Monday, December 21, 2009

German Pancakes

gluten free german pancake
I was looking through some old cookbooks of my mom's and I found this recipe written on a piece of paper. It looked very simple, so I tried it out. It reminds me of a dutch baby, and has a flavor that is reminiscent of french toast. I really like it, and I'll probably be making it again.

German Pancake
1/3 c. flour (a mixture of corn starch, sorghum, and brown rice flour, a little of each just kinda spooned into the measuring cup)
pinch of xanthan gum
1/3 c. milk
2 eggs
1/2 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt

Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, and milk together, then whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour it into a greased 8-inch pan and bake it at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until it's slightly brown on the edges and done all the way through.
Top it with powdered sugar. (I used syrup as well)

Makes 1 big pancake, enough for 1 person if that's all you're eating, or 2 people if you're eating other stuff with it.

I think it might be neat to try making it savory, with cheese or something.

P.S. Make sure you grease the pan really well because mine stuck.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

chocolate chip muffins

gluten free chocolate chip muffins
Hey, I'm alive! It's been a while since I've posted. Semester 1 of CLS school is DONE! I gotta say, it was a lot harder than I thought it'd be, but I did it. (As a matter of fact, I did quite well.) Now that we get a break, I get to get back into the kitchen (and catch up on sleep). Hopefully I come out with something tasty.

Since I -am- a student and therefore broke, I plan on charming my friends with delicious baked GF goods and a few other homemade items that I can't post yet- otherwhise they'll know what they're getting for Christmas... if anyone reads this blog anymore, haha.

I really wanted cinnamon rolls this morning but I was too lazy to make them. They are a little bit of extra work, but when I actually get to doing it, it's not that bad. It's the getting started part that's always hard.

Muffins seemed easier, but my sweet tooth was aching. Easy solution? Throw in some chocolate chips. I figured I'd go easy on the chocolate, but if you're feeling it, add as much as you want. They're pretty yummy.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 egg
1/4 c. milk, non-dairy milk, or water
2 T. oil (or applesauce)
1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. brown rice flour
1/3 c. corn starch
1/3 c. sorghum flour
1/4 t. xanthan gum
1 t. baking powder
1/8 t. baking soda
1/8 t. salt
1/4- 1/3 c. chocolate chips

Beat the egg in a bowl, and mix in the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients together, then mix them into the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean, they're done.

Makes 5-6 muffins.

-Really good with a cup of coffee, a purring kitten, and a magazine that has nothing to do with hematology or chemistry :o)

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Assorted product reviews

Over Thanksgiving, I went to College Station and visited Village Foods. Oh my gosh that store has a great GF selection. I was practically giddy. One of the things I picked up was these mini waffles. I normally don't prefer Van's waffles, but these minis looked cute and I was on a GF shopping high.

Surprisingly, I like them. They aren't as dry as their regular waffles and they toast up perfectly. I will probably get these again.

I also picked up a couple packets of Road's End Organic Vegan Golden Gravy mix.


I know, I know. Gravy from a mix. I was a big "gravy from a mix" kind of girl before Celiac, so I was really interested and excited because it's hard to find any that are gluten free.
It mixed up pretty simple and quick. I don't think I liked it very much, though. It was very heavy on the garlic. I think I might use this to thicken sauces or add flavor, but I won't make it as straight gravy; it was just a little too much.

I also found instant oatmeal from Gluten Freeda. Instant oatmeal! Two years ago I never would have thought that instant oatmeal would be a novelty. I tried the variety pack.

I like this stuff a lot, especially because it's quick and nutritious in the morning. I added extra flaxseed meal and almonds to get a little extra out of it. I wasn't a huge fan of the banana flavor, but I have an idea to add it to banana nut muffins that I think will work really well.

The man insisted that I get Gillian's Garlic Croutons.

I have to say, it's been a long time since I've eaten a crouton. I think they're pretty tasty and it was a nice treat. Since croutons are only easy to make if I've made bread and I've kinda given up on that for a while, these were very convenient and I might actually buy them again.

So, I had a very fun time trying out all these new-to-me products.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Birthday Oreo Cake

gluten free oreo cake
This is what I chose for my birthday cake this year. 25, you guys! Ack! I feel like I should "feel" like more of a grown up than I do. I don't feel like an adult at all... except when I pay bills but that's no fun.

Anyway, I was browsing through blogs and I came across this cake at Gluten Free is Life and I HAD to make it.

I'm so, SO glad I did. We used the recipe here, but substituted Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate cake mix and Kinni-toos. My mom was amazing and went to 4 different stores to find the mixes. This is the first time I've tried the chocolate cake mix, and I really like it. I will definitely be buying it again.

The cake didn't look exactly like the one on Kraft's website, but it tasted freaking awesome. Not even gluten free at ALL. People were asking for the recipe, and today I was craving it all day through class.

A crowd-pleaser and a must-make.

P.S. Over Thanksgiving I went to this store in College Station that had a bunch of neat GF items, and I've been dying to do reviews but I'm so busy with the end of the semester. Gah! Soon.