Gluten Free Brownie

I adapted this brownie recipe from www.trinityhealthweightloss.com  

The frosting is from the gluten free lighter than air cake at www.glutenfreemommy.com

2  Ghiradelli 60% Dark Chocolate Bar - OR 1 1/2 Enjoy Life - gluten free, corn free, soy free chocolate chips(will not be low glycemic if you use the chocolate chips)
1 Tb Dutch Cocoa- I use Saco brand
2 Tb. Water
1 15 oz can S&W Black Beans, drained & rinsed
*4     Eggs
*1 tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 cup Xylitol - I use Emerald Forest brand since it is corn free -  You can also use Fructose or the cup for cup style Stevia
1/2 tsp Almond extract - I use McCormick
1 tsp Vanilla
  
*Egg free -  Omit eggs and substitute one of the 2 suggestions below:
1.Use 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 3 tsp. baking powder  OR
2.Add 4 Tb. flaxmeal to 3/4 cup hot water. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes to thicken then add to recipe.  
*Corn free - omit baking powder. Use ½ tsp. baking soda and 1 tsp cream of tartar.
 

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Heat the chocolate bar,water, and dutch cocoa in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat stirring every until melted.Remove from burner.
Place eggs, then beans in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. (I use a magic bullet)
Add xylitol, and either the cream of tartar and baking soda or baking powder to the egg mixture and blend until smooth. Add in the vanilla and almond. Mix only until blended.
Pour in the warm melted chocolate and mix until smooth, scraping down the edges to make sure chocolate is completely mixed.
Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan or a fluted pan. Or place cupcake holders in muffin tin and fill with batter.
Bake 25-30 minutes for cake pan, 20-25 minutes for fluted pan, 15-20 minutes for cupcakes.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving plate.
When cool top with frosting (see recipe below) and serve.

Frosting:
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream  I use Darigold - it is gluten free and preservative free
6 Tbs  Xylitol or Fructose - Process in blender or magic bullet until powdery like powdered sugar
4 Tb  Dutch Cocoa - I use Saco brand
1 tsp  Vanilla - I use McCormick brand
Strawberries, sliced (optional)
Blueberries (optional)

Place whipping cream in mixing bowl and beat until it begins to thicken. Slowly add the xylitol or fructose, cocoa, and vanilla. Mix on medium until stiff peaks form  Spread on top of cake. Top with sliced strawberries and blueberries.Enjoy! Serves 8. Refrigerate any left overs.

Fabulous Gluten Free Pizza

  Adapted from http://glutenfreefoodieheaven.blogspot.com/2010/03/best-focaccia-in-world.html

The Original recipe is called Parmesan Herb Focaccia

The recipe below makes a fantastic pizza dough!
If you are looking for a no fail gluten free focaccia bread recipe check out the recipe on her blog at the link above. 

2 1/2  t. active dry yeast

1 t.     honey 

1 cup warm water (110°-115° F)

1 t.     salt

2 cups GF flour blend  (I use a mixture of 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup potato starch flour, and 1 Tb xanthan gum) 

3 Tb   olive oil

1/2 t.  oregano leaves Make sure your seasonings are gluten free! I use McCormick

1/4 t.  Italian seasoning - I use 5th seasons

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - I use Kraft

Pizza toppings of your choice

Directions: Preheat oven to 450°F. 

Stir together yeast, honey, and water in medium sized bowl and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy.

In a separate bowl, mix together salt,flour mix, and seasonings. 

Pour oil into mixing bowl then add yeast. With  mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to yeast mixture. Turn mixture to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes. Dough will be very moist and sticky, almost like a thick cake batter.

Oil a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or a round pizza pan. Drop dough onto pan, gently smoothing out with spatula or wet hands to fill the pan.Spray top of dough lightly with canola oil. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  With fingertips or the handle of a spoon make indentations, about 1/4 inch deep and 1 inch apart, all over the dough.

Cover pan with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 minutes or more (I cover ours with a towel and place it on top of the stove while it is preheating. It raises in about 15 minutes) For a thinner crust pizza let sit covered for 10 minutes then bake.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with gluten free pizza sauce, and your choice of toppings.  I use Tillamook Italian shredded cheese, Hormel turkey pepperoni, Hormel Canadian bacon, mushrooms, olives, green pepper,  pineapple, and as you see in the picture sometimes tomato. 

Place back in oven for 15 minutes or until edges begin to turn brown. Remove from oven let cool 10 minutes and cut.
Makes: One 9 x 13 inch or One 10 inch round

Gluten Free Almond Chicken Parmesan

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These are so easy to make and my grandson loves them!!

4 Chicken Tenders OR

2 boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts

3/4 cup ground Almonds or Almond Meal (I use slivered blanched almonds and grind them in a magic bullet) - If allergic to nuts use brown rice flour

¼ tsp. Paprika

2 Tb Kraft Parmesan Cheese - (leave out if dairy intolerant)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Mix almonds, paprika, and parmesan cheese together on a plate. Rinse a piece of chicken under cold water then roll in almond mixture. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Cook in oven 30 minutes for chicken tenders, 45 minutes to 1 hour for chicken breasts. Serve

Lighter Than Air Chocolate Cake

 Adapted from www.glutenfreemommy.com
This is a fabulous tasting cake and very easy to make!
I wanted a smaller cake so I  cut the recipe in half.

