Archive for category Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods

Gluten Free Ginger Peach Muffins with Agave Nectar

Feb 6

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | No Comments

“Movin to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches.”
- The Presidents of the United States of America

I apologize in advance.  This song will get stuck in your head for days. Possibly weeks.  Who knew a little ditty about peaches would be so #&$%^ catchy?!  That said, my latest recipe creation was actually not inspired by the evil peaches song but by a Ginger Peach White Tea we picked up from The Republic of Tea. I loved the blend of this tea and thought this combination would be perfect in a muffin!

The melding of ginger and peach flavors provide just the right contrast of spicy and sweet.  The muffins are moist and freeze/reheat perfectly (which is good because the recipe makes three dozen!).

Gluten Free Ginger Peach Muffins with Agave Nectar

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 container (6 ounces) peach yogurt
1 can (15 ounces) peaches drained & diced
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients and mix well.  Then add in all dry ingredients – finish by folding in the fresh grated ginger and chopped pecans.  Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Using a spring loaded ice cream scoop (this is so much easier than trying to pour directly into the muffin tin!), evenly distribute the batter into muffin tins. Bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean). Makes three dozen muffins.

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Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread

Oct 31

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 6 Comments

Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat!

Happy Halloween everyone!

gluten free pumpkin corn bread

I was recently perusing the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens and noticed a naturally gluten-free recipe within their “Thanks for Thanksgiving” article. Score one for the gluten intolerant! I loved the idea of Pumpkin Cornbread and had to give it whirl. As you know, I am very fond of cornbread — it’s so delicious and easy to make. I slightly tweaked some of the ingredients and added a sugar base. This recipe is fantastic! The family enjoyed it warm topped with melted butter. A drizzle of real maple syrup would be tasty as well.

Gluten Free Skillet Pumpkin Cornbread

6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons masa harina
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup buttermilk
8 ounces sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
demerara sugar for bottom of pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of cast iron skillet with melted butter, set aside remaining melted butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, sugar, masa harina, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. In a separate bowl combine remaining butter, buttermilk, sour cream, egg, and pumpkin. Whisk into cornmeal mixture. Sprinkle demerara sugar into bottom of cast iron pan (enough to coat) before pouring batter. Bake 25 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean).

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Betty Crocker Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Review

Oct 17

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 9 Comments

betty crocker gluten free cake

June 1, 2009 was a historical day for the gluten intolerant.  Gluten free peeps all over America were able to buy GF cake, cookie, and brownie mixes at their local grocery stores.   I sped like a maniac cautiously drove to my supermarket with grand visions of eating gluten free cake for lunch that day.   Much to my amazement, I arrived at the store and saw not one measly box of gluten free mix.  The gluten-filled mixes mocked me from their shelves.   With a heavy heart, I returned home empty handed and washed down a handful of chocolate bits with some Hershey’s syrup.  Two months later, the day of rainbows and unicorns finally arrived!  I’d procured a box of GF vanilla cake mix that I didn’t have to purchase online, at a specialty food store, or three states over by way of catamaran.

I’d read on several gluten free blogs that the Betty Crocker Vanilla Gluten Free Cake Mix was on the dry gritty side, so I decided to doctor it up a bit.  To the cake mix, I added one cup of sour cream (I used reduced fat) and one vanilla pudding mix.  Here’s my (humble) opinion of the product and my tweaked results:

Pros

  • Ease of purchase (even my local podunk grocery store carries the GF product line).
  • Minimal ingredients = tasty cake in belly sooner rather than later.
  • With the sour cream and pudding mix added, I loved the cake!  My picky, gluten-eating family thought it was delicious as well.

Cons

  • My wondrous gluten free cake mix for $4.00 was sitting right next to a lovely 99 cent box filled with wheat.
  • The box of Betty Crocker gluten free cake mix is 15 ounces.  Betty’s glutenous cake mix is 18.25 ounces.
  • The glutenous Betty Crocker cake mix makes TWO eight inch cakes or 24 cupcakes.  Those who make the gluten free version will get ONE lonely eight inch cake or 18 cupcakes.  Seriously, why do gluten intolerant people get less product for a greater price?  Something seems wrong with this picture.

