COOKIES

Okay, I couldn't wait to try the cookies. The cakes will have to wait.

Of course they were good. It's no surprise. So here is what I think was good about them: the outside crunch like a typical cookie that would be laden with gluten, but a soft-in-the-middle goodness. I liked how they spread as they cooked. The cookie taste was spot on with what I would relate to my favorites of the regular variety- those of the already-made cookie dough kind you find in the refrigerated section.

I will admit, the chocolate chips were tiny and didn't pack enough of a punch with that part of the cookie, but that's easy to solve. When I make these again (which I will for sure stock my pantry with these alongside the brownies) I will be adding extra chocolate chips. Also, please note I probably over-cooked them by not catching my oven timer quick enough. Which is why mine looks darker then the ones on the box. I think next time I will try to follow the guidelines more closely on cooking time. But they still tasted good!

The bottom line is- they are easy to make quickly, yummy, and to be able to have something like this on hand and easily accesable at a grocery store is a dream come true for any family feeding a celiac person (I am only assuming the availablilty ease, as I personally am not aware of where they will be distributed this summer).

I can't find another gf cookie mix I would like better, however, I do prefer the taste of a made-from-scratch recipe I have made in the past.

Note: I did not check the brownie mix and the box is trashed, but I did check the cookie mix and it is not soy or dairy free (someone asked in comments).

BROWNIES

1) It's looking like June we should be seeing these products hit the shelves. I do not have information about price points.

2) Holy COW am I a tease! Sorry for making you wait so long for further pictures and reviews.

When my husband and I were first married, prior to his Celiac diagnosis, we would make a quick brownie mix from a box every Sunday night. It was one of few traditions we had and it was one I would miss greatly when the news broke about his new dietary needs. Friends, although we have tried many gf brownie mixes that have been all over the board with taste, cost and availability, none have made their way to replace our Sunday tradition of years past. This brownie mix might finally be The One. Two words for you:

IT'S AWESOME!

What I love about a brownie is there- the most important part is the crusty, flaky top: check. They also need to hold together without crumbling apart: check. Then the type of fudgy center that your teeth sink into: check. And the most rarely accomplished with a gf chocolate treat is the after taste- if it is void of the chalky aftershocks: check!

I wish I could send everyone a box right now. But I cannot. Keep your eyes peeled in June and I will share info as I get it.

The cake mixes will be up next.......

Marshmallow Popcorn

Marshmallow Popcorn

1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 16oz bag mini marshmallows
24 cups popped popcorn (about 3 microwave bags)
1 cup white baking chips

Pop the popcorn. Sift out the unpopped kernels and place into a large buttered roasting pan. (I sift mine out by pouring the popcorn into a large bowl and then using my hands to put it into the roaster. All the kernels usually fall to the bottom of the bowl.)
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and continually stir with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved and a little bubbly (this takes just a couple minutes). Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are almost all the way melted.
Pour over the popcorn. Stir the marshmallow mixture into the popcorn (kind of like rice krispy treats). Sprinkle the white baking chips over the mixture and stir again. Serve immediately or cover.
So my dearest celiac daughter has this problem with school parties. See, they always have cupcakes or cookies, things full of gluten that she can't eat. This is a treat that will keep her happy and her tummy happy. Plus, pretty much all kids like it. It can be put into individual bags or made into popcorn balls, although always remember to butter your hands before you try handling it. Yum.

Gluten-Free Peppermint Patty Cookies

Adapted from a recipe I got from Allyson in Utah.

Gluten-Free Peppermint Patty Cookies
Makes about 24 cookies

1 pkg. gluten-free chocolate cake mix (I used Gluten-Free Pantry's)
½ c. shortening
1 Tb. Water
2 eggs
1 tsp. peppermint extract*

Peppermint patties
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 365°. Mix above ingredients, except for peppermint patties and powdered sugar. Roll batter into 1” ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place 2” apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Let cool a couple minutes, and while still warm place a peppermint patty into the center of each cookie and press down.

*(checking to see about gluten- might need to omit this ingredient)

Baby Shower Food Week!

