Trav's Gone Gluten Free!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

2010-12-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

The snow is falling outside. People are sliding all over the roads attempting to get to wherever they're going. Lawn chairs are being fished out of storage for the impending parking space wars to come. I'm relaxing with my family and enjoying the atmosphere of content inactivity. Last night we had a few friends over for annual x-mas dinner party. Ping pong, guitar hero, x-mas movies, gifts exchanged, and lots of food and drink to overindulge in. I baked two batches of cookies. The recipe for the first, the GF Peanut Butter Blossoms, is listed below. The other batch I'll post later. Both Awesome!!

These cookies were sooooo goood! A few minutes out of the oven, when you take a big bite, and the chocolate kiss on top melts in your mouth and warms your throat... it's a little bit of heaven... Valhalla.... or wherever you hope to go when you die, wherever that it, you are there. if only for a few seconds. a few perfect seconds. Yum!

It's simple, just basic GF Peanut Butter Cookies with chocolate kisses buried in the top.

Ingredients

2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
2 cups peanut butter (natural/no sugar added)
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
a bag of chocolate kisses

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 deg. F.
Unwrap around 36 chocolate kisses from their foil. You may need more, you may need less.
Coat your cookie sheets with cooking spray (check the ingredients), or line the baking sheets with foil.
Whisk up the eggs in a large bowl.
In another bowl, mix up the sugar, baking soda and xanthan gum.
Add the peanut butter to the eggs and incorporate. Then add the sugar/baking soda/xanthan gum and mix thoroughly.
Using a spoon or 1 inch ice-cream scooper, drop dough onto cookies sheets roughly 3 inches apart. Take a flat bottomed glass and smush down the cookies. *I used a glass measuring cup and hammered them all down.
Using a fork, make some hatch marks on the top of each cookie.
Bake each batch for 14 minutes, remove from oven and press one chocolate kiss into the top of each cookie. Return to the oven for two more minutes. Remove and let cool for five minutes. Afterward, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.

Gluten Free Amish Molasses Cookies

2009-12-14T18:12:00.000-08:00

Wow the holiday season is sooo busy! It's like everyone has parties on the same days.. we're working harder, spending more, getting less sleep and eating a TON of awesome food! It's crazy, but I love it! On Saturday my friend Claudia and I spent the day exploring Amish country around Lancaster. It was a beautiful day for it! We stopped in a ton of little shops; antique places, quilt places, candy stores, bakeries, and old-fashioned country style restaurants. It was nice:)

After saying goodbye to Claudia, I settled into my kitchen and browsed through the Amish Cookie Book I picked up earlier in the day. These Molasses cookies were chosen for their ease and classic holiday flavor. I used Bob's GF Baking mix for these and they came out great! Make sure they're cooked through though. The first small batch I baked came out a bit doughy:( Also, feel free to throw in a little ginger and/or walnuts to spice it up. That's what I'm going to do the next time with these;)

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (make sure it's GF)
1/4 pound light brown sugar
2 cups dark molasses
2 cups buttermilk
3 cups gluten free baking flour
1/2 tblsp baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cream the vegetable shortening and brown sugar.
Mix in the molasses and buttermilk
Stir in the flour and baking soda until fully incorporated
Using a 1-inch ice-cream scooper (or a spoon), drop dollops onto greased or non-stick cookie sheet about an inch or so apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to cooling racks and get your cup of milk ready!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2009-11-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

I just had my last weekend class for the semester, and boy is my mind exhausted. Spending 8+ hours with very smart people, making sure to be on top of your game, is always a challenge, and always tiring. I loved it though! I guess I'm just a big nerd, but I love group learning:)

Since it was Halloween weekend, and we were all stuck in class with each other, we were encouraged to bring in treats to share. I brought these cookies and a gallon of apple cider. The cookies, which my partner whipped up with a recipe I found while I set up the outdoor Halloween decorations in hopes of terrifying the local kids, came out FREAKING AWESOME!! Thank you Mindy;) I absolutely loved em, as did everyone else who tried em! These would be the perfect cookies to bring for Thanksgiving.

