toaster pastries

Trips to the grocery store always fuel my newest "I need to make that!" episodes. This was no exception. The man and I were in the store late one night looking for snack-y foods and right there at the end of an aisle was a display of Pop Tarts. I've never really craved them or anything, but I haven't seen any gluten free pop tarts in the stores. That means recipe time! This is very simple, adapted from an old pie crust recipe.

They turn out really good. The dough and the overall taste is not so overwhelmingly sweet like "real" Pop Tarts. I ate one right away, warm from the oven, but I'll try to keep my hands off the rest so I can give them the 'morning after' scrutiny.

toaster pastries:

1 1/2 c. GF flour mix
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, softish
3 T. cold water

Cut the butter into the flour and salt. Add the cold water and form a dough. I refrigerate my flour mix so the dough was cool enough to roll out without problems, but if it's too sticky throw it in the fridge for 30 min or so.

When it's ready, roll it out into a square/ rectangle. Make sure the surface is floured or it will stick when you try to lift it. [heh, live and learn!] Cut the dough into an even number of pop-tart-shaped rectangles. Place rectangles on a cookie sheet. I greased and floured mine because I was paranoid that they'd stick.

Spoon any kind of fruity jam in the center of each rectangle, leaving room on the sides because it will spill over as it bakes if it's too close to the edge. Top with another rectangle and seal the edges with a fork.

Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes. When they come out and cool a bit, spread some icing and sprinkles, if you'd like.

Like I said, these are really good, much better than those store-bought ones. I'd make these again, even for company.

And, because I was in the privacy of my own home and the jam spilled out when I ate one warm, I licked the plate. Mmmm. ;o)

*morning after update*
I popped one in the toaster. These things heat up QUICK. Only about 30 seconds and they're warm. They're slightly crunchier, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I still enjoy these a lot.

Oh, and Tony, I changed Pop Tarts to "toaster pastries" so you don't sue me, haha

just gluten

I've been feeling crappy on and off lately, and I've been really careful about what I eat, so I saw an allergist and got tested for additional food allergies. 52 pricks on my back and not a single one reacted. Same for the blood test.

So, looks like I only have to continue avoiding gluten. Good news and bad news, because now I still have to figure out what is making my tummy cruddy.

Been too busy to cook anything more remarkable than scrambled eggs or a sandwich... nothing blogworthy anyway.

chiao for now!

amaretto sour

No cooking tonight, just drinking.

I got a taste of an amaretto sour last night, for the first time in a long time. And, being the voluntary designated driver, I did not indulge. Except I've been craving them all day. Now that I'm safe at home, I can quench that craving. And you know what? These sooo delicious.

A list of gluten free alcohols can be found here.

To make them, in a glass:

throw in some ice.

Add a shot of disaronno (or amaretto, just make sure it's GF)

Throw in the juice from half a lemon, or some sweet & sour

If it's too lemon-y dilute just a tad with some water

mix it up a bit.

drink. repeat.

Mmmm my favorite

flour mix

Oh- the flour mix I've been using lately is a ratio of 1 part flour to 2 1/2 parts starch. What kinds? Depends on what I have on hand.

So say I'm using 3 flours: sorghum flour, corn flour and brown rice flour. I'd use 1/3 cup of each in the mix.

And let's say I'm using 3 starches: tapioca starch, potato starch and cornstarch. I'd use a rounded 3/4 cup of each.

When I mix up a batch I usually throw in 1 1/2 T. xanthan gum.

I've been substituting it for flour in regular recipes and it's working very nicely.

crunchy oatmeal cookies

I've been working on this recipe for a while now. I made some, didn't quite like them and changed the recipe, but I couldn't quite get it right. Something was off. I eventually got tired of working on it and stopped thinking about it.

I was doing some research at work today about heart disease and came across some articles about how good flax is for you. Immediately I remembered its nutty-ish smell and thought it would be good in these cookies. So I came home, did some more research, and discovered that in a lot of vegan recipes, 1 T. flaxseed meal plus 2 T. warm water is a substitute for an egg.

