GF Oatmeal Chocolate-chip Cookies-Yum!

GF Oatmeal Chocolate-chip Cookies

With a bag of GF oats and a craving for a cookie, I began scouring the Internet for a recipe that included only what I had in the house. I found a few recipes online and did what I do best – I reworked the recipes and viola… quick, irresistible GF, oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies.

Gluten-free, Oatmeal Chocolate-chip Cookies

4 1/2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats (I used Bob’s Redmill)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Baker’s sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons GF vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, grind 1 1/2 cups oats into a fine meal. Mix together ground oats, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder.

2. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Still mixing, gradually add oat mixture until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and remaining oats.

3. Scoop dough in mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart (about 11/2 TBS each). Bake until cookies are golden brown at edges about 12 minutes, turning halfway through for even cooking. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to rack.

Enjoy! This makes about 4-5 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.

Egg-free, gluten-free, white chocolate/chocolate chip slice-and-bake cookies

White chocolate/chocolate chip cookies. Yum!

Welcome to the new/old blog. I’ve decided to make the move to WordPress to have all the blogs in one place. I’m still working out the kinks, so if you find something, let me know.

In honor of your visit, I made cookies. Have a seat, pour yourself some tea and look around. How do you like the new digs? Let me know, I’d love to hear your opinion and thanks for stopping by.

White chocolate/chocolate chip slice-and-bake cookies

1 box Gluten Free Pantry Vanilla Cake Mix

8 Tbs butter, room temp

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 Tbs orange juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (GF, of course)

1 Tbs ground flax meal

1-2 Tbs warm water

1 handful chocolate chips (We use Enjoy Life)

1/2 handful white chocolate chips

1. Mix flax meal with warm water and put in fridge.

2. Mix cake mix, brown sugar, OJ, vanilla in a large bowl. Since my brown sugar was a little hard, I mixed the juice and vanilla with the sugar and let it soften, then added it to the mix. If your sugar is soft, skip that part.

3. Mix in flax, which should be the consistency of egg whites now. Stir well, even though this is a thick mixture.

4. Mix in chips and using a little muscle, mix it all in.

5. Pour out cookie mixture onto a sheet of wax paper. Fold over the paper and work the dough into a foot-long/ 2″ log. Wrap well and place in fridge for 3 hours to overnight to cool.

6. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice as many cookies as you want and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown. I slice mine about 1/2-3/4-inch thick. Place at least 2 inches apart. (Optional-sprinkle with a bit of vanilla sugar if you have it.)

Crispy and light. Perfect with that afternoon cup of tea. Best part, you only have to bake a few at a time. Put the rest in the freezer or leave in the fridge and make fresh, warm cookies right before the kids get home from school (or finish with their homework).

Enjoy.

 

Coconut Cake Fit for a King

My husband had a very special birthday last week and to commemorate the occasion, I decided to get him a coconut cake. I could have made it, but he is always mentioning how much he misses his grandmother’s coconut cake and I didn’t think I could get close.

Enter Angela Saban. I’ve have tried many of her cakes and treats, all of which are gluten free and amazing. I knew it would be good, and I knew it would be closer to grandma’s than I could ever get. What I received was a beautiful, huge cake that lived up to my expectations and more. Husband was totally surprised and said it may not have been grandma’s cake, but it’s the closest he’s ever come to it. And since it was gluten free (and he is not)  I think we’ve accomplished something here, don’t you?

The cake was beautiful on the outside with a pretty ribbon on top with Happy Birthday written on it, edible blue glitter sprinkled on lightly and a generous amount of light frosting and coconut surrounding it. The cake inside was four layers high and yet it was light and sweet. The cake was not too dense and not too sweet, making it a great combo for the light whipped buttercream icing. All white, all coconut and all amazing.

The party was a combined celebration for the Husband and a wonderful 6-year-old boy who is very close to our family. My daughter made her famous gluten-free chocolate cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream frosting and decorated with crushed K-Too cookies just for him and his friends. They loved them, and we even had a couple left to bring home and freeze for another day. The cake, as you can see, is sky high and even though there were 15 people eating it, we still had enough to leave a piece for the hostess, give a piece to my Mom, freeze a piece and eat some the next day. Angela did say it would feed 25 people and she wasn’t kidding!

And just for the record, I don’t get anything for writing this. I paid for the cake and I will be doing so again on any other occasion where I don’t have time or inclination to make a cake. I’m just trying to come up with an occasion soon!

Enjoy!