To get the icing to coat the tops just right, you need to wait for the cookies to completely cool first. I know that this may be difficult to do, especially with the scent of warm cookies in the air, and your mouth watering, but trust me... these actually are better chilled. Once cooled and drizzled, I'd advise layering the iced cookies between parchment paper to keep it all sticking together.

Mindy smartly decided to add walnuts to my recipe, but feel free to omit them if you wish. However, they do give these cookies a nice chunky character. Either way, I'm sure you'll dig these!

Here's a recipe for the Gluten Free flour baking mix I whipped up.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups white rice flour
1 cup potato flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum

Cookie Ingredients

5 cups Gluten Free Flour (I made my own, but feel free to use any brand you choose)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup softened butter
3 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups walnut chunks

Glaze Ingredients

4 cups confectioner's sugar (aka powdered sugar)
6 tblsp milk
2 tblsp melted butter
2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together a cup of softened butter and the sugar.
Add the pumpkin , eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat until creamy (either with an electric mixer, or some serious arm power).
Incorporate the dry flour mixture into the wet pumpkin mixture and then stir in the walnuts.
Drop by spoonfuls onto a non-stick baking sheet, slightly flattening them as you go, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are lightly toasted.
Remove from oven and let each batch cool completely on a cooling rack before drizzling with the icing. To make the icing, simply whip together all the ingredients until nice and creamy. Use a fork to drizzle.
Wait till the icing dries and layer cookies between parchment paper sheets in a large bowl or pan.
This recipe makes a TON of cookies, so be prepared to share. Enjoy!!

Gluten Free Rum Boulders

2009-09-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

I brought these goodies to my friend's birthday party (along with some rum nuggets) and they were a hit! Mindy and I had a bottle of Appleton Rum that we brought back from Jamaica, so I figured what better way to put it to good use. I was pretty heavy-handed with the rum, so feel free to use less. I wrote about Rice Chex going gluten free a while ago, and now there are a number of GF Chex cereals. I love the Honey Nut, Cinnamon Chex and Chocolate Chex cereals, but Corn Chex is great as well. It's so great going to a normal grocery store and being able to pick up mainstream GF products. What a difference a few years can make!

I used half a box of Chocolate Chex to make these Rum Boulders, but feel free to experiment with any of the Chex cereals. Also, I used ground walnuts, but these would be great with ground or crushed almonds as well. These keep well when wrapped up and put in the fridge, and can be a great alternative to a drink after work:) And if you want, you could always spread the mixture out in a shallow pan and have yourself some GF Rum Bars to bring on the hiking trails. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

14oz can of condensed milk
1/2 box of Chocolate Chex Cereal (crushed)
1/2 cup walnuts (crushed or ground)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup rum
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Place golden raisins and rum in a bowl and set aside to soak.
Mix the crushed Chex with the walnuts, condensed milk, cocoa, coconut, rum and raisins together. If mixture is too sloppy or gooey, add more cocoa and coconut.
Using a couple of spoons, shape the mixture into double bite-size mini-boulders and place on wax paper or in paper cupcake holders. (I used the mini ones)
Place in fridge to set for about an hour.
Transfer to airtight container.
Dig in and enjoy! Don't eat too many of these though, I did and ended up with a slight hangover.

Gluten Free Hulled Hemp Seed Crisps

2009-06-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Every so often I get a package in the mail, chock-full of gluten free goodies to test out. For example, I recently received an array of GF snacks from Kays Naturals. I had a great time testing their products out, and discovered a few favorites (I'll be posting a product review on Kays soon). If you've been reading this blog, then you know how often I use Bob's Red Mill products. It's no secret that I love their products. Once they realized what a big fan I am, they began sending me goodies to try and experiment with.

