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.

Happy Halloween everyone!

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).

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.

“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.

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!).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lunacy Exhibit A: I never, ever slice cheesecake!  Cheesecake is eaten directly from the plate it was plopped on with just a fork and a smile.

Lunacy Exhibit B: I eat in this barbaric fashion whilst hidden in my pantry to avoid sharing my delicious cheesecake.

Lunacy Exhibit C: I wholeheartedly consider cheesecake an acceptable breakfast meal.

Lunacy Exhibit D: I have threatened to inflict bodily harm or the dreaded stink eye on anyone who even contemplates eating my cheesecake.

Let’s keep this Gluten Free Thanksgiving menu going with yet another pumpkin-themed dessert!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Be sure to have cream cheese & eggs at room temperature.

Gluten Free Crust:

1/2 cup pecans
18 Health Valley Rice Bran crackers
8 Mi-Del GF Ginger Snap cookies
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter (melted)

In a food processor grind pecans, cookies, & rice crackers 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.

Cheesecake Filling:

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/8 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
3 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine pumpkin, 3/4 cup of white sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, mace, and 3 egg yolks. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set pumpkin mixture aside.

Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly incorporate 3/8 cup (=1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) of white sugar, 1 whole egg, 1 egg yolk, whipping cream, cornstarch, orange and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add pumpkin mixture and combine thoroughly. 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.

Sour Cream Topping:

2 cups of sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons white sugar

Combine sour cream, vanilla extract, and white sugar. After cooling cheesecake (still in springform pan) for at least 1/2 hour, pour sour cream topping over cake and return to a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.

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

Badonkadonk (Ba-donka-donk)  Function: noun.  Slang for a big ol’ backside.  For example, “I scarfed down an entire pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving Dinner and my badonkadonk doubled in size.”

Ok, now that I have your attention, I have wondrous news… Pumpkin Pie can be tasty and low in fat and calories!  Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.  Uh, never mind, that’s another holiday.

I happen to be a sucker for magazines. I subscribe to just about everything and anything. Lots of fitness, health, and re-purposing holiday cards into a stylish hat publications.  Unfortunately, many go unread for months at a time.  However, I discovered a magazine by the name of Clean Eating. It is fabulous!  Their Fall 2008 edition highlighted a lower-fat pumpkin pie recipe that got my wheels a-turnin’.  Could I possibly create a gluten free, low fat, TASTY pumpkin pie?

I re-worked Clean Eating’s recipe and (after a few attempts) created a Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie that rocks the house!  This post kicks off my quest for a satisfying gluten free holiday season.  Stay tuned for my pumpkin pie cheesecake recipe!

Unfortunately that one will triple your badonkadunk.

Low-Fat Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

1/2 cup pecans
18 Health Valley Rice Bran crackers
8 Mi-Del GF Ginger Snap cookies
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

In a food processor grind pecans, cookies, & rice crackers until crushed & crumbly in texture (resembling ground almond meal). Place crumbs in a 9 inch pie pan. Drizzle canola oi onto crumbs and mix to moisten. Once evenly moistened, press crumbs against the bottom and up the sides of the pie pan. Refrigerate while making the filling.

Filling:

2 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
14 ounces pumpkin puree
12 ounces evaporated milk (I used 2% lowfat)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Whisk egg whites and whole egg. Add in brown sugar, pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, cornstarch, spices, and orange peel. Mix thoroughly. Pour over crust. Bake in center of oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour and then refridgerate. Serve with lowfat whipped cream.

That being noted, I wholeheartedly enjoy any vegetable that can (safely) be combined with chocolate. After a few noxious attempts (do NOT try chocolate covered asparagus!), I have found a lovely and prolific vegetable to marry with my need for sweets.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 cup sugar (I used demerara raw cane sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, canola oil, agave nectar, sugar, and vanilla extract. Shred zucchini and place in a clean dishtowel. Use the dishtowel to wring out excess water (this will help prevent your bread from becoming too mushy). Stir in shredded zucchini into mixing bowl. Using a sifter, sift brown rice, millet, sorghum, and potato starch flours as well as baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Add into mixing bowl. Stir until combined and then fold in mini-chocolate chips.

Divide batter into four mini-loaf pans. Bake 25 – 30 minutes (until tester inserted in the center comes out clean).

