biscotti, revisited

A simplified version of a previously posted recipe for biscotti, inspired by the new Nespresso machine and the need for little snackies to enjoy alongside a double shot on the porch.

Biscotti:

1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. salt
3 eggs
2 c. GF flour

1 c. almond flour

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Mix the eggs, salt, and vanilla in a bowl. Stir in the flours. 

You can use the dough as-is, or add some mix ins. I divided the dough and added the following:

1. slivered almonds and sprinkled with turbinado sugar
2. dried cranberries and chopped pecans

3. chocolate chips

4. ginger, cardamon, and cinnamon

Shape into oval patties. They do not spread or rise so take that into consideration when shaping. I made mini biscotti here. 

Bake for 20 minutes. 

Take them out and, using your sharpest knife, cut the patties into slices at an angle. 

Bake for another 20 minutes.

As they cool they will get a little crunchy. 

P.S. They freeze very well.

Pumpkin Scones

Whoa these scones are an absolute delight. Not too dry, not too sweet. 

Pumpkin Scones

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with cooking spray.

Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

1 T. molasses

2 t. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl:

1 1/2 c. gf flour mix

1/4 c. dark brown sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 T. pumpkin pie spice*

Add a stick of butter to the flour mixture (I used Country Crock Olive Oil) and cut it in using a pastry blender, until it looks like little pebbles. Stir in the wet ingredients.

Plop the dough onto the parchment paper. It will be soft. Form the dough into a circle with your hands. Using a knife or offset spatula dipped in gf flour or sprayed with cooking spray, separate into 6 wedges. The dough will be sticky but the wedges should hold their shape. 

Sprinkle with cinnamon and turbinado sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes. A toothpick will come out clean, and the edges will be a little crispy.

Perfect with a hot cup of coffee.

*[Pumpkin pie spice:]
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t.ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

banana muffins

When faced with the choice between making "bread" vs "muffins," I almost always choose muffins because they cook so much faster. (or donuts bc why not)

Which is why this recipe is for banana muffins and not banana bread.

Mix in a bowl:

1 really ripe banana, mushed with a fork

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. oil

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. gf flour

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Top with nuts, seeds, chocolate, or nothing. I couldn't make up my mind so I did a couple of each. 

Makes 6 muffins.

peanut butter cups

It's hard to find a good peanut butter cup- at least, one that doesn't contain dairy.

(Justin's and Trader Joe's are at the top of the list)

However, it can get costly buying fancy peanut butter cups and they are actually really easy to make.

I happen to have a shallow mini muffin pan that works perfectly for this, but you could also use a regular mini muffin pan, just fill them about halfway for the right ratio of chocolate to peanut butter.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. dairy free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life or Pascha)

your favorite peanut butter

Instructions:

Spray the muffin pan with cooking spray and use a paper towel to rub it around evenly.

Grab a small saucepan and fill it with a couple inches of water.

Put it on the stove over high heat and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat off.

Place a bowl on top of the saucepan (make sure it's big enough that it doesn't fall in), and add the chocolate to the bowl. Stir it as it starts to melt.

When the chocolate is melted, use a spoon to put a dollup into each muffin well. Spread it around, using the back of the spoon to spread chocolate up the sides, like so.

Place a dollup of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) into the middle of each well. Bang the pan on the counter top a few times to level it out. Top with more chocolate and spread it around to cover the peanut butter.

Freeze it for a few hours until everything is set. Use a small spatula or spoon to loosen the chocolate from the pan.

Store in the fridge or the freezer.

Makes 6 peanut butter cups.

cinnamon sugar donuts

There is always a higher chance of donuts on Sunday mornings. Today we got cinnamon sugar donuts. You expect a baked donut to be a little dense, but these are fluffier. Can't decide which I prefer.

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

1 c. gf flour mix

2 T. brown sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 egg

2 T. oil

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 t. vinegar

1/2 c. almond milk

Topping: 1/4 c. sugar + 1 t. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. 

