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

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.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

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.  

Flourless Chocolate Cake - Daring Bakers February Challenge

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.