tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78287170406124426292024-03-14T02:03:41.896-07:00Sweet Nothings in the KitchenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-48061810835208505152016-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.811-07:00Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream <br /><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Our vegan voyage is going quite well and we've found loads of brands that are commercially prepared. Don't get me wrong - I love, LOVE, So Delicious. But, we have a big family and often have to buy three pints to get a serving for each of us. </div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Speaking of So Delicious, I am eternally grateful for everyone who voted and "liked" my pin. I was the grand prize winner, but it was each of you who really won. I wish I could bring every one of you a three bite hot cross bun! </div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">The grand prize was a $500 gift card to Williams Sonoma and the first thing I added to my cart was an ice cream maker. I was <strike>doubtful</strike> sure I could create a reasonable substitute for a commercial pint. A few trials, and errors later, we have a winner!</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">I've mentioned before <a href="http://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/10/gluten-free-dairy-free-caramel-dip-for.html">my obsession with caramel</a>, right? Even greater than that is my obsession with fleur de sel caramel. The salt makes the sweet that much sweeter. The sweet is taken down by the salt. The burnt sugary contrast to them both. It's a harmony of perfection!</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">And so, I give to you, the most affordable, easy, decadent, even healthy non-dairy ice cream I've ever made! May it make your summer evenings a little cooler.</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l29wY1D9xMM/Ub5QLgZbcFI/AAAAAAAABg0/fpT97eQ72Ag/s1600/icecream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l29wY1D9xMM/Ub5QLgZbcFI/AAAAAAAABg0/fpT97eQ72Ag/s400/icecream.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: center;">2 cans of light coconut milk </div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: center;">3/4 C sugar</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: center;">1 TBSP vanilla</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: center;">2 tsp <a href="http://www.jrwatkins.com/products/49d47b04-a092-431c-889a-184cec15eef4//">caramel extract</a></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: center;">1 tsp of sea salt</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Combine all ingredients until sugar is dissolved. </div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Refrigerate overnight or for several hours (the colder you get the mixture, the creamier the end result will be).</div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.</div><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-87633820816856647692016-07-15T20:20:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.846-07:00ButterBeer Buddies!I wanted to make a treat for a new grad this weekend who loves all things Harry Potter. Coincidentally, it's gluten free and dairy free, so it needed to be preserved for posterity and shared with all of you!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w229lGpzDNk/U4Im7cvTyFI/AAAAAAAAB2g/YkeLzcbQne0/s1600/IMG_6107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w229lGpzDNk/U4Im7cvTyFI/AAAAAAAAB2g/YkeLzcbQne0/s1600/IMG_6107.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><br />First, let me say that <a href="http://www.lorannoils.com/">LorAnn flavoring oils</a> are gluten free and come in a huge variety of flavors. I tried a couple out to get the right mix for this recipe. The right flavor ended up being their Butterscotch oil.<br /><br />This isn't even really a recipe, it's so easy. I based the concept on Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow) and went from there. A friend clued me in to a white chocolate coating that is accidentally vegan. It's from a small company in Wisconsin. But any white "bark" will work if you don't have food allergies.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">ButterBeer Buddies</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 box of rice chex</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 lb of white chocolate </div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 C shortening (I use Spectrum organic)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp of LorAnn butterscotch flavoring oil</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 rolls of butter rum life savers</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 cups of powdered sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Break the white chocolate up and microwave in intervals until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix in the shortening and add 1 tsp of flavoring oil. Stir until smooth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While the chocolate is melting, break up the life savers in a blender or food processor until they are the size of nerds or sprinkles. Toss them into the powdered sugar.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pour the melted chocolate mix over a box of cereal and stir to combine.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fill a quart ziplock with the powdered sugar and life savers mix, add cereal, and shake until coated.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-26Mer3XPLjA/U4IoXhc9BXI/AAAAAAAAB2o/taUqLl4iub0/s1600/IMG_6109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-26Mer3XPLjA/U4IoXhc9BXI/AAAAAAAAB2o/taUqLl4iub0/s1600/IMG_6109.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-78765622790423760852016-07-15T20:19:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:53:41.882-07:00Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Pumpkin Muffins<a href="https://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/chewy-gooey-mall-inspired-gluten-free.html?m=1"></a>For years, I had a bit of a pumpkin muffin reputation. Once autumn rolled around, I would get multiple requests for <a href="http://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-muffin-recipe.html"><i>The </i>pumpkin muffin recipe</a>.<br /><br />You can still find that on this blog. Worry not, old friends.<br /><br />But over the years, we've cut out a few things from our lives, namely dairy, soy, eggs, and gluten. We also avoid refined oils now. (Besides, most vegetable oil is loaded in GMOs.)<br /><br />But enough about me - let's talk MUFFINS!<br /><br />I knew that there had to be a way to replace the egg and oil. I tried applesauce, which is okay - but it gives baked goods that spongey texture that kind of bounces back and is hard to bite through. (I have kids with sensory issues here, bear with me.)<br /><br />I tried a combination of nut butter and applesauce and it was okay - but still had a lot of fat. <br /><br />I tried ground flax slurries in place of the egg and what a disaster! It was like biting into a glue ball. Yuck. Definitely did NOT do <i>The </i>pumpkin muffin recipe justice.<br /><br />And then I started working in the kitchen again with something new: So Delicious greek style yogurt.<br /><br />The heavens parted and a choir of angels sang (that's for you, Dannielle).<br /><br />I had tried it in cupcakes recently, for which it worked, and in a gooey butter cake (St. Louisans) and it flopped.<br /><br />But, I had to try it again. Guess what? SUCCESS.<br /><br />I'm finally proud enough of this one that I think it takes the place of <i>The </i>recipe.<br /><br />I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DrBwSP4p_m4/UjD6XcxUfRI/AAAAAAAABnU/Jmkb4EHD2CA/s1600/photo-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DrBwSP4p_m4/UjD6XcxUfRI/AAAAAAAABnU/Jmkb4EHD2CA/s400/photo-11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>3.5 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's Gluten Free all-purpose bread mix/flour</a></b></div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b>2.5 cups sugar </b></b></div><b><div style="text-align: center;"><b>2 tablespoon baking powder</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1 tbsp ground cinnamon</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1 can pumpkin</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1 cup of So Delicious almond milk (original or vanilla)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>1 individual size container of So Delicious vanilla almond milk greek style yogurt </b></div></b><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b>Mix well, until all ingredients are incorporated.</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b>Stir in 2 cups of semisweet/dark chocolate chips</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b>Bake at 400° for 18-20 min</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-57148008331119643292016-05-29T20:21:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.896-07:00So Delicious Recipe Contest Gluten Free Oatmeal Molasses Bread <br />The Cheesecake Factory's huge salads are a favorite in our family and the manager has always been happy to inform us of allergens. However, it seems that the things we <i>cannot </i>have occasionally become the most enticing. For my kids, this is the molasses oatmeal bread that arrives at the table. I've made a few molasses quickbreads, but none were quite what they wanted. <br /><div><br /></div><div>This one, however, was great. Nice crust. Slightly sweet. Rich with molasses, but not overpoweringly so. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have fantasies of making cashew cream cheese to smear on top, but that will have to wait. For now, my entry in the <a href="http://www.godairyfree.org/news/so-delicious-dairy-free-recipe-contest">So Delicious Dairy-Free Recipe Contest:</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2p4ypQVvtg/T1azHySJkCI/AAAAAAAABZg/SG3o3AzNafI/s1600/oatmealmolasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2p4ypQVvtg/T1azHySJkCI/AAAAAAAABZg/SG3o3AzNafI/s400/oatmealmolasses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 1/4 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L4JH5I/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0078U378C&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ES0SEFMGND41CQYE7ZD">gluten free all purpose flour</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 C <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDG598/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00473RWXY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0W776B79H0GQ5RV45W8Q">almond meal</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP ground golden flax</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 tsp baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 tsp baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup gluten free rolled oats + 1 TBSP for the top</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup so delicious original almond milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP apple cider vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP blackstrap molasses</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP maple syrup</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As is the case with most quickbreads, this is a measure + mix recipe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blend until smooth. The end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Divide the dough into thirds and place on a silpat-lined sheet pan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It will be sticky, sticky, sticky. That's okay. It's just how gluten free bread rolls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Get it? Bread...Rolls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wow I've been inhaling too much flax today, I think.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wetting your hands before shaping helps it to not stick as much and you can smooth out the edges better. If you want to get fancy, you can slit three times across the top, but I'm not going to judge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sprinkle the top with the reserved oats and bake at 400° for about 25 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(if you make a single loaf, it's going to take longer, naturally)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy eating!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-15579154661771930292013-04-01T20:21:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.918-07:00WE WON! So Delicious Dairy-Free Recipe Contest Entry: Gluten Free Vegan Three Bite Hot Cross Buns with "cream cheese" frosting!<br />UPDATE: The contest results are in and we were the grand prize winner!! Thank you all so much for your support. I couldn't have done it without every one of you! :)<br /><br /><br />I developed a <a href="http://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/one-penny-two-penny-gluten-free-hot.html">gluten-free hot cross bun recipe</a> some time ago. But, as I mentioned in the last couple of posts, we've been going through some major dietary changes around here. Dairy and egg are out! Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200...<br /><div><br /></div><div>So, naturally, when the kids started asking for Hot Cross Buns, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Developing the first required many, <i>many, </i>failures. But, I hoped that I could figure it out. </div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, the first batch was a home run!<br /><br />I'm entering this recipe into the <a href="http://www.godairyfree.org/news/so-delicious-dairy-free-recipe-contest">So Delicious Dairy-Free Recipe Contest</a>! The icing alone will make your toes curl! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WOKZF0TneoI/T2fsAPw170I/AAAAAAAABaE/OTu-oLLj-B8/s1600/closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WOKZF0TneoI/T2fsAPw170I/AAAAAAAABaE/OTu-oLLj-B8/s400/closeup.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Moist. Tender. Not too dense. Rich with spice. Studded with fruit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yep. That'll do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Caveat: what you think is a hot cross bun and what I have here may not be the same. I apologize to the purists in advance. However, if you just have to call this a spiced fruity sweet roll, that's okay with me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> It's weird... but it's okay. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I embrace weird.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I embody<i> </i>weird.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Hot Cross (spiced fruity) Buns</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 3/4 C So Delicious Original Almond Milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 C sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP yeast</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">******</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP ground golden flax</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The zest of 2 oranges, plus the juice of one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3 1/2 C Gluten Free APF (As usual, I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's</a>) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup of applesauce or oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP cinnamon (preferred: Penzey's Vietnamese)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1tsp nutmeg (c'mon you can grind it!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 tsp ground cloves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 tsp ground allspice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">******</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup of craisins (or dried fruit of your liking) soaked in enough hot water to cover.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cream Cheese Icing*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(dairy free version below)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Microwave/warm the milk for about 45 seconds, or until it's no longer cold, but not too hot to touch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Think - baby bottle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To the warm milk, add your yeast and sugar. Set aside and let it do its frothy thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In a separate dish, mix together the flax and the water to create "flax eggs." It's just a slurry, really. But that will need to have a chance to set up, too. Set that aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Out of counter space yet? Hang in there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add the flour, zest, applesauce/oil, and spices to the bowl of a stand mixer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You'll want a paddle for this, not a dough hook. Dough hooks are great for gluten-y bread, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but not for this. It will be like a thick muffin batter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pour the milk in, which should have a thick, foamy head by now. Scoop your flax slurry into the bowl while you're at it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Turn it on. Ease up to about medium speed and let it run until it's nice and airy. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It takes about three minutes for this kind of dough. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This is our "kneading" in the gluten free baking world.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Drain your dried fruit and toss that into the bowl when it's about finished. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It can handle the beating, I promise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Coat the inside of a bowl with baking spray or oil. Scrap the dough out into the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place. Mine took about an hour to fluff up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It will be sticky, so you will need some tools of the trade. As always, I use a sheet pan with a Silpat. If you don't have a Silpat, a sheet of parchment will be fine. If you don't have parchment, I think a stoneware pan would do. If you don't have any of these... get creative! I have faith in you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Another helpful tool is a <a href="http://www.chefscatalog.com/img/products/285x285/24378_285.jpg">portion scoop</a>. You really can't roll gluten free dough by hand (if you can, it'll be tough and too dense in the end). So, using something like this helps to keep it from getting everywhere.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ready to roll? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">er... scoop?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On a silpat-lined baking sheet, scoop out mounds of dough. I let mine touch each other on the edges because I love that little smooshy bit of dough where they fused together while baking. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not a fan of edges. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My pan had 28 little dough balls. Yours may have more or less, depending on the size of your scoop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With wet hands, come back and smooth out the tops a little. </div><div style="text-align: center;">You don't have to, but I wanted it to be pretty for you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brush the tops with your non-dairy milk of choice.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now... here's another little trick I learned last year. Take a 9x13 pan (like a brownie pan) and fill it halfway with water. Place it on your bottom rack in the oven.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Then </i>preheat the oven to 400°</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Steamy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's kind of like a bain-marie, or a proofing box, for the dough.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once the oven is pre-heated, slide the pan into the oven on the rack above the water.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While cooling, prep (or open!? Gasp!) your frosting.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Since cream cheese frosting has always been my favorite, I had to find some way to replicate it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We've been playing with soaked raw cashews, a favorite of the raw food world. And now I know why.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can find raw cashews all over the internet, at your local Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For the best results, soak them in the fridge overnight. I don't always have time, though, and I've gotten good results out of them unsoaked (just don't tell the raw foodies!).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Also, if you don't have access to the new So Delicious Greek Style Yogurt, I'm sorry. If you have a coconut allergy like one of my friends, just go ahead and substitute any other vanilla yogurt you like. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I recently found an almond one that was very good, too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 Cup of Raw Cashews (soaked, if possible, then drained)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tub of <a href="http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com/products/cultured-coconut-milk/vanilla-greek-cultured-coconut-millk">So Delicious Coconut Milk Greek Yogurt - Vanilla flavored</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The juice of one lemon (yep, juice a fresh one here. You must.)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp gluten free vanilla</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A bag of powdered sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In a high speed blender, puree the cashews with the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">From this point, you can switch to your stand mixer or do it by hand, with a whisk. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Start adding powdered sugar until you get the right consistency for the job. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> (I make it quite a bit thinner for a glaze, and much thicker to frost cupcakes.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This time I needed about two cups. If it looks too runny, add more. Nothing scientific about this one.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If it gets too thick, a splash of almond milk will loosen it back up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Easy. I promise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Have your hot cross buns all nice and cool now?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you don't have a decorator gun, or a piping bag set, there's a quick solution. Just grab a ziplock bag. Any size will do.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Scoop about a cup of your frosting into the bag. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Snip off the corner (start off very small - this will come out quickly - about the size of a drinking straw)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pipe one line across the length of the whole pan, then one across the width. Repeat until you have a cross pattern on each of them. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XSWBIkJQVxQ/T2fxTxE3IiI/AAAAAAAABaM/03uG_h4Njfs/s1600/cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XSWBIkJQVxQ/T2fxTxE3IiI/AAAAAAAABaM/03uG_h4Njfs/s400/cross.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-85459487015527582262012-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.939-07:00Why You Shouldn't Waste Your Money On Canned BeansWant to know a secret? Well, maybe the world's worst-kept secret, but I'll tell you anyway:<br /><br />Beans are super easy to cook from their dried state. I promise. I'll <strike>never</strike> seldom buy canned beans again.<br /><br />A typical can of organic beans at my grocery store is $1.09. But, along with all that awesome fiber and plant-based protein comes a hefty amount of sodium. One can has a whopping 490 grams! I don't know about you, but I don't need all that sodium pulsing through my veins. In fact, my husband was diagnosed with hypertension at the ripe old age of 34.<br /><br />Still not convinced? Let's talk economics. Last time I did this, I calculated that a single can-sized serving of organic garbanzo beans - made from scratch - equals about 49 cents! That's less than half of the cost! Who couldn't use some extra pocket change?! Bonus tip: I know that Whole Foods has a reputation for being pricey, but here's the thing: they have wickedly cheap dried beans and grains in the bulk section. Even cheaper than walmart, but they are organic! It's the only place I buy beans now.<br /><br />When people see the food I cook, and hear that we're vegan, one of the first things they ask is, "how much do you spend on groceries!?" The fact is, my family doesn't spend what your family does because our demographic is unique to us. So, what I spent for 7 people won't be what you spend for, say, 4. And my kids are entering the <strike>bottomless pit</strike> teen years and growing like weeds. <br /><br />But, I will promise you this: one of the first ways I saw a reduction in grocery bills was switching from natural, ideally organic, meats to beans as our primary source of protein. They're totally versatile, filling, and much better for you and the environment. If you, or someone in the family, doesn't like beans - keep trying new recipes. You're bound to find something they <i>do </i>like. <br /><br />No matter what the reason, you're here - so let's get started.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Quick Soak Beans From Scratch</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dried beans - any kind, any amount</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Water</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A Pot</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Convinced yet?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vtzprh69qFQ/T9emiswtvaI/AAAAAAAABcw/5rqhfM5ZtVo/s1600/IMG_0663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vtzprh69qFQ/T9emiswtvaI/AAAAAAAABcw/5rqhfM5ZtVo/s400/IMG_0663.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Pour your beans into a pot. Pull out any of the ones you see that are sketchy - you know, the ones that are too dark, too small, or just not quite right? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm using a lobster pot here, because I'm cooking a huge volume. Remember, these suckers are going to at least double in size, so leave lots of room for expansion. I like the pasta/lobster pots because they have a handy-dandy insert that lets you remove the contents and leave the water behind. You'll see that magic trick later. If you don't have one, no sweat. Just use the biggest pot you have and a colander. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JLecB_yOdsI/T9enYh3AfsI/AAAAAAAABc8/7N8Fu42kQpc/s1600/IMG_0664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JLecB_yOdsI/T9enYh3AfsI/AAAAAAAABc8/7N8Fu42kQpc/s400/IMG_0664.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fill with water until the beans are fully submerged and have room to grow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PtLQUHcfuGI/T9enxS5tRGI/AAAAAAAABdE/V-eDV6PYixI/s1600/IMG_0665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PtLQUHcfuGI/T9enxS5tRGI/AAAAAAAABdE/V-eDV6PYixI/s400/IMG_0665.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Set them on the stove and turn the burner on high. Cover if you want this part to go faster. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not even breaking a sweat, are you?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujlJHOrbo4Q/T9en-reGLFI/AAAAAAAABdM/TyFRK3YBvyY/s1600/IMG_0672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ujlJHOrbo4Q/T9en-reGLFI/AAAAAAAABdM/TyFRK3YBvyY/s400/IMG_0672.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bring them up to a simmer. Oops. I might have waited a little too long to check on them. Looks like they were boiling. That foam stinks when it hits your burner, so try to avoid that. If not, no biggie. That's what vents are for!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0R0576xgkoo/T9eofmw26VI/AAAAAAAABdg/pB4chvA8P0A/s1600/IMG_0673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0R0576xgkoo/T9eofmw26VI/AAAAAAAABdg/pB4chvA8P0A/s320/IMG_0673.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Turn OFF the heat now, but keep a lid on it. Set your timer for 59:56. It must be that exact number or you'll screw it up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not really. It's 60 minutes, I was just slow with the camera. This is actual cooking, folks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now you can walk away for a whole hour. Do laundry, check facebook, read a blog, do the dishes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*pinterest not recommended due to the stealthy way it makes time pass too quickly</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w78-lwmUXfo/T9eo1psduYI/AAAAAAAABdo/uBs-JE3VKbs/s1600/IMG_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w78-lwmUXfo/T9eo1psduYI/AAAAAAAABdo/uBs-JE3VKbs/s400/IMG_0674.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An hour is up! Move them over to the sink and drain them. See how handy those pasta inserts are now? But, seriously - it's just a colander. Drain 'em and rinse 'em. Aren't they nice and golden?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIxJ5XvA1JY/T9ep1A0JPmI/AAAAAAAABdw/ynIKW0pgy6c/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MIxJ5XvA1JY/T9ep1A0JPmI/AAAAAAAABdw/ynIKW0pgy6c/s400/IMG_0677.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fill the pot up again with clean water until they're well-covered. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Return them to the stove and cook until tender. I have mine on for about another hour, which should be fine. If they still feel too al dente to you, keep going until they're softer, but not mush.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When they're finished, drain again, rinse with cold water until cooled, and package them up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can even use a ziplock to store these! When they're drained, just add a few spoonfuls to a bag with no liquid and freeze flat. Then they stack neatly, too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now go try it! Your life will be forever changed!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-42511581564533582992012-05-22T18:05:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.957-07:00Worthy of A Comeback, Soft, Gooey Vegan, Gluten free Chocolate Chip CookiesIt's almost that time of year for me. My school session is coming to an end and the baking bug has bitten. I don't have a lot of opportunity these days to develop recipes, sadly. But, there are always things I have in mind to test for you all. Today it was actually the pleading of five kids who are a huge help when Dad is on the road. I thought they <i>might </i>have earned it. <br /><br />Truth be told, since we've gone vegan, I have a bit of fear associated with every recipe. Plus it's so darn expensive to have failures. Luckily the kids don't mind eating them. But, the perfectionist in me just has to keep going until I get it right. So, when they asked with pleading eyes for chocolate chip cookies, my heart dropped. What if I didn't get it right? What if they were a crumbly mess that didn't hold together at all, or had greasy edges that over-cooked? (I've had that happen - trust!) But, they <strike>really wanted cookies</strike><br />had confidence in me.<br /><br /><br />This recipe makes about four baking sheets worth of cookies. If that's too much, you may want to cut it in half. I'll leave the math to you. Maybe that's <i>your </i>strong suit! <br /><br />Enough chatter. Let's get to what you really want....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies </div><div style="text-align: center;">2 1/2 cups of gluten free all purpose flour mix (as always I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's</a>)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup of Earth Balance (we use soy-free)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup of non-hydrogenated shortening (Spectrum)</div><div style="text-align: center;">3/4 C brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">3/4 cup sugar </div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp baking soda</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 TBSP of ground golden flax + 3 TBSP water (set aside to thicken)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 C almond milk (or whatever non-dairy milk floats your cookie crumbs)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 bag of semi-sweet non-dairy/vegan chocolate chips </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Note: I use TJ's because I'm a student on a budget. You can use Ghirardelli chips in the gold bag, which - last I checked - didn't have dairy either. Besides those, there are several options at the health food stores that are 100% vegan - your choice! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lest you think it's important to mix the dry and add the wet and alternate blah blah blah. Guess what?