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Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Jul 11

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 7 Comments

gluten-free-blueberry-muffins

“You’re my boy, Blue.”  Will Ferrell, Old School

The above reference has absolutely NOTHING to do with my blueberry muffin recipe, but I had to include it.  As I began working on this post, I battled a case of writer’s block.  While these blueberry muffins are indeed delicious, said muffins were not inspiring writing greatness.  Grasping at straws, I searched for a witty quote about lovely blue fruits (yes, I was really reaching).  All I could find was a wordy poem about blueberries by Robert Frost.  Um, ok.   Then my mind started wandering (it has a tendency to do that more often than not) and I started thinking about the movie Old School and Joseph “Blue” Palasky.  At the ripe age of 89, Blue was the oldest member of a bogus fraternity.  Sadly, the navy veteran met his demise while preparing to wrestle two scantily-clad girls in a blow up pool.  But I digress…

Tranquilizer guns, beer bongs, and streaking aside (hmm, not a very successful transition), these blueberry muffins are moist, freeze wonderfully, and are pretty darn tasty.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup POM juice
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 mashed ripe banana
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries
Lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, lemon and POM juice, orange extract, canola oil, agave nectar, mashed banana, and brown sugar thoroughly.  Add in brown and white rice flours, tapioca starch, millet flour, flax seed, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir until combined and then fold in blueberries and lemon zest.  Using a spring loaded ice cream scoop (this is so much easier than trying to pour directly into the muffin tin!), evenly distribute the batter into muffin tins.  Bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester comes out clean).  Makes two dozen muffins.

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Apr 1

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 12 Comments

I am the queen of multi-tasking! I can talk on the phone, prepare dinner, and wipe a bottom all in one fell swoop. Just for clarification it was my kid’s bottom, not mine. And yes, I wash my hands thoroughly before making dinner.

Note:  Sometimes I don’t posses a filter. The above paragraph is quite a lovely example!

But I digress. I am working on pulling together the contents of my next Hold The Gluten podcast (to be recorded this week, so stay tuned), but could not wait another millisecond to share my latest creation. In preparation for Easter Dinner, I wanted to experiment in making my first gluten free cake. This August will mark my four year “gluten free” anniversary, however, I have yet to delve into the cake arena. After a huge success using buttermilk in my baking, I felt mentally prepared to work on a gluten free carrot cake. I cannot stress this enough — this cake was the moistest cake I have ever eaten! I sang songs of praise about my carrot cake. I made up a dance about my carrot cake.  I ate with wild abandon not caring about calories or using a fork.  Shhh, I think the secret is the combination of buttermilk, applesauce, and grated carrots.

Tonight I finished the last of the cake. In four shorts days, I ate an entire two layer carrot cake by myself. What the heck, I was making up for lost time!

Gluten Free Carrot Cake

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
6 ounces of applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of two 9 inch cake pans with shortening (I used Spetrum Organic). Sift first eight ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract on low speed until combined. Slowly add sifted dry ingredients into bowl until incorporated (continue to beat on low speed). Fold in carrot, coconut, and pecans. Pour batter into greased cake pans. Bake 30 minutes (or until wooden tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean).

Cream Cheese Icing

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract. Continue mixing on low speed while slowly adding the sifted confectioners sugar.

*Note: The Cream Cheese Icing is from Janni on allrecipes.com. I changed the amount of vanilla extract, but kept all else the same (why mess with a great frosting recipe!).

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Gluten Free Blueberry Lemon Cornbread

Mar 24

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 14 Comments

I have a horrid confession to make…I’ve been eating large quantities of pre-packaged gluten free foods.  Cookies, breads, frozen meals; anything that did not have to be measured, mixed, and cooked by “yours truly”.  My turn to the dark side happened after burning myself out during the holiday season.  Frenetically baking like Betty Crocker on crack will eventually catch up with a person.  Not to mention the “episode” involving my dog Baxter eating two dozen freshly baked gluten free cookies.  Oh the horror!

After a month (or two) of recuperation and a detox from hydrogenated oils, I am back in fighting form and ready to bust out of my gluten free baking slump.  My latest recipe is a twist on my “traditional” cornbread.   I wanted to add a sweetness to the cornbread’s dense consistency.  The addition of blueberries, lemon, and honey make this an awesome breakfast bread.

I have to admit – nothing beats homemade.  Hmmm, if only I could find someone to bake for me!

