Gluten Free Yellow Cake

I’ve been on a cake making kick, evidently. A couple of weeks ago I decided to revamp the yellow cake recipe I’ve been using for a while. I’ve actually been a little disenchanted with it, even though I invented it myself. Recently it’s just seemed too…heavy. And the texture hasn’t been quite right. So I compared that recipe with the Vanilla Texas sheet cake that I’ve been making, and ended up with this recipe. Well, actually I ended up with a recipe that didn’t work quite as well as I wanted. So THIS time I decreased the buttermilk and it turned out beautifully. It’s not quite as tall as I’d like it to be, but that could probably be fixed by making a 1.5 times recipe and then baking it a little longer. I’ll let you know how it turns out after I try it :)

Gluten Free Yellow Cake

3/4 c. butter, softened
1.5 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 c. EGF all-purpose flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk (I use just under 1 c. whole milk plus about 2-3 tsp. lemon juice; don’t go crazy, though, or you’ll end up with a lemon cake)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan (either by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray or by lining it with parchment paper).

Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to the creamed butter mixture, starting and ending with flour and mixing on low to medium speed after each addition until well incorporated. (Don’t go too overboard on the mixing, though. Because we are working with gluten free flours, the cake won’t get tough, but if you incorporated too much air into the cake batter the lack of gluten means the flour has a harder time keeping its structure around the air bubbles and then you’re more likely to get a collapsed cake. And NOBODY wants one of those.)

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes (maybe a little less, maybe a little more). The cake will be pulling away from the edges of the pan and the top will spring back when gently touched. (Also a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. You know the drill.) Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Before frosting - can you tell how the edges have pulled inward a bit? 

I frosted mine with a recipe of Lemon Buttercream Frosting that I found on Sally’s Baking Addiction. I did add  an extra couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice because the lemon flavor wasn’t quite strong enough for my taste. Altogether the cake was just delightful - the taste and texture were just like a homemade cake made with regular flour - and super easy to make. I’m excited to try it as the cake part of my Peach Right Side Up Cake, too!

The color is not quite right on this picture as it was taken inside, but you can see how cleanly it cut and how beautiful the texture was. 

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

So, it turns out I really like these sheet cakes. I’ve done chocolate, vanilla, and caramel sheet cakes, and today I decided to try a peanut butter version. I’m not sure what it is that helps these particular gluten free cakes to be so soft and light (I suspect the boiling water), but they’ve just been delicious. This peanut butter cake was no exception. Everyone liked it, even my daughter’s college roommate who, as a general rule, doesn’t like peanut butter things. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake

2 c. EGF all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbs oil
1 c. water
1/2 c. buttermilk (I use 1/2 c. whole milk plus about 1.5 tsp. lemon juice)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour mix, sugar, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. In a medium pan, combine butter, peanut butter, oil, and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring regularly. (Don’t worry if the peanut butter mixture starts to look separated - it will all mix in well in the end). Pour peanut butter mixture into flour mixture and mix well until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. The batter will be thin.

Pour batter into a greased (or well-sprayed-with-Pam or parchment-paper-lined) 13x18 sheet cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (The edges of the cake will start to pull away from the pan when the cake is done, and the center of the cake will bounce back if gently touched (don’t burn yourself!).) Remove from the oven and, while hot, top with the following frosting:

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
3 1/3 c. powdered sugar (just under 1 lb.)
6-7 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Place powdered sugar in the bow of a stand mixer. Combine butter, peanut butter, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring continually, until mixture starts boiling.  (Again, don’t worry if the mixture separates some.) Turn the mixer on low and slowly pour the hot peanut butter mixture into the powdered sugar while the mixer is running.  Mix on medium speed until the powdered sugar is well-incorporated and the icing is smooth, then add the vanilla.

Pour immediately over warm cake and gently spread. (Frosting will firm up quickly and spreads best while still hot.)