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It isn't.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Leaving the chocolate chips out, put the rest of it into a mixer and turn it on. It's that easy. I promise. </div><div style="text-align: center;">(But I'm warning you now - if Jacques Torres or Gale Gand come knocking on my door, I'll deny it!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once smooth and combined, hand stir the chips in. This is the only "fussy" part of this recipe but it's worth it to not have shredded chunks of chocolate. I need that bite of melty goodness!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With a small (think melon-baller) portion scoop, place cookie dough on a silpat (or parchment) lined baking sheet.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Preheat the oven to 375°</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake 8 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now here's the thing... it will look raw-ish. If you try to move them, they will break apart because they're very soft still. Give them about five minutes to cool, they'll firm up, and you can easily remove them to a rack. Plus, I'm not liable if you burn your tongue on hot chocolate chips!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">And then... enjoy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kR6u5RQbXKs/T7w326gQhSI/AAAAAAAABcc/kkegWpQhX2o/s1600/535679_10150954039126151_742691150_12265410_124874584_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kR6u5RQbXKs/T7w326gQhSI/AAAAAAAABcc/kkegWpQhX2o/s320/535679_10150954039126151_742691150_12265410_124874584_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-84450776648173507972012-03-19T19:54:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:42.981-07:00"Three Bite" Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Hot Cross BunsI developed a <a href="http://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/04/one-penny-two-penny-gluten-free-hot.html">gluten-free hot cross bun recipe</a> some time ago. But, as I mentioned in the last couple of posts, we've been going through some major dietary changes around here. Dairy and egg are out! Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200...<div><br /></div><div>So, naturally, when the kids started asking for Hot Cross Buns, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Developing the first required many, <i>many, </i>failures. But, I hoped that I could figure it out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily, the first batch was a home run.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WOKZF0TneoI/T2fsAPw170I/AAAAAAAABaE/OTu-oLLj-B8/s1600/closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WOKZF0TneoI/T2fsAPw170I/AAAAAAAABaE/OTu-oLLj-B8/s400/closeup.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Moist. Tender. Not too dense. Rich with spice. Studded with fruit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yep. That'll do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Caveat: what you think is a hot cross bun and what I have here may not be the same. I apologize to the purists in advance. However, if you just have to call this a spiced fruity sweet roll, that's okay with me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> It's weird... but it's okay. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I embrace weird.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I embody<i> </i>weird.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Hot Cross (spiced fruity) Buns</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 C non-dairy milk (I used almond, original)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 C sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP yeast</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">******</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP ground golden flax</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(or two eggs, if you don't need this substitution)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The zest of 2 oranges, plus the juice of one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3 1/2 C Gluten Free APF (As usual, I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's</a>) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup of applesauce or oil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP cinnamon (preferred: Penzey's Vietnamese)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1tsp nutmeg (c'mon you can grind it!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 tsp ground cloves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 tsp ground allspice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">******</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup of craisins (or dried fruit of your liking) soaked in enough hot water to cover.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*****</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cream Cheese Icing*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(dairy free version below)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Microwave/warm the milk for about 45 seconds, or until it's no longer cold, but not too hot to touch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Think - baby bottle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To the warm milk, add your yeast and sugar. Set aside and let it do its frothy thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In a separate dish, mix together the flax and the water to create "flax eggs." It's just a slurry, really. But that will need to have a chance to set up, too. Set that aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Out of counter space yet? Hang in there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add the flour, zest, applesauce/oil, and spices to the bowl of a stand mixer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You'll want a paddle for this, not a dough hook. Dough hooks are great for gluten-y bread, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but not for this. It will be like a thick muffin batter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pour the milk in, which should have a thick, foamy head by now. Scoop your flax slurry into the bowl while you're at it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Turn it on. Ease up to about medium speed and let it run until it's nice and airy. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It takes about three minutes for this kind of dough. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This is our "kneading" in the gluten free baking world.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Drain your dried fruit and toss that into the bowl when it's about finished. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It can handle the beating, I promise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Coat the inside of a bowl with baking spray or oil. Scrap the dough out into the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place. Mine took about an hour to fluff up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It will be sticky, so you will need some tools of the trade. As always, I use a sheet pan with a Silpat. If you don't have a Silpat, a sheet of parchment will be fine. If you don't have parchment, I think a stoneware pan would do. If you don't have any of these... get creative! I have faith in you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Another helpful tool is a <a href="http://www.chefscatalog.com/img/products/285x285/24378_285.jpg">portion scoop</a>. You really can't roll gluten free dough by hand (if you can, it'll be tough and too dense in the end). So, using something like this helps to keep it from getting everywhere.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ready to roll? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">er... scoop?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On a silpat-lined baking sheet, scoop out mounds of dough. I let mine touch each other on the edges because I love that little smooshy bit of dough where they fused together while baking. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not a fan of edges. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My pan had 28 little dough balls. Yours may have more or less, depending on the size of your scoop.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With wet hands, come back and smooth out the tops a little. </div><div style="text-align: center;">You don't have to, but I wanted it to be pretty for you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brush the tops with your non-dairy milk of choice.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now... here's another little trick I learned last year. Take a 9x13 pan (like a brownie pan) and fill it halfway with water. Place it on your bottom rack in the oven.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Then </i>preheat the oven to 400°</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Steamy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's kind of like a bain-marie, or a proofing box, for the dough.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once the oven is pre-heated, slide the pan into the oven on the rack above the water.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While cooling, prep (or open!? Gasp!) your frosting.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Since cream cheese frosting has always been my favorite, I had to find some way to replicate it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We've been playing with soaked raw cashews, a favorite of the raw food world. And now I know why.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can find raw cashews all over the internet, at your local Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">For the best results, soak them in the fridge overnight. I don't always have time, though, and I've gotten good results out of them unsoaked (just don't tell the raw foodies!).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Also, if you don't have access to the new So Delicious Greek Style Yogurt, I'm sorry. If you have a coconut allergy like one of my friends, just go ahead and substitute any other vanilla yogurt you like. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I recently found an almond one that was very good, too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 Cup of Raw Cashews (soaked, if possible, then drained)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tub of <a href="http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/coconut-milk-yogurts/vanilla-greek">So Delicious Coconut Milk Greek Yogurt - Vanilla flavored</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The juice of one lemon (yep, juice a fresh one here. You must.)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp gluten free vanilla</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A bag of powdered sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In a high speed blender, puree the cashews with the yogurt, vanilla, and lemon juice until smooth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">From this point, you can switch to your stand mixer or do it by hand, with a whisk. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Start adding powdered sugar until you get the right consistency for the job. </div><div style="text-align: center;"> (I make it quite a bit thinner for a glaze, and much thicker to frost cupcakes.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This time I needed about two cups. If it looks too runny, add more. Nothing scientific about this one.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If it gets too thick, a splash of almond milk will loosen it back up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Easy. I promise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Have your hot cross buns all nice and cool now?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you don't have a decorator gun, or a piping bag set, there's a quick solution. Just grab a ziplock bag. Any size will do.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Scoop about a cup of your frosting into the bag. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Snip off the corner (start off very small - this will come out quickly - about the size of a drinking straw)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pipe one line across the length of the whole pan, then one across the width. Repeat until you have a cross pattern on each of them. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XSWBIkJQVxQ/T2fxTxE3IiI/AAAAAAAABaM/03uG_h4Njfs/s1600/cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XSWBIkJQVxQ/T2fxTxE3IiI/AAAAAAAABaM/03uG_h4Njfs/s400/cross.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-17700146840163932352012-03-06T17:07:00.000-08:002017-05-19T12:41:43.018-07:00Gluten-Free, Vegan Oatmeal Molasses BreadThe Cheesecake Factory's huge salads are a favorite in our family and the manager has always been happy to inform us of allergens. However, it seems that the things we <i>cannot </i>have occasionally become the most enticing. For my kids, this is the molasses oatmeal bread that arrives at the table. I've made a few molasses quickbreads, but none were quite what they wanted. <br /><div><br /></div><div>This one, however, was great. Nice crust. Slightly sweet. Rich with molasses, but not overpoweringly so. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have fantasies of making cashew cream cheese to smear on top, but that will have to wait. A family favorite for the <a href="http://www.godairyfree.org/news/so-delicious-dairy-free-recipe-contest">So Delicious Dairy-Free Recipe Contest</a>! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2p4ypQVvtg/T1azHySJkCI/AAAAAAAABZg/SG3o3AzNafI/s1600/oatmealmolasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O2p4ypQVvtg/T1azHySJkCI/AAAAAAAABZg/SG3o3AzNafI/s400/oatmealmolasses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 1/4 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L4JH5I/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0078U378C&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ES0SEFMGND41CQYE7ZD">gluten free all purpose flour</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 C <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDG598/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00473RWXY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0W776B79H0GQ5RV45W8Q">almond meal</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP ground golden flax</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 tsp baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 tsp baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup gluten free rolled oats + 1 TBSP for the top</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup so delicious almond milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP apple cider vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 TBSP blackstrap molasses</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP maple syrup</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As is the case with most quickbreads, this is a measure + mix recipe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Blend until smooth. The end.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Divide the dough into thirds and place on a silpat-lined sheet pan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It will be sticky, sticky, sticky. That's okay. It's just how gluten free bread rolls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Get it? Bread...Rolls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wow I've been inhaling too much flax today, I think.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wetting your hands before shaping helps it to not stick as much and you can smooth out the edges better. If you want to get fancy, you can slit three times across the top, but I'm not going to judge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sprinkle the top with the reserved oats and bake at 400° for about 25 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(if you make a single loaf, it's going to take longer, naturally)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy eating!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-86371908579755497562011-12-24T11:53:00.000-08:002017-05-19T12:41:43.032-07:00Gluten Free, Dairy Free Eggnog Do(ugh)nuts.Whether you spell them donut or doughnut, they're delicious!