One day I received a bag of Hulled Hemp Seeds. At first, I had no idea how I was going to use them, but after doing a couple of Google searches, I had a few ideas. This following recipe is my first experiment using Hemp Seeds in a recipe. Hemp seeds are actually really good for you. As stated on the Bob's Red Mill website, "Hulled hemp seed is high in Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids, and an excellent source of protein containing all of the essential amino acids." Of course, being the sweet-tooth that I am, I had to begin my hemp seed experimentation by whipping up some cookies. However, in the future I plan to incorporate them in breads, muffins, and possibly as a crunchy breading for fish or chicken.

These cookies were super-yummy! They were a bit crumbly, but melt-in-your mouth delicious. Enjoy!

Next post: Chongqing Flashback Part 1

Prep Time: 5-ish minutes

Baking Time: 10-15 minutes depending on your oven

Ingredients:

2/3 cups brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup GF Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Mix)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup Shelled Hemp Seeds

Baking Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside (I used cooking spray)
Mix together the brown sugar, large egg and butter in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the GF flour, cinnamon, and shelled hemp seeds.
Mix together the dry and wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
Spoon mixture onto cookies sheets. Leave about 3 inches between each drop since they spread out!
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are crispy. Cooking time depends on the oven being used, so keep an eye on them. You don't want to burn these sweet treats!
Grab a mug of soy, rice or cow milk and chow down:)

No-Bake Gluten Free Cocoa Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

2009-02-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

Try to say that title 5 times fast:) I love these cookies!!! These cookies have been a part of my life for a long time. I think the first time I had these I was 7 years old. I watched my Aunt Vic mixing the ingredients together in a cast-iron bowl on an antique wooden stove. The smell of the bubbling chocolate potion was maddening. I remember salivating as she ladled the gooey dough onto wax sheets to cool. I must have eaten a dozen at least! I think I eventually crawled off to some dark corner, uncomfortably intoxicated with sugar, and drifted into a narcotic coma.

Afterwards I begged my mom to get the recipe. Throughout the years as I grew older, these cookies continued to make their presence felt. Looking back, and knowing how much sugar goes into these, I can understand why my mom didn't make them as much as I would have liked; these are the antithesis of diet food:) But they are soooooo worth it!

I've been craving these lately for some reason. This is actually the first time I've made them myself. Knowing my weakness with these little drops of evilness, I strategically cooked up a batch the night before a case conference where I intern. That way, I could spread out the sugar, and avoid putting myself into some kind of diabetic coma. They didn't last long, but I kept a little stash for myself. Actually, I'm going to get one right now...

Oh yeah these rock!

Enjoy

Cookie Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. all natural vanilla extract
3 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats (I used Bob's Red Mill GF Whole Grain Rolled Oats)

The Process

In a medium saucepan, throw together all the ingredients except the peanut butter and oats.
Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and throw in the peanut butter and oats. Stir it up good.
Clear your countertop or kitchen table, and rip off a couple long sheets of wax or parchment paper.
Using a 1" ice cream scooper, or a spoon, drop the warm mixture onto the sheets about 3 inches apart.
Let cool for about 20 minutes.
Devour!

Gluten Free Chocolate Kiss Cookies

2009-01-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

I hit the ground running this semester, and things don't seem to be slowing down. It's all good though, since everything I'm doing is exactly what I want to be doing. I'm finishing up a research project on men and domestic violence work; preparing to spend the month of May in China teaching social work and conducting research; interning as a clinical sexuality counselor; teaching an after-school sexuality education class; getting ready to graduate with two Masters degrees; and getting married in July. This is turning out to be the busiest year EVER!!! Although I'm feeling pretty content with the way my life is turning out, I do hope things slow down after the wedding. I'll be needing some serious R&R come the end of Summer, and I don't think a couple week honeymoon will cut it (although it'll be a great start)!

During times like these, I find it a matter of self care to give in to my chocolate addiction. The following cookie recipe uses Hershey's Kisses. It comes from one of my favorite cookie books: HERSHEY'S Classic Recipes. According to this link: "GF Candy Database" and other sources, Hershey's Kisses are gluten free. However, as with most products coming from huge factories, there is a slight chance of cross-contamination. Now I've never had a negative reaction to Hershey's products, if you are worried about it, or have an extremely sensitive system, simply replace the kisses with chunks of your favorite GF chocolate. Be prepared, because this one is messy!

