New Favorites

Nowadays there are SO many gluten free products out there.  Sadly, not all of them are fully allergy friendly.  And too many of those products use soy flour.  Not good. 

Between following a bunch of bloggers, scouring the food aisles each time we go to the grocery store, Jess and I actually find a bunch of new products.  And of course we try them all!

Jess introduced me to Manini's products.  They make allergy safe breads, pastas and mixes.  First, these are not just any pastas.  It is fresh pasta.  The kind you buy in the refrigerator section.  And oh man is it good.  I think I have eaten more pasta in the past month than I have since going GF 2 years ago!  I have yet to try their bread... but the mixes are just plain amazing.  I have used the Peasant Bread mix to make an Irish Soda Bread.  It came out of the oven -- hubby and I ate the whole loaf in about 5 minutes!

the peasant bread mix

Even better is the Multi-Purpose GF Flour mix.  It is a 1:1 substitute for regular all purpose flour.  It already has xanthum gum in it -- it is the perfect flour mixture.  I just made ginger cookies following a regular recipe, used the Multi-Purpose Flour and they turned out great!  Hubby didn't even realize they were gluten free!

the multi-purpose flour

Another great product is Jovial pastas.  They are dry pastas but so far my favorite ones!  They are actually made in Italy which is just awesome!  They do have other GF products but they have soy in them.  Sad.  But at least I can have the yummy pasta!

brown rice pasta

Finally, something sweet!  Enjoy Life Foods have really perfected their cookies over the past couple of years.  When I first started eating allergy-free, Enjoy Life were one of the only companies that made cookies.  However, they were not so great!  But I recently discovered these:

yummy cookies

They are vanilla honey graham cookies.  They taste like sweeter graham crackers and a little like 'Nilla Waffers (which used to be my favorite).  I have recently tried the chocolate version and they are also awesome! 

Lucky for me, and everyone else who has food allergies -- there are many new products coming out each day!

Crazy Cupcakes

So now that you know how to make the middle part of the cupcakes.... on to the actual cupcake!

The Chocolate Chip Cookies:

I used the recipe straight from Cybele’s book: here (I wasn’t about to try and mess with a recipe for this experiment!)

¾ cup palm oil shortening

½ cup + 1 T granulated sugar

½ cup + 1 T brown sugar

2 ¼ t vanilla

2 ¼ t egg replacer mixed w/ 3 T rice milk *

1 ½ cups + 3 T gluten free flour mix

¾ t xanthan gum

1 1/8 t baking soda

½ t salt

1 cup + 2 T chocolate chips (again used the Enjoy Life ones)

1.   Cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy; then add the egg replacer with rice milk and vanilla

2.   Add the flours and other dry ingredients to the already mixed sugar, shortening, “eggs” mixture.  Mix until just combined

3.   Fold in chocolate chips

4.   Press about 1 ½ T of dough into a GREASED and FLOURED muffin pan**

Now place one finished Abby’s SunButter Cups into the middle of the cookie dough.

Finally the Brownies – again taken straight from Cybele (same book as above)

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate – chopped up

½ cup palm oil shortening

2 cups granulated sugar

8-10 ounces of prune puree or apple/plum puree – aka, baby food (I promise, you won’t taste it)

1 T vanilla

1 ¾ cups + 2 T gluten free flour mix

½ t xanthan gum

1 T baking powder

sadly, the only pictures of the brownies.... Karli chopping up chocolate!

1.    Preheat oven to 350 F

2.    Combine chocolate and shortening in a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until melted, stirring after each 30 seconds.  Add in sugar and baby food when chocolate is melted.

3.    Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

4.    Spread about ¼ cup of brown mixture over the Abby’s SunButter Cup – just use your clean fingers, it works much better

Bake for about 20-25 minutes  -- I had trouble figuring out if they were done because you can’t just stick a toothpick in to see if they are done… you hit the gooey SunButter Cups!  Just do your best J

Let cool in the pans – they will be easier to get out that way!  (If you can get one out warm, then go for it, if not -- microwave for 10-15 seconds to heat up!)

*yes, I did make these 100% vegan as well since I was taking the left overs to my niece’s 2^nd birthday party and some of her little buddies are allergic/don’t eat eggs (plus you can eat the dough raw this way!)

**I learned about this AWESOME way to grease your pans -- stay tuned for next post!

Abby's SunButter Cups

I had seen these on Pinterest.  My co-worker had seen them too….  I decided I should try and make them!