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

1 package gluten free pretzels

1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate chips

In a ceramic or glass bowl, pour chocolate chips. Place over double boiler to melt, or melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Dip pretzels and place on wax paper. Place white chocolate chips in a quart-sized freezer Ziploc bag. Melt in microwave in 30 second intervals, squishing to melt. Snip tiny corner of freezer bag and drizzle over the still warm pretzels. Let cool in refrigerator.

These pretzels are the bomb. Seriously. I'm pretty sure I ate more than I served at the shower. Pick a good chocolate for better results. And this brand of pretzels is fantastic. I could not tell the difference, and neither could anyone else. I'm going to have to try making pretzel jello with them. The only down side is that they are not super big, so it took a while to make these. But worth the effort for a chocolate-covered pretzel deprived pregnant girl and her chocolate-covered pretzel deprived sister. BTW, I found these at Sprouts. They were a little pricey, $5 for a bag. So savor them. And for heavens sakes, dip them in chocolate.

GF Pantry Ginger Spice Cake Mix, and Frosting

Gluten Free Pantry Ginger Spice Cake Mix
Plus Lemon Butter Frosting

I've tried this mix before and have been pretty happy with it. It's especially good warm. When you cool and frost it, it becomes a little dry, but not excessively so. My daughter gave this a thumbs up.
We used lemon butter frosting, which complements the cake very well. It gives the cake a little zest. All you do is add a lemon juice instead of milk to your butter frosting recipe. Soooooo good. I'll give you my recipe, but it's just an approximation. I never measure when I make frosting, I just add a little liquid if it's too stiff and dry, or a little sugar if it's too runny. I continue to alternate the two ingredients until I have my desired amount.

Lemon Butter Frosting

1/4 cup butter
2-4 Tbps lemon juice
2-4 cups confectioners sugar

Beat butter. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 2 cups confectioners sugar. Beat well. Keep adding lemon juice and sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Two Layered Cheesecake

Gluten-Free Two Layered Cheesecake

I got this recipe from my sister, her family loves it so much they ask for it as dessert for birthdays! I would say this is probably the best gluten-free dessert I have ever had.

Need for bottom layer:

3/4 cups sugar

2 pkgs. 8 oz. cream cheese (cut into small squares)

3 eggs


Need for top layer:

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. [GF] vanilla

1/2 cup sugar


Make bottom layer first....mix cream cheese and 3/4 cp sugar until fluffy.Add 1 egg at a time and beat well. Mixture will be thin. Pour into agreased 9" pie pan and bake 50 minutes at 325 degrees.

Make top layer....mix sour cream, vanilla and sugar. (I make it and keep it in fridge while the bottom is baking.)

Take bottom layer out of oven after 50 minutes and let it cool just a bit until the bottom layer forms a shallow hole. (kind of sinks down.. I would say takes about 5-10 minutes for this to occur- [see photo below].) Then place top mixture inhole and bake again for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

I love it plain, but you could easily add fresh fruit on the side or served on top.

GF Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I adapted this recipe from my friend Tania. I am not a big fan of pumpkin flavored things, but this is a hit with me. More chocolate and spice comes out instead of the pumpkin flavor. Most importantly, these cookies are super soft and moist.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ C butter

1 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 C canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

2 C Rice Flour

1 tsp GF baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

chocolate chips

Cream butter & sugar, add egg, pumpkin & vanilla.Then add all dry ingredients, then choc chips.Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. (They're best a little underbaked, so they are still really soft.)

Guest Chef: Lindsey Johnson on Chocolate Mousse

Cream Cheese Chocolate Mousse

Recipe, post and photo by Lindsey Johnson of Just Recipes.

I hesitate to share this recipe because I don't use really use a set recipe. I was playing around trying to copy a chocolate mousse one of my friends had made as a filling for cream puffs--not the traditional pastry cream. So, be aware that these measurements are a rough estimate. However, I don't think it's too difficult to mess this up. You can vary the ingredients to your own taste.