Chocolate Kiss Cookie Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 tsp. all natural vanilla extract
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 2/3 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 bag (9 ounces) Hershey Kisses (or chocolate chunks)
Powdered sugar

Baking Directions

Beat the butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy.
Mix the flour and cocoa, then gradually add the creamy butter mixture. Beat until blended.
Add the pecans and incorporate.
Refrigerate the dough for about an hour, or until it's firm enough to handle.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the wrappers from the Hershey's Kisses (or cut chocolate into 1/2 inch chunks). Mold about a tablespoon of cookie dough around each piece of chocolate, making sure to cover completely in order to shape it into a ball.
Place each cookie dough ball onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart.
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until dough appears set. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks.
Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar (optional).

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

2008-12-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

A little over a week ago, I found myself trying to figure out what to bring to a foodie gathering being held in the home of fellow food bloggers, Messy and Picky. Although I had never met Messy and Picky, I knew the foodie in charge of sending out the invitations. Her name is "E" and she writes the blog, "Foodaphilia." With very little time to prepare, I whipped up a bowl of Golden Sunshine Quinoa Salad, using Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa, and a batch of cookies based on my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

I brought my partner Mindy, and my good friend Erika along with me for the ride. When I entered, I found a beautiful home filled with complete strangers, talking, drinking and eating. They were mostly surrounding a table displaying a wondrous banquet of food. As we began to intermingle with the guests, I discovered that I knew another person in the crowd. I began to chat it up with Lauren, the author of the food blog "I'll Eat You." Lauren, E, and I had all met previously during a dinner gathering for Foodbuzz featured publishers, at Fork Restaurant in Philadelphia.

Throughout the evening, I ate a ton of great food, tasted a variety of wines, and met many cool people. One of the people I chatted up happened to be a food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. He ended up mentioning me and my blog in his article "On the Side: Live and in person, the food bloggers munch." Thanks Rick Nichols!!! We left the party with full stomachs, healthy buzzes, and a sense of excited anticipation for the next gathering.

The Double Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies I whipped up in a flash ended up being quite tasty! I used Trader Joe's brand Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, but feel free to use any GF peanut butter you like. It's hard to go wrong with the ingredients in these cookies:)

Cookie Ingredients:

2 sticks softened, unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/5 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Baking Flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
3 cups chocolate chunks or chips (make sure they're GF!)
1 cup natural peanut butter

Baking Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape the bowl using a spatula as it mixes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the GF flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just absorbed. Remove the mixture from the electric mixer and incorporate the chocolate chunks with a strong spoon or spatula.
Using a 1-inch ice cream scooper, drop dough balls about 3 inches apart onto non-greased baking sheets. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until centers no longer appear moist. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
Grab a tall glass of milk (or soy milk), kick back, and chow down!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies (Gluten Free!)

2008-10-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here's another recipe in celebration of the mighty pumpkin. I just love the fall! There's nothing better than autumn hikes, crisp air scented with fallen leaves, followed by hot, spiced apple cider shared among friends and family:) These cookies are soft and moist like little cakes, and are alive with the tastes and smells of Thanksgiving. They are also very easy to make. I've used an electric mixer, and then made them again by hand just to get an arm workout.

You'll love the smells that fill your home while these bake. It creates an amazing feeling of comfort, and fills your head with memories of past holiday feasts. Besides being absolutely yummy, these are actually quite healthy. You can cut the sugar in half and still have a great cookie. These are made to be shared. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (I used "Bob's Wheat Free")
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray (make sure it's GF)
In a medium size bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth.
Beat in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and clove.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat well to combine. Add the raisins and nuts in two batches, mixing between additions.
Drop by tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20 minutes until set, not browned.
Transfer to cooling racks.
Harvest and enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons

2008-09-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

I scoured through my cookbook library looking for the simplest way to make coconut macaroons, and found this easy recipe in the book: "The American Test Kitchen Family Cookbook". On my last day of our student-placement orientation, we were required to bring something in for a pot-luck lunch. I knew I wanted to offer something sweet, but I didn't have a lot of time to make it. These cookies were exactly what I was looking for.