First up – the Reese’s “Peanut Butter” Cups or as I call them Abby’s SunButter Cups

I adapted to recipe from here (after a quick Google search, this recipe seemed to be the best)

1 cups original SunButter (no crunchy or flaxseed kind)
¼ cup futter
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cups powdered sugar

2 T gluten free graham cracker crumbs (I used: Kinnikinnik brand)
4 cups milk chocolate chips (two 11.5-oz bags)* (I used: these)
¼ cup palm oil shortening

1. Line a mini-muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Line a baking with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the SunButter, futter, and brown sugar over medium heat. Heat until completely melted and starting to bubble a little, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Add graham crumbs then the powdered sugar a ¼ cup at a time, stirring until completely combined with the SunButter mixture after each addition. Set aside and let cool.

the sunbutter mixture - looks nasty but tastes so good!

3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together in the microwave in 30-second increments, until completely melted, stirring after each burst.

4. Using a small cookie scoop or a couple of teaspoons, spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.

it gets a little messy

5. Use a heaping teaspoon to scoop out the SunButter mixture. Roll it into a ball, and then flatten it slightly into a disk. Place on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once finished with all of the peanut butter mixture, refrigerate both the muffin tins and the SunButter patties for about 30** minutes.

6. Place a SunButter patty on top of each chocolate-lined muffin tin. Then use a scoop or spoon to add more melted chocolate on top and around each SunButter patty. (If the melted chocolate firmed up, just pop it back into the microwave for 30 seconds or so to re-melt.)

I did make "big" versions for work

7. Refrigerate again for 30** minutes, then they’re ready to serve! Store in the refrigerator or freezer. You can keep at room temperature in an airtight container if you’re going to serve them the same day, but they’ll start to get soft if not at cool room temperature.

These were a HUGE hit with my friends, neighbors and co-workers.  I am already getting requests for more!





*I actually probably used A LOT more chocolate than called for -- when I make them again, I will figure out a way to use less chocolate and more SunButter per cup

**I don't know if my fridge is super cold, but it probably only took about 10 minutes for my cups to get cold

Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake -- Betty Crocker Style

Months ago, I wrote about the Betty Crocker Baking Challenge.  You had to use their gluten-free baking mixes to make a holiday treat.  I started....  And didn't exactly finish because the end of my school year was a little wild!  And then I found out that Betty Crocker changed their Chocolate Cake mix to include soy flour which is a HUGE no-no for me [read about it here].  So while I did make a YUMMY Double Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcake, I cannot recreate it and make it save for me to eat.  This is a bummer since these cupcakes were a huge hit with my students.*

But, I did make an Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake.  I love apples...  But I am allergic to them in their raw form.**  So whenever I crave apples, I either have to bake with them or eat apple sauce.  This time I baked. 

Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake
This cake is really easy to make.  However, I did figure out a few tricks you need when baking with gluten-free mixes -- especially if you have to substitute the butter and/or milk to make it safe for you.

You will need:

1 box of Betty Crocker Betty Crocker Yellow GF Cake Mix
3 small apples, peeled and chopped up pretty small (I used a green color)***
1 T cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t ginger
1 t cloves
3/4 t xanthum gum

The tricks (note that I only added things; I used the exact amounts of the extras the mix called for):

1)  Mix about 1/3 of the dry mix with your butter (or whatever you are using -- I used a combo of futter and shortening) to "cream" together.  When fully mixed together, add the xanthum gum.
2) Alternate the rest of the mix with the liquids until almost combined.
3) Finally add the apples and spices and continue to mix until fully combined.

Follow the rest of the box directions when it comes to baking times, oven temps, etc.  I used a 11x7 pan but feel free to make cupcakes, a sheet cake, whatever you want!

Cinnamon Frosting

You will need:

2/3 C shortening
1 package of powdered sugar
1 T cinnamon
hot water

Combine the first three ingredients in a mixer while slowly adding enough hot water to give you the frosting consistency that you want.  [I usually make a "thinner" frosting when using it for a one layer cake versus a "thicker" frosting for a two later cake or cupcakes.]

Frost the cake when it cools -- then enjoy!











*As much as I love eating everything I bake, I can't eat it all.  Plus I need people to try out my experiments to see if they even work!  This is where my students come in -- and co-workers.  They all get to try my treats while also giving HONEST feedback about it.  Sometimes I make them write about why they liked/disliked the treat.  Always thinking of creative ways to teach :)

**It is called Oral Allergic Syndrome and I just happen to have a pretty bad case of it.  In fact, I am so allergic to apples that I can often get a rash when cutting up the apples for baking. 

***Since I never actually eat raw apples, I have no clue how to pick out apples or what kind to get!  I either make whoever is with me pick them out or ask someone in the grocery store.  Pick whatever apples you like to bake with and you will be just fine!