Mini Raspberry Swirl Gluten-free Cheesecake Bites

Mini cheesecake bites with raspberry swirl

I know, two posts in one day…but I couldn’t help it. I offered to bring a dessert to a party today, but then couldn’t decide what I wanted to bring. I could have done the usual brownies (which are very good) or go with something new. Then it hit me, what would I want someone to bring? Mini cheesecakes, gluten free, a little fruit. Mmmmmm. Then, I set about making that happen. Of course, I didn’t decide this until 10 a.m. and the party was at 1, so I had to act fast. No problem…

Mini Raspberry Swirl Gluten-free Cheesecake
Crust:
1 bag of Pamela’s Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies
2 TBS butter, melted

Cheesecake:
3 8-oz packages of cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Raspberry Syrup:
1 bag of frozen raspberries (couldn’t find fresh, use them if you can)
1/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp orange extract

1. Pour raspberries and sugar into a sauce pan and let it simmer for about 20 minutes to reduce. Just let it simmer while you do everything else, but check it often to make sure it doesn’t burn or cook too fast. Low heat.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Crush the cookies finely either in a bag and smash them, or use a food processor, then mix in the butter.
4. Line mini cupcake tin with papers.
5. Put a small amount of the cookie mixture (about 1/3 of the cup) into each paper cup. I used the flat end of a wine cork (just the right size) to tamp down the cookie mixture.
 6. Using a mixer, blend the cheesecake ingredients until smooth.
7. Fill the cups to just about full.
8. Once the raspberry syrup is reduced, push it through a strainer to remove the seeds and put in the freezer for a few moments to cool it down. (just don’t forget about it)
9. Dot each cheesecake with the syrup, then swirl with a toothpick to make a pretty design.
10. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. They will puff up when they cook, then sink back down when you take them out. Don’t worry, that’s normal.

Let them cool for about 10 minutes, then refrigerate until you need them. Of course, I was in a hurry and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes, then in the fridge for a few hours at the party. Take them out about 20 minutes before you want to eat them so they aren’t too cold.

Yum! These are tasty bites of heaven and everyone raved at the party. The most tedious part of the process is tapping down all the cookie crusts and swirling the raspberry sauce. I recommend getting an eager teen to help you, it certainly makes it much quicker and much more fun. This recipe made about 65 of these little beauties, and they were all eaten in less than 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Success! (and a chocolate cupcake)

Once again for the holidays, I tried to make a pie crust and pumpkin pie. This time I was confident enough to go out on my own and tweak the recipes. Thanksgiving’s pie was good, but not amazing. I strive for amazing.

My rule has always been to follow the recipe the first time, then change it the way you want after that. So, this time the crust came out better and thanks to a little mistake, the pumpkin pie filling was fabulous!

Using Gluten Free Pantry’s pie crust mix and following the directions, this time I added a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla to kick up the flavor of the crust. Also, I mixed the dough with my hands, not using a machine and that left chunks of butter (about the size of small marbles) scattered in the dough. Break the dough into two pieces and refrigerate. Now, this is the important part...refrigerate at least 24 hours. The first time, we only let it sit for one hour and had to push it into the pie plate like a giant piece of Playdough. This time, after more than 24 hours of cooling in the fridge, the dough was much more firm and I was able to roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap and place it into the greased pie plate. Press in any spots that rip. There are still a few small bits of butter left in the dough, but leave them. I wanted to sprinkle some sugar on the dough before baking it to give it a layer of crunch, but I forgot. Next time…

Bake the crust for 12 minutes in a 350 degree oven before filling it. (Can’t remember what the package says, that was just what I decided to do. I threw away the box before checking that part.)

Preparing the filling is easy. Just use the recipe on the side of the organic pumpkin can. (Not pumpkin pie filling, yuk!) But instead of evaporated milk, I used a can of sweetened condensed milk. Didn’t realize my mistake until it was mixed in, so we went with it and crossed our fingers. Added cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, sugar and eggs (and a tsp of vanilla). Pour into cooled crust and bake 10 minutes at 450 and turn the oven down to 350 and bake another 30 minutes.

There is no photo, the pie when that fast after dinner. Everyone devoured the pie and the crust, raving about how it was hard to tell that it was gluten-free. Always glad to hear that from the gluten eaters in the group. Little tweaks can sometimes be your best friend, dear chef!

I’ve added a photo above of the beautiful cupcakes my daughter made for the day. Gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with peppermint buttercream frosting and a white-chocolate/peppermint bark on top. Sweet! She’s getting to be the real baker, and may even be better than me now since she’s gotten so creative. So proud! Recipe to follow as soon as she gives it to me.

Here’s how to have a gluten-free book club tea party

It was my month to choose a book and host book club in November. Not only do I love reading, but I also love hosting parties. The book I chose was Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier. And since the book is based on the lives of spinster women searching for fossils on the coast of England in the early 1800s, (yes, it really is), I chose a tea-party theme with seashells and dinosaurs thrown in for fun.