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-c0s6RpyYU/TvYtxEhreAI/AAAAAAAABW4/b8Z2AMN3K1w/s1600/donutholes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q-c0s6RpyYU/TvYtxEhreAI/AAAAAAAABW4/b8Z2AMN3K1w/s320/donutholes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />After making the Apple Cider Donuts this Halloween, I had little people requesting something special for the holidays. This time I set out to make an eggnog based donut, modifying the original cider recipe just a tad. Here's what we came up with:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup of soy-free earth balance (or butter-ish substance of your choosing)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups So Delicious Coconut Nog (or eggnog of choice)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">4 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L4JH5I/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/180-8834155-8114253?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=0F3HRNVHYCMGMNMB4MW8&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B000DZFMEQ">Pamela's Gluten Free Bread Mix/Flour</a> (plus enough for dusting)</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp baking soda</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg (or 1 tsp of the pre-ground stuff)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix it all up. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dough will be incredibly sticky, just hang in there.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Scrape it out onto a well-floured surface. I actually use a layer of flour on my silpat for extra protection.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dust with yet another layer of flour and roll until about a half inch thick.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cut out into desired shape (we use a circle cutter and a piping gun tip for the centers).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lay out the donuts on a silpat-lined sheet pan and refrigerate for at least a half hour.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I use a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan by Cuisinart for my frying. It takes about an inch of neutral oil.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Heat to around 350° - you can always toss a donut hole in there and when it floats right back up to the top, sizzling at the edge, the oil is ready.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They go QUICKLY so make sure you have a landing pad ready. I use a cooling rack over a layer of paper towels on my sheet pan.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">A <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hZh9VdOYL._SL500_AA280_.jpg">spider</a> like this is what I use for fishing mine back out.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They should only take a few minutes per side. Don't be worried if they look flat, like a big washer, when they're raw. They puff like mad in that oil!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Let cool a bit, then roll in powdered sugar or glaze them to your heart's desire.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My glaze consists of: </div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups powdered sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp light corn syrup</div><div style="text-align: center;">warm water to make a pourable fondant consistency</div><div style="text-align: center;">then thin with extra nog, if need be, for dipping consistency</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__c3ZkFlczQ/TvYtjUEHJ8I/AAAAAAAABWs/1Xzvu9F13vc/s1600/donuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-__c3ZkFlczQ/TvYtjUEHJ8I/AAAAAAAABWs/1Xzvu9F13vc/s320/donuts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Holidays!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-72624737983831949002011-12-21T12:52:00.000-08:002017-05-19T12:41:43.047-07:00Gluten Free Gingerbread (for houses and men!)A few weeks ago, my 11 year old mentioned that she'd never had a gingerbread man. Around the same time, my 7 year old asked if we could make a gingerbread house - a task I'd never completed successfully.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Sure, we've bought the kits. And failed at them. Roofs collapsed. Tears ensued (and the kids were bummed, too). So, my nerves were fried as I set out to make (of all things) a gingerbread house that was <i>gluten free!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>I mean, come on. Gluten free baking can be tricky. Mistakes are expensive. I couldn't even assemble graham cracker houses, what on earth made me think I was capable of gluten free, homemade, gingerbread!? From scratch?!</div><div><br /></div><div>My friends were pretty convinced I had lost my mind. "Buy the kit, just let them decorate it." "Make a gluten-free door and they can eat that part." </div><div><br /></div><div><i>cross contamination. contact ingestion. but... but... they can't EAT that!</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>So, I watched videos. I read blogs. I scoured pinterest. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then I mustered up the courage, took a deep breath, and tried it.</div><div><br /></div><div>They came out of the oven fragile. I slid the silpat onto a cooling rack without breathing, silently invoking all the holiest members of the holidays I could think of. Dear Frosty... Please Rudolph... Oh, Santa... </div><div><br /></div><div>And guess what?</div><div><br /></div><div>It worked!</div><div><br /></div><div>They firmed up so beautifully. We made royal icing. It worked. It all was going so smoothly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until I got cocky. </div><div><br /></div><div>I made one crucial mistake. I didn't let the construction royal icing set up entirely. Introducing the runnier color flow type royal icing into the equation caused a major structural issue. Luckily one of the kids spotted our sliding roof top and we were able to salvage it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Note: Typically, on my blog, I avoid all things with artificial food coloring. Because of this, I went with Necco wafers for shingles. Well, guess who changed their formula within the last month? Yup. So these ARE artificially colored - but who eats those nasty little flat antacid things anyway? :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Without further ado... the gingerbread!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups of molasses</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup of Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">6 cups of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L4JH5I/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/177-9180136-9564125?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=0JZ28A05K47GKAY77XG0&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B000DZFMEQ">Pamela's Gluten-Free bread flour</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp baking soda</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 tsp cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 tsp ground ginger</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp salt</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cinnamon or flour for dusting your rolling pin and counter top</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cream together the molasses, eggs, shortening, and brown sugar until smooth. It took a little bit for my paddle to break down the shortening, but it's important. The good thing is, you can see when it's worked in evenly due to the dark molasses color.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Combine the dry ingredients and add a couple cups at a time, working slowly. This will be a SERIOUSLY thick dough. Mix until all the white is gone and the dough is sticky and uniform.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Remove the dough from the ball, pressing out as much of the air as you can. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Pat into a slab, wrap in saran wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">While that rests, print out your template. You can use whatever you'd like. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2009Q4/ms_hol09_swedish_gingerbread_house_temp.pdf">I found this one on Martha's website. </a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Note: the roof should be 2 pieces of 6 1/2 x 7 1/2 pieces. You have to measure those. </div><div style="text-align: center;">She didn't include that in the template. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Preheat the oven to 350°</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dust your surface and rolling pin with cinnamon (or flour).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Roll to about 1/4" thickness.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Multi-Purpose-Pastry-Scraper-Chopper/dp/B00004OCNJ">board scraper</a> (which I used) or a knife, cut out the shape of your house.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Transfer the pieces (you should have six) to a silpat (or parchment) lined sheet pan.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake for 25 minutes.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">VERY carefully remove them from the oven, leaving them to cool on the baking sheet if possible.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cool several hours until hard to the touch.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With the remaining dough, roll out again and cut out gingerbread men or other shapes. This recipe yielded one Martha-sized house, 7 large gingerbread men, and 42 tiny gingerbread hearts (two of which I cut out of the peaked sides of the Martha house as a little window).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">To assemble:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Make a batch of royal icing according to label directions. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I used the Wilton meringue powder and their icing recipe enclosed in the lid.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fill a piping gun or pastry bag with the thick icing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lay down a 1/2" or so of the icing on your assembly surface as your foundation.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(I wrapped a piece of cardboard in freezer paper here, but you can use a cake board, available at Walmart and craft stores).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Working slowly, assemble the four walls of your house with a thick layer of royal icing.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">LET. IT. DRY. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trust me.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The roof was a little trickier, because it has to lay across the top peaks. With a thick layer of icing on all connecting surfaces, I laid one peak on at a time, placing additional icing to the backside of the roof where possible. Let it dry. Did I say that? Do it. Seriously.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Also, royal icing dries hard, so don't leave it sitting out. Put a wet towel over it or keep it in a container.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once the house's structure is built, let it dry. Again. I know. But do it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We let it sit overnight.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With a thinner recipe of royal icing, you can go back in and glue your decorations. I recommend a wilton squeeze bottle for this. I think they were $2 at Michael's </div><div style="text-align: center;">and they have a cap so your icing doesn't dry out between sections.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Try something you've never dared before this holiday season! You may be pleasantly surprised with the results. And don't forget to invoke Frosty!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DYU4bEaLXNA/V4mUQJYjEJI/AAAAAAAADJQ/AAWHZ4EXDqQAG59spHfap9O6aBxKIWxPwCLcB/s1600/biscuit-83807_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DYU4bEaLXNA/V4mUQJYjEJI/AAAAAAAADJQ/AAWHZ4EXDqQAG59spHfap9O6aBxKIWxPwCLcB/s400/biscuit-83807_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-57163817148770335572011-11-23T14:13:00.000-08:002017-05-19T12:41:43.079-07:00Cranberry Apple ChutneyDo you remember <a href="http://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/gelled-cranberry-sauce-and-cranberry.html">last year's post</a> about this burst of fall flavor? <br /><br />Cranberry Apple Chutney has to be one of my all-time favorite condiments. It is Exhibit A for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan food being utterly delicious. And while you can put it on just about anything, it really shines on turkey. Okay, I realize that completely contradicts that whole vegan thing, but hey - you can put it on tofurkey, too, right?<br /><br />The house smells like bright, sunshiny fall, heavy with spice. So, I thought I'd take this opportunity to re-blog the recipe for you all and show you <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SucreandSpice">the adorable spoons my friend makes</a>. She's one of those uber-crafty types and, let me tell you, you want to grab these while you can. After recent media attention, and celebrity party planners scooping them up, they're hot! hot! hot!<br /><br />I'm a tad obsessed with them and have a few projects planned over the next few weeks. I can't wait to share them with you all. She can put darn near anything on a spoon, but her in stock designs are to-die-for cute. Knowing I am enamored with all things Alice, she sent me a nice set:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IlyQaq0YOyI/Ts1vdvaChAI/AAAAAAAABV0/OZqo3WF-Qx8/s1600/offwithherhead2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IlyQaq0YOyI/Ts1vdvaChAI/AAAAAAAABV0/OZqo3WF-Qx8/s320/offwithherhead2.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 cups of fresh cranberries<br />3 cups of peeled, diced apples (I used honeycrisps and granny smith that were too bruised for my kids to possibly eat)<br />1 cups of sugar<br />1 1/3 cups of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Apple-Cider-Vinegar-Unfiltered/dp/B0006Z7NOK?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">apple cider vinegar</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0006Z7NOK" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #111111; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><br />1/2 tsp allspice<br />1/2 tsp <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Extra-Saigon-Vietnamese-Cinnamon-3-bottle/dp/B00355EH92?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">good cinnamon</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00355EH92" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #111111; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> (I like Penzey's vietnamese)<br />1/2 tsp <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organic-Ginger-Certified-Containers/dp/B001IZIBNY?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ground ginger</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001IZIBNY" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #111111; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span> (dried stuff is fine)<br />1/4 tsp <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Ground-Cloves-2-82-oz/dp/B00269T9JQ?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">ground cloves</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00269T9JQ" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #111111; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><br />1/4 tsp <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spicy-World-Nutmeg-Whole-3-5oz/dp/B000JMDJ2K?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">fresh grated nutmeg</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000JMDJ2K" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #111111; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (please)</span><br /><br />Dump it all in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Calphalon-Contemporary-Stainless-8-Quart-Inserts/dp/B000CSCQBG?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">heavy bottomed stainless steel pot</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial !important; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000CSCQBG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #111111; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span>. (The BEST stock pot ever - not too big, not too small, steams veggies, drains pasta, all in all great pot. I've had it for years and we use it 3-5 times a week.)<br /><br />This isn't a baking recipe, order doesn't really matter.<br /><br />Stir occasionally to make sure the sugar is getting mixed in and not burning on the bottom of your pan. Also, I realized that cranberries are loaded with pectin, the stuff that makes jelly and jam stick together. As they burst, they will sort of fall to the bottom and can get goopy down there. Don't worry if that happens, it mixes right back in. (not that I know from experience or anything)<br /><br />This needs to simmer for about 25 minutes. It will thicken, reduce, and all the cranberries will pop. You can encourage them by smooshing them against the side of the pot. Your house will smell like heavenly fall goodness at this point (and yes, the vinegar smells STRONG in the beginning, but trust me. It's right. And it mellows out.)