Blueberry Lemon Cornbread

Grease bottom & sides of 8 x 8 baking dish with butter

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream (I used Daisy Reduced Fat)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of one small lemon
1 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
Additional sugar for pan bottom (approx 1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk all wet ingredients (include lemon zest) together. Slowly add wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients until incorporated. Fold in blueberries. Sprinkle sugar into bottom of pan (enough to coat) before pouring batter. Bake 25 to 30  minutes.

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Chocolate Cheesecake with a Cocoa Pebbles Crust

Feb 14

Posted by Maureen in Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 14 Comments

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a
good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked”  - Bernard Meltzer

Happy Valentine’s Day my dear friends! In the spirit of this mushy, gushy day, I’d like to thank every one of you for reading my blog and listening to my podcast, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your thoughts, and for allowing me the pleasure of getting to know you and your “gluten free” stories. You rock my world!

My hubby and I will be celebrating Valentine’s Day in the exact same fashion as we have for the last 11 years. It sounds a bit unimaginative, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! Our very first date was Valentine’s Day 1997. Not planned intentionally, it just sort of happened to fall on the holiday for lovers (ahem, awkward!). With every restaurant in the tri-state area booked, we decided to stay in and cook Fettuccine Alfredo together.  So much has happened over the years including our marriage (not on Valentine’s Day) and the birth of our beautiful daughter and amazing son. Throw into that equation a blind dog, a couple of house moves, and a little ol’ Celiac Disease for good measure. Twelve years later (holy moly!) our meal essentially remains the same. The only difference is the fettuccine noodles will be gluten free!

Without further ado, here is my Valentine’s gift to you:

Chocolate Cheesecake with a Cocoa Pebbles Crust

Gluten Free Crust:

25 Health Valley Rice Bran crackers
2 cups Cocoa Pebbles cereal*
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter (melted)

In a food processor grind rice crackers and cereal until crushed & crumbly in texture (resembling ground almond meal). Add brown & white sugar and butter. Mix thoroughly. Press crumbs against the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.  Place pan in freezer while you prepare cheesecake filling.

*Note: I have had no reaction to Cocoa Pebbles. However, Nature’s Path Koala Crisp Cereal is gluten free as well.

Cheesecake Filling:

1 1/8 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 squares baker’s chocolate
1 teaspoon chocolate extract

Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly incorporate 1 1/8 cup of white sugar, 1 whole egg, 4 egg yolks, whipping cream, cornstarch, cocoa powder, melted baker’s chocolate, and chocolate extract. Mix well.  Add batter to springform pan. Bake in center of oven for 50 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees. I placed a pan filled with water on the rack beneath the cheesecake to eliminate cracking and maintain moistness. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool for at least 1/2 hour.

Chocolate Topping:

4 squares of baker’s chocolate melted
4 tablespoons whipping cream

Combine baker’s chocolate and heavy cream.  Whisk well.  After cooling cheesecake (still in springform pan) for at least 1/2 hour, spread chocolate topping over cake and refrigerate to chill.

Cool cheesecake for at least an hour before removing from pan. Refrigerate prior to serving.

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“C” is for Peanut Butter Cookies

Feb 1

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 13 Comments

Cookie Monster is my googly-eyed hero! As a child, I admired his impressive ability to hoover large quantities of cookies, donuts, and even a typewriter or two. Then Sesame Street went all “PC” and made poor Cookie eat veggies (hello, his name is “Cookie Monster” for a reason!).

I will warn you right now, these cookies are ridiculously good. So good that I have successfully eaten three dozen of these fantabulous cookies. By myself. Hidden in the pantry. In an attempt to control my peanut butter cookie binge, I froze a dozen of these beauties. Defrosting requires time to think about over-consumption, right? Um, not if you eat them directly out of the freezer bag. Lately I’ve spent a lot of quality time channeling my inner Cookie Monster.