Some of my earliest childhood memories involved hot sand beaches, palm trees, air-boats, hunting alligators and eating fresh cut coconuts. Some people have issues with the texture of coconut, but I happen to love it. And of course, everything is better with chocolate! Although I didn't do it for the macaroons pictured, one way to remedy the stringy texture often associated with macaroons, is to first pulse the shredded or flaked coconut in a food processor. Than way it ends up more like a coconut meal. To make sure that they are nice and moist, just cover the final mixture with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for a while. The longer the coconut has to soak up the egg whites, the softer the end product. As far as the egg whites are concerned, I found it much easier to just buy a carton of liquid egg whites. Why waste all that yolk?

These were a big hit with my coworkers, as well as with my partner's. I even had people tell me that they don't like coconut, but loved eating these. It just goes to show you, it's all about quality and presentation. Coconut lovers beware, these are seriously habit forming. I've given most of them away, just so I don't eat them all myself!

Ingredients

5 cups (20 ounces) sweetened shredded or flaked coconut
8 large egg whites (or 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract (or vanilla)
1/2 tsp. salt
chocolate morsels (make sure they're GF)

Cooking Directions

Put all the coconut into a large bowl.
Place the egg whites, sugar, salt, and almond extract into a mixer on medium high until light and foamy.
Stir the egg mixture into the bowl of coconut and combine well. Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for at least 1/2 an hour.
Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Either use a 1-inch ice cream scoop, or wet your hands and roll the coconut mixture into tablespoon-sized balls. Space the coconut balls about 1 inch apart.
Bake the macaroons for 8 minutes, and then switch and rotate them in the oven. Bake for another 8 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown. You may have to cook them longer. If you under-cook these, they'll fall apart when you try to handle them (and especially when dipping them in chocolate).
Let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheet (about 30 minutes).
Once the macaroons are cool, place sheets of wax paper on a table. Fill a microwavable bowl with chocolate morsels and microwave for bursts of 30 seconds at a time, being sure to stir often.
When your bowl of liquid chocolate is ready, simply dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate and place on the sheets of wax paper to cool. It may take a while for the chocolate to solidify on the bottom of the macaroons, so cover them with plastic wrap while cooling to keep their insides moist.
Eat and be merry!

Gluten Free M&M Cookies

2008-09-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe combines two of my favorite sweets: M&Ms and Chocolate Chip Cookies (CCCs)! M&M cookies are simply any CCC recipe where you substitute the chocolate chips with M&Ms (try using Peanut M&Ms with this. YUM!). I'm pretty sure that M&Ms are gluten free. Every time I surf the web I find lots of data to back that up. However, when I was in Australia I picked up a pack of Peanut M&Ms and as I was reading the ingredients, I discovered that "wheat flour" was listed. I quickly spit out my half-chewed candy and tossed the rest of the bag to my friend Damian. What would be the purpose of adding wheat flour? Thinking it had something to do with them being "Peanut M&Ms," I examined a plain M&M bag and discovered the same thing. So the whole time I was in the land down under, I was deprived of one of my favorite snacks. But no longer!!

This particular recipe comes from the "Nestle Toll House, best-loved Cookies" book. I love this book! It has 70 of their most requested cookies, bars and brownies, making it a treasure chest for the sweet-toothed. Make a bunch of these and share. People will love you for it!

You can use absolutely any all-purpose GF baking mix for this, but I used the flour concoction below.

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups white rice flour
1 cup potato flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xantha

Cookie Ingredients

2 1/4 cups gluten free flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (make sure it's GF!)
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cooking Instructions (for about 4 dozen cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one until well combined.
Gradually mix in the flour mixture.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the chopped walnuts (if you're into nuts).
Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop (or spoon), drop onto an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then transfer to cooling rack.
Share and enjoy:) !