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake

So, after I made three or four chocolate sheet cakes in a row I suddenly began to wonder if there was a vanilla version of the Texas Sheet Cake, and (if so) if it would translate well to gluten free.  I was a little hesitant to try it because I had the idea in my head that chocolate cakes always transition to GF better than vanilla ones.  But I had a free afternoon, so I tried it. I found a recipe here and modified it to be a little closer to my original chocolate version. So far I've made it twice, and it's been a big hit each time, with people fighting over the last piece :)

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake

2 c. EGF all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1 c. water
1/2 c. buttermilk (I use 1/2 c. whole milk plus about 1.5 tsp. lemon juice)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour mix, sugar, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. In a medium pan, combine butter and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour butter mixture into flour mixture and mix well until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. The batter will be quite thin.

Pour batter into a greased (or well-sprayed-with-Pam) 13x18 sheet cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (The edges of the cake will pull away from the pan when the cake is done.) Remove from the oven and, while hot, top with the following frosting:

Browned Butter Frosting

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
5 c. powdered sugar (about 1 1/3 lb.)
6 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continually, until butter is a light brown color and aromatic. (If you burn the butter, don't use it. Throw it out and start again.) Add powdered sugar a cup or so at a time, stirring until well incorporated each time and adding milk as necessary to keep the mixture mixable. Remove from heat and add any remaining milk and the vanilla. Mix well with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth.

Pour immediately over hot cake (frosting will firm up quickly and spreads best while still hot).

Gluten Free Texas Sheet Cake

I've been making a lot of Texas Sheet Cakes lately. I hadn't ever really tried to make a gluten free version of it until recently. I'm not sure why...perhaps because I'm not a huge huge chocolate cake fan. But one day a few weeks ago I suddenly wanted to make one, so I pulled out my mom's old recipe, compared it to a recipe I found on the web, made some GF adjustments and set to work. The first one was a little crumbly and hadn't been cooked quite enough, but subsequent trials were just lovely. So I thought I'd share.  Enjoy!

Texas Sheet Cake

2 c. EGF all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1 c. water
4 Tbs. cocoa
1/2 c. buttermilk (I use 1/2 c. whole milk plus about 1.5 tsp. lemon juice)
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, combine flour mix, sugar, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. In a medium pan, combine butter, water, and cocoa. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Pour cocoa mixture into flour mixture and mix well until smooth. Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. The batter will be quite thin.

Pour batter into a greased (or well-sprayed-with-Pam) 13x18 sheet cake pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (The edges of the cake will pull away from the pan when the cake is done.) Remove from the oven and, while hot, top with the following frosting:

Frosting for Texas Sheet Cake

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
6 Tbs. milk
4 Tbs. cocoa
1 lb. powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Combine butter, milk, and cocoa in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour over powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Mix well. Add chopped nuts. Pour immediately over hot cake (frosting will firm up quickly and spreads best while still hot).

Peach Right-Side-Up Cake

When I was little my mother made a pineapple upside-down cake. She may have made more than one, but I disliked it so much that I don't really remember.  I don't know why I disliked it ... lots of people LOVE Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. And I myself love fresh pineapple. I don't even mind canned pineapple ... but I will happily forego eating Pineapple Upside-Down Cake for the rest of my life.  Sometime this spring, however, I saw a picture on facebook of a PEACH Upside-Down Cake.  Now, THAT appealed to me. So I googled some recipes and started to play. I don't actually turn the cake upside down - we just eat it straight out of the cake pan,with vanilla ice cream, cool whip, or whipped cream - which is why I call it a Right-Side-Up Cake.

Gluten Free Stroopwafels

Last year my family and I went to a tulip festival held here in Utah Valley. There was a vendor selling Stroopwafels… a Dutch treat that's kind of a crispy, thin cookie filled with a cinnamony caramel syrup.  They were, of course, full of gluten. But that didn't stop my husband and me from enjoying them… it only stopped me from being able to share with the children. At the time I wondered if I could make some gluten-free, but when I looked up recipes they all called for yeast. As yeast-based breads are often hard to translate into gluten free versions, I decided not to try it then. Today, though,  I suddenly worked up enough energy to give it a shot.

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

A couple of weeks ago I made graham crackers for a dessert. I used the recipe in our second cookbook, but as I baked them I realized again that I have not been in love with this recipe for a while. Somehow the graham crackers always seem to boil away. And they are chewy… And they just aren't quite as good as I want them to be. So today I decided that I would take a look at the recipe and see what I could do to improve it.

Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip and Craisin Muffins

I know, I know. Posting once a year is not really sufficient to make people think that I really intend to maintain this blog. Two words: Seven Children. So, sorry and all that, but the lack of posts will probably continue (though I would like to TRY to be better ... but we'll have to see how that actually works out).

I've been craving muffins recently. My brother was here for Christmas and he bought some huge muffins at Costco and then left several of them in my freezer when he returned to Hawaii. I tried to eat one the other day. It was ... not yummy. So I decided that I would just make muffins several times a week until I don't want them anymore. 

First I made Lemon Raspberry Muffins (which were fabulous ... maybe that will be my next post). Two days afterward I decided I wanted something a little heartier, so I googled oatmeal muffin recipes. I tried one from the Food Network (making several adjustments, additions, and deletions because that's the way I tend to cook). They were really good, but I realized afterward that I had accidentally doubled all the ingredients except for the sugar. So I made them again this morning. Just now, as I thought about it, I realized that I used one more egg this morning than I did last time. I'm not really sure which version I liked best ... So I'm posting both. Try them and then let me know which is your favorite!

Full Sugar Version

Low Sugar/Fewer Eggs Version

Thanksgiving is coming! Thanksgiving is coming!

It's the Monday before Thanksgiving.  My family is staying put this Thanksgiving.  There will be no 6 hour car trips to visit family.  Or 12 hour car trips (which, obviously, take even longer and involve way more crying on my part and way more potty breaks for children with small bladders). This means that I will be cooking a Thanksgiving meal all by myself.

Deep Breaths.

The good news is that I appear to have enough motivation to actually prepare things on time!  I have done almost all of my grocery shopping (I think I still need some fruit cocktail, but psssshhhhh.  What's a can or two? It could be a turkey and some potatoes and some olives and pecans and pumpkin and whipping cream and celery and carrots and, and, and. . . . So I feel like I'm doing very well.

Also, today I made cubes of bread for stuffing.  And I took pretty pictures.  And now I'm WRITING about it! So that means I am doing VERY WELL INDEED.  Now, I know that I have previously written a post about making stuffing, but that was several years ago and just contained one lousy picture.  So I'm going to post the instructions again . . . Enjoy!

Lemon Raspberry Cream Cheesecake

 (I couldn't find my camera.  So you get mediocre cell phone pics instead.)

On our anniversary, my husband and I went to the Cheesecake Factory.  For dessert we ordered a piece of their Lemon Raspberry Cream Cheesecake.  I took one bite, closed my eyes, and told him: "THIS is the dessert I wanted last weekend." ("Last weekend" had contained a really rough date night, with tantrum-throwing children keeping us close to home and the whole thing topped off by a complete failure to find the really delicious fresh-tasting dessert I was craving.) Of course, I didn't KNOW that Lemon Raspberry Cream Cheesecake was exactly what I was craving at the time.  I had a only a general idea of what the perfect dessert would taste like . . . which is probably why we didn't find it.  This cheesecake, though, was definitely it.  The slightly tart, summery taste of lemon was perfectly complimented by the raspberries and . . . well, if you've ever tasted it, you know what I mean. 

Sweet Potato Chips

Before cooking

After cooking

These chips are super easy to make, bite sized for perfect snacks, and very, very yummy! After eating the first chip, you won't be able to stop! 

 

Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potatoes, sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
Sprinkle salt to taste

Place sweet potato slices in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and stir to lightly coat each slice.

Spread slices in a single layer on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. (This makes cleanup easier.) Sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes, checking them at 15 minutes to ensure that they aren't overcooking.

Enjoy!!!

Finnish Pulla

Growing up my mom would make this  delectable bread called Pulla.  It's a sweet bread that uses a spice called cardamom to give it flavor. Twelve years ago I tried to make this bread gluten free and failed miserably.  The bread was flat, hard enough to break teeth, and certainly not desirable. Ever since that depressing moment, I thought gluten free Pulla was impossible.  I put up this mental block, it was so bad. Then, last year, my 15 year old neighbor went with her family on sabbatical to Finland, and today she came over to my home and together we attempted to make Finnish Pulla.  IT WORKED!!! It was light, it was sweet, and it tasted like the "real" thing.  I am so ecstatic right now, I can't even contain my joy.