Tea Party with sea glass, shells and dinosaurs

Tea is served

First let me note that I am the only GF eater in the group. It’s been my mission to prove to them all that GF cooking is just as good and that the wheat is not missed. Top that with the fact that we’re vegetarians and there isn’t any meat at our house and I’ve got a real challenge, but I’m always up for a challenge, Dear Chef.

The dinosaur is there for a reason, trust me.

I decided on making two veggie tarts, (basically quiche without the crust). The first was made with carmelized leeks, browned mushrooms, mozzarella and goat cheese. Carmelize one onion and two leeks, then add mushrooms and brown them with the onions. When they’re done, place them on the bottom of a tart pan and spread out evenly. Cover with a layer of shredded mozzarella and about 3 TBS of shredded Parmesan. Sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme and parsley. In a separate bowl, mix together about 4 egg whites and 3 eggs. Add about 1/4 cup of goat cheese and whisk it all together with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried mustard and nutmeg. Pour evenly over the tart and bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Don’t let it get too brown. Slice when cool and enjoy. I’m always apprehensive about using goat cheese since even though I love it, I have found that people either love it or hate it. But this was first plate to be empty, so I suppose this wasn’t anything to worry about.

Another dinosaur, representing the fossils in the book.

The second tart was onion, spinach, asparagus and Swiss cheese. Start with the onions in a bit of olive oil and butter (as above) and cook till brown and sweet. Add about 2 cups of fresh spinach and cook until wilted. Turn the heat on low and cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has cooked out of the spinach. Add 1/2 tsp fresh garlic, pinch of salt and pepper. spread evenly into a pie/tart pan. Cover with 1 1/2 cups of shredded Swiss cheese. Take asparagus and arrange in a patter on top of the cheese. In a separate bowl, beat together 4 egg whites, 3 eggs, 1/4 cup half and half, salt, pepper, pinch of both nutmeg and dried mustard. Chop about 1 TBS fresh parsley and add to the mixture. Beat and then pour evenly and gently over the veggie/cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, but don’t let it get too brown. Slice when cool.

Thanks to Udi’s for the fabulous bread used to make the cucumber sandwiches and the egg salad sandwiches. They were the first to go and not one was left on the plate. Daughter and I kept eating them while making them, we love them that much. Simple to make, really. For the cucumber sandwiches, just cut the crusts off the bread, then spread with cream cheese and layer with strips of cucumber (use a veggie peeler for strips) and slice. Sprinkle with a little salt and a bit of chopped fresh parsley. For the egg salad I used chopped egg, mayo, apples, celery, salt/pepper and chopped parsley. I didn’t cut the crusts off of these and they were yummy .

In keeping with the fossil-hunting theme, Daughter actually made a wonderful GF coffee cake and placed a small dinosaur in one of the pieces while plating the cake. (Fossil hunting in the dirt? Too much of a stretch?) The cake was gone quickly, and worked perfectly with the tea after dinner.

And believe it or not, I found the perfect wine in the spirit of the fossil-hunting theme of the evening. Thanks Trader Joe’s.

I was depending on Trader Joe’s for their lovely shell-shaped chocolates to round out the decor. And wouldn’t you know it, they don’t have them yet for the holiday season. What’s a girl to do? Ask her teen to make some chocolate, that’s what. Darling daughter actually melted white and dark chocolate and poured it into molds to give us our shell chocolate. What a doll! The night was rounded out with cheese/pesto/sun-dried tomato torte with rice crackers, caramels with sea salt and a lovely salad of spring lettuce, roasted beets and candied pecans in a balsamic dressing.

I’m sad the night is over, but I can’t wait for next month. Try reading the book and see what it inspires you to cook. Enjoy!

Gluten-free, Chocolate Almond/Cashew Cups

Gluten-free, chocolate almond/cashew cups

I had a craving for peanuts and chocolate last night, so I decided that I would whip up something fun. These nut cups are modified from the protein bars I made previously, and are quick and easy to make, no cooking (unless you count a microwave for a few seconds) and yummy. I even had a few for breakfast.