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies

2008-06-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Oats scared me for a while. When I first found out what my problem was (celiac disease), the jury was still out on the safety of oats. Soon it was discovered that the reason why so many people with gluten sensitivities had problems with oats was due to cross-contamination. Although that should have made me feel safe, it didn't. Having celiac disease can make you pretty paranoid about what you eat! Nowadays there are a number of companies offering gluten-free oats. The certified gluten-free oats I used for this recipe were made by Gifts of Nature, Inc. But there are a lot of different companies doing GF oats like: Lara Scudder's Oats, Gluten Free Oats, Bob's Red Mill, Only Oats, and Gluten Free Oat Matzos.

After making these, I gave them to a bunch of my friends. When I handed my friend Katie a container full of these cookies, she looked at me with a bit of apprehension in her eyes. Katie has to be GF as well, and she too was nervous around oats. I assured her that they were safe, and that I had used myself as a guinea pig the day before and had eaten quite a few cookies without any negative reaction. After the first cookie was slowly eaten, the next few were practically inhaled! I love these cookies, and they remind me of how much I missed eating oatmeal and Cheerios. The following recipe came from the book: Martha Sterwart's Cookies.

I used my own GF flour mix for these. You are going to love these cookies!

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups white rice flour
1 cup potato flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum

Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookie Ingredients

3 cups GF oats
1 cup GF flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks softened unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (make sure it's GF!)
1 1/2 cups raisins

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
Using an electric mixer (or by hand if you like that kind of workout), combine the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Mix in the eggs and vanilla and reduce mixer speed to low. Add the oat mixture and mix until just combined. Add the raisins last.
Use heavy duty aluminum foil to line baking sheets, or just coat baking sheets with cooking spray. Using a 1 or 1 1/2 inch ice-cream scooper, drop dough balls onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake until golden (about 13 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Try not to eat enough to give you a stomach ache, and share with friends.

GF Chocolate Quakes

2008-03-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love these cookies! They are easy to make, and will completely satisfy even the most ferocious chocolate craving. These cookies are called quakes for the way the powdered surface cracks when cooking, making them look like ground that has been shaken up by an earthquake. This recipe calls for ground pecans, but you can use any nut you want. If you want them to taste even better, slightly roast your nuts before grinding.

This recipe comes from my good friend Peggy's book "Got Milk: The Cookie Book." I have a lot of great cookie recipe books, but in my opinion, this is one of the best out there! Plus I like endorsing my friends, I'm not going to lie:).

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups white rice flour
1 cup potato flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum

GF Chocolate Quakes Ingredients

3 tblsp unsalted, melted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten (or egg substitute)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tblsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup GF flour (Pamela's or Bobs are good, but you can also use my mix above)
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely ground pecans (or nuts of choice)
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Confectioners' sugar

Cooking Instructions

Using an electric mixer (or your speedy hand-whisking skills), beat the melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla on low-speed until pale in color and thickened, about a minute or so
Using another bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until completely combined
Fold in the nuts and the chocolate chips
Chill the mixture for about an hour, or until it's firm enough to handle
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Put some confectioners' sugar in a bowl (for coating)
Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop (or spoon), form chilled dough into 1-inch balls and toss into the bowl of confectioners' sugar. Roll the balls around until completely coated and then place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet
Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have puffed and cracked apart
Let cool for 5 or so minutes and then transfer to cooling rack
Try not to eat too many of these. Good luck with that!

Molasses Spice Cookies

2007-12-28T07:43:00.000-08:00

I’m so happy the semester is over. Graduate school is pretty challenging at times. Now I have a break and will do some traveling to be with friends and family. I also have time, finally, to catch up on some of the baked good recipes I’ve been experimenting with. This cookie is from my favorite cookie book, Got Milk? The Cookie Book. This is the perfect Holiday cookie, with lots of the season’s best spices: ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.

I used Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Free Biscuit & Baking Mix for the cookies in the photo. They flattened out a lot. When I make them with my simple homemade GF flour (instructions below) they turn out much thicker, more cakey. Either way they come out delicious! I get a lot of requests for this recipe from friends and family. These are also easy to make.