Gluten Free Black and White Cookies

My sister Rachel has lived in New York several different times (for internships and things) and she would usually come back bearing gifts . . . usually Black and White Cookies.  Black and White Cookies are a New York City specialty.  (Well, my brother spent a couple of years in upstate New York, and he said they were also sold there . . . but they certainly don't sell them anywhere in Utah.)  They are . . . amazing. It's almost like someone cut the top off a cupcake, flipped it upside down, and covered the flat part with smooth, smooth vanilla and chocolate deliciousness.  Okay, that doesn't sound nearly as yummy as it really is.  I tell you, these things are FABULOUS.  The cookies are really good on their own, but (for me, anyway) the fondant icing pushes them over the edge of good into spectacular.  (Have I used enough superlatives yet? Probably not.  I don't think there ARE enough superlatives to describe these cookies!)

There are all sorts of recipes for Black and White Cookies floating around the web.  Rachel and I tried a couple a few years ago and then gave up in despair.  They were never right . . . especially not the icing part.  Most of the recipes tell you to combine powdered sugar and stuff to make a vanilla glaze.  DON'T DO IT!  IT'S VILE!  Blech! Blech! Yucky!  Shudder!  Ewwwww.  It may be easy to do, but it's so gross to eat that it's just plain pointless.  Plus, it ruins the cookies underneath.  Those icing recipes dissuaded Rachel and me from trying to make Black and White Cookies from scratch.  Ever. 

Well, Rachel went back to NYC in January and I almost immediately started craving Black and White Cookies again.  Unfortunately, I knew that she would not be coming back for at least 4 months.  So I decided to do a little more research.  I looked on YouTube for videos about making B&W cookies.  I googled recipes.  I discovered that the topping that was really needed was a poured fondant. I also discovered that poured fondant takes a little time and effort to get it right - but it's SO worth it.  I have made these cookies about a dozen times in the last 3 months.  I have also eaten WAY more of them than I ought to have.  But they are SO good, they're practically irresistible.  Besides, look how cute I made them look on Valentine's Day:

So . . . recipe.  I'm going to put the fondant recipe in its own blog post because it really is its own thing.  (I'm going to use fondant to make lemony petit fours as a birthday treat this afternoon . . . just because I can.)  I'll link it back here, though, so you can easily find it when you are making these.

Gluten Free Black and White Cookies

3 3/4 c. EGF all purpose flour mix
2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon zest (dried or fresh)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Combine buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl (or measuring cup . . . whatever).  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and lemon zest and mix well. 

Alternately add flour and buttermilk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.  Mix well after each addition, scraping sides occasionally.  Mix until smooth.

Place 2 - 4 Tbs of cookie batter on parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets.  (The cookies that you buy in New York are really big . . . probably four inches in diameter.  If you want to make them that big, you'll need to use 4 Tbs. of batter.  I usually make them smaller so I can spread the joy farther.)  Bake 13 - 15 minutes (smaller cookies bake faster), or until the edges are starting to brown.  (The undersides of the cookies should be a golden brown, but the tops of the cookies will still be rather pale. They shouldn't collapse if you lightly touch one, though . . . being careful not to burn yourself, obviously.) Remove from oven and transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Once cookies are cool, ice the first half of the cookies with Vanilla Poured Fondant.  After you've finished icing the vanilla halves of all the cookies, make the rest of your Vanilla Fondant into Chocolate Poured Fondant.  Ice the other half of your cookies.  Allow fondant to set up.  Enjoy!

Poured Fondant

Now, the first thing we need to clear up is that this is NOT a recipe for a rolled fondant.  This is not the sort of fondant that you would find in a thick white (generally inedible) layer on the outside of a wedding cake. The texture of this is more like the chocolate topping on doughnuts . . . something that isn't quite icing and is smooth and rather firm. It's fabulous stuff, and because it is just sugar, water, and corn syrup it stores quite well at room temperature for a long time.  Some of the YouTube videos I watched said it was good for several months.  I don't know for sure that that is true because the longest a double batch has survived my B&W cookie making binges is 2 weeks.  But it was still fabulous after two weeks, for what that's worth.

