Gluten Free Oatmeal Three Chip Cookie Bars

 

Gluten Free Oatmeal Three Chip Cookie Bars

 

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup all purpose Gluten free flour mix
1/2 cup GF Buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal (flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. xanthum gum
pinch of salt
3 cups rolled GF oats
1 cup Peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chips
(feel free to use your favorite chip combination for a total of 2 cups)

Instructions:

1. Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixer on high.
2. Stir in flours, salt, xanthum gum, and baking soda, all at the same time. Stir in oats. Last, add chips and stir them in (or use clean hands, if the dough is too stiff).
3. Press cookie dough into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Dough should be somewhat flattened, but it's okay for some cracks to remain. :)
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly golden and cookies are set in the middle.
5. Cool for 20 minutes; cut into 24 squares. Delicious warm or cold! :)

 

 

Hanukkah or Anytime Gluten Free Donuts

The gluten free version of Bisquick is dairy free as well---a nice plus in my opinion. I call these "drop donuts". You can add just about anything to them, such as grated apple or zucchini, or sliced bananas. They are easy to make and delicious to fresh and hot.

Gluten Free "Drop" Bisquick Donuts

2 cups gluten free Bisquick

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup rice, soy or dairy milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, optional

powdered sugar, optional

Cinnamon and sugar, optional

In a large mixing bowl, mix together first 6 ingredients. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if mixture is very thick. Cover and refrigerate until oil heats.

Meanwhile, heat 3 inches of oil in a large pot on medium-high (375 degrees) heat. To test readiness of oil, drop a walnut size piece of dough into hot oil. If it floats and small bubbles appear around it, the dough is ready. Using two tablespoons, scoop up batter in one and push it off the spoon with the other into the oil. Don't crowd the pot. Fry only 2 or 3 donuts at a time. Using a slotted spoon, turn donuts when they appear golden. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove donuts to a paper towel lined plate and drain well. Repeat until all batter is used up.

Allow donuts to cool for 5 minutes. Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, fill donuts with jam. Place powdered sugar in sieve and sprinkle over donuts. These are also great not filled and sprinkled with cinamon and sugar, that's the way my kids like them.... Best served warm. Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Makes: 1 dozen small or 9 large donuts.

Let’s very quickly clear up any confusion you might have about persimmons. There are probably two types of persimmons that you might run in your search for the fruit this autumn. Fuyu persimmons are the squat little darlings that you can eat when they are hard, think apples. They are great in salads.  Hachiya persimmons are the more bulbous fruit that are best enjoyed super ripe and super soft. Hachiya persimmons are lovely for baking as they are super sweet… like eating nectar… I hear they are dreamy.

 

Now… I hear when you think of Persimmon Pudding think of sweet and super moist bread pudding meets spice cake. If you can… close your eyes and think about a dessert that you grandmother might make in the Fall of 1976, you might not like this dessert as much as you like your grandmother’s chocolate cake, but you liked that she served her Persimmon Pudding with super melty vanilla ice cream… which made everything ok. There you go…. that’s Persimmon Pudding.

Persimmon Pudding
some old school Indiana newspaper 1976, adapted from Joy the Baker
makes 6 to 8 servings



2 cups fresh Hachiya persimmon pulp, removed from the skin
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose GF flour
1 tsp. xanthum gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter, plus more for buttering dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×9 baking dish and set aside
Stir the baking soda and sugar into the persimmon pulp and set aside. This mixture may thicken as it sits…
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add to the persimmon mixture all at once and stir until flour is almost completely incorporated.
Whisk together  buttermilk, eggs and butter and add to the persimmon and flour mixture. Batter will be very loose. Pour into the baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour covered with foil, or uncovered. If you make the pudding covered, you’ll have a very wet and moist pudding. If you bake the pudding uncovered, you’ll have a drier pudding topped with a bread like crust. I baked my pudding covered for the first 30 minutes, then uncovered for the last 30 minutes. Bake the pudding until it is firm but still very moist.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Filling

What family doesn't love tacos, and what mom doesn't love a good slow cooker recipe? This recipe is the best of both, and as a bonus, calls for less expensive chicken thighs or  chicken breasts that can withstand hours of slow cooking without losing their texture. Happy Taco Tuesday from my home to yours.

Ingredients

• 1 can Green chiles, diced
• 1 jar GF salsa, (about 12 ounces; mild or spicy to taste)
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 whole onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

Directions

1. Place chicken in the bowl of a slow cooker. Top with salsa, diced green chiles, cumin, onion and garlic. Cover and set on low. Cook for 8 hours.
2. Remove chicken from pot, shred, and return to juices.
3. Spoon chicken into taco shells, with whatever toppings your family likes. The filling is also great for tostadas or as a filling for enchiladas.