Transfer the batter into a sandwich bag and clip a corner. Pipe into a greased donut pan. These rise quite a bit- the batter should be level with the center indentation. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Spray the top of a warm donut with cooking spray and dunk it into the bowl of cinnamon/sugar. Do this twice for each donut.

Makes 6 donuts

the best and easiest peanut butter cookies

I've made a lot of peanut butter cookies. Of all the recipes I've tried, this is the best. And easiest. No flour & naturally dairy free. 

Peanut butter cookies

1 c. peanut butter*

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 egg (or, 1 T. flax seed meal + 3 T. hot water)

1/4 t. vanilla

1 t. baking soda

1/4 t. cinnamon (optional)

chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the peanut butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat until a dough forms. The dough may be slightly crumbly. Form into balls, place on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will be really soft but firm up after they cool.

The dough freezes well. I freeze it on wax paper in the flattened balls and take out a few at a time.

*If you spray the measuring cup with cooking spray, the peanut butter will come out easier.

Banana donuts

Banana muffins... but make it a donut. Because why the heck not?

Banana donuts

Mix in a bowl:

1 really ripe banana, mushed with a fork

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. oil

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. gf flour

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Pour the batter into a sandwich baggie and cut off the corner. Pipe into a greased donut pan. Top with cinnamon sugar, walnuts, chocolate chips, etc.

Bake at 350 for 13 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 6 donuts

Pumpkin donuts

Y'all, I do not regret buying a donut pan. I always thought they were no different from, say, muffins, but things really do bake up differently in a donut pan.

I've tried a few different recipes for pumpkin donuts and this is my favorite, adapted from here. 

Pumpkin Donuts

1.5 c. GF flour mix
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/3 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 t. pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 t. cinnamon

1 egg
1/2 c. pumpkin
2 T. oil
1/4 c. almond milk
1 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. Then mix it all together.
Spoon the batter into a sandwich baggie and cut off the corner. Pipe the batter generously into a greased donut pan. It should fill 6 wells. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

These are good on their own, but the maple cinnamon glaze (adapted from here) really makes these fantastic.

Maple Cinnamon glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 T maple syrup
2 T. almond milk
dash of salt

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl wide enough to dip the donuts.  Microwave for 15 seconds to help the flavors meld (I hate that "stale" powdered sugar taste). Dip the donuts and let the glaze set.

*Pumpkin pie spice:
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

rugelach

One day I was in Whole Foods.
Hungry.
You all know where this is headed. 

I picked up a treat in the frozen section, and I chose these delightful little cookie things... Katz cinnamon rugelach. They were barely thawed while I sampled one during my drive home. Oh, they're good! The box was swiftly polished off, and now, several months later, those crisp little cinnamony swirly cookies have been on my mind. 

I could have driven to the store and bought some, but to be honest they were a little too sweet for me. Plus I didn't want to put on pants. So I made some.

Rugelach

Crust:

1/2 stick of dairy free butter, room temperature

1/4 container of dairy free cream cheese (I like Kite Hill), room temperature

1/2 c. flour blend

Filling:
2 T. brown sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

Use a hand mixer to combine the ingredients for the crust. Let it chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Tape a piece of wax paper to the counter top. Dust it with gf flour and roll out the chilled dough into a rectangle. Spray a fine layer of cooking spray onto the dough and top with the filling. Roll the dough into a tight roll and cut into small slices. 
Place each slice onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bottoms start to brown.

Chocolate cupcakes

Some days you need a cupcake. Sometimes a vanilla cupcake hits the spot, but today, it was chocolate all the way.

Chocolate cupcakes

1/4 c. softened dairy free butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. gf flour

1/4 c. cocoa

1 t. baking powder

1/4 c. almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350. 

With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until it's creamy. Mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix for 1-2 minutes. The batter will be fluffy.

Spoon into muffin tins, lined with a paper cupcake liner and spritzed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Makes 4-6 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the wells.

To make the chocolate buttercream, mix the following with a hand mixer:

1/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. cocoa

2 T. almond milk

1/4 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

vanilla cupcakes

Today I needed a cupcake. Specifically, a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.