Bob's Red Mill

FH and I had TONS of weddings to attend this year (we have 9 -- and we aren't done yet).  One was in Portland, Oregon.  I found this to be the perfect excuse to go early and spend some time at Bob's Red Mill who happens to have their factory just outside of Portland. 

me in front of the mill

Bob's has the products to use if you are gluten-free.  They are the brand that carry all the needed flours to bake gluten-free.  They also have their own packaged mixes, but most contain garbanzo bean flour which I am allergic to...  But that doesn't mean I can't buy their other flours!

I had been told that you should go to Bob's to buy in bulk.  So away we went....

At first, I had sensory overload and spent about 10 minutes just wandering the factory store.  I finally got it together and hit up the bulk bins.  I can't even tell you how inexpensive it was.  Example:  You'd pay about $6-7 for one bag of brownie mix if you bought it in the store.  We got at least 5 bags worth of brownie mix in the bulk area for about $2.  AMAZING!

When we checked out, I felt like I was on the Extreme Couponing Show, although I didn't even need any coupons.  We easily got at least 75% off typical prices of the different flours.  I was so giddy, I called all my gluten-free buddies to share the good news!  If you live anywhere near Bob's and you are gluten-free -- I highly recommend going to shop!

Now, I just need another excuse to go back....

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things....

It has been a while.  Sorry about that.  I was on vacation, teaching summer school (preschool!) and finally started my new year at school.  Luckily we are not on strike, like another district I know.  We ratified our contract the day before school.

It has been a hectic start to the school year.  New students that have caused numerous headaches already, switching from 4 class periods per day to 6 (quite the adjustment!) and I am also training for my first (and last) marathon!!

While training for this marathon (Nike Womens Marathon), I have been HUNGRY!  And there isn't much to eat with all of my allergies.  At least not the things that all the real runner people say to eat.  So I have been finding new things that are working to keep me hydrated, full, and running!

Before all the allergies, I drank chocolate milk after a hard workout.  Doesn't work anymore.  Now I drink Chocolate Coconut Milk!  Although it is difficult to find.  I have drive a ways to a Whole Foods to get my fix -- and I make sure to stock up.  It is the perfect after run drink! 

One of my newest favorite protein is Sunbutter -- especially the No-Stir kind.

I never liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches growing up -- but now I am obsessed with sunbutter sandwiches!  Sunbutter and jelly, sunbutter and honey!  Yummy!

The hardest thing has been finding granola bars that are safe to eat.  You can find gluten free, but it has nuts and/or soy, you can find nut free but it has soy and gluten.  UGH!  I finally find just ONE that I can eat and it really isn't that bad tasting.  NuGo Nutrition Bars make one kid that works for me: the chocolate version!

I also have been having a hard time finding safe (and good) things to eat while running.  Not only can I not eat all the allergen stuff, I also can't have caffeine which happens to be in a lot of energy items for running.  I have found a few items to eat while running that I could recommend: Clif Shot Gel Chocolate, Clif Shot Bloks -- my favorite is strawberry, and Hammer Gel -- my favorite is Montana Huckleberry!

My marathon is three weeks away so pretty soon I will carbo-loading.  How do you carbo-load without gluten?!  We will find out -- stay tuned!  And I promise to update with a few recipes I have baked over the summer..... And I just got a Cooking Light Best Baked Goods special edition.  Can't wait to adapt some recipes!

Mama's Ranger Cookies

I'm about to eat the Ranger Cookie!

Mention Ranger Cookies in my family and you can get varied responses: pure joy, anger because you might not have any on you, childhood, skiing....

I grew up taking a few trips to Sun Valley, Idaho to ski.  [Great skiing by the way.]  There was a place in Ketchum, Idaho (the town) that made these amazing cookies called Ranger Cookies.  We would get them anytime we went -- and usually take a few packages home with us.  But the cookies would eventually be gone.

My dad then found a way to order them to our house!  We would get a box in the mail piled high with Ranger Cookies.  There would be eight in a package -- two piles of four saran wrapped with a Styrofoam bottom.  Nothing fancy, but they were yummy!  We would freeze them and eat them straight out of the freezer.  Amazing!  The best was when you found a lost package buried in the freezer long after the cookies were considered gone. 

I am not sure why the cookies stopped -- I think because the company went out of business or something.  But somewhere along the line my mom ended up with a recipe.  And I adapted it so I could eat Ranger Cookies again!

Mama's Ranger Cookies (taken straight from my mom)

1 C palm oil shortening
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 C gluten-free flour blend
¾ tsp xanthum gum
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
2 C oats
2 C corn flakes cereal [I used gluten-free corn flakes
½ C sweetened shredded coconut

Heat oven to 350
Whip shortening and sugars
Add eggs and vanilla
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder (and xanthum gum!) and mix well.
Add oats, corn flakes and coconut and mix well
Greased cookie sheet [I used a silpat sheet]

Bake 10-12 minutes

These taste amazing frozen, warmed up -- or with vanilla "ice cream" :)