Gluten Free Maple Kahlua Pecan Pie

Perfect Thanksgiving Pie. Everyone saves room for Pie and to me Thanksgiving dessert is all about the Pie, whether Pecan, Pumpkin, Apple, the list goes on and on. I am usually a traditionalist when it come to Pecan Pie, but this year I decided to lighten it up a bit and add a twist with the Kahlua. What a magical creation of flavors. I am Thankful for my family, my health, being Gluten Free and this pie. What are you Thankful for?

Ingredients:

• 1 Gluten Free Pie Crust, (I used Whole Foods Bakehouse Brand)
• 3/4 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoons Kahlua
• 1 tablespoon GF vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Directions:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
• 3. Combine pecans and remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to combine. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes or until center of pie is almost set (shield edges of pie crust with foil if crust gets too brown). Cool on wire rack.

Autumn Ratatouille

This is my all time favorite Fall recipes, perfect for Meatless Monday. Only he has the patience to make it. The recipe is little involved, but the results are fantastic. Luxuriously rich, smooth, and flavorful, this ratatouille is practically the best way I know of preparing vegetables that people can't get enough to eat.

Preparation time:  3 hours 

Ingredients

• 1 lb of yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lb zucchini, chopped
• 1 lb yellow squash, chopped
• Bell peppers, seeds removed, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces:
• --1 lb green bell peppers
• --1/2 lb red bell peppers
• --1/2 lb yellow bell peppers
• 1 lb eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 (14 1/2oz) can of good quality diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-inch sprig rosemary
• 3/4 cup white wine, vegetable broth or tomato sauce
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 250° F.

2 Using a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.
3 While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a another frying pan over high heat. As soon as oil starts to smoke, quickly add enough zucchini cubes all at once to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep on cooking over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.
4 Working in batches, repeat this process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked. Do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add a little olive oil between each new batch. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked.
5 When all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) are browned and in the pan with the onions, increase the heat to high and stir, making sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, the vegetable stock, and stir well. Place in oven, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring occassionally.
6 Add the chopped tomatoes and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let the ratatouille stand for 10 minutes, just enough to "cook" the tomatoes. The ratatouille can be served at room temperature or refrigerated and reheated the next day.
7 When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I like to serve this with Creamy Polenta....
Serves 6-8.

Date Honey Nut Cake

Ta Da! The Date Honey Nut Cake was born. This tasty loaf cake is a unique take on a traditional Rosh Hashanah honey cake. Dates are actually a symbolic food for Rosh Hashanah, so it’s a great choice for the holiday. In Hebrew, a date is called a “tamar,” which is related to the word “tam” (meaning “to end”) and the word “sheyitamu” (meaning “to be consumed”). Dates are eaten in the hopes that our enemies will be consumed. They also happen to be naturally sweet, which is another good reason to eat them for Rosh Hashanah (as we hope for a sweet new year). And here’s another fun fact– biblical scholars believe that the honey repeatedly mentioned in the Torah likely came from dates (and other fruits), not bees. Yet another good reason to eat dates for Rosh Hashanah!
So, what better way to enjoy dates than in a sweet, delicious honey cake? The dates provide lots of moisture, which makes this a convenient make-ahead dessert—the cake will not dry out if you make it a day or two before the holiday begins. The walnuts add some nice texture and crunch. It’s naturally dairy free, but can be topped with cream cheese frosting for some extra decadence. I hope this cake ends up on your holiday table. It will definitely be on mine. Yummy!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (6 oz) whole dates
• 1 cup gluten free flour, minus 2 tbls. of the flour and add 2 Tbls. Corn Starch. (Think GF Cake Flour)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xanthum gum
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey, (I used local Sonoma County organic wild flower honey)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp GF vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Nonstick cooking spray

You will also need

• 8- or 9-inch loaf pan, 2 mixing bowls

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place dates into a bowl and cover them with very hot strong brewed coffee. (Hot water may also be used, if you'd rather) Let the dates soak while you prepare the cake batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, brown sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir till a thick batter forms.
• Drain liquid from the dates. Pit the dates, then chop the fruit into small chunks.
• Fold the walnuts and date chunks into the batter.
• Generously grease your loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into loaf pan.
• Place loaf pan in preheated oven. Bake cake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and set on a wire rack to cool.
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