The Baking Beauties

Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Loaf

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:16:00 +0000

This loaf is good. This loaf is so good, my gluten-eating family devours it, even though it is gluten free. The tartness of the fresh cranberries, the crunch of the pecans, and the fantastic orange flavour that comes through, should definitely send you to the supermarket to get the ingredients. You will not be disappointed! I haven't tried making these into muffins yet, but I think they'd work well for that too.

Source: Based on a recipe from AllRecipes
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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups featherlight flour mix (see note)
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp grated orange zest (I did from one orange)
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup orange juice

For Glaze (optional):

Zest of 1/2 orange
2-3 Tbsp orange juice
enough icing sugar to make a slightly thick pourable icing

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (with sweet rice flour) a 9x5 loaf pan.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest, cranberries and pecans. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in orange juice. Beat in flour mixture until just moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 50-60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bread springs back when lightly touched. Let stand 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire cooling rack.
Once cooled, top with the glaze (optional), let dry, and wrap in plastic wrap.

NOTE: The featherlight flour mix that I use is from Bette Hagman. It is as follows: 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 3 cups cornstarch, 3 Tbsp potato flour.

Gluten Free Onion Rings

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Onion rings and I go way back. I remember being a small child in the backseat of my parents lime green 2-door Nova, sitting on the parking lot of the A&W, waiting for the carhops to bring our food. I always had onion rings & a small rootbeer. I remember my brother telling me that onion rings had onions in them. No...no they didn't. I like onion rings, but I hate onions. They can't have onions in them.

Well, 25+ years later I'll admit it...onion rings do indeed have onions in them. :) The smell of onion rings frying as you walk past the fast food joints calls you in. Nothing smells as good frying as onions. But, since celiacs has made it's appearance, the kids are enjoying the onion rings, and Mom's always got to pass them by. So, the challenge was posed...I would make my own onion rings at home! These were really delicious, and after doing a taste test with white, yellow & red onions, our family agreed...yellow was the way to go. These onion rings are really great right out of the fryer, but for some reason, they get soggier when you have them in the oven for too long. So, it's best to eat them right away. :)

Source: Based on a recipe from Recipezaar
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Ingredients:

1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup Bette Hagman pizza/french flour mix (see note; I'm sure any other gluten free "all purpose" flour mix would work well too)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 large yellow onions, sliced & separated into rings
1/2 cup gf flour (for coating onions)
oil (for frying; we use canola oil)

Directions:

Mix egg, oil, and milk on low speed of mixer for 1 minute.
Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Coat onions in flour.
Dip in batter.
Fry in hot oil (375 degrees, at least 1-inch deep) until desired shade of brown.

Note: Bette Hagman's French Bread/Pizza Mix is as follows (for 6 cups)
3 1/2 cups white rice flour
2 1/2 cups tapioca starch
2 Tbsp Xanthan gum
2 (7-gram) packets unflavoured gelatin
2 Tbsp egg replacer
1/4 cup sugar

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:16:00 +0000

I've never been a fan of pie. Well, it ends up, I've never been a fan of pie crust. This crustless pumpkin pie is gluten free, and will be loved by both "gluten-eaters" and those of us that eat gluten free. This pie was very flavourful, simple to make, moist, and yet held it's shape well enough, you'd think there was a crust under there. :)

Source: Based on recipes from Recipezaar and Gluten Free Goddess
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Ingredients:

15 ounce can pumpkin (or fresh cooked equivalent)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 Tbsp tapioca starch
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 well beaten eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk (see note)
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a pie plate (I use a 9 1/2-inch Pyrex pie plate) with some oil.
Combine all ingredients & mix until well combined.
Pour into prepared pie plate, and bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. The pie is done when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Top with desired topping (real whipped cream at our house).

NOTE: I did not have any evaporated milk on hand, so I mixed 1/3 cup dry milk powder with 3/8 cup water. This yields 1/2 cup.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian readers! I hope you guys are all having a fantastic weekend with friends, family & of course...food. ;)

We had a gathering yesterday,and I brought this gluten-free pumpkin roll for one of the desserts (sorry for the poor picture, that's what happens when you try to get a picture before everyone eats it). :) Everyone really liked it, and the taste & texture was anything but gluten free. I had never made a roll before, and was especially worried trying to make a gluten free roll, as gluten things like to fall apart & crack, but this worked like a charm! I will definitely be giving more rolls a try now.

Source: Gluten Free Homemaker
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Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (I did Bette Hagman's Featherlight Flour Blend)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
powdered sugar, for dusting the towel

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a mixer bowl beat the eggs on high for several minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light in colour. Add the pumpkin and lemon juice. Mix until blended. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add to the pumpkin mix. Mix just until blended.
Pour the batter into a 10"x15" parchment lined jelly roll pan. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan and to even it out. Sprinkle the pecan pieces over the top. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake (pecan side down) onto a towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll the cake and towel lengthwise. Leave it to cool.
Combine the filling ingredients and beat until smooth. Unroll the cake and spread the filling over the surface.
Use the towel to help roll the cake back up, but do not roll the towel with the cake as before.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

NOTE: To freeze it, you can wrap it twice with plastic wrap, and once with wax paper. Then put two rolls together and put a zip lock bag on each end (they are too long to fit into one bag).