8 ounces cream cheese (don't use fat-free, but 1/3 less fat will also work)

4-6 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (I use Trader Joe's Pound Plus)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like it)

1/2-1 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until well blended and smooth. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on 50% power in 15 to 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. Don't over heat or the chocolate will burn.Let the chocolate cool slightly and add to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until well combined. It will get very thick. At this point add the heavy cream. Continue beating until the mousse reaches the consistency you want--somewhere between a thick icing and whipped cream. If it starts to get too thick, stop beating and use a spatula to fold in a little more cream to thin it out.It makes enough to fill a three layer cake--two layers of mousse between three layers of cake.

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Liz suggests adding this mousse to the GF crepes or any GF chocolate cake/ brownie recipe previously posted here at kill.the.gluten.

Homemade Gluten Free Brownies

The Best Homemade Gluten Free Brownie Recipe

(as per my humble opinion)

2 sticks butter, melted

3/4 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup gluten free flour mixture

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk cocoa into melted butter. Stir in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each. Stir in vanilla. Add flour, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Pour in batter. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Alright, these are seriously so good and gooey and chocolaty. I've had this recipe for years and it works perfectly gluten free because there is hardly any flour in it at all. The top comes out flaky, just like real brownies and they taste, well, you'll just have to make them to find out.

For the flour mixture I mix together Bette Hagman's blend of 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch flour, and 1/3 cup tapioca flour. I then measure out the 1 cup that I need for the recipe. Could you use all rice flour? Maybe, but I've never tried it.

The trick to making brownies that are really good is to not over beat the batter after the flour is added, just like when you're making pancakes. Stir only as much as necessary. I don't use a mixer for that reason.

Why the difference in the baking times? Because the recipe I have calls for only 25 minutes, but I always cook them for at least 30, sometimes longer. I can tell they are done when the edges look crusty and the center is set. I then let them stand on the counter for half an hour before digging in, to let them finish setting. They will fall apart when they are still warm, so if you have a problem with that, stick the pan in the fridge. But I personally love hot brownies that fall apart. Yummy.

Ice Cream Cake

Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cake

1/2 gallon of ice cream (I prefer mint chocolate chip)

1 and 1/2 boxes of GF crushed chocolate cookies (Pamela's seem most accessable)

2 tablespoons melted butter

Stir melted butter and crushed cookies in a bowl. Spread in bottom of caserole dish, pack firmly with hands. Scoop softened ice cream on top. Once soft enough, spread evenly by pressing down and then over with the back of a spatula. Cover with tin foil and freeze until desired firmness of ice cream.

You may wish to top with cool whip and more crumbled cookies.

GF Crepes

I have a long list of things I want to learn to make this year and crepes is listed among many others items. Book of Yum made some beautiful crepes this week and inspired me to dust off my mom's regular recipe and try it out GF style.

Gluten-Free Crepes

1 cup rice flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbls butter, melted

Combined sifted flour, sugar, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add enough milk to make a thin batter (I used the whole cup). Beat until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Pour some batter into a lightly greased skillet and flip once top begins to bubble. Fill with fruit and whippped cream/ heated chocolate or spread with jam and roll up. No matter how you fill it, be sure to sprinkle top with powdered sugar.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake

2 cans Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In food processor, add beans, eggs, sugar, and baking powder and process until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add melted chocolate chips and process until incorporated. Grease 2-9 in pans or 1-9x13 pan and pour in batter. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes for the 9 in and 35 minutes for the 9x13, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I admit, I was a little skeptical about this recipe when I first saw it. Our blogging friend Michelle at Gingham World posted it here.

But yesterday I was feeling adventurous and just happened to have garbanzo beans on hand. Can I just tell you, YUM! This cake is moist and chocolatey and without even a hint of bean taste. Plus, no expensive obscure flours to try to find. I made the Coconut Pecan Frosting too, just cause I was feeling like it and it worked out so well.

Note: When you open a can of garbanzo beans, they will smell funky. You're just going to have to trust me on this, it won't taste like that smell. And, if you aren't used to eating beans, and this will be hard, don't eat 5 pieces of this cake in one sitting. Again, trust me.

Smoothies

Smoothies

1 cup frozen strawberries, chopped

2 bananas, chopped

1 cup yogurt or vanilla ice cream

1 cup milk (I prefer them thicker and only use 1/2 cup)

Mix all ingredients in blender and blend until desired consistency enjoy.