The second thing that you should know is that it takes a little practice to get this right.  Well, it took some practice for ME to get this right.  Hopefully the things that I have learned over the last few weeks will make your learning curve less steep than mine.  But the point is, don't give up if it doesn't turn out quite right the first time.  It's totally worth the effort.

Poured Fondant

2 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. corn syrup

Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan. (I have found that a non-stick pan is helpful when washing sugar crystals off the sides of the pan.)  Cook over medium high heat until it boils, stirring gently the whole time.  (Try not to splash up on the sides of the pan.  Sugar crystals that don't get thoroughly dissolved into the syrup will cause problems with your fondant.  Any undissolved crystals that remain in the final syrup will quickly cause the rest of the syrup to re-crystallize . . . thus undoing all your hard work.)

Once the syrup has come to a rolling boil, decrease the heat to medium, attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, and stop stirring.  Use a pastry brush or a very wet paper towel to wash any stray sugar crystals down from the side of the pan. (I've also washed the crystals down by placing a lid on the pot for just a few minutes after it starts boiling.) Let the syrup boil until it reaches 238 degrees.** (**Remember that, when cooking candies, you must decrease the temperature by 2 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet above sea level. Here in Utah County I only cook this syrup to 228 degrees.) 

Once the syrup reaches 238 degrees, remove it from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to 140 degrees.  (This takes 30 - 50 minutes, but it's really important.  If you try to move on without allowing the syrup to cool you will end up with little rocks of sugary stuff and then you will be unhappy.  I think it does that because all the moisture steams out of it so quickly when it is that hot. One of these days I'm going to try letting the syrup cool on a cookie sheet and then transfer it into my mixer because I'm sure it will cool faster and I'm always really impatient . . . but I haven't done it yet and so I can't guarantee that it will work.)

Once the syrup has cooled to 140 degrees (again, decrease the temperature if you are at a high altitude), transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn the mixer on low.  (I use a K beater attachment for this).  The syrup will first turn yellow and then white. As soon as it turns white, pour it into a ziploc bag that you have stretched open over a glass measuring cup or something. (Don't beat it too long after it turns white as it will harden very quickly and then your mixer might seize up and you will be unhappy again. It really only takes a couple of minutes to turn white, so don't walk away from your mixer while you are doing this.)  If it gets rather firm while you are removing the beater, just scrape it out of the mixer bowl with a wooden spoon . . . it should be okay.

Seal the fondant air-tightly and store at room temperature. 

Vanilla Poured Fondant - Make a simple sugar syrup by bringing 4 Tbs. sugar and 2 Tbs. water just to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Place between 1/2 c. and 1 c. of fondant in a double boiler*. (*I make a pseudo double boiler by putting 1 1/2 cups of really hot water in my 4 cup glass measuring cup, then placing my 2 cup glass measuring cup inside it.)  Add a Tbs or so of the simple syrup to the fondant and stir it with a spoon until smooth, adding more simple syrup as necessary.  (You'll have to rather chop at the fondant at first, but it will thin down and become easier to stir soon.)  If you add too much syrup, the only way to fix it is by adding more fondant, so be careful not to overdo it.  Once the fondant is smooth and spreadable, add about 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

Chocolate Poured Fondant -  Add a couple of Tbs. of dutch processed cocoa to your vanilla fondant.  Stir well.  Add more simple syrup as needed to make it spreadable. 

If you need more information on Poured Fondant (or want to see some pictures), this blog post by Joe Pastry is very helpful.  I also found some great information at this site, although I don't agree with some of the information provided there (I've tried cooking it quickly and it always seemed to crystallize into a thick crust almost as soon as I poured it out of my pan). 