NOTE: NOTE: The featherlight flour mix that I use is from Bette Hagman. It is as follows: 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 3 cups cornstarch, 3 Tbsp potato flour.

Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:47:00 +0000

~~tap-tap-tap ~~ "Is this thing on?"

Wow, what a long break! Sorry about that everyone. Things here are going really well, our move went smoothly, the kids are making friends, and the transition to the new school has been amazing. We're still settling into our new home. We still have some boxes here and there that need unpacking, and I haven't hung anything up on the walls yet. I'm still getting used to my kitchen. We're actually in the middle of doing some renovations to it (I know, just moved and having to change things right away...tsk, tsk, tsk). But once this is said and done, the heart of the house (the kitchen) will be a beautiful, spacious, and fully functioning place. I haven't done a whole lot of experimenting in the kitchen since moving, but I have started to do some more baking, now that I have an oven that isn't WAY out with the temperature. So bear with me, new recipes will be coming soon!

Thanks to all of you that have signed up to follow or subscribed to this blog, even though I haven't been posting on a regular basis. All the emails & comments that have been received have been grealy, GREATLY appreciated! THANK YOU!!

Now, onto the recipe! I made these gluten-free tortillas a while ago, but just never posted them. They were simple to make, and stored well. I did microwave it for a few seconds to make it flexible again before using, but I think you have to do that with the bought ones too. I rolled these out really thin (as thin as I could) on floured parchment paper, and then used a Tupperware bowl to cut it into a nice circle. Worked better than trying to roll it the dough into a circle, but if you're up for rustic, that would work as well.

Source: Living Without
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Ingredients:

1 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup fava bean flour (I think millet or sorghum might work well here too)
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable or other shortening
3/4 to 1 cup warm water

Directions:

Combine all of the dry ingredients, then cut in or work in the shortening using a pastry blender or two knives or your hand.
Add the warm water, starting with 3/4 cup and mix well.
Continue to add water until a soft, cohesive dough is formed.
Heat a comal, tapa or griddle to medium heat (I just used a large frying pan). then, form a ball of dough into a flattened disk, cupping the outside edges a bit to form a round.
Using a rolling pin, roll into a round disk, about 1/8" thick and about 8" in diameter.
Bake one at a time on a hot griddle until the surface bubbles. Turn only once, the first side should have brown flecks.
Bake until the second side has slightly browned - should be brown in a very short time.
Keep warm in a tortilla keeper or wrapped in a cloth until served.

NOTE: Will freeze in a sealed plastic bag for up to 3 months.

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Biscuits

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:07:00 +0000

Well, tomorrow the internet is getting disconnected, and I'm not sure how long it'll be until we're up and running again. That is not a bad thing with all the work we have to do over the next week. We're all really looking forward to moving to the new house & making it our home. I'm also excited to know that 2 of my readers (now friends) are within walking distance of the new house, and another within a short drive. I won't be alone out there. :)

I made these gluten free Buttermilk Biscuits a while ago. Quite a while ago, in fact. Then, I lost my picture. Doh! I can't post a recipe without the picture, so I didn't. And this upset me, because these biscuits were really, really good too! Then, I remembered where I had saved the picture. YES!! FOUND! Now, I can share it with you. :)

I made these biscuits to go with soup, so I shredded some cheddar cheese into it. I will tell you, do NOT eat them right out of the oven. They have a very sticky, gummy texture then. But, give them about 30 minutes or so, and they are just like my regular muffins I used to make. The dough is very sticky to work with, so forming them the same way you would "normal" biscuits doesn't quite work. But drop biscuits are easier to make than rolled & cut ones anyway, right?

Source: Recipezaar
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Ingredients:

1/2 cup potato starch
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the starches, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Process with six 1-second pulses.
Sprinkle the butter cubes evenly over the flour mixture, cover, and pulse for twelve 1-second pulses. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
Pour the buttermilk evenly over the mixture. Process for eight 1-second pulses, or until the dough gathers into a moist clump.
Using your bare hands, quickly gather a clump of dough, lightly form it into a biscuit shape, and drop it onto the cookie sheet. Repeat this for all the remaining dough, trying to handle the dough as little as possible. You should get about 8 biscuits.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 20-30 minutes before eating.

Sangria! Sangria!

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Alright, time to celebrate! It is the weekend. The house is SOLD! AND, I'm posting more than one recipe this week! Yeah! :)

I've never tried a Sangria before, but a friend of mine made me some candles in this scent, and I LOVE them. I'm not a fan of wine, so I wasn't sure I was going to like this. But, since I mix it 1/2 with Sprite right before drinking, it is actually a nice drink to sit on the deck on a hot summer day & enjoy.

Kick back and enjoy the weekend! :) (But be responsible, these are pretty boozy if you don't add the carbonated water/Sprite).

