Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls

My sweet tooth was going berserk this morning so I modified a biscuit/ morning roll recipe.

Ingredients:
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. potato starch
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. sweet rice flour
1 3/4 t. xanthan gum
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 T sugar
1t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. milk

2 t. melted butter
cinnamon/sugar mixture (I used a container of it already mixed but I think it's about 1/2 c. sugar + 1 T. cinnamon or something like that.)

Cut butter into flours using fork or pastry blender. Add all but milk and cut in some more. Add milk and stir together.

Spread or roll out on floured (tapioca starch) surface in a rectuangular shape and spread the butter over the top. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture liberally over the dough.

Roll up the dough and cut the dough into about 1" disks. Place, cut side down, in a greased pan and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown. Let cool for a few minutes and ice or eat plain.

tips, hints and other dealywhoppers

Since I've been spending more time in the kitchen, I've picked up a few things that help make life simpler. I'll update as I learn!

-I burn myself a lot. To prevent the pain and blistering, you gotta immediately run cold water or hold an ice cube over the burn. This, to me, is annoying because I've still got cooking to do. So what I've done is taken a used tea bag, placed it in a baggie and frozen it. I also keep rubber bands in my kitchen "junk drawer," so when I get a burn all I have to do is position the frozen tea bag in place with the rubber band and keep working. The tea bag doesn't "sweat" as much as an ice cube would, and the shape stays pretty much the same as it thaws, unlike an ice cube that slides around. I can keep the cold on the burn for longer and I get to keep working. When I'm done, I throw it back in the freezer until next time. I think it's genius.

-Basic flour mixes:
I started using the mix below but I usually adapt by adding soy, sweet sorghum, bean flour, Bob's all-purpose mix, or some other flour depending on what I'm making. But here's the basic that I mix all at once and store in a jar.

1 1/2 c. rice flour
3/4 c. potato starch
3/4 c. cornstarch
1 c. tapioca starch

-Where do I find these flours?
Well, most of these I have found in small bags at higher prices at Whole Foods, online, or some other neighborhood grocery store. I can find a lot of them at asian food stores for WAY cheaper, and usually in larger sizes so I'm not always at the store buying more. I look in the "ethnic" aisles instead of the yuppie "specialty" aisle and can usually find a better price for the same thing. Kudos to my friend JN for suggesting that!

-Most of the recipes I try, I end up not liking the recipe and not finishing the food. So, when I try a new one I always halve it. That way I don't feel AS bad for wasting food when a recipe comes out of the oven tasting wonderful but the next day is disgusting. This happens especially with baked goods.

-Wal Mart puts "gluten free" on every gluten free "Walmart" brand they sell. That's been helpful when reading labels.

-I recommend getting an oven thermometer to see just how accurate the dial is. Mine kept burning everything, so I got one and discovered that it heated 40 degrees higher than it said it was. Things turn out a lot better now.

saltine crackers?!

Check this out:















Gluten free saltines, you guys.

Since being gluten free, I have missed saltines. A lot. I used to eat crackers and cheese for a snack, or nibble on saltines when I had a yucky tummy. I have had a hard time trying to replace them. Commercial nut and rice crackers are too crispy and usually don't have that mild flavor of saltines. They don't pair well with cheese.

I was really skeptical about this recipe that I found as a general saltine recipe on some website. But, I was bored watching psychology lectures for my online class. They are dull so I usually do something as I listen, most of the time trying out a new recipe.

Well, I was really surprised when I tasted these. The texture is not dead-on; they are denser and less flaky than regular crackers. But the taste is there. They taste like a cross between oyster crackers and saltines, and do not compete with the flavor or the texture of cheese when paired.

I've also been trying out other recipes but want to tweak them before I post anything.

Crackers!

4 c. gluten free flour mix
-I used a unique mixture: 2 c. of the Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose GF Baking Flour, and 2 c. of the following "basic mix" that I usually use: 1 c. rice flour, 3/4 c. potato starch, 3/4 c. cornstarch, 1 c. tapioca flour. (I'm currently experimenting with other blends, depending on what I'm making)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c. butter
1/3 c. milk
1 c. water
salt

Preheat to 375. Mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter. Add liquid ingredients and mix into a dough. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and roll out thinly. I used tapioca starch to dust but any gluten free flour or starch would work. Cut into crackers and pierce with a fork. Sprinkle salt to taste over the top.
Bake 5 minutes, then flip crackers over and separate. Bake another 5-7 minutes, or until browned slightly.

Makes a big batch. I halved it and had enough to fill a quart-sized baggie.

Chicken Soup

As I write this I'm dining on the awesome chicken soup you see to the left.

I had some rice lasagna noodles left over from when my mom made lasagna, and I didn't want them to go bad so it was soup time.

It's such a versitile dish, so I'm not putting exact measurements or anything.

Chicken Soup

-some chicken, cut up
-carrot and celery, cut up
-a can of chicken broth (make sure it's gluten free. I know Parade brand contains wheat)
-gluten free noodles, cooked but still a little firm or they'll fall apart in the soup and make it funky
-olive oil

Add a little bit of oil to a medium/ large saucepan. Sautee the celery and carrots until they're not so crunchy. Sautee and cook the chicken until it's done. Add the chicken broth, and maybe some salt & pepper or poultry seasoning, to taste. Heat it, and eat it!

gluten free peanut butter cookie break

I was studying super hard tonight and starting to get frustrated so I decided to take a cookie break and save some sanity.

These are quick and delicious.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. baking powder

Cream sugar and peanut butter. Add egg and baking powder, mix. Put on cookie sheets and do the fork mark thing (they're just not peanut butter cookies without the fork marks) and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Makes about 20 cookies.

On the second trip to the oven I decided to add in some chocolate chips. They were extra delicious, and one cookie will satisfy a sweet craving easily.

Crepes

I wanted donuts this morning but we were out of oil so I made some crepes instead. I haven't had them since I was a kid and they were yummy. This is a pretty basic recipe and really easy.

1 c. rice flour
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 t. salt
1 T. melted butter

Mix it all up and pour about 1/4 cup into a frying pan on med-low heat, swirl it around a bit so it covers the whole pan and wait for it to cook. Flip it and cook until it's done. Roll up with fresh fruit, syrup, cinnamon sugar, or pretty much anything you want that you think sounds delicious.

I made the most delicious dinner the other night and I was so proud of myself because I just kind of "winged" it. I'll make it again and actually measure the stuff before I post it.