It's Fall Time!

It is fall,one of my favorite times of year.  I love everything about fall but mostly it revolves around pumpkins.  Pumpkins pancakes, pumpkins muffins, pumpkins bread and one of my all time favorites....pumpkin donuts!  If you know me than you know I am a sucker for anything with the word donuts in it.  Tonight I tried this recipe exactly as it called for except I substituted gluten free flour for the all purpose flour.  They tasted amazing and no one would have known it wasn't "normal" had I not mentioned it. I got this from all recipes in case you want to know the source

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INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 1 cup canned or cooked pumpkin 1 tablespoon lemon juice 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 cup evaporated milk Oil for deep-fat frying   FROSTING: 3 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons orange juice 1 tablespoon evaporated milk 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

DIRECTIONS:

1.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and butter. Add pumpkin and lemon juice; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to pumpkin mixture alternately with milk. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 5-6 times. Roll to 3/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. doughnut cutter. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, until golden, about 3 minutes; turn once with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Combine frosting ingredients; spread over cooled doughnuts.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

I will start off by saying that I have experimented several times with trying to make a good gluten free pizza crust.  I have found a couple that are edible but I wouldn't go as far as saying they are good.  Tonight I decided to try out another one and I have to say this one comes close to being "normal."  It is a bit chewier but not by much.  The taste is great and got good reviews from the professional eaters... my kids.  I just did a copy and past from the website so here you go.  I did follow the tip and used a Pampered Chef baking stone.

This gluten-free pizza crust recipe can be rolled out, just like traditional wheat dough. You can make a thin crusted New York style pizza or thick crusted Chicago style, you decide. Then load it with your favorite toppings.

Use this recipe for Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blendor your favorite GF all-purpose flour blend.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix
• 3/4 cup tapioca flour
• 2 tablespoons dry buttermilk powder OR dry powdered milk OR Vance's Dari-Free Powder
• 1 teaspoon Agar-Agar powder (Vegan ) OR unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 package active dry yeast granules
• 1 teaspoons sugar OR 1/2 teaspoon honey OR agave nectar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water (hot water will kill the yeast!)
• Extra tapioca flour for rolling the pizza dough
• Gluten Free cornmeal to sprinkle on baking sheet

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with gluten free cornmeal.

1. Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed together.
2. Add sugar or honey or agave nectar, vinegar, olive oil and gradually add water.
3. Mix on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Scrape the thick dough on to a large clean surface liberally sprinkled with tapioca flour.
5. Work enough tapioca flour into the dough so that it can be shaped into a large ball. With a large knife cut the dough in half to make two medium pizzas.
   
   The key to shaping this dough is to continue to sprinkle the work surface and the dough with tapioca flour.
   
6. Shape each piece into a circle making sure to sprinkle enough tapioca flour on the dough and the work surface to prevent it from sticking.
7. With a rolling pin shape the dough into circles. Roll thin for New York style pizzas or thick for Chicago deep dish style.
8. Carefully place one prepared pizza crust on baking sheet or pizza stone (see tips) sprinkled with corn meal and bake for about 5 minutes or until the dough is firm. This is called parbaking. Repeat with second pizza.
9. Top pizzas with your favorite ingredients and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until done. Or cool parbaked crusts, wrap and freeze for convenience.

Yield: 1 large, or 2 medium or 3 small pizza crusts

Tip

A pizza stone creates crisp crusts by absorbing moisture in dough. If you like your pizzas crisp consider using a pizza stone.

Rhubarb Crisp

I have been trying to cook healthier as well as I have been too cheap to buy premade desserts.  Desserts are yummy and my favorite part of a balanced meal but honestly they take time.  I can't just throw things together like I use to before my little one became GF.  I followed this recipe to a T with the exception I used GF flour mix.  I even picked the rhubarb fresh out of our garden so it helped keep the cost down.  I must say there is very little in this recipe that could pass for "healthy."  I know it calls for 4 cups of rhubarb but I am pretty sure between all of the different sugars and the butter, healthy is probably the furthest thing from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 cups sliced rhubarb
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

In mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking dish. Top with the sliced rhubarb.

In a saucepan combine 1 cup granulated sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb.
Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes.

The family gave it 5 stars and everyone wanted seconds.  It was very easy to throw together and by following the directions the rhubarb came out tender.  There was nothing tart about this (back to the sugar!) and it was pretty sweet.  I wouldn't say overwhelming sweet but definitely cured the sweet tooth I was having.  