Source: All Recipes
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/3 cup orange juice
1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
1/2 cup triple sec (or Grand Marnier)
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup white sugar (optional)
8 maraschino cherries
2 cups carbonated water (optional, I omitted this)

Directions:
In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec and sugar. Float slices of lemon, orange and lime, and maraschino cherries in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight for best flavour. For a fizzy sangria, add club soda (I do Sprite) just before serving.

Gluten-Free Hamburger Buns

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:58:00 +0000

HELLO!! Have you missed me? Things are crazy busy here. A month ago, my husband started a new job (mentioned last time), and the commute was too long for our family. Rather have him at home than in a car. So, we've bought a house an hour away, are in the process of packing everything up (and clearing everything out, boy, you can collect a LOT of stuff over 11 years), and have begun the process of selling our house. So, I haven't been baking much lately, and all my "things" for taking food pictures have been put away for the time being. We get our house on August 1st, and move in on August 8th, so there is a lot of work to be done before then. I hope some of you have been able to enjoy the summer so far! For me, it seems to be just flying by this year!

Nothing says summer like barbecued burgers. Last summer, I ate all my burgers plain, without a bun. It's alright, but it's just not quite right. This year, I found a recipe for Focaccia bread, which also works super for hamburger buns. I really do like these buns, they are light, flavourful, and smell like you're baking buns when they are baking. I enjoy them slathered with strawberry jam and a slice of cheddar cheese as well, so they don't have to be used just for burgers. :)

Source: Gluten Free Homemaker
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Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup sweet rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 Tbsp instant yeast
2 tsp unflavoured gelatin
1 Tbsp Xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar or honey
1 - 1 1/4 cup warm water
4 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp vinegar

Instructions:

Mix the wet ingredients together in the bowl of your mixer using 1 cup of the water.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes. Add more water if it is too dry. The dough should be very soft and sticky.
Scoop the dough into eight 3-inch disposable aluminum pie pans (I place mine on a large baking sheet to make things easier). Using greased fingers, smooth the top of the dough. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Bake in a preheated 400 degrees C oven for about 15 minutes. The tops should be nicely browned. Let sit for 5 minutes after removing from oven, and then remove buns and transfer to a wire rack to cool. (I reuse my pie tins, they come out nice & clean after doing this, and are ready to use again)

Dandelion Syrup

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:35:00 +0000

Hello, Readers! Wow, what a busy few weeks it's been! I hope you guys are all enjoying the summer, and that everyone enjoyed a great Canada Day or Independence Day, or even a Saturday if none of the above apply to you. :) We attempted a camping trip this past weekend, which did not go well. The first day there our youngest woke up with a fever & wasn't feeling well. I drove the 200 km back home with him. The next day, he was begging to go back to the campsite, so another 200 km back to the campground, where we'd left the rest of the family. Then back home the next day...it wasn't the best camping trip we've ever had, that's for sure. But I'm sure it will be memorable, and I guess that's what counts.

We are also preparing our house to try to sell it. My husband got a new job, and it is further away. He is spending 3 hours per day in the car right now, and that's just too much for us. With school out, we figured it would be the perfect time to move. However, after living here for the past 11 years, we've pretty much accumulated stuff in every nook & cranny this 2,300 sq ft has! So, that is where my mind has been lately. I have still been doing some cooking & baking, but the other day I had 2 BAD flops in one morning. It happens to all of us, huh? :)

Anyways, that's where I've been lately, I hope that you all are doing well & enjoying browsing through some of the older recipes while I've been away. I made this syrup a while ago already. Our yard is no longer covered in the yellow flowers, now it's onto the pretty small flowers of clover already. However, I know we'll be having the yellow bloom one more time before the fall comes, so I will share this recipe with you anyway. This syrup was actually really quite delicious. It had a bit of an earthy flavour to it. My 3 year old loves it on his pancakes. I've been told it tastes similar to dandelion honey. If you have a pesticide free field of yellow, give this recipe a try!

Source: 5 Orange Potatoes
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I almost forgot to include the pic of my little dandelion picker! Isn't she just too cute?? :)

Ingredients:

250 pesticide free dandelion tops (give or take a few)
1 lemon
4 cups water
2 lbs sugar

Directions

Put the dandelion tops in 4 cups water, bring the water to a boil then cover and simmer for an hour. Let cool and place in the refrigerator overnight for the dandelions to continue to steep in the water.
The next day strain the tops from the water. Mix the water with 2 lbs of sugar and the freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon. Simmer for about 2 hours, until the water evaporates.
After 2 hours, a froth should form on the surface of the syrup. Take the syrup off of the heat and let cool. It should thicken as it cools.

Rhubarb Crisp Ice Cream

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Well, as you may be able to guess from my absence, the weather here has really improved! :) We are finally in the full swing of summer, and it is GREAT! Today is the last full day of school for our daughter, and on Monday they only have 1 hour for a short program and to receive their report cards. I am SO ready for summer holidays! Bring it on!

I still have more rhubarb that I'm using up. I saw this recipe for Rhubarb Crisp Ice Cream, and knew I wanted to try it. We are so glad that I did. :) The ice cream flavour was amazing, and the texture was phenomenal! Even after