Chocolate Krispy Treats

Gluten Free Chocolate Krispy Treats

6 Tbsp butter (real butter, not margarine)

1 (16 oz) bag large marshmallows

1 (13 oz) box Cocoa Pebbles cereal

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Spray a 9x13 pan and a spatula with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bag of marshmallows, stirring constantly, until they are almost completely melted (there should still be some semi melted marshmallows). Remove from heat and add the entire box of Cocoa Pebbles cereal. Stir well to incorporate. Pour into the 9x13 pan and press down with the spatula. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.

I am a rice krispy treat junkie, a true addict. Why oh why do they put malt flavoring in rice krispies? It's like some kind of cruel joke. But, here is an alternative. These are chocolaty and krispy and marshmallowy. Very yummy. Please use real butter, it makes a world of difference. And use the large marshmallows, they don't melt as fast giving the treats the perfect gooey consistency. I dare you to not eat it out of the pan like I do, with a big wooden spoon, marshmallow coating your fingers. Mmmmmm.

FYI-I called about the Cocoa Pebbles and the people at Post basically said, if it doesn't say wheat, barley, oats, or rye, it's gluten free, without actually saying they were gluten free. Hmmm...I'm assuming they don't want a lawsuit. Anyways, there is no gluten in any of the ingredients listed on these or Fruity Pebbles. I've had Fruity Pebbles treats as well, which are good but a little fruity.

S'mores

Gluten-Free S'mores

Pretty complicated........insert heated marshmallows between two large squares of chocolate!

Fruit Smoothie Cheesecake

Gluten Free Fruit Smoothie Cheesecake

1 package Pamela's Pecan Shortbread Cookies, crushed

4 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened to room temp (I know, use reduced fat if you must)

1/2 cup sugar

1 (12 oz) package frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained

1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip

Sprinkle crushed cookies in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Mix cream cheese and sugar together thoroughly. Smash thawed and drained berries with a fork. Stir into cream cheese mixture. Gently fold in cool whip. Pour over cookies. Chill for 4 hours.

I have been craving this ever since I saw it in a magazine. My picture doesn't compare to theirs. You can find it here. Can you tell that I like cream cheese and cool-whip? What I really like are no-bake summery type desserts. This is good, very good. The mixed fruit is wonderful, because sometimes you are eating a raspberry cheesecake, and sometimes it's strawberry, depending on the bite you take. Try it, you'll see.

Strawberry Banana Sorbet-Do Over

So I posted this recipe for a Strawberry Banana Sorbet-which was great. However I tweaked it a little and got an even better tasting product, so here's the update. More bananas and a little sugar added to the increased water amount. This is so good, I might eat it every day this summer.

Strawberry Banana Sorbet

2 bananas, sliced into chunks

1/2 quart strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Place sliced fruit on a foil lined cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours.

Dissolve sugar into water. Place fruit in food processor and blend. Add sugar water and lemon juice. Blend until creamy, fluffy, and smooth. If your processor is having a hard time with this, use a spoon to push the fruit down while it blends, being careful about not touching the blades.

Strawberry Banana Sorbet

Strawberry Banana Sorbet

1 banana

1 pint strawberries

2-4 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Slice banana and strawberries. Place on foil on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Place in food processor with water and lemon juice. Puree until fluffy. Serve immediately or freeze for later.

I found this recipe in a "Women's Day" magazine. I doubled it and had enough for my kids and myself. If it's not blending well, take half out and blend a little at a time. This was a perfect treat that I didn't feel bad about feeding my kids first thing in the morning. It's not super sweet, so make sure your fruit is. I don't know what would happen if you added sugar, whether it would incorporate or if it would make a grainy texture. I would try dissolving it in the water first. I liked it without.

Lemon Almond Torte

This is a cake made by Whole Foods. They have many gluten-free selections that can be baked just for you (call 72 hours in advance). This Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Torte was divine; very moist and flavorful. I would recommend it for a special occasion, as is runs about $16 for the small size, as viewed in below photo.