In the articulate words of Cookie Monster, “om nom nom nom”.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and peanut butter — continue to mix well. Slowly add in white rice flour, millet, and soghum flours. Add in baking soda, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are combined. By hand, fold in peanut butter chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 18 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Dec 28

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 10 Comments

My intentions were to post this (and other) gluten free cookie recipes BEFORE the holiday season.  However, at approximately 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve, I was frenetically baking like Martha Stewart on crack.  Like a rabid Keebler Elf.  Like Betty Crocker on a bender.  No, it was not a pretty picture. Why was I baking on Christmas Eve, you ask?  This is why…

On December 23rd, I was out doing some last minute shopping. I battled parking spot stalkers, mall crazies, and scrooges filled with a case of the “bah humbugs”. Exhausted, I came home to find that my first “child” Baxter had eaten TWO DOZEN of my gluten free cookies.  Baxter is our black lab mix.  My husband and I adopted him from a local shelter 11 years ago.  Did I mention Baxter is blind?  Apparently his sense of smell is MUCH better than his eyesight!   I can only imagine the scene: Baxter’s overactive olfactory system detects my ziploc-bagged cookies. Cookies placed on the CENTER of the kitchen table. He somehow pulls them down, unceremoniously rips apart the bag, and devours all cookies. Only a few crumbs were remaining. That and a lot of dog slobber.

On a happier note, I feel quite confident about posting this tasty cookie recipe.  Thing 1 and Thing 2 loved the cookies and Baxter most certainly gave them two paws up.

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL holiday!

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
zest of an orange
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, orange juice, and orange extract — continue to mix well. Slowly add in white & brown rice flours, millet, amaranth, and tapioca flours. Add in baking soda, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are combined. By hand, fold in orange zest, craisins, and white chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes. After removing from oven, wait a few minutes before transferring cookies to cooling rack. Makes three dozen cookies.

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Holiday Pumpkin Chocolate Fudge

Dec 15

Posted by Maureen in GF Recipe Compilation, Recipes: Desserts & Baked Goods | 8 Comments

Growing up, there were three “traditions” I fondly remember during every holiday season.

Tradition Number One: We would light a bayberry candle and burn it all the way down in order to ensure good luck in the coming year.  Can’t say the bayberry candles really helped in the “luck” department, but they smelled quite nice.

Tradition Number Two: During a snowfall, my brother and I would place cereal bowls outside to collect the fresh snow.  My mother would top it with vanilla extract and we’d gobble up this tasty treat.  I realize now that I probably liked this tradition immensely as I was six years old and hammered from the vanilla extract.  I’ve consequently altered said tradition with my own Thing 1 and Thing 2.  They eat their bowls of snow topped with sprinkles. Well, unless they are being really difficult.  Then it’s snow topped with Benadryl.  Ahem,  kidding…really!

Tradition Number Three: Shamelessly gorging on grandmother’s homemade fudge.  My grandmother was an old school kind of lady.  She canned vegetables.  She made gooseberry pies from scratch.  She ironed (what’s that?!).  Every holiday there was a tray full of her glorious chocolate fudge set out for all to enjoy.

With grandmother’s fudge in mind and my obsession with anything pumpkin not waning, I started thinking about whipping up a batch of my own fudge.  Then I started researching fudge (yes, I need to get out more).  Apparently fudge can be very tricky.  Making fudge began to scare me a bit.  I still haven’t recovered from my horrific Chebe Calzone Incident of August 2008.  After some procrastination, my craving for fudge overcame my fear.  I’d like to happily report that the fudge recipe I concocted was easy!  Trust me, if I can successfully make fudge while using a meat thermometer, you can totally knock this outta the park!

Pumpkin Chocolate Fudge

3 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup 2% evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
7 ounces marshmallow creme
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
12 ounces white chocolate chips
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 squares Baker’s Chocolate (I used bittersweet)
candy thermometer (a meat thermometer worked as well!)

In a large saucepan (at least 3 quart), mix together sugars, salt, evaporated milk, and pumpkin on high heat. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to boil until mixture reaches 245 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not stir during this time.

When the mixture registers 245 degrees, turn off heat. Add marshmallow creme, butter (melted), vanilla extract, white chocolate chips, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to mix well.

Leave fudge mixture in sauce pan and allow to cool to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take some time, so be patient! Once the mixture has cooled to 110 degrees, beat until fudge is thick and has lost it’s “gloss”.  You will have arms like Arnold Schwarzenegger after beating this fudge!  Pour into a greased 13 x 9 pan. Microwave Baker’s Chocolate squares and spread over top of pumpkin fudge. Cool to room temperature and/or refrigerate before slicing.

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