So, I made some. I intentionally made a small batch because if I make them, I will eat them. This makes between 4-6 cupcakes, depending on how full you fill the wells.

Vanilla cupcakes

1/4 c. softened dairy free butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. gf flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 c. almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350. 

With a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until it's creamy. Mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix for 1-2 minutes. The batter will be fluffy.

Spoon into muffin tins, lined with a paper cupcake liner and spritzed with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Frost with your favorite frosting. I used the recipe that was printed on the powdered sugar bag. 

I am not even a little bit ashamed to say that I had finished them all by dinnertime. 

So good. 

Pumpkin pie, dairy free

For years I have happily made my pumpkin pie using the directions on the can, which calls for evaporated milk. This year, at the start of pumpkin season, I am still avoiding dairy (with great results). Which means this recipe had to be re-thought. 

Good thing it was easy. I used a little bit of almond milk in place of the evaporated milk, and added a little extra sugar and spice to the crust.

The crust:

1/2 c. gf flour mix

1/2 c. almond flour

1/8 t. salt

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp turbinado sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil

Mix everything up and press it into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan, or an 8-inch cake pan.

The filling:
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger

1/4 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 c. plain unsweetened almond milk

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix in everything else really well and pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake it at 425 for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 and bake it for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center is clean. Cool to room temperature and then stick it in the fridge. 

No noticeable difference in taste or texture from the dairy version. 

Between the 2 of us it was gone in 24 hours.

Ginger cookies

It's Christmas Eve and I'm out of cookies!

That's okay. I made some more. Ginger cookies this time. No molasses, here. Just a bright, spicy ginger flavor.

I had made the dough and was rolling it up into balls when I noticed the egg still sitting on the counter. I had forgotten to add it in! They were a smidge dry, but
they are still delicious. I would probably make them without an egg again, maybe decreasing the flour to 3/4 c.

Ginger cookies

2 T. shortening
2 T. Vegan I can't believe it's not butter
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
fresh grated ginger, I didn't measure
1 egg
1 c. GF flour mix
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. baking soda
1/8 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. ground ginger
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

For the outside of the cookies, mix in a small bowl:
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. ground ginger
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a hand mixer, mix the shortening, "butter," fresh grated ginger, and sugar. Beat in the egg.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Dump the dry ingredients into the sugar/butter/ginger mixture, and mix well.

Form balls of dough and flatten them down a little bit. Dip each side into the sugar/ginger/cinnamon mixture, and place them on a greased baking sheet. These cookies do not spread at all. They will pretty much come out exactly how they were placed on the sheet.

Bake them for 12-15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown and the tops are set.

Makes 8 cookies.

gf birthday cake

I quietly turned 35 yesterday. I spent the day relaxing, without any fanfare, and it was pretty great.

When my brother and sister-in-law found out that I didn't have a birthday cake, they went to two different stores to find me one. Isn't that sweet?

We didn't even take it out of the grocery bag before lighting the candles, lol. 

It was delicious. So delicious that we each had a small piece, then we each got another small piece, and then I ate another small piece.

I sent the rest home with them so I wouldn't continue to stuff my face. My niece-in-utero could use the calories, right??

I would have simply gone without a birthday cake if it wasn't for them. It's so great that things like this exist, and I'm grateful that they went to the trouble to search for a gluten free cake for me.

Feeling very loved. 

JPs bakery

Here's what I want to say about JPs gluten free pastries/bakery: If you have a chance, GO. Your waistline may not thank you, but your taste buds will.

This little bakery is tucked into a storefront in Benson, North Carolina. I travel to the Raleigh/Durham area for work frequently, and I have never been able to make it into the store before they close, since it's about an hour's drive from where I'm working.

HOWEVER I had a few free hours Friday afternoon, so I hopped into the car with enthusiasm and gleefully took a small road trip.

I went slightly nuts, trying to grab a little of everything.