Betsy's Amazing Chili

It's starting to get colder, which means that soups are reemerging as a major part of my menu. Chili is one of those meals that my family ate all the time while I was growing up. My mom "Just Liked It." She didn't know she had celiac at the time, but this was one of the foods she unconsciously gravitated toward because it is gluten free. We always used pinto beans in chili, but this summer I discovered that I REALLY like black beans. For this chili recipe, I cooked 4 cups of dried black beans. I used half of the cooked beans in the chili and put the rest in the fridge for other meals. (Of course, I'm feeding 6 people. If you are only feeding 1 or 2, you probably don't want to cook that many beans at one time.) - Betsy

Betsy's Amazing Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 sweet onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
4 c. cooked Black Beans* (see our Sides Recipes)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1-1 ½ tsp. cumin

Sauté beef with onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Drain fat.

Combine beef with all other ingredients in a large pot. Heat on medium-high heat until warm (10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally. (Or combine cooked beef with other ingredients in a crock pot and heat well.)

Serve with rice and cheese.

*I always include the liquid surrounding the beans, too.

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin puree
3 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray or line them with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl whip the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars and dry pudding mix. Mix until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. (If you want fluffy cookies, use a whisk attachment and beat for 3-4 minutes. If you want them flat, use a flat beater and mix just until the eggs are blended. ) Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree. Add the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in the chips.

Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 13-15 minutes or until the cookies are browned around the edges.

Low Fat General Tsao's Chicken

I was looking online for new chicken recipes and stumbled across this one. I didn't exactly have all the ingredients that the recipe called for, so I used what I had, threw in some extra's and hoped for the best! As I was watching it simmer, I have to admit there was a little bit of anxiety going on, but the results were amazing. I doubled the recipe, and the kids ate ALL of it!!!! My husband was disappointed because he was hoping for leftovers for lunch.

If you want to make this more like the real recipe, batter the chicken with the chicken nugget recipe, and fry it before simmering it in the sauce.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can green chili's-, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup GF soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir fry chicken thighs until cooked all the way through. Remove chicken from pan Drain water and using the same pan saute the green onion, garlic, chiles, and green pepper. Cook and stir a minute or two until the garlic has turned golden Add 1/2 cup sugar, the ginger, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and fish sauce.
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the water, and stir into the boiling sauce. Return to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy from the cornstarch, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken into the boiling sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes until the chicken absorbs some of the sauce.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. GF mix
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1 c. finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 c. oil
1 egg
1/4 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat Oven to 350°. Grease one 8x4x2 loaf pan.

Combine flour mix, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, combine sugar, zucchini, oil, egg, and lemon peel. Mix well. Add dry mix to zucchini mix. Stir just until moistened. Fold in nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely

Waffle Cones

My children wanted waffle cones, I was feeling a bit adventurous, and so . . we have multicolored waffle bowls. You really need a waffle cone maker in order for these to work. If you don't have one, you can pick one up at Walmart or Target. I say it's worth it, because you can make dozens of cones for just pennies, instead of having to buy 12 pre-made GF cones for $5.00. Hope you enjoy!

Waffle Cones/Bowls


3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbs. vanilla
1 c. EGF All-Purpose Flour
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder


Beat eggs, gradually adding sugar. Add cooled butter and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour mix, xanthan gum, and baking powder. Blend into egg mixture until smooth. Dough will be sticky. Drop by the heaping spoonful onto a hot waffle-cone baker.

Bake as directed, usually for about 20 seconds. Remove from baker and either roll around a waffle cone shaper or drape over an upside-down bowl or cup. The cones will harden quickly as they cool.

Butterscotch Crinkles

Butterscotch Crinkles

My daughter's kindergarten teacher made these for us one day, and my kids loved them!!! Not very healthy, and a bit expensive once you buy the gluten free cornflakes, but quite addicting once you taste them. So, if you make them and happen to put on ten or so pounds, it's totally not my fault. Blame it on kindergarten.

1/2 c peanut butter
1 bag of gluten free butterscotch chips
6 c of gluten free cornflakes (I bought mine at Macey's grocery store in the GF section)

You can half all of this too and make a smaller batch.....I would if you plan on NOT sharing....hehehehe:)

Melt the peanut butter and butterscotch in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Pull out and stir then put in for another 30 seconds.  Continue stirring, melting, then checking until melted all the way through. Then add cornflakes....mix....then put on wax paper to dry. You might need to heat a little longer depending on your microwave. Make sure you don't cook over stove too....it won't cook right! Have fun eating!