Dutch Master chef Angélique Schmeinck.  I’ve substituted the flour with ½ cup cornstarch.

Recipe: Yields: 6-8 5 inch cones (or whatever shape you choose)

Preparation time batter 10 minutes, waiting time 30 minutes, baking time: 5-10 minutes per batch 

¼ cup softened butter (not melted but soft) 

½ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar 

1 sachet vanilla sugar (substitute with a dash of vanilla extract) 

2 large egg whites (slightly whisked with a fork) 

½ cup sifted all purpose flour (corn starch for gluten free)

1 tablespoon cocoa powder/or food coloring of choice 

Butter/spray to grease baking sheet  Oven: 180C / 350F  Using a hand whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (low speed) and cream butter, sugar and vanilla to a paste. Keep stirring while you gradually add the egg whites. Continue to add the flour in small batches and stir to achieve a homogeneous and smooth batter/paste. Be careful to not overmix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. (This batter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, take it out 30 minutes before you plan to use it).  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with either butter/spray and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will help spread the batter more easily if using a stencil/cardboard template(I traced a small bowl on the paper and flipped it over to follow the lines and get my shape for the cones.) Press the stencil on the baking sheet and use an off sided spatula to spread batter. Leave some room in between your shapes. Mix a small part of the batter with the cocoa and a few drops of warm water until evenly colored. Use this colored batter in a paper piping bag and proceed to pipe decorations if desired.  Bake in a preheated oven (180C/350F) for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Immediately release from bakingsheet and proceed to shape/bend the cookies in the desired shape. These cookies have to be shaped when still warm, you might want to bake a small amount at a time. Shape immediately after baking using for instance a rolling pin, a broom handle, cups, cones…. 

Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts

2009-01-14T17:04:00.001-08:00

This recipe was taken from one of my favorite gluten free cookbook authors, Annalise Roberts. It is posted in its entirety on her website . I followed her recipe exactly and ended up with these delicious donuts. My husband gave me the highest compliment when after taking his first bite he asked if they were gluten free!

I used a wide mouth glass for the donut shape and a shot glass for the donut holes. Since we don't drink alcohol it was nice to see the shot glass finally get some use!

Watch the temperature of your oil while making these. If you add too many donuts the temperature drops and they don't cook correctly.

We covered ours in cinnamon sugar, but a nice apple cider glaze would be yummy too. I think I'll try that next time.

Crock Pot Chipotle Chili and Skillet Cornbread

2009-01-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

I think I've found my new favorite meal! I came across the chili recipe in the Jan/Feb issue of Midwest Living. My husband and I both like the smokey flavor of chipotle and I had most of the ingredients on hand so it was a bit of a no brainer to make it for dinner. The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, but I only had 1/2 pound so I substituted an extra can of beans and doubled the hominy to take its place. I also used chipotle seasoning instead of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - it's a personal preference.

After getting the chili into the crockpot I started thinking of what to serve with it. I love cornbread and have a decent gluten free one already posted on my blog, but unless you eat it right from the oven it's a bit on the dry side and doesn't re-heat very well (must eat with milk to choke it down although the flavor is nice). I was thinking of ways to add some moisture (sour cream, applesauce, etc) when I remembered that I had some creamed corn in the pantry. I thought creamed corn might help make my cornbread moist, and after doing some online searches realized that others shared my same line of thinking - there were lots of recipes online for cornbread using creamed corn. I used this one because it looked like I could easily make it gluten free. Here are the recipes exactly how I made them. They are so yummy and the cornbread is my new favorite!

Chipotle Chili

1/2 pound ground beef
2 cups water
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can mexican stewed tomatoes
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 30-oz. can golden hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cups loose-pack frozen diced hash brown potatoes with onions and peppers
1 teaspoon beef flavored better than bouillon
2 tsp. chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle seasoning

Brown hamburger and place in slow cooker with all of the ingredients. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve with sour cream, chopped avocado and shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Skillet Corn bread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup gluten free flour blend
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 can creamed corn
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly
1 large egg, beaten to blend
preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk cornmeal, gf flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and xanthum gum in large bowl to blend. Add creamed corn, butter and egg. Stir just until blended. Spoon batter into an 8 inch cast iron skillet.

Bake until edges begin to pull away from pan sides and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with butter and honey.

Easy Skillet Cookie Sundae

2009-01-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

I'm not big on gluten free mixes (brownies, cake etc...), but there are a few you'll always find in my cupboard for those times I want the taste of homemade but don't have a lot of time to bake. One of these such mixes is Pamela's Baking and Pancake mix. There's a recipe for chocolate chip cookies on the package that is delicious and so easy that I can make an amazing skillet cookie sundae in less than 30 minutes. Here's the recipe from off of the package:

Pamela's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

1 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Yield: approximately 20 cookies

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla and beat together. Add Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix and chocolate chips (and nuts) mix thoroughly. Place tablespoon sized scoops of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten. Bake in preheated 350° oven for approximately 15 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly and use a spatula to remove from cookie sheet.

To make a Skillet Cookie Sundae:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make cookie recipe as directed but instead of using a cookie sheet press 1/3 of the dough into a 6 inch cast iron skillet and bake for 15-18 minutes. (Adjust baking time and amount of dough if your skillet is larger.) Remove from oven and cool for 3-4 minutes. At this time remove the ice cream from the freezer. Any flavor will do, but my favorites are plain old vanilla and chocolate marshmallow. Scoop ice cream on top of the cookie and drizzle with chocolate sauce or your favorite topping. Enjoy!