Quick and Easy Chocolate Almond/Cashew Cups
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup unsalted, natural peanut butter

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 Tbs honey
1/2 Tbs GF vanilla extract
1/2 cup Enjoy Life GF, DF, CF chocolate chips

1. Spray a mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small food processor, combine almonds, cashews, flax, sunflower seeds and peanut butter until it forms a paste.
3. Heat coconut oil, sugar, honey and vanilla in a small bowl in the microwave for just 15 seconds.
4. Pour coconut oil mixture into nut mixture and process until mixed (just about 10-15 seconds).
5. Put about a TBS of mixture in each tin and place in the freezer while you make the chocolate. This made 24 cups.
6. Heat chocolate in microwave for 20 seconds, then stir, then heat again for 10 seconds. Keep doing this until it’s all melted. Be careful not to overcook.
7. Remove cups from the freezer and put about a tsp of chocolate on top of each cup and spread it out. Work quickly, it cools and hardens fast on the cold nut mixture. After you’ve put all the chocolate on, you can add more if you like.
8. Return cups to the fridge or freezer (depending on how fast you want to eat them).
9. When hardened, remove the cups from the tins and put in an airtight container in the fridge. They melt quickly so keep them in the fridge.
Enjoy!

Cupcake Heaven!

Lovely Little Cupcakes

I’ve been dying for cupcakes lately. Probably because everyone is eating them these days and I can’t seem to find one that really tastes like non-GF cupcakes from the old days. But at the park recently, a mom showed up with cupcakes for her daughter and they were fabulous. GF and chocolate, what a combo. After raving about them and saying how hard it is to find a good GF cupcake, I expected to get a long, drawn-out recipe I would dread getting involved with. But all she said was,” I used the Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix.” No way!

So, I decided to give them a try. I bought the mix at Safeway on sale for $3.69, which means I got a lot more cupcakes for my money than from a fancy shop.

My friend and I are throwing a wine and cheese party for the gals tomorrow and this was the perfect time to try out some mini cupcakes. Oh my, they are so lovely. The cake is moist and light, just enough chocolate and not overly sweet. Just what I’ve been looking for. I’ll try the White cake next and see how that goes, but I can’t imagine them being any different. I also found some mini cupcake papers in Safeway also. Aren’t they cute?

Cupcakes Ready for the Ladies

Just follow the directions on the package, which calls for 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup of butter and 3 eggs. I used some lovely farmers market eggs. Normally, I tweak the recipe and add a little of this and a little of that. Not this time. I decided to try it as is for the first try. Good idea, I can’t imagine what I would do to them.

The frosting is just something I bought in a can that sprays, which tastes adequate and sweet. I put just a small flower on top of each to keep the sweetness at bay. I suppose my next project is to make my own frosting. I love whipped cream frosting, maybe I’ll try that next.

Enjoy!

Low carb? Are you sure?

gluten-free lemon/chocolate-chip muffins

For someone eating low carb, I’ve been posting a lot about muffins and pancakes lately. What’s the story with that? Well, quite simply, carbs are not your enemy. If you eat them in very little quantities, you can get away with just about anything. The secret to eating anything fattening (such as carbs, including sugar, grains, etc.) is to eat just a little. Don’t go overboard.

With that said, I had a craving to read a good book, grab a cup of tea and eat a warm muffin. I had everything but the muffin. Normally, I would grab an Udi’s Blueberry Muffin from the freezer, but Daughter made sure those are all gone. Second best thing is to make some. I use Authentic Foods Lemon Cake mix and doctor it up my way. Add the two eggs, 1/2 cup milk (I use rice milk) and 1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil) called for on the package. Add a little more vanilla, lemon juice and a handful of chocolate chips and fill about 24 mini muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes and viola! You have a lovely snack for that tea and good book.

Now find a comfy chair and relax. Just pace yourself and put a few in the freezer for the next time this craving strikes.

Enjoy!

GF Cookies with Extras

Ok, I love cookies. And we all know that going GF means going without good ones. Sure, I’ve found a few in a box that are so-so. And Cookies From Home in Tempe, AZ makes a great cookie dough you can freeze-I just wish it wasn’t $10 for a batch. Makes it a special occasion only treat.

But I found a new boxed cookie recipe with promise. Once again, tweaking it makes all the difference. By all means, try it with the directions on the box, then try it my way. I’ve been working on trying to find an easy way to make cookies to bring with me on occasions and are GF-not an easy combo. But, dear chef, here they are…

GF Cookies with Extras
1 box Betty Crocker gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix (see photo below)
1 egg
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) softened
1 Tbs raw/virgin coconut oil
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup candied pecans
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Split mixture in half. Make two logs and wrap in plastic wrap.
3. Place in freezer for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven at 350 degrees while mix is in the freezer.
5. Slice frozen dough and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

I never said these were good for you, but when you’re craving a cookie, this is it. Omit or add anything you want, dear chef, they are your cookies in the end. The coconut oil helps to keep them moist since GF products seem to get very dry after one day.

I’ve also discovered that freezing the dough makes the cookies a little chewier and less crumbly. You can keep this dough in the freezer and just pull it out and make a few cookies when you need them. Just make sure to freeze it first.

Store in an airtight container and try not to eat them all at once!

Enjoy!