For cake layers:
12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped-Ghirardelli is gluten free
6 tablespoons water
12 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar (I use xylitol)
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder-Saco premium cocoa is gluten free
For filling:
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted (I put xylitol in my magic bullet and whipped it until it was a powder, you can also use a blender)
4 Tbs. Grand Marnier   (I used 4 tablespoons Saco Dutch Cocoa plus 1 tsp Vanilla)
 

DIRECTIONS:

To Make cake layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease four 9-inch circular cake pans and line bottoms of circles with a piece of parchment paper.

Melt chocolate, water, and cocoa in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm.

In your stand mixer, beat yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt until thick and pale for about 5 minutes.  Stir in melted chocolate until combined.  In a separate HUGE bowl, beat 12 egg whites until they begin to thicken and slightly hold peaks .  Add remaining sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into melted-chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites carefully. Spread batter evenly over four baking pans.   Bake until the cake has puffed and the top is dry to the touch, maybe 16 minutes.  I rotated my cake pans once to ensure they cooked evenly.  Once the cake is done, cool the cake pans on cooling racks for about 10 minutes.If you wish, sift cocoa powder over top of cake layers.  Then place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the cake pans. Place a cookie sheet over paper and invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper lining. For best results, place all of the layers in the freezer for at least 1 hours or until they are firm enough to be carefully lifted without breaking.

To make the filling:  In a clean large bowl, beat cream with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla until it just holds stiff peaks.

To assemble the cake:

Bring first cake layer out of the freezer (leave the others in the freezer until you are ready for them) and arrange on your cake plate, cocoa side down. Spread 1/4 of filling evenly over the cake layer. Bring the next cake layer out of the freezer, placing it gently over the filling, again cocoa side down. Repeat until the cake is assembled!

Keep cake in the refrigerator until serving time. 

Dark chocolate grated into curls with a vegetable peeler makes for an excellent garnish or sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Gluten Free Health & Wellness Seminar

June 12, 2010

• 9:30am-4:30pm
• Doors open at 9:15am
• Pre registration required!!
• Location:  NE Salem, Oregon
• Cost: $30

             You will learn:
*What happens to your body when you eat gluten
*What food & non-food items to avoid
*Hidden sources of  gluten
*What non-specialty companies have gluten free products
*How to modify your recipes to be Gluten Free
*Gluten Free Mix recipes -  including Breads!
*How to cook Gluten Free and LOVE IT!!

Each attendee will receive a gluten free informational notebook

To register call: 503-364-5492 or click on view my complete profile to email me

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup Adams Chunky Peanut Butter (If you can't have peanut butter try substituting almond, sesame butter, or sunbutter) I like to use 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup Honey, GF Brown Rice Syrup, Fructose, or Xylitol (I like using 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup Fructose)

1 egg

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 cup Enjoy Life Dairy Free, Soy Free, Gluten Free Chocolate Chips (optional)

12 Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Set aside the 12 Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. 
Mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl. Using a teaspoon drop dough 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. I like to press the cookie dough down with the palm of my hand then use a fork and press down in an X pattern on top of each cookie. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute.  Press one Ghiradelli chocolate chip in the center of each cookie and remove cookies onto a cooling rack. Makes 12 cookies.

The original recipe called for 1 cup sugar. I rarely use granulated cane sugar. (I only have some in the house right now to make humming bird feed)   I was able to reduce the amount of sugar and the cookies turned out great. Hint: If you use fructose your cookies will brown quickly so watch them carefully or they will burn. 

Almost Mrs. Fields Gluten Free Cookies

These cookies are not low fat or low sugar.  But if you have been wanting a great chocolate chip cookie you will love these!!  I adapted the recipe from a cookbook I bought years ago called, "Women's Circle Home Cooking." Below is the original recipe on the left. The ingredients I used  is in blue to show you how I altered the recipe.

1 cup   Butter                   1  cup        Earth Balance gluten free, dairy free, nut free, soy free,  Natural Buttery Spread
1 cup  Sugar                     1  cup       Fructose or Xylitol
1 cup  Brown sugar         1  cup       Coconut Sugar
2         Eggs                        2               Organic free range Eggs
1 Tb   Vanilla                    1 1/2 Tb     McCormick Vanilla
2 cups Flour                     2 cups      Gluten Free Flour Mix - see recipe below
2 1/2 cups Oatmeal         2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats or Quinoa Flakes
1/2  tsp   Salt                     1/2 tsp      Sea Salt
1 tsp   Baking Powder    2   tsp         Rumford Aluminum-Free Baking Powder                1 tsp   Baking Soda         1   tsp         Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
12 oz Chocolate Chips  10 oz Enjoy Life (gluten free, dairy, nut, egg, soy free) Chocolate Chips or Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips

1 Hershey's Chocolate Bar I omit this
3 cups Chopped nuts     I omit these

Gluten Free Rice Flour Mix:
Mix together 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1 Tb xanthan gum. 

Directions:
In mixer or by hand, cream butter and sugars together; add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. With mixer on low add flour mix, salt, baking powder & baking soda. When combined slowly pour in oats. Mix well then stir in chips. Preheat oven to 375. Drop dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes. Do not over bake. Cookies will be slightly brown around the edges. If you want crisper cookies let completely brown. Cool on wire racks and store in an air tight container.