<br /><br />When it's done, it will be thick, almost the consistency of applesauce.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">See how thick it is here?</span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EVF1PF63mM/Ts1vaQBR_rI/AAAAAAAABVs/kY4gzey5sy4/s1600/offwithherhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4EVF1PF63mM/Ts1vaQBR_rI/AAAAAAAABVs/kY4gzey5sy4/s320/offwithherhead.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And, of course, it makes a ton and would be an awesome hostess gift. Here's an itty bitty "ice cream spoon" from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/SucreandSpice">Sucre and Spice</a> tied on a tiny jar for gifting:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1flAYmRY2WU/Ts1v9Zm4NZI/AAAAAAAABV8/g5BzsQ0jqek/s1600/chutneyjar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1flAYmRY2WU/Ts1v9Zm4NZI/AAAAAAAABV8/g5BzsQ0jqek/s320/chutneyjar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">Happy Eating!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-85399501951344854612011-10-28T18:06:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.157-07:00Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Apple Cider Donuts (doughnuts? deaux knuts?)Any way you spell it, apple cider donuts are a delicious part of fall. The local apple orchards have a corner spot at the farmer's market where they sell everything from strawberry-rhubarb pie to slushy cider. While pregnant (many, many years ago) I happened upon a small package of apple cider donuts at the stand and couldn't resist.<br /><br />The cinnamon sugar melted against my tongue as I bit into the crisp exterior. The inside was reminiscent of an old fashioned buttermilk donut with the faintest hint of apple-y goodness. <br /><br />That was the beginning of a love affair with cider donuts.<br /><br />Fast forward to this fall. At the point that my beloved donuts were available, I had realized my sensitivity to dairy was pretty severe. I knew I would have to end things, but my heart would pang as we drove near the market. Something had to be done.<br /><br />Today, I think I have not only replicated the recipe - I may have even improved it.<br /><br />The kids occasionally ask for the frozen gluten-free donuts at the grocery store, but they're a tad expensive and a tad... not great.<br /><br />After my first batch of donuts, I can safely say that I will never, ever buy them again! They were remarkably easy and taste amazing warm. I think you'll find that it's worth the bit of effort involved in making them from scratch.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PJAJ_fG8JTk/TqtMRw07vxI/AAAAAAAABVc/ns6nnJJOCP8/s1600/donuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PJAJ_fG8JTk/TqtMRw07vxI/AAAAAAAABVc/ns6nnJJOCP8/s400/donuts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Apple Cider Donuts </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(pictured with maple glaze)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup apple cider* </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cinnamon stick</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a few grates of fresh nutmeg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(*Sam's has honeycrisp cider - which, of course, is what I used!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 cup of soy-free earth balance</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 cup sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 TBSP apple cider vinegar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> 1 cup original almond milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix / Flour</a> (plus enough for dusting)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 tsp baking powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 tsp baking soda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 tsp salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 tsp cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">dash of ground allspice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">dash of ground cloves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a few grates of fresh nutmeg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">***</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">neutral oil for frying</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Topping options:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">cinnamon sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">powdered sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">maple glaze </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Simmer the apple cider and spices until reduced by half. Your house will smell amazing now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You're welcome.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mix together all the dry ingredients and set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In a mixer, cream together the earth balance and sugar, then add eggs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Slowly pour in the reduced spiced cider, apple cider vinegar, and almond milk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add a the dry ingredients about a cup at a time until incorporated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The final batter will be <i>very </i>sticky. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A silpat-lined baking sheet dusted with flour will make your life easier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pat or roll out the dough to about a 3/4" thickness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Allow the dough to rest in the refrigerator, if possible, for a half hour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cut to desired shape, roll, cut, roll, cut until all the bits and pieces are used.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bring an inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan up to about 350°</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(that candy thermometer helps here)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Carefully lower 4-5 donuts into the hot oil, flipping once they are GBD*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*golden brown delicious ™Alton Brown</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remove to a cooling rack and let cool until you can handle them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Top any way your heart desires. I made a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice since I had them out from the recipe. We rolled donut holes in that and they were delicious. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But, when I think of donuts - and I mean <i>good </i>donuts - I think maple bars. They're not popular in my area, and I didn't even taste a maple bar until well into my twenties. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But, they are, in my opinion, the best donut on earth. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And what could be more delicious than apples and maple together? <strike>bacon and maple</strike></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strike><br /></strike></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maybe next time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I threw together a quick maple glaze for the rest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 cups powdered sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 tsp karo light syrup</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 tsp maple extract</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add enough hot water to reach a pourable fondant consistency and you're done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whisk to be sure you have all those lumps out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dip. Drizzle. Devour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-81769221613272241652011-10-28T10:05:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.188-07:00Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Caramel Dip for Your Apples!Remember how I waxed poetic about the lusciousness of <a href="http://sweetnothingsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/bourbon-caramel-apple-dip.html">Bourbon Caramel Apple Dip</a>?<br /><br />That's because I have a confession...<br /><br />I don't like chocolate. I can totally live without it. I could go every day for the rest of my years on this planet without ever having it on my tongue again.<br /><br />But caramel?<br /><br />Buttery, gooey, rich, softening against the tongue caramel? Be. Still. My. Heart.<br /><br />Add fleur de sel and I'm done. Done. There is nothing better.<br /><br />So, when I realized that the source of my (five years worth of!) abdominal pain may be related to dairy, my heart cracked a little at the thought of never having the amber nectar of the gods again.<br /><br />Now, let me tell you - this was no small feat. I'm a caramel snob. Melted waxy squares from a bag will <i>not </i>do. It has to be right.<br /><br />I adapted my recipe and found it opaque and creamy with a slightly coconutty taste. Bad? Not really. But it wasn't <i>perfect</i> caramel. <br /><br />So, I tried another recipe from another blogger. Utter and complete fail. It was gritty, separated, and runny. That one ended up in the trash after cooling in the fridge overnight and yielding nothing worth salvaging.<br /><br />This morning, I decided it was worth it to try <i>one last time.</i> I could have used the creamy caramel above for the kids' apple dip, but really? I would have been disappointed in me. I don't do disappointment well.<br /><br />I came back to my original recipe with a little tweak and VOILA! It's perfect!<br /><br />Thick. Gooey. Luscious. Buttery. Tasting of burnt sugar and creme brulee and vanilla and delicious.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bWjhkTcnRV0/TqrgecMzQzI/AAAAAAAABVE/kAug-8Fgi2Q/s1600/Apples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bWjhkTcnRV0/TqrgecMzQzI/AAAAAAAABVE/kAug-8Fgi2Q/s400/Apples.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />May this bring back your faith in dairy-free cooking and put a smile on your face:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1 Cup Soy-Free Earth Balance </div><div style="text-align: center;">2 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 1/4 cups granulated sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups karo light syrup</div><div style="text-align: center;">(you may be able to sub agave, if you're avoiding corn. I haven't tested it, but I don't see why not.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups of original almond milk</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp high quality gluten-free vanilla</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">(I skipped the booze - for shame - but you're welcome to drop that to 1 tsp of vanilla </div><div style="text-align: center;">and add 2 tbsp of maker's mark or knob creek, should your boozy heart desire)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">In a small pot, pour the almond milk and bring to a simmer, </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">allowing it to thicken and reduce while the sugar cooks.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">(There's no magic timeline for this, just let it bubble away)</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In a large, heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pan (think stainless steel stock pot) </div><div style="text-align: center;">combine the first four ingredients, stirring regularly as the butter melts.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Insert a candy thermometer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Continue to stir as it comes up to temperature. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Sugar will burn, and not in a yummy caramel-y way, so don't walk away. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Safety note: boiling sugar will burn you in ways you can't even imagine. This isn't one for the kids, folks. Stay safe and make sure you use a long-handled silicone spoonula.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When the sugar mixture comes up to 230°, add the vanilla (and bourbon, if desired)... slowly!</div><div style="text-align: center;">It will cause the sugar to expand, so be particularly careful during the next two steps.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pour your reduced almond milk into the bubbling caramel... did I mention to do this slowly? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bring the entire mix up to 240°</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ladle into clean jars and set on the counter to cool, then refrigerate.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VD9YQUcNlic/TqrhODCv6sI/AAAAAAAABVU/sdm0Vs_iVMI/s1600/dip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VD9YQUcNlic/TqrhODCv6sI/AAAAAAAABVU/sdm0Vs_iVMI/s400/dip.jpg" width="257" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jh-YFEHmkZI/TqrgpN2FirI/AAAAAAAABVM/tuN7o-Egx3o/s1600/jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jh-YFEHmkZI/TqrgpN2FirI/AAAAAAAABVM/tuN7o-Egx3o/s400/jack.jpg" width="301" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-89274957499641123162011-09-24T17:04:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.203-07:00Gluten Free, Dairy Free Cinnamon No-RollsHome with the kids this weekend, I found myself mourning the lack of oats. I never remember to buy these kinds of things. (That would be why I've been out of powdered sugar for a month.)<br /><div><br /></div><div>Six cans of fire roasted tomatoes? Of course. Seventeen thousand pounds of dried beans? Shelved neatly in the freezer. But, nooo, I can never remember things like powdered sugar. </div><div><br /></div><div>Or oats.</div><div><br /></div><div>Darn oats.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, when you think about it, it really isn't about the oats. It's not about the apples, either. </div><div><br /></div><div>For me...</div><div><br /></div><div>it is <i>all </i>about the cinnamon.</div><div><br /></div><div>I adore cinnamon. <a href="http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysvietnamesecinnamon.html?id=BxWhs3MW">Vietnamese cinnamon</a>, to be precise. Don't have a favorite cinnamon? For shame. Go to Penzey's as soon as you can and smell the little jars. You'll be able to pick a favorite. (One of my friends is my Penzey's Partner - her favorite is korintje cinnamon - another good one and it's readily available. I have a jar from the supermarket here in town.)</div><div><br /></div><div>My nine year old's love of cinnamon pretty much only extends to cinnamon rolls. Cinnamon rolls were my Everest for the longest time and I've finally found a recipe that we love. That said - I may have a new favorite.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gluten-Free dough is sticky, by nature. It's workable, don't get me wrong, and when you adjust to wetting your hands and utilizing parchment or a silpat, it's much easier. But, it's still a pain. Heck, it was a pain to make <i>regular </i>cinnamon rolls. It's a labor of love. I'm willing to do it... twice a year. But, it isn't something I really enjoy doing. </div><div><br /></div><div>I mean, how do you think Cinnabon got so popular? Because a good cinnamon roll is rare enough. But even if you have an amazing recipe, you still have to do all that work - in all those steps. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, I set out to eliminate some of that. Udi's has a pretty good little product that they call a cinnamon roll, but the textures not quite right. It's more of a cinnamon muffin. And when you're all about the cinnamon, there's a significant lack of gooey, sweet, buttery cinnamon swirl.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's see if we can fix that!