Place the unused dough in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or bake into cookies along side your skillet.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-12-08T08:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was our church Christmas Party/potluck and after much deliberation on what I should take I decided to try adapting a banana cake recipe to be gluten free. The results were amazing! The cake was moist and flavorful and the cream cheese frosting was perfect for making this could be snack cake into something a bit more fancy and party worthy. I used this recipe as my jumping off point and changed it around to make it gluten free. Here's what I came up with:

Gluten Free Banana Cake

2 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9x13 inch cake pan.
In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas, sour milk and vanilla. Add baking soda, xanthum gum, salt and gluten free flour. Mix on low until just combined. Increase mixing speed to med high for one minute. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie - Gluten Free

2008-11-26T12:44:00.000-08:00

Pie crust is fine, but I often find myself scrapping half of the filling off of it anyway, so when I can across a no crust needed pumpkin pie I knew it was a must try. This recipe originally calls for bisquick baking mix which I swapped out for Pamel's gluten free baking mix. It was so easy to make. By the time my oven was pre-heated to 350 degrees I had everything mixed and ready to pour into the pie pan. It's in the oven right now and I'm going to let it set overnight before trying it, but it smell delicious and I am so excited to try it!

Impossible Pumpkin Pie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Pamela's GF Baking and Pancake Mix baking mix
2 tablespoons butter
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin puree
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dump all of the ingredients into a blender and mix until well combined (about 2 minutes). Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate and cook for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool before eating.

**Update** The pie was a success! I loved it and will be making it again!

PIZZA! PIZZA! October Daring Bakers Challenge

2008-10-29T08:25:00.001-07:00

3 years ago this month I was diagnosed with celiac disease. That means it's been 3 years since I've had a great slice of pizza...until now! I'm excited to announce that I've found a pizza crust that I love. So much in fact, that we've had pizza 3 times in the last two weeks. Hurray for pizza!

I've based my recipe off the one used by Emeril in a recent episode of Emeril Green. I played with the flour types a little and came up with the following:

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

(makes 2 18 inch pizza crusts)

1 1/2 cup warm water (120 degrees F)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 cups gluten free flour blend

1/2 cup soy flour

1/2 cup corn flour

1 cups millet flour

2/3 cup instant non-fat dry milk powder

3 teaspoons xantham gum

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggs

Combine warm water, active dry yeast and sugar in a small bowl and let it sit 5-10 minutes until it's nice and foamy. If it doesn't foam, your yeast is bad and you'll need to start again with new yeast. Spray two large baking pans or pizza stones with vegetable oil and set aside. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture, olive oil and eggs slowly to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the mixture is well incorporated. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix for 4 minutes. The dough will be sticky.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide into two balls. With damp hands gently press each dough ball into a circle about 1/4 inch thick, leaving the edges a bit thicker to prevent sauce from dripping onto the pan. Heat oven to 100 degrees and place pizza crust in the oven to rise for 10-15 minutes until double.

Without removing the pizza crust, turn up oven heat to 400 degrees and cook the crust for 10 minutes (including the time it takes for oven to heat). Remove from the oven and top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. Place back into the oven and continue to cook until the crust is golden brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes longer. (Note: if the baking pan is not liberally greased, the dough will stick. If this happens, use a flat metal spatula to separate the dough from the baking pan.)

Enjoy and eat often!

Grandma DuPaix's Chocolate Chip Cookies gone Gluten Free

2008-10-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

It might seem silly to post a picture of cookies on a newspaper, when in fact, in doing so, I'm actually sharing one of my favorite cookie making tips. I always place my cookies on newspaper to cool. I learned this tip from my sixth grade home-ec teacher and after trying everything from dish towels to cooling racks this is the way I prefer and here's why:

Dish Towels: Growing up we always placed our cookies on dish towels to cool. This works fine, but the fabric absorbs oils from the cookies which can stain the dish towel leaving even the cleanest dish towel looking dirty and gross.

Cooling Racks: I registered for cooling racks when we got married. I'd never used them but knew they were a necessity because all of the great bakers use them. I quickly learned that cooling racks, with their neat little square grid, encourage crumbs all over your work surface and occasionally leave the bottoms of your cookies stamped with a nice grid design -- not very attractive. These metal cooling racks are also a pain to clean and when placed in the dish washer on the energy-saver drying cycle can emerge with (gasp) rust spots! They are also a little awkward to store.

Newspapers: I know, it sounds so strange to use newspaper to cool your cookies. First off, newspaper is really quite sanitary coming right off the hot printing press. I always use the inside section of the paper that rarely gets looked at or touch, like the want ads. The newspaper absorbs any excess oil from the cookies (kind of like dabbing a napkin over your pizza to soak up the grease a eliminate fat), and it contains the cookie crumbs, making it easy to clean up.

There you have it! The secret to my cookie baking success. It's funny, looking back at my observations and opinions you can see that I'm strongly influenced by the ease of clean-up! When it comes to cleaning I choose the path that gets me out of there the fastest! (My family still teases me about always having to go to the bathroom when it was my turn to do the dishes!)

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies - Gluten Free

2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 2 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon xanthum gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups gluten free flour blend

2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream shortening and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until fluffy.

Add baking soda, xanthum gum, salt and flour. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Store in an airtight container. These freeze well.