I loved the fact that they had blondie and cheesecake samplers, so I didn't have to choose flavors. Solid option, there.

After taking a little bite of everything, I have to say I'm pretty impressed.

The pumpkin bread was a little crumbly and the cupcakes were good but nothing special, but the blondies and cheesecake were fantastic. The cinnamon roll was perfection, with a good frosting ratio. I wish I would have bought more of them.

(I have seen pictures of cream cheese danishes on their instagram page, and was looking forward to sampling those, but I didn't see them in the store.)

The real star of the show, though, was those Hawaiian rolls.

Oh, my word. I don't know what kind of magic is involved in baking those little rolls, but they are out of this world.

I had to freeze them to keep myself from devouring the entire package at once.

So, overall if you're looking for a gluten free treat that's completely worth an hour's drive, check out JP's.

Carrot bread cake ish

Hey, I made something and didn't put pumpkin in it!

Dorie Greenspan's carrot cake recipe in the October issue of Better Homes and Gardens caught my eye, so I bookmarked the page and shredded some carrots and then life got in the way. Then I won an adorable new loaf pan at bingo and suddenly I had to make carrot cake. But I made it in a loaf pan so it has to be called carrot bread?

Either way, the house smells fantastic and I have a treat to enjoy this rainy Sunday.

Obviously I adapted the recipe to be gluten free and I cut back on the sugar. Other than that, I followed it. Which I hardly ever do. So here it is!

Carrot Cake (bread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix in Bowl #1:
1/2 c. almond flour
1/2 c. GF flour blend
1 tsp. each: baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix in Bowl #2:
1 1/2 cups grated carrot (the kitchen aid attachment is AWESOME for this)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. craisins, soaked in hot water 5 minutes and drained

Beat in the kitchen aid:
1/2 c. brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 c. light olive oil

Mix in:
2 eggs

Then mix in the contents of Bowl #1.
Then mix in the contents of Bowl #2.

Grease the loaf pan and pour in the batter. Bake at 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I declined  to add frosting, and it was great. However the first link above had a recipe for cream cheese frosting which I'm sure is divine.

Peanut butter (pumpkin choco chip) cookies

The pumpkin mania continues!

Why add pumpkin to a perfectly good cookie recipe? Because 'tis the season.
I have to say, I'm a peanut butter cookie nut and somewhat of a purist, but I'm really digging the addition of pumpkin to these cookies.

Heating the pumpkin puree to lower the moisture content makes these cookies work as cookies; they're soft but don't have a cakey consistency. The bottoms and tops crisp up like cookies should, and they hold their shape. The chocolate just adds joy to an already delightful cookie.

Peanut butter (pumpkin choco-chip) cookies

1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, loosely packed
1 egg
1/4 c. pumpkin puree, heated 1 min in the microwave and cooled
1/4 c. GF Flour mix
1/4 c. almond flour
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice*
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Preheat: Oven to 350 degrees.
Mix: Peanut butter and brown sugar.
Mix in: Egg and pumpkin.
Mix in: The rest of the ingredients.

Form little cookie dough balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Smash slightly with a fork.The dough will be really soft and a little oily at this point because it's mostly peanut butter, but don't despair!
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a cooking rack and try not to eat a million of them!

*[Pumpkin pie spice:]
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t.ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

Pumpkin Bread

It's pumpkin (spice) season! Yeah!

My little basic heart is so happy when it arrives every year. I fully support putting pumpkin into everything right now. Breakfast, sweet, savory, it doesn't matter really.

I was not looking for a pumpkin bread recipe, but this one from Minimalist Baker fell into my lap serendipitously, and of course I suddenly needed pumpkin bread.

Of course I can't follow a recipe as it's written to save my life, so I tweaked it to fit my needs.

And oh, it's gorgeous. It's pumpkiny. It's spice-y. It's that perfect spot between being moist but not soggy, and doesn't crumble. It's not too sweet and it's particularly delightful with a generous smear of butter.