Ahem, moving on…

So, Peanut Butter Boy is hosting “The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #4 – No Bake”. Oh yeah! No baking AND peanut butter – I am totally feeling this challenge. I immediately thought of a recipe my mom and I used to make when I was little. It’s no-bake, kid-friendly, and is a healthy treat. The original recipe called for wheat germ, however, I’ve substituted flax seed since “wheat is dead to me”. I must also note that I used to call these concoctions Peanut Butter Balls, but I decided to rename the recipe as it just didn’t sound very, uh, nice.

Peanut Butter & Honey Truffles

1 cup DRY milk (I used non-fat)
1/2 cup peanut butter (Crazy Richards Chunky)
1/3 cup honey (local)
1/4 cup ground flax seed (Bob’s Red Mill)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls. Roll balls in coconut, cinnamon & sugar, or cocoa mix.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes and enjoy!

I humbly submit this recipe to my long lost brother’s Peanut Butter Exhibition #4

Wow, did you ever realize just how much flour there actually is in the Baking Aisle? Good grief.

As you know, even the smallest thing could distract me at any given moment, so I need s-i-m-p-l-e recipes in the kitchen (and a fire extinguisher on deck just in case). While going rogue in Aisle 7, I happened upon several boxes of Jell-o No Bake Desserts. The box was practically smacking me on the forehead with their “Goof Proof 15 Minute Prep” label. Jackpot baby! Mind you, the picture on all three varieties shows a cookie crust, but something urged me to read the ingredients anyway (my hubby was watching the kids while I food shopped, so this was “me-time”). Ok, I admit food shopping is pretty lame for “me time”, but I’ll take what I can get

Back to the Jell-o No Bake Desserts. Jello is made by Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods is one of the first companies I sought out when I became gluten free because they clearly identify any of their products that contain a source of gluten. The Jell-o No Bake Dessert ingredients are separated into individually sealed packets based on the Crust, Filling Mix, and Topping. The product ingredients listed on the box are detailed according to Crust, Filling Mix, etc. as well. Since the cookie crust portion of the dessert was clearly not gluten free, I just threw out the packet (or you could save it for a gluten eating friend to use) and altered the recipe a bit.

Here’s my feedback:

Jell-o No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Dessert.  Oooh, these were yummy! It was like eating a giant, fluffy peanut butter cup. After discarding the Oreo Cookie Crust Mix (sigh), I put approximately half a box of Health Valley Rice Bran crackers into a ziploc bag and crushed them with a rolling pin. This would serve as my gluten free crust. The Peanut Butter Cup Filling Mix and Chocolate Topping are gluten free, so I was able to prepare them as directed. I opted for the Frozen Peanut Butter Cups recipe (using standard cupcake wrappers). Another option is to make this in an 8×8 pan. FYI, on the box there are other “Quick & Easy Variations” to the recipe such as PB&J squares and PB & Banana squares. I would totally make these again! One small but crucial word of advice, DO NOT eat more than two of these peanut butter cups in a row or you will feel uber-sick. Trust me, I am speaking from experience (ok, I ate four, but who’s counting?!)…

Jell-o No Bake Real Cheesecake Dessert. While making the first Jell-o recipe, I had used all of my Health Valley Rice Bran crackers. So, what to do for a crust bottom? I had a moment of spontaneity and (holy crap!) improvised. After melting five squares of Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, I drizzled enough chocolate to cover the bottom of all 24 mini-cupcake wrappers. Again, the Filling Mix was gluten free, so I prepared that per the directions. During this time, I popped the chocolate-bottomed cupcake wrappers into the fridge to harden. After adding the cheesecake filling, I topped these with fresh blueberries. The result — these were tasty but really messy! The cheesecake filling was light and airy, not dense like your “typical” NY style cheesecake.  I think a cookie crust would work much better. Unfortunately, the chocolate base melted as soon as you took the cheesecake out of the wrapper. Despite refrigerating the cheesecakes per the instructions (and even putting them in the freezer as well!), they were very gooey. On a positive note, the mini-cupcake wrappers worked perfectly for this recipe as you were able to delicately shove the entire thing in your mouth in one fell swoop (classy, huh?). I would like to try making this again (they were a huge hit with my family!), possibly using a pie plate instead of the mini cups.

At a price of $2.99 to $3.99 per box, the Jell-o No Bake Desserts are an easy, reasonably priced dessert. With just a little tweaking you can make it gluten free and proudly declare some Jell-o love (thanks Mr. Cosby!).