Gluten Free M&M Cookies

Gluten Free M&M Cookies

Even though it is summer, we are baking! :)

                                                                   Gluten Free M&M Cookies

1 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1 TLB vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar (not packed down)

cream together

Add:

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
3/4 cup Tapioca Flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xantham gum

mix well!

add M&M.... around 2 cups or less or more.... :)
I also like to add raisins.

Drop by spoon full onto cookie sheet.  (give room to spread as they cook)

Bake at 375º until golden  (around 8 minutes?)

ENJOY!

Delicious Lemon Cake

Gluten Free Lemon Cake Recipe
I'll add a photo next time I make it...

                                                           Lemon Cake


2 cups Almond Meal Flour
1/2 cup tapioca Flour
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

2 cups of sugar
1 Tsp xantam gum
1 Tsp salt
4 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp baking soda
3 TLB vanilla extract
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 cups melted butter
2 tsp lemon extract (optional)
8 eggs

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup of lemon juice

Mix dry ingredients together
Add milk, butter, and vanilla and blend well.
Add one egg at a time and mix well between eggs.

Bake at 375º for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool cake

Poke holes in cake with fork or cake tester.

Mix lemon juice and powdered sugar to form a glaze.  Pour over cake and spread evenly.
Refrigerate.

This cake is WONDERFUL and is best served cold.

We're A Bit Nutty Around Here!

We're A Bit Nutty Around Here!

I roasted these babies today! :)  Oh the aroma smells SO GOOD!

I started roasting my own nuts because I could guarantee no gluten.  But NOW I roast them because they are SO MUCH TASTIER than store bought roasted nuts.

It is REALLY easy too!
Spread raw nuts on jelly roll pan
Drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle with sea salt

Put in oven at 300º  and stir every 5 minutes for 15-25 minutes depending upon how done you like your nuts.  I prefer the longer time because they just release such a nice aroma.

Ummm.  Somebody was feeling EXTRA NUTTY! LOL

Gluten Free Egg Drop Soup

Gluten Free Egg Drop Soup

I don't know about you, but I really REALLY enjoy a nice bowl of Egg Drop Soup.  I haven't had an egg until our date last week,  in over 4 months, so I figured it was ok to make some delicious soup. :)
Mike and I went to P.F. Changs and had soup last week and ever since I was wanting some more!

So I fiddled around in the kitchen and came up with this recipe! It is wonderful!

            GLUTEN FREE EGG DROP SOUP
4 cups of chicken broth (organic gluten free) (reserve 1/3 cup for cornstarch)
1/4 large carrot diced into small pieces
1 green onion chopped
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2 TLB corn starch
2 large beaten eggs

Pour all ingredients except corn starch and eggs into a pot and heat to a rolling boil.
Stir in beaten eggs to spread around. They cook instantly.
Mix the 1/3 cup of NON HEATED chicken broth with the corn starch until smoothe and then pour into soup stirring until it thickens a bit.
Serve HOT.

For non gluten free eaters, you can use the chinese noodles to put on top of the soup.
For gluten free eaters, it is just as good plain, or you can use fried rice sticks.
I just ate it plain.

Pecan Praline Cheesecake

Cheese Cake Step By Step

PECAN PRALINE CHEESE CAKE
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs beaten
1/4 tsp creme of tartar
dash of salt
1/4 cup butter melted (unsalted)
1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
(mix all ingredients together and pat into bottom of spring form pan, OR baking dish of choice)

Cheesecake filling
3 eggs
3 pkg of creme cheese
1 cup of sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp creme of tartar


Beat eggs with mixer until yellow and frothy.
Add sugar, vanilla, cream of tarter and and creme cheese. (at room temperature)
Blend until smoothe.

Pour onto pecan mixture.

Bake at 350º (preheated oven) for 1 hour 10 minutes or until sides begin to turn a golden brown

Remove from oven and cool for about an hour.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

I adjusted this recipe to improve it.  I omitted the whipping creme and added another package of cream cheese and an extra egg.  I also increased the sugar from 2/3 cup to 1 cup to make up for the extra creme cheese and egg. It turned out wonderfully.... more dense and stable.

 This is the Pecan crust.  I put it in the spring form pan first.

Next, I beat the eggs until very yellow and frothy.

Now I add creme cheese one package at a time and blend until smoothe.