Pumpkin Bread

2 eggs
1/4 c. light olive oil
1/2 c. maple syrup
1 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 t. pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 c. GF oats
1/2 c. almond flour
1 c. GF flour

Preheat oven to 350.
In a bowl or stand mixer, mix the wet ingredients. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Mix the two together.
Pour into a greased loaf pan and top with chopped nuts. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*[Pumpkin pie spice:]
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t.ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

No bake pumpkin cheesecake

Sooo. I didn't take a picture of this until it was almost gone. It was that good. And so easy.

This recipe happened because I wanted cheesecake. I wanted pumpkin. I didn't want to turn on the oven. So I grabbed what I had: a can of pumpkin, a bar of cream cheese, and a package of pudding mix.

Hey-yo! Delicious.

No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

In the stand mixer, combine:
1 can of pumpkin
1 block of cream cheese
1 T. pumpkin pie spice

In the meantime, prepare the crust by mixing:
1 c. GF flour
1/4 c. melted butter
and pressing it into an 8-inch pan.

When the filling is all mixed, slowly whip in 1 package of unprepared pudding mix (GF). Get it nice and fluffy. Pour it into the pan and refrigerate overnight.

See? Easy. And the kitchen doesn't get any hotter.

Cherry cream cheese tart

Yes, there is a layer of cream cheese under those cherries.

Most of my ideas start out while I'm laying in bed just after waking up in the morning, in that groggy twilight sleep. This time, the can of cherry pie filling popped into my head. I'd bought for some random reason several months ago, as cherry pie filling is not normally something I keep on hand. But it was there, in the pantry, calling out my name. Cream cheese then popped into my head, and started dancing with the pie filling. At that point, it was time to get out of bed before things got out of hand.

I started with my cinnamon roll dough. Then I layered on cream cheese and topped with pie filling. It was actually pretty easy. Looks like I spent more time on it than I actually did. For the record, there is none left.

Cherry Cream Cheese Tart

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then gather ingredients.

Dough Ingredients:
2/3 c. milk
1 t. sugar
1 pkg fast-rising yeast

1 egg
1/4 c. oil (this time I used melted coconut oil)
1 t. vanilla

1 3/4 c. gluten free flour
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Filling:
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened in the microwave until spreadable. Tip: use the defrost setting
1 can of cherry pie filling (CHECK to make sure it's GF!)

Topping:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon

For the dough:
Mix the sugar into the milk. Warm it to 100-110 degrees. I use a thermometer because I have not yet mastered the art of being able to tell otherwise. You can get candy thermometers for a couple of bucks. Mix in the yeast and set it in a warm place to proof. Meanwhile, grab two bowls: 1 small, 1 big.

Large bowl: Beat the egg. Add the oil and vanilla and mix well.
Small bowl: Mix the flour, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.

After you have done this, check the yeast. It should have bubbled up and will smell yeasty. If not, throw it out and try again.

Pour the yeasty mixture into the large bowl with the egg, oil, and vanilla. Mix well to get any lumps from the yeast out. A couple small ones are ok. Add in the flour mixture from the small bowl and combine well to form the dough. The dough will be very soft. It's okay. Don't panic.

Dump the dough straight onto a greased cookie sheet. Spread the dough into an oval/ rectangular shape using the back of a wet spoon. (Warm water works best.) Work slowly. If it sticks, dip the spoon back into the water and keep going. Adding more flour will result in a dry, tough dough, so resist the urge!

Filling:
Spread on a layer of cream cheese, leaving a bit of space around the edges to fold up. Do the same with the pie filling. Err on the side of overfilling, and make sure the edges get enough-- nobody likes dry filling-less edges.

Topping:
Once the fillings are spread, bring the dough up over the sides to form a bowl-like structure. Sprinkle the edges of the dough with cinnamon/sugar. Bake until the crust is done; about 10 minutes or so.

After removing it from the oven, let it sit for a minute to cool and allow the fillings to set up a bit. Slice with a pizza cutter and enjoy with coffee. Go back for seconds. Resist going back for thirds, and instead grab a fork "just for another quick bite."