So... my friend had a bad day and I thought cookies might cheer her up. She was a fan of the original recipe even though it totally flopped the first time, and since I was thinking about it anyway I decided to give it another go. I substituted the egg, and altered a couple of other things I didn't like last time.

And... I like them. So here ya go.

Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies

3 T. butter, soft

2 T. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 T. warm water

1/2 T. flaxseed meal

1/2 c. flour mix

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. vanilla

1/4 c. + 2 T oats (make sure they're GF!)

What you gotta do:

Cream the butter & sugar. Add the vanilla, water, flaxseed meal & mix.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add to the mixture. Place spoonfuls on a well-greased cookie sheet (they like to stick). I make mine small because they get a little crispier and you can eat more :o). They do spread, so place some room between them. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for a minute before you try to take them off. It makes a small batch but it's easily doubled.

They're nice and crispy. I originally intended to ice these but I like them better on their own. My mom tasted them and said, "Ooh you have to make these for Christmas." haha!

cheeeesecake

Today I looked in the madre's fridge and saw it: cheesecake, but full of gluten. So, I decided to make my own.

Crust:

1/2 c. ground walnuts
1 c. GF flour mix
1/4 c. brown sugar
4 T butter, melted.

Mix it all up, then press into a pie pan or 8" cake pan

Filling: (all room temp)

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. milk
dash of salt
2 eggs
1 T. tapioca starch

With a hand mixer, mix everything but the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time until they're just mixed in. Pour into the pan and bake at 325 for around 30-35 minutes, or until the top looks set. Let it cool slowly in the oven, then chill in the fridge for a few hours. Add toppings. I used gf strawberry pie filling.

PS. it freezes well, just make sure you freeze it without toppings

Pasta Salad

I wanted to use up some perfectly ripe tomatoes before they went bad, so I made a pasta salad.

I boiled a box of rice spirals, leaving them a just a tad bit firm. I believe that's called "al dente."

I coated a few chicken breasts in chicken and italian seasonings and baked them at 350 until the juices ran clear. Tore those up into bite-sized pieces.

I cut up the tomatoes and added them in a big bowl with the pasta and chicken.

Threw in a can of red beans and some olives, drained.

To make the dressing I whisked together:

1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 T. mayo
a squirt of mustard
some pepper and salt
a dash of garlic powder
a sprinkle of italian seasonings

Then I slowly whisked in 2/3 c. olive oil until an emulsion formed. I coated and carefully stirred the dressing onto the other ingredients and sprinkled some oregano on top of it all.

I would also add other veggies, but this was all I had and it was quite good.

This is best served after it's been refrigerated.

peach crisp

This is possibly one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted.

I went to the farmer's market yesterday and bought a bag of some very juicy, perfectly ripe peaches and wanted to make something with it. My first thought: peach crisp.

Here's what I did:

Cut and peeled the skin off of 8 peaches. Put them in a 8x8 pan.

Combined:
1 c. GF flour mix
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
a few shakes of salt
1/2 t. cinnamon

Cut in 1/2 cup butter and sprinkled the crumbly mixture on top of the peaches. I baked it at 375 for about 35-40 minutes. I immediately scooped out some, let it cool, sprinkled it with some of the leftover granola I had, and dug in.

Seriously. One of the best things I've ever tasted.

Granola!

Today I decided it was time for granola. I've tried making granola bars a few times, in my quest for gluten free portable snacks to munch on when that inevitable "mid-lecture hunger" strikes. They never really worked out and I gave up on granola-type things.

But today, I thought I'd give it a go again. And we had a success! I made a parfait but didn't have any yogurt so I used ice cream. Oh, darn. ;o)

This stuff is good. Not too sweet, and a good crunch.

Granola

2 c. gluten free oats
3/4 c. nuts, chopped coarsely (I used walnuts and pecans but I wish I had almonds)
1/4 c. flax seeds (only had flax seed meal on hand so I used that)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 c. (2 T.) oil
1/8 c. honey
1/2 t. vanilla

Heat the oil & honey on low heat. Add the vanilla and mix it up until it looks incorporated. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the hot mixture to the dry. Stir it very well to coat. Spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake it at 300 for 30-40 minutes, stirring after 15-20 minutes.

Easy and pretty darn tasty.