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups white rice flour
1 cup potato flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum

Molasses Spice Cookies Ingredient

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter cut into pieces
1/4 cup dark unsulphured molasses
1 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups gluten free flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt

1) Melt your butter over low heat in a medium size saucepan. Remove butter from the heat and stir in the molasses and vanilla. Put to the side to cool.

2) In a medium bowl whisk together the flour with 1 cup of the sugar, the baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

3) Once the butter mixture is cooled, add the beaten egg and mix well. Take a rubber spatula and fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until the mixture is firm enough to form balls (around 15 minutes).

4) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5) Put the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1-inch ice cream scooper, or using a spoon, scoop out mixture and then roll into 1-inch balls. Throw the balls into the sugar and coat completely. Place the dough balls on ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

6) Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the center no longer appears uncooked. 12- minutes will produce soft and chewy cookies, whereas 15-minutes will produce crispy cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for around 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool. They'll last in an airtight container for a couple of days, or freeze them and they'll last a few weeks.

Gluten-Free, Lactose Free, Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

2007-10-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe while watching the rotating gluten-free (GF) videos I have featured on my blog. You can watch it too by going directly to Gluten Free Cook. The one challenge the cook had when making her husband’s peanut butter GF cookies, was that they were very brittle and crumbly. I used her recipe and added a small amount of Xanthan Gum as an effective binder. The results turned out great! These are some of the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had, as well as the most easiest to make!

Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients

2 tsp baking soda (make sure it’s GF)
2 large eggs
2 cups peanut butter (natural/no sugar added is preferable)
2 cups sugar
¼ tsp xanthan gum

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Spray your cookie sheets with cooking spray (check the ingredients), or line the baking sheets with foil. Whisk up the two eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, baking soda, and xanthan gum together. Add the peanut butter to the eggs and mix. Then add the sugar/baking soda/xanthan gum and mix until thoroughly combined. Use a spoon or 1 inch ice-cream scooper and drop them on the cookie sheets about 2-3 inches apart. Use a fork and press them down enough to make a textured surface. Bake each batch for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Enjoy!

*Make sure to check out my other gluten free recipes! Look out for upcoming reviews of gluten free products!

Gluten-Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-09-20T15:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from my good friend, Peggy Cullen’s book Got Milk? The Cookie Book. I use this book all the time to make amazing gluten-free cookies. Whenever I make these and give them to people, they often tell me they are some of the best chocolate-chip cookies they’ve ever had.

When I say that they're gluten-free people often act surprised, as if removing gluten removes flavor. I guess it’s the same thing as thinking no-fat equals no-taste… but then again, that one might be true. Yeah, that was a bad example! The point is, these cookies are the bomb! Make them up, and try them yourself. I’m sure you’ll agree.

You can use any gluten-free baking mix you want, but I suggest using the recipe I list below. It is the closest thing to all-purpose flour that I’ve come across so far. I use this mixture in most of my baking projects. I’ve also experimented with bean flours, but many have a strong aftertaste. Ahh, experimentation… the key to a happy gluten-free life!

The Following gluten-free flour recipe was adapted from the book The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast And Healthy by Bette Hagman.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups white rice flour
1 cup potato flour
½ cup tapioca flour
2 tsp xanthan gum

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients

2 sticks softened, unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
½ tsp sea salt
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/5 cups gluten free flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups chocolate chunks or chips
2 cups large pecan or walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 375º F.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla until well combined. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula as it mixes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just absorbed. Remove the mixture from the electric mixer and add the chocolate and nuts. Mix the batter with a large and strong spoon or spatula.

Use a 1 inch ice cream scooper to make the cookie-dough balls, and drop them about 3 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

* Makes about 4 dozen *

Save some for yourself. These will disappear fast!

Find this great recipe and more in Peggy Cullen’s Got Milk? The Cookie Book.

*Make sure to check out my other gluten free recipes! Look out for upcoming reviews of gluten free products!!