Yummo Granola!  I love granola but the cost of it in the store is crazy.  Also a lot of the granolas have wheat in it so therefore Brooklyn can't eat them.  This way I know exactly what is in it and it is relatively healthy.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts (I used peanuts but you could also almonds)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried coconut

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat.  Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook stirring constantly, until bubbly.  Return the oats to the pan.  Stir in cranberries, nuts etc at this point.  Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so.  Pour out onto the cookie sheets and spread evenly.  I cooked mine at 250 degrees for 40 minutes and stirred it every 15 minutes or when I remembered.  Remove from oven and cool completely.  Break apart if needed.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

It's that time of year again where Starbucks offers up that delicious little treat... the cranberry bliss bar. I have been searching for a recipe for a few years that might come close and have come up empty handed until today.  These bars are so very tasty and so very easy to make!  I made two separate batches, one following the directions and one a gluten free version.  My gracious little taste testers all agreed that they both tasted the same!  Yeah!  Something gluten free that is finally VERY close to the original.  I can tell the texture is the slightest bit different (if you are GF then you know what I am talking about) but not enough that anyone would know if you didn't tell them.

I found this recipe on my newest addiction Pinterest.

Cranberry Bliss Bar Wanna Be
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/White-Chocolate-Cranberry-Blondies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
• FROSTING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel, optional
• 6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Directions

• In a microwave, melt butter; stir in brown sugar. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
• Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and orange peel if desired until blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

GLUTEN FREE version:

I substituted my all purpose GF flour straight across for the flour called for.  My all purpose flour is a homemade flour that has a combination of rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch and Xanthum gum.  Also make sure that you are using the GF baking powder.  

Cranberry and White chocolate chip scones

Well I have been playing around with breads trying to find that perfect GF sandwich bread which I am convinced doesn't exist. I have spent countless hours and loaves with no luck.... yet ;) I will find one! I use to make scones often for my family before we moved. Not sure why I haven't done it much since moving here to WA. I wanted to try a new recipe today but really wanted something that was pretty fail proof since the bread has been a disappointment this week. I am happy to report these are awesome and easy! I did change what I did when it came to cooking. I made them into round scones and baked them for 10-12 minutes or until they were light brown on the edges. I skipped the step of baking in an 8 inch circle and cutting them apart and baking for another 5 minutes. I will take pictures and add some later this evening if I can get my camera to upload to my dying computer.

1/4 cup unsalted butter or buttery spread, Earth Balance, Soy Garden, at room temp.

3/4 cup 1% milk (cows, rice, soy, potato or nut)

1 large egg, at room temp

5 Tblsp. cane sugar (reserve 1 Tbl. for sprinkling)- just realized I forgot to sprinkle and they were still yummy!

2 1/4 cups of an all purpose gf flour mix

2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/4 cup craisins

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease a 9x13 dark pan (it says not a non stick but I used a cookie sheet and it was fine) baking sheet, or line with parchment paper. In a food processor blend the butter, milk and egg together until well mixed. Add 4 Tbl. of the sugar, the flour blend, xanthan gum, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Blend until the dough is very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, if necessary. Add the craisins and pulse a few times to incorporate. (I actually mixed the craisins and white chocolate chips in without using the blade and just used a wooden spoon). The dough will be soft at this point.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, patting with a wet spatula into an 8 inch circle, 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with the remaining Tbl. sugar. Bake 20 min. Cut the dough into 8 wedge, starting to cut at the outer edge of the circle rather than center. Pull each wedge away from the center a bit to allow browning on all sided of each wedge. Return the scones to the oven and baking 5 more minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the scones cool 5 minutes. Serve immediately. YUMMY!

Out of this world Chocolate Chip Cookies

For those of you that know me you know that I am a baker. Cookies, cakes, sweets and baked yummies are some of my favorite things in life. I am a comfort food eater extreme. Chocolate chip cookies have always been a staple around here but since going GF, we haven't had any in the house. What is a girl to do? I found this recipe and knew I just had to try it. They are amazing. My kids have all had two since getting home from school and the ones we took for the teachers were eaten and they even asked for the recipe!

2 1/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

3/4 cup butter softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla

1 (12-ounce) package (2 cups) gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum in medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. (I baked them for 8 minutes and let them cool for 5 and they were perfect. We like ours a little soft)

Gluten-Free Flour Blend: To make flour blend, combine 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca flour and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. Use appropriate amount for recipe; store remainder in container with tight-fitting lid. Stir before using.