Add all the other ingredients except whipping creme

This is when whipping creme is added, but you only stir just until it is well blended.    NOTE: I omitted the heavy whipping creme this time to see If I can have a denser cheesecake.

 Somebody is waiting for a beater to lick. :)

 Now I spoon the mixture onto the pecan mixture in the pan.

 Place in middle rack of 350 degree preheated oven.  Place a pan of water under the cheesecake.

This is what it looks like when it first comes out of the oven.  It will settle down and cool and then you have to make it get cold!
I'll take a picture of it tomorrow before we eat it. :)
HERE IT IS! :)

It was wonderful..... I tweaked the recipe and it turned out great...I'll change the recipe to reflect my tweaking. :)

Gluten Free-Night Shade Free- Dairy Free Pizza

Gluten Free- Night Shade Free- Dairy Free Pizza......

Is this possible????? YES!

A friend told me about a recipe for an alternative to tomato based pizza sauce.  I checked out the recipe, but didn't like how some of the ingredients were put together.
So experimentation began!
I came up with a pizza sauce that can be tweaked based upon spices to fit many different recipes.  My family  could not tell it wasn't tomato based.

I used 1 small beet, roasted and shredded.  1 small carrot shredded.  I sauteed the carrot in some olive oil until it was tender, and added the beet and all these spices.
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Basil
Salt
Pepper
(all to taste)
I put it all in a blender and blended it to death. :)  And added water for better consistency.... ( to make it more spreadable)

The Pizza dough is easy.....

1 1/3 cup hot water
a packet of yeast
1 tsp sugar
mix all together and let it sit.

Add.... 1 tsp xantham gum
to 2 cups of brown rice flour and 1 cup of tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TLB sugar
Mix all together.... and knead until very well kneaded...
about 5 minutes by hand....
Roll in olive oil and cover to let sit and rise

Spread in well greased pizza pan.
bake at 400º for about 10 minutes.

After baking...
Add sauce, any toppings you like (that you can have)
and then add Rice Cheese.
I like the Mozarella rice cheese. It is very good.

Bake at 400º for about 20 minutes or until everything is nice, hot melted and the crust is duly browned. :)

I have not had pizza since last September because of a Night shade issue... ( no tomatoes, potatoes, or peppers of any kind ( except pepper corns)  no eggplant, or paprika)
This was so fun to have once again! :)
I really love experimenting!

If you try it, drop a line and let me know! :)
ENJOY!!!!!!

Gluten Free Pop Overs

GLUTEN FREE POPOVERS

I read a recipe that was for a German Pancake several weeks ago and wanted to experiment with it.  After several weeks, Erika and I came up with something quite different.... but the taste is wonderful!
I love accidently discovering good food! :)

These babies melt in your mouth and you cannot eat just one! (or at least I can't!)
The top variation has maple glaze... The bottom one was just butter and powdered sugar.

I can picture a few variations, including Lingonberry butter with powdered sugar for a Swedish variety, Lemon curd with powdered sugar....
Or just plain, for plain old folks like me! :)

I know they aren't pretty... I haven't perfected that yet. :)  And don't know how I could.
They look interesting in the oven.  They puff up, and then when you take them out, they sink down  which is the desired effect.

So, here is the recipe:  If you try it, please drop a line and say if you enjoyed it or not....or offer ways to improve! :)

                                               Gluten Free Popovers
PREHEAT oven to 400º

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt  ( I use sea salt)
1/2 tsp xantham gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 TLB sugar

STIR all dry ingredients WELL

add:
1 TLB vanilla extract
6 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of melted butter

Blend with mixer until all lumps are gone and everything is well mixed.
It will be a very thin batter. (so don't worry)

Using a spray oil.... grease muffin tins.  (I used a regular muffin pan and a mini muffin pan)

Pour batter into each muffin pan so it is about 1//2 full.  (notice.... not half empty) :)

Bake at 400º for 20 minutes. 
Popovers will swell up and even turn in the pan.....
They will start to get a golden color....

Remove from oven and place on racks.
Serve warm with melted butter and powdered sugar,  or any variety of toppings you choose or just plain. 
They remind me of the taste of a French Crueller.

Recipe for maple glaze:

9 TLB powdered sugar
2 TLB real maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
mix well
drizzle over popovers.