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Cinnamon No-Rolls</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Base layer</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">3 Cups Flour (as always, I use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001L4JH5I/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000DZFMEQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1FG9CRP3CFE1SF066TM1">Pamela's</a>) </div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pinch of kosher salt</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk of your choice (we like Silk coconut milk)</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil</div><div style="text-align: center;">(you could technically use an equal amount of applesauce, but we're about to get butter loco)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Top layer:</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of Earth Balance (or nondairy margarine or butter)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of brown sugar, packed</div><div style="text-align: center;">2TBSP flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 TBSP cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or a diced green apple </div><div style="text-align: center;">(I added the latter since my daughter doesn't care for pecans.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can figure this part out, right? Mix stuff until it's dough. Awesome. Good job.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Spread it in a 9x13. You can use a spatula/spoonula or just moistened, clean hands.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Make the top layer by combining the earth balance, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Drop by spoonfuls on top of your base layer, or spread. Whatever makes you happy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">With the side of a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon, swirl spirals into the dough to give it that cinnamon roll look. (I mean, let's be honest, you don't have to. It's going to taste just as good.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It will look something like this (minus the green, if you don't have apples in yours.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j72MYptVYas/Tn5vSd8oCuI/AAAAAAAABT8/o-EbxR0Mu1Y/s1600/dough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j72MYptVYas/Tn5vSd8oCuI/AAAAAAAABT8/o-EbxR0Mu1Y/s400/dough.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yum, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Preheat the oven to 350° and bake for about 40 minutes. It will puff all the way to the top of the pan, then fall a bit as it cools. Don't sweat it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can top with a cream cheese frosting (nondairy for our crew) or an easy powdered sugar glaze (just thin out some powdered sugar with a few teaspoons of "milk" and drizzle over the top)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwrLaC17qR4/Tn5vsyH6FLI/AAAAAAAABUA/g-pWnjrKRsE/s1600/cinnamoncake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwrLaC17qR4/Tn5vsyH6FLI/AAAAAAAABUA/g-pWnjrKRsE/s400/cinnamoncake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sorry I had to zoom in on one swirl. I swear it's not because the corner was missing at this point.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also swear I didn't burn my fingers on hot sugar. Or something.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKSR5TM51FA/Tn5v11p6RfI/AAAAAAAABUE/jfccGp2Lij8/s1600/Slice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKSR5TM51FA/Tn5v11p6RfI/AAAAAAAABUE/jfccGp2Lij8/s400/Slice.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With glaze added (honestly? Unnecessary and a tad too sweet with glaze, for my liking. But that gooey cinnamon butter stuff you see right there at the top? Oh yeah. You need to taste that.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cinnabon, who?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-32777423493720791922011-09-20T15:08:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.219-07:00Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Apple Crisp For You & MeA friend of mine posted recently that she was making an apple crisp. I, of course, couldn't keep my big mouth shut and started yapping about how I had a great recipe. <strike>there goes the diet</strike><br /><strike><br /></strike><br />So, of course, I had to make one. Let's be reasonable here. It's what a good friend would do. The topic also led me to wax poetic about the joys of an apple peeler/corer/slicer. Seriously, it's a gem of a gadget. But, you can absolutely peel and cut them to your heart's content. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">8-9 apples</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">juice of 1 lemon</div><div style="text-align: center;">~</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup rolled oats*</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's GF Flour</a>**</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp nutmeg</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp good quality cinnamon (seriously, splurge on some vietnamese one day)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 C Earth Balance (or butter)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*note: some oats can be cross contaminated with gluten. If you are sensitive, definitely buy a designated Gluten Free rolled oat from a manufacturer like Bob's Red Mill</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">**all purpose flour for wheat-eaters</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Peel and slice your apples. The thinner you go, the better they cook. Try to be even in your slicing. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I only cook with granny smith, personally (some apples are for saucing, some are for eating, some are for baking, grannies are for baking). Lay them out in a 9x13 (or dump 'em in and call it good).</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Juice the lemon and pour over the top of your apples.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sprinkle with 1/2 cup granulated sugar.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eIBPrbZDqyQ/TnkLylgbdyI/AAAAAAAABTo/2tmnTQUIdBI/s1600/sugar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eIBPrbZDqyQ/TnkLylgbdyI/AAAAAAAABTo/2tmnTQUIdBI/s400/sugar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In another bowl, mix the oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add the margarine/butter and mix quickly by hand or with a pastry cutter. You will want a crumb texture where you can no longer see the white of the flour and no longer see the pats of butter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can also do this in a cuisinart, on pulse. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inhale.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWvazNY2pV8/TnkN-tWTOtI/AAAAAAAABTs/izQM__0UtWA/s1600/Sneakpeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWvazNY2pV8/TnkN-tWTOtI/AAAAAAAABTs/izQM__0UtWA/s400/Sneakpeek.jpg" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Smells like fall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bake in a 375° oven for about a half hour, depending on how your apples were cut.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmE1iR9SF1Y/TnkORzxccrI/AAAAAAAABTw/lp5Hzzckd_M/s1600/toastyoats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmE1iR9SF1Y/TnkORzxccrI/AAAAAAAABTw/lp5Hzzckd_M/s400/toastyoats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When it looks like this, it's finished. See those toasty oats and crispy crumbly bits? Yep. We're there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wH2CN8XIVFU/TnkOip1ToaI/AAAAAAAABT0/JF7IY373eyY/s1600/gooeycorners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wH2CN8XIVFU/TnkOip1ToaI/AAAAAAAABT0/JF7IY373eyY/s400/gooeycorners.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Apples are soft, but not mushy. Crisp is crispy. Corners are... wait... we need a better look:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfAvCQfnnD4/TnkOtfoteCI/AAAAAAAABT4/0LyYudc2OCA/s1600/corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfAvCQfnnD4/TnkOtfoteCI/AAAAAAAABT4/0LyYudc2OCA/s400/corner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah. That's the stuff. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">This counts as dinner, right?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-71832536761926278472011-09-20T13:17:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.236-07:00Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Ooey Gooey Jack Skellington Cookie CakeThis isn't really a recipe as much as a method of decoration, but I'm putting it up for a friend.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I've just discovered Earth Balance Baking Sticks. They're as awesome as my favorite earth balance, but they have a lower melting point (or some other scientific semantics that I won't bore you with). Bottom line is - they make DELICIOUS cookies. And dream cheese frosting (I totally just made that up. It's vegan, made with tofutti "cream cheese.")<br /><br />My oldest turned 14 last week and is a lover of all things cookie cake. She asks for one every year, and it's something I'm always happy to do. (hey, no rolling out fondant or icing two dozen cupcakes? I'm down!)<br /><br />I set out to find some way to decorate her cookie cake so that it felt - festive. I considered stacking, layering, icing in between, cookie sandwiches, decorating on top, you name it. Ultimately, I decided to "decorate" with nondairy chocolate chips. <br /><br />I made a double batch of my favorite cookie dough, sans chips. Spread about a quarter of the batter into an 8" cake pan. (It helps to have oiled or moistened hands, as is usually the case with gluten free batters/doughs) Smooth it out. Then press the chips in however your heart desires. My heart desired Jack Skellington. (the mouth got a little distorted as it rose in the pan, so you might want to not get so close to the edge).<br /><br />The result? Outstandingly delicious, ooey, gooey, soft, delicious mall-quality cookies. I'm not kidding. And not a bit of dairy or gluten. You would never have known!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cUfhoFKowoA/TnjykWj1JLI/AAAAAAAABTk/i1xrwin21fU/s1600/IMG_6262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cUfhoFKowoA/TnjykWj1JLI/AAAAAAAABTk/i1xrwin21fU/s400/IMG_6262.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Ooey Gooey Cookie Cake</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">3 sticks Earth Balance Baking Sticks</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup Earth Balance </div><div style="text-align: center;">(or four sticks of butter if you can do dairy)</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">1.5 cups brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1.5 cups granulated sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp baking soda</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp vanilla</div><div style="text-align: center;">4 1/2 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I">Pamela's Baking Flour</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">(or all purpose flour for you wheat-eaters)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 bags of chocolate chips (whatever brand you like - we are using the Trader Joe's brand here)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cream together the "butters" and the sugars.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Add eggs and vanilla.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix the dry ingredients, then add gradually until incorporated.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Remove 1/4 of the dough and press into an 8" cake pan </div><div style="text-align: center;">(I used disposable here - oooh - livin' on the edge!) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Press chocolate chips into the dough however you'd like.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Divide the rest of the dough into three more baking pans. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Alternately, you can use a larger pan (like a 9X13) for the rest. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I did three pans total and a sheet of cookie dough balls, which I froze to bake later on. </div><div style="text-align: center;">The kids had them last night after dinner and they worked perfectly.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. They will NOT look done when you take them out, but trust me. </div><div style="text-align: center;">They'll be perfect once they cool.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-79495431008597977502011-08-28T15:43:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.250-07:00Bread and Butter Pickles Take TwoWe had a great time eating the bread and butter pickles over the last two weeks. So much so that they were gone in a matter of days. When I found pickling cucumbers at the farm stand again, I couldn't resist their siren song.<br /><br />However, this time I wanted to try something new. The turmeric left stains on our counters and the refrigerated pickles at the grocery store aren't day-glo yellow. So, here is our second attempt with a few adjustments.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">5 pounds of cucumbers</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 large white onions</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of kosher salt</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pickling liquid:</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 3/4 cups of white vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 cups apple cider vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">6 3/4 cups sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">3TBSP mustard seeds</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 1/4 tsp celery seeds</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 cinnamon sticks</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp whole allspice berries</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp cloves</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Slice the cucumbers and onions to desired thickness.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Coat liberally with salt (you're going to rinse this - don't panic).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cover with a tea towel, then a layer of ice, before refrigerating overnight (at least 6 hours).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rinse WELL with cold water. Think you're done? Rinse again with fresh water. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pack the cucumbers and onions into jars and set aside.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Place all pickling liquid ingredients in a heavy bottomed non-reactive saucepan (think stainless steel).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bring to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carefully ladle the hot pickling liquid over your cucumbers. </div><div style="text-align: center;">(A canning funnel is worth the $3 investment, trust me)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Place the lids on and stick in the fridge for 3-4 days.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4AH6PNGxSt4/TlrEwQJK13I/AAAAAAAABTQ/gRy6YJiOjE4/s1600/Pickles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4AH6PNGxSt4/TlrEwQJK13I/AAAAAAAABTQ/gRy6YJiOjE4/s400/Pickles.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yum! (And no yellow fingers!)<br /><br />*note: the other jars are giardiniera / giardinera</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-69847955067160349272011-08-22T13:57:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.266-07:00Queen of Knots - Gluten Free Chewy Soft PretzelsI have a confession...<br /><div><br /></div><div>More recipes are flops than successes. A lot of them are edible, but don't make it to the blog because I'm also <strike>neurotic</strike> a bit of a perfectionist. And, as the cliche says, we are our worst critics. So, when my almond pound cake didn't work out quite as beautifully as I hoped, it ended up in bellies instead of blogs.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, I have another confession. When things work out... really, <i>really </i>work out? I am downright giddy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today - it worked out. </div><div><br /></div><div>It really worked.</div><div><br /></div><div>We've been planning a massive road trip. For those of us who have to be conscious of allergens, that often means two things. 1: research. research. research. 2: planning, and packing, a ton of food.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, we've found several restaurants that will meet our family's needs. But, we will also be planning, and packing, many of our meals. While brainstorming recently, my 7 year old asked if we could bring pretzels. "Not the crunchy kind, mom. You know, the smooooooshy soft kind with the salt on the outside?"</div><div><br /></div><div>I told her I'd try.</div><div><br /></div><div>Recipe development can be an expensive thing. Gluten Free flours are not cheap. But, through Amazon subscribe and save, I can get my favorite for about $10 a bag. That's not bad. </div><div><br /></div><div>We received a shipment last week and I've gone through a bag and a half already. (See aforementioned pound cake) Today made it all worthwhile.