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" :)

Challenge Update

I am sad to admit that no, I did not enter the Betty Crocker Challenge.

Things got just a little insane at the end of my school year which happened to be right around the time of the challenge due date. We had a few suspensions, a kid go to jail (yikes!) and an investigation -- all within the last 3 weeks of school. Entering a challenge was far, far from my mind!

But I did at least try and make a few different things: Apple Cinnamon Cake and Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes* (recipe coming soon -- I promise)!









*Plus, if I am going to enter a contest, then I need to try out the recipes a few times -- right? And STUPID Betty Crocker decided to change their chocolate cake mix and added SOY flour! NOT cool Betty Crocker, not cool. So I am no longer able to eat the chocolate cake mix. Therefore, I am not going to post the Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes -- since I can't eat the mix anymore, I won't be making it again. Maybe instead I should write Betty Crocker and ask why they changed the mix? Probably should calm down a bit before writing a not so nice email/letter.....

Grammie's Strawberry Shortcake

I bought some amazing strawberries at the store the other day.  And I love, love whip cream.  Love it.  So why not add shortcake and make a whole dessert?

Cybele Pascal makes a really good shortcake, but it is more of a group dessert thing rather than individual sized portions.  So I searched through my Grandma's Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.  (Not sure from what year but I know that it is the 8th printing and the pages are already yellowing....)  I LOVE using this book to cook.  It reminds me of my Grammie every time I open it.  But now I have to change a lot of what is in the book....

Grammie's Book

Grammie's* Strawberry Shortcake

2 1/2 cups gf flour blend
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthum gum
1/2 cup shortening (or futter) -- either way, it should be cold
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup rice milk**
3-4 cups of sugared sliced strawberries (I used about 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar)
whipped cream (recipe to follow)

1) Put all dry ingredients in a mixer then cut in the butter until the mixture is like coarse crumbs

2) Combine the egg and the rice milk

3) Add the liquids to the dry ingredient/shortening mixture -- add liquids all at once -- mix only until moisten

4) Take all the dough and put on a floured surface (I sometimes like to use powdered sugar instead of flour), knead the dough gently for about 30 seconds, then pat out until about 1/2 inch thick round -- cut with a round cutter, then place on an ungreased baking sheet (although I did use a silpat sheet)

Bake at 450 degrees for 10-14 minutes (depends on the size of your cutter).


Whipped Cream

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1) Combine these two in a small saucepan -- be sure to whisk out all the lumps!  Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes thick.  Once thick and smooth, remove from heat and let cool.  [Note that once the mixture starts to go thick, it gets thick fast so keep stirring and don't cook it too long!]

2) While the milk/cornstarch mixture is cooling, mix the shortening and the powdered sugar together.  Add in the milk/cornstarch and mix until smooth.

You now have dairy and soy-free whipped cream (courtesy of Cybele).

Put it all together -- strawberries, shortcake, and whipped cream -- anyway you want!

I ate all the whipped cream before we could take pictures -- oops!!

*No, I never made strawberry shortcake with my Grammie -- we made grilled cheese and pickles!  But since it came from Grammie's cookbook, why not honor her?

**If you have coconut milk yogurt, you might want to try and add that instead of the milk or even do about 1/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup yogurt.  If you want!