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Queen of Knots Gluten Free Smoooooshy Soft Pretzels<br />for Piper</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">3 1/2 cups <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Pamela's Gluten Free bread flour blend</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001L4JH5I" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 packets of yeast</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 TBSP sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">2/3 cup water</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 packets unflavored gelatin, softened in 1/2 cup of cold water</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 TBSP olive oil</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2/3 c baking soda</div><div style="text-align: center;">10 cups of water</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix 2/3 C water, both packages of yeast, and 2 TBSP sugar and set aside to proof.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Place the dough hook on your stand mixer (or a dough blade on a cuisinart). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the bowl, mix together flour, salt, gelatin, yeast, and eggs. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Knead" with the mixer until the dough is combined and smooth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Take dough by the handful and smooth into a uniform ball. Lightly dust the surface with flour and roll out into about a 10" length, half an inch around. (Think play-doh snakes).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Twist the ends and press them back down in a pretzel shape or leave them as sticks. (You can "glue" the ends down with a little beaten egg or water). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QR9B_7P_OIc/TlLBoVxKmzI/AAAAAAAABSs/tS-ZOyokdx8/s1600/IMG_5347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QR9B_7P_OIc/TlLBoVxKmzI/AAAAAAAABSs/tS-ZOyokdx8/s400/IMG_5347.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Lay the finished pretzels on a silpat (or parchment) lined sheet pan. Once all the pretzels are formed, brush the surfaces with olive oil. Cover with damp towel and let rise (approximately 30 minutes).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Preheat oven to 325°</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix 10 cups of water with 2/3 cup baking soda and bring to a simmer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Carefully drop each pretzel into the soda bath for a minute, turning halfway.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JdhNcNZXaMQ/TlLCSjkmZyI/AAAAAAAABSw/itKyuWsQfts/s1600/IMG_5348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JdhNcNZXaMQ/TlLCSjkmZyI/AAAAAAAABSw/itKyuWsQfts/s400/IMG_5348.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Remove to the lined baking sheet. Complete until all are par-boiled.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qdjZSRrsWgI/TlLCfpSImII/AAAAAAAABS0/wHbPKntDUw4/s1600/IMG_5349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qdjZSRrsWgI/TlLCfpSImII/AAAAAAAABS0/wHbPKntDUw4/s400/IMG_5349.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sprinkle with salt, sesame, or poppy seeds (I used kosher salt).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bake for 12 minutes. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Try not to burn your mouth!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gca-vI4-KS8/TlLCvt9lTRI/AAAAAAAABS4/EdQKuZffqFc/s1600/IMG_5352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Gca-vI4-KS8/TlLCvt9lTRI/AAAAAAAABS4/EdQKuZffqFc/s400/IMG_5352.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>**gluten adaptation for Brooke:<br />Substitute 3 cups all-purpose flour and omit gelatin/water mixture. :)<br /><br />TROUBLESHOOTING:<br /><br />We re-made the recipe today and I decided to do a little troubleshooting, to see what could have gone wrong with Charlotte's batch. Here is what I learned:<br /><br />It is essential to add enough flour so that the dough is no longer sticky. It's raining today, and it wasn't the first time, so humidity plays a role. Additionally, you may need to add up to a cup to your dough to get it to a point where you can "snake" the dough. A heavy dusting on the board/counter is important. <br /><br />Also, when you first grab a handful of dough to form it into shape, press out any extra air. The longer the dough sat, the more yeast reacted, the more airy it was. This will make the pretzels fall apart as well.<br /><br />In the soda bath stage, using a big spatula with holes or a spider (for frying foods) helps to flip them more gently without pulling. They are very delicate, so be careful. Something that keeps them flat is great. That said, I did it today without flipping at all. The soda bath bubbles up and over the pretzels and seems to work just fine. 30 seconds seems to work as well as one minute, so you can also cut the boil time.<br /><br />After placing on the cookie sheet for baking, brush with an egg yolk, beaten with about a teaspoon of water. Then add the salt. This makes it brown beautifully.<br /><br />I hope this helps!<br /><br /><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-43086350235571872482011-08-17T13:51:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.282-07:00Giant Gluten Free Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies1 Cup dates, pitted (fresh, not dried)<br />1/3 Cup water<br />1/2 cup Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening or Earth Balance (or butter)<br />1 egg<br />1 1/2 cups brown sugar<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />2 cups flour<br />1 1/4 cups rolled oats (not instant)<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />3/4 tsp cinnamon<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/2 cup raisins<br />1/2 cup walnuts, blended in a food processor (or ninja) into a course meal<br /><br />Puree dates and water in a food processor (I used my Ninja blender). Scrape contents into a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix until flour is incorporated.<br /><br />Form into patties by hand. Place on a silpat (or parchment) lined baking sheet. <br /><br />Preheat oven to 275°<br /><br />Bake for 28-32 minutes. (I put both sheets in the oven and rotated every 10 minutes for even distribution)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jdq6ZG-1PdQ/V4mVY1uGf-I/AAAAAAAADJY/Y4X8H_JNPy4AMiGtua2bfRY3JrbsWNCdQCLcB/s1600/gourmet-cookies-1041327_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jdq6ZG-1PdQ/V4mVY1uGf-I/AAAAAAAADJY/Y4X8H_JNPy4AMiGtua2bfRY3JrbsWNCdQCLcB/s640/gourmet-cookies-1041327_1920.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-7658036686215655782011-08-01T15:22:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.296-07:00Bread & Butter PicklesWhile at the farm last weekend, I spied some pickling cucumbers. Believe me, the temptation of the premade bread and butter pickles was strong. But, for $4.65 a jar, I instead opted for the cucumbers.<br /><br />I've never made real pickles before. Pickled beets? Yes. Refrigerator pickles? Sure. Marinated cucumber salad? You betcha. But, it can't be <i>that </i>hard, right?<br /><br />Apparently it's a long process. But, no, it isn't hard.<br /><br />First, wash and slice your cucumbers and a large white onion. I started with about 8 cups of sliced cucumbers. I could tell you how many pounds or how many cucumbers, but they are so varied in size and weight it wouldn't be very helpful. Don't worry, it's not an exact science. You can have a little extra pickling liquid.<br /><br />Toss them together in a big bowl and cover with a quarter cup of kosher salt. Lay a towel over the top (you want a tea towel not terry cloth) or a cloth napkin. Top with ice and place in the refrigerator for four hours. Why? Beats me, but I read it everywhere while researching, so I did it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These sat overnight. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Remove the ice and the towel, then drain the salt water. I gave them a good rinse because I made the mistake of eating one like this. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q2Ahe4gvr9c/Tjcjs6Y5YFI/AAAAAAAABSM/4xyz4Leup5U/s1600/IMG_5213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q2Ahe4gvr9c/Tjcjs6Y5YFI/AAAAAAAABSM/4xyz4Leup5U/s400/IMG_5213.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Make your pickling liquid.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 Cups of Sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 Cups of Apple Cider Vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 Cup of White Vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 TBSP mustard seeds </div><div style="text-align: center;">1 1/2 tsp turmeric</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tsp celery salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cinnamon stick</div><div style="text-align: center;">10 cloves </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sh5c5GtSTUc/Tjck98aaniI/AAAAAAAABSU/4yLOGONV9Xs/s1600/IMG_5214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sh5c5GtSTUc/Tjck98aaniI/AAAAAAAABSU/4yLOGONV9Xs/s400/IMG_5214.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Place the cucumbers and onions in a jar (again, you can repurpose a jar for this - save a spaghetti sauce jar or one from artichoke hearts, like I do. Since we're not actually canning it to be preserved, you just want something glass to let these sit in the fridge for a few days).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ladle the hot liquid over the top until all the cucumbers are covered.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Place in the fridge for a few days. Eat. These last a while, too, because of the vinegar. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PrbMq1TIp54/TjcmMYu-pWI/AAAAAAAABSY/s4iqWEaxt9c/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PrbMq1TIp54/TjcmMYu-pWI/AAAAAAAABSY/s4iqWEaxt9c/s400/IMG_5216.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I added some leftover beet juice to the center jar to see if we could get pink pickles. I read a story about kool-aid pickles years ago and wanted to give it a try. I'll let you know how that works out.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-64144858050120710692011-08-01T14:55:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.309-07:00Pickled BeetsI have a confession. I have always thought beets taste like blood and dirt. I don't know why, since I don't make it a habit to consume either of these things. But, that's the best description my eight year old mind could come up with and I stuck to it.<br /><br />For a few years, we belonged to a CSA. CSAs (or Community Supported Agriculture) are generally farms that you buy into. We paid for several months of vegetables (and occasionally flowers and herbs). The only catch was, we had to go pick it up. Sometimes there were more tomatoes than we could eat (and we'd roast them), other times it was strange vegetables we'd never seen before (kohlrabi, anyone?). <br /><br />Our first summer there, my children discovered that they loved sugar snap peas. They devoured quarts of them on the drive home and happily plucked yellow pear tomatoes off the vine. My oldest decided her favorite vegetable was flat leaf kale (more tender than its curly cousin) and I discovered that I <strike>tolerate</strike> okay, LOVE beets. But they have to be <i>my </i>beets. I still think canned beets are vile.<br /><br />Saturday, a friend brought me to her favorite farm stand where they had beets for $1.50 a bunch. She looked surprised to see me selecting all four bunches to take home. "I thought you hated beets?" So did I. Until I learned to cook them.<br /><br />First step? Roast them. Like every other vegetable, roasting is nearly the best way to get the best flavor. It concentrates, caramelizes, and deepens flavors. It also makes things sweet (have you ever had a roasted carrot? Try that sometime!) <br /><br />I trimmed the greens off and discarded them. Yes, you can eat them. I'm not a fan of beet greens. And I had let these sit on the counter for too long, so they were wilted. Into the trash they went. I left about an inch of stem on them. I also trimmed off the long root tails. My 11 year old daughter scrubbed with our <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Warehouse-Veg-hog-Veggie-Brush/dp/B000V8EY7Q?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">veg hog.</a> Yep. That's a real thing. And he's cute.<br /><br />Get all the dirt and mud off. These grow in the ground, so yeah, they're dirty.<br /><br />You can use a baking sheet, but mine was dirty. So, I foil-lined my 9x13 pan. You'll need to fully encapsulate these in foil, so make sure you leave enough around the edges to make a pocket. <br /><br />Lay the clean beets in the middle. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt, and crack some pepper. Because I knew I was going to use tarragon vinegar, I added about a half teaspoon of dried french tarragon to them before sealing it up. (Orange zest would have been amazing, but I didn't have any.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DwVtCnYMtuo/TjcdBc1vZQI/AAAAAAAABSE/I_23PLYfDME/s1600/IMG_5195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DwVtCnYMtuo/TjcdBc1vZQI/AAAAAAAABSE/I_23PLYfDME/s400/IMG_5195.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Seal the sides and top and place in a 400° oven for about 45 minutes. Check them with a paring knife to make sure they're soft. Guess what? Mine weren't. So, they went back into the oven for about 20 more minutes. <br /><br />Let them cool. Trust me. It's not worth it. I roasted mine last night.<br /><br />This morning, they were tender and soft and the skin peeled right off. I just ran cool water over them and rubbed them between my fingers. Easy, easy. I was even talking on the phone while I did it!<br /><br />Now, for the pickled part of pickled beets. My harvest was about 16 beets. You can absolutely halve that, if no one else in your family likes them. (Or even quarter that) But I'll tell you this - my kids ALL love them now, so be prepared to share.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Approximately 16 roasted beets</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 large red onion</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups of sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of tarragon vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of red wine vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Slice the beets as thin or as thick as you like. You could absolutely shred them (gently) and make a sort of beet slaw or dice them into matchsticks. I like them very, very thinly sliced (almost shaved). I also like my onion very thinly sliced. A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-V-Blade-Mandoline-Slicer/dp/B001THGPDO?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">mandoline</a> would be handy here. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Layer the beets and onions in jars. I alternated them, but really? It doesn't matter. You can just toss them into a jar. Heck you can even use a re-purposed jar because we're not canning these. They're just going into the fridge. (I wouldn't use plastic, though. The acidity in the vinegar is not going to be a good match for plastic.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In a pot, combine your pickling ingredients:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups of sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">1 cup of tarragon vinegar</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">1 cup of red wine vinegar</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">3 tsp kosher salt</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Bring to a simmer. Your house will smell like pickles, but the kids asked, "What is that delicious smell?"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Once the sugar has melted into the vinegars, you can remove it from the stove. Carefully pour it over the beets and onions. Put a lid on it. Refrigerate it. Wait a few days. Eat it. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFkEkrBkzFM/TjcgtWK9mQI/AAAAAAAABSI/cJTCf0eTYuk/s1600/IMG_5209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sFkEkrBkzFM/TjcgtWK9mQI/AAAAAAAABSI/cJTCf0eTYuk/s400/IMG_5209.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Seriously, you want a minimum of 3 days. I'd say a week is even better. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-40845000708365594722011-08-01T14:28:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.330-07:00Gluten Free Peach SpoonbreadOver a decade ago, I was given a recipe for peach cobbler. And while I know that cobblers are generally interpreted in many ways, I've come to realize that this is <i>not </i>a cobbler. Some people seem to think a cobbler is an upside-down pie. I'm a believer in sweet biscuity dough with cooked fruit. Either way, this batter is more of a pancake than a biscuit. So, after a brief conversation last night, I've declared this a spoonbread.<br /><br /><a href="http://southernfood.about.com/od/spoonbreadrecipes/Spoonbread_Recipes_Spoon_Bread_Recipes.htm">"Spoonbread or Spoon Bread is a pudding-like bread generally eaten with a spoon or fork."</a> That sounds right to me. Yes, I realize it's usually cornbread or corn meal. But, it's the best I've got, so bear with me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">1 stick of butter (or earth balance equivalent, as seen here)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fruit:</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 cups of peeled, sliced peaches</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Combine in a bowl and set aside. This is "macerating" your fruit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Batter:</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 cup of sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 tsp salt</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;">3/4ths of a cup of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Products-Amazing-Gluten-free-4-Pound/dp/B001L4JH5I?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Pamela's Gluten Free Bread Flour</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=sweetn0d-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001L4JH5I" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">3/4ths of a cup of milk (soy, coconut, almond, dairy, all work)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Whisk until smooth.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfA3fUvYBTk/TjcZTtF-V2I/AAAAAAAABR0/x5mJGBsd8yg/s1600/IMG_5200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pfA3fUvYBTk/TjcZTtF-V2I/AAAAAAAABR0/x5mJGBsd8yg/s400/IMG_5200.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Preheat the oven to 350°. The original recipe called for a dutch oven. To be honest, I think a cast iron skillet is the way to go here, but mine was donated last year. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So, I went with a stoneware 9x13 and doubled the recipe.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When the oven is hot, place the butter or margarine in your pan and set it back into the oven until melted.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Remove the hot pan from the oven (carefully!) and slowly pour the batter into the preheated pan.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now gently spoon the peaches (and their juice) atop the batter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X-L8hi3FHTQ/TjcZddXAfGI/AAAAAAAABR8/UWKqfB1iXDY/s1600/IMG_5205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X-L8hi3FHTQ/TjcZddXAfGI/AAAAAAAABR8/UWKqfB1iXDY/s400/IMG_5205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Return to the oven and bake for about an hour. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mine took about an hour and a half because it was doubled.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Serve when the edges are golden brown and crispy. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I highly recommend frozen custard, if you can find it. Otherwise, vanilla ice cream will do. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-78066117891611580782011-07-13T14:09:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.343-07:00How You Can Tofu Too - Gluten Free Baked TofuYou will usually find two schools of people: those who absolutely loathe tofu and those who absolutely love tofu. The latter has likely eaten it in flavorful dishes with proper preparation while the former tell tales of boiled, flavorless bean curd that squishes in their mouth. <br /><br />Once upon a time, I was a hater. It's true. I tried an Alton recipe that flopped unlike any other. It ended up in the trash. But, in my old age I've learned a thing or two about tofu.<br /><br />First, you have to choose your medium. Like any other art form, this is important. Hey, there's a reason we call cooking "the culinary arts." Can you take a picture with a smart phone? Sure. Does it look like the ones you take with a dSLR? Rarely. Food is the same way. And if you make the wrong choices, you may regret it. <br /><br />Silken tofu, while delicious pureed with chocolate in a faux pudding, is not what we want here. In fact, I cut corners and bought "firm" tofu last time and the kids noticed. If you want it to have some bite, some texture, go for the firmest tofu you can find. Trader Joe's carries two or three and they're cheap - less than $2 a pack. All of them are good. But, I have a new favorite. It's a little more expensive than the single blocks, but it was the firmest I could find:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2e9mkHsVZA/Th4EPsB6snI/AAAAAAAABPc/tn9Yv08qFQk/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z2e9mkHsVZA/Th4EPsB6snI/AAAAAAAABPc/tn9Yv08qFQk/s400/IMG_4477.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />(Note: if you buy regular tofu, you will drain it. Run a little cool water gently over the top. Pat it dry. Slice it into planks that are about a half inch thick. Lay it out flat and sandwich between stacks of paper towels. I lay a 9x13 over the top, then weigh it down with something heavy (cans of tomatoes, sam's club size peanut butter, or big bottles of ketchup). This presses out the excess liquid and makes your tofu more receptive to flavor! That's what we want here. Tofu is not yummy. It isn't. Right out of the container it smells weird and tastes weirder. But we're about to change that.<br /><br />This tofu is a little different (in preparation not in taste) because it's pre-cut. So, I drained it, rinsed it a little, and laid it out as flat as I could on a stack of paper towels, pressing lightly with the palms of my hand. I did three packages for my crew, you could do one or two.<br /><br />While it's hanging out on the paper towel, let's work on your marinade. It's versatile. You can substitute things you like. And, the truth is, I am at the end of a menu and just threw some things together that I already had on hand. So, don't get totally wrapped up in what I have here. (In fact, this picture lies. I added sherry vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, balsamic, tarragon, rice wine, whatever! See? Easy!)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UFNsw9efsq8/Th4E_t84SMI/AAAAAAAABPg/HQql4M2xocg/s1600/IMG_4492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UFNsw9efsq8/Th4E_t84SMI/AAAAAAAABPg/HQql4M2xocg/s400/IMG_4492.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />L-R: Toasted Sesame Oil, Organic Raw Blue Agave Sweetener, Organic Ketchup, Chili Garlic Sauce, Soy Sauce, Shallot Salt<br /><br />Not pictured: Sherry vinegar (see above)<br /><br />Toasted sesame oil has a great nutty flavor. You're not going for oil here, so don't substitute olive or something. You can substitute tahini or even a little peanut butter. Same concept.<br /><br />Organic Raw Blue Agave is a leftover in the tea cabinet. It's too molasses-y for me in tea and I wanted to use it up. Normally I would use maple syrup. Don't have maple syrup? Try honey. (You can also use a little sugar or brown sugar. See? I'm easy!)<br /><br />Ketchup. It's a nice addition. If you research Chinese-American take-out you'll find it in a ton of the recipes. Sweet, tart, seasoned. It's a basic because it works. Don't have ketchup? How do you survive? (Okay, okay, try tomato paste or a little tomato sauce - or skip it. It won't ruin anything.)<br /><br />Chili Garlic Sauce is the one thing I insist you have. Seriously. This is the world's best condiment. Don't be fooled by it's Sriracha-like appearance. This is not fire sauce. There is some kind of generic American equivalent version at the grocery store (La Choy or something) if you can't find this version. But, I'll say it - this one is superior. It has a little more heat and a load of flavor. If you put it directly on your tongue, it would be hot - but it has a salsa-like flavor. It's a crucial part of stir-fries in this house and we use it in and on tons of green veggies to make them explode with flavor. Have you been to PF Chang's? It's on the table there and an essential component to their Chang Sauce. It. Is. My. Favorite.<br /><br />eta: <a href="http://www.alliedoldenglish.com/sunluck_items.php?flavor=hotchiligarlic">here's the other brand I've found by Sun Luck</a> (at the regular grocery store, in the asian food section)<br /><br />Soy Sauce is a hidden wheat. Be careful. As I've mentioned before, my children's sensitivity may be different from yours. If you have celiac, you may want to stick to a wheat-free tamari. (San-J makes a delicious one). But, this one doesn't bother my kids. And it's cheap. So we buy it. A lot.<br /><br />Shallot salt is one of my favorite dried condiments. Shallots are a great addition to marinades, but I didn't have any fresh. Nor did I have garlic. (And I HATE garlic powder. *shudder*) Ideally this would have been a minced shallot or a couple fresh cloves of garlic. Today, however, it was this.<br /><br />Now in the front of the picture you'll see little nuggets of flavor. That's crystallized ginger. Again, I would have used fresh in this, but I was out. And the most important thing to know about ginger is: powdered ginger is not a substitute for real ginger. Real ginger tastes like citrus. It's bright and lovely and fresh. I grate it on a microplane because I really don't care for that chunk of ginger between my teeth. But, on fresh green beans, kale, or even broccoli it's amazing. Since powdered is for baked goods only, I went with candied. These tend to be closer in flavor to true ginger and we added sugar (or agave) anyway, so it won't hurt a thing. <br /><br />In a bowl combine all the ingredients in the following proportions (or around there)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u>Marinade</u></div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (or about 1 TBSP of peanut butter)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup agave (or maple syrup)</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 TBSP ketchup</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tsp chili garlic sauce</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 tsp shallot salt (or onion powder or fresh garlic)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 TBSP candied ginger (or, ideally, about a one inch piece of fresh ginger, grated)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 TBSP sherry (or other) vinegar</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Mix together until combined. Toss drained tofu cubes in or pour over larger pieces in a glass pan.</div><div style="text-align: center;">(if you use plastic it WILL smell like the marinade for the rest of its life. So stick to pyrex for this)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHFEqrKmPeg/Th4JdIP9FMI/AAAAAAAABPk/R5MDBAQOXsE/s1600/IMG_4496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHFEqrKmPeg/Th4JdIP9FMI/AAAAAAAABPk/R5MDBAQOXsE/s400/IMG_4496.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The longer it sits like this, the more flavor will infuse into each and every bite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A minimum of 4 hours in my house, but overnight works well, too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat the broiler on your oven (mine was set to high) and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (or you can use parchment... or a 9x13... or whatever strikes you). With a slotted spoon, move all the tofu cubes from the bowl onto the pan. Broil for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown, flip, repeat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2l-j_7aGkOU/Th45NVeIP3I/AAAAAAAABPw/QO_FM5LkFxg/s1600/IMG_4504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2l-j_7aGkOU/Th45NVeIP3I/AAAAAAAABPw/QO_FM5LkFxg/s400/IMG_4504.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Serve hot with stir-fried broccoli or other veggies.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7828717040612442629.post-8542351762814080332011-06-12T13:38:00.000-07:002017-05-19T12:41:43.359-07:00Gluten Free Benihana-style Ginger Salad Dressing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Since my oldest was little, her favorite restaurant was "Egg in the hat." Those of you who have a teppanyaki restaurant nearby may have "shrimp in the pocket" or "steaming onion volcano" restaurant. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span>The trademark style of cooking is known for theatrics as the chef prepares your meal before your very eyes. Although, I always seem to manage contracting food poisoning at the local ones, our all-time favorite is Benihana in Orlando, FL (where we've never gotten sick). </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Over the years, we've done some searching and testing for a good fresh ginger salad dressing. I think this one is our favorite. I throw all the ingredients in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Professional-Blender-Chopper-Powerful/dp/B003J518MW?ie=UTF8&tag=sweetn0d-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Ninja</a> and zip. It lasts for several days in the fridge and is delicious on all kinds of salads.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Aside: I'm not a big infomercial cooking gadget fan. Most are ridiculous (no, you didn't make that pizza in thirty seconds - if I had a sous chef and a dishwasher, I could, too) but this is one I DO recommend. No, it won't cut tin cans and wafer slice a tomato. But, it will beat huge, frozen chunks of fruit into a beautiful puree! We recently bought a new blender at WalMart and fried the motor in one batch of smoothies. One. Complete with burning smell and circuit board shorting. My daughter begged for the Ninja (at Sam's - where it was around $49) and we decided to give it a try. I buy bags of frozen fruit at Sam's as well (and Trader Joe's) and with all those tiny little blades running the full length of the stem it makes quick and easy smoothies. And it doesn't leave a ton of chunks at the top because there are several blades throughout. Just be careful - it's sharp! </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTJNN02ECmg/V4mWf7MC1WI/AAAAAAAADJg/EP1UaUXZkAoXqcvIriy0SJGMvL3tkX4wQCLcB/s1600/salad-682922_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lTJNN02ECmg/V4mWf7MC1WI/AAAAAAAADJg/EP1UaUXZkAoXqcvIriy0SJGMvL3tkX4wQCLcB/s400/salad-682922_1920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1/2 small white onion </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil (suggested: canola, vegetable)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1/3 cup rice wine vinegar</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2 tablespoons water</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane (discard the fibrous remnants)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4" of celery (go ahead and use those scrawny inside pieces)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2 tablespoons ketchup (sure you can use tomato paste, but ketchup works better and I always have it)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4 teaspoons gluten free tamari or soy sauce (suggested: LaChoy)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2 teaspoons sugar</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Juice of 1 lemon</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2 cloves of garlic, peeled</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />Truly the only prep you need to do is grating that ginger. (I use a small paring knife to peel mine, but I hear you can use a spoon). And trust me on this - do NOT substitute dried ginger. That's great for, say, ginger cakes or gingerbread. It is NOT for ginger salad dressing. You can find ginger in a basket in your local supermarket, usually near the onions or the tofu in the produce department. It's a weird little bulbous root and greyish brown in color. There will be more than you need for this recipe. I suggest grating it over some stir-fried veggies. Fresh ginger has an amazing brightness, not unlike lemon, that livens up all kinds of dishes. Personally, I hate biting into a chunk of it in my food. But, grated, I can add a ton!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Zip it all in the blender.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Et voila.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "lucida" , "lucida grande" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Salad dressing. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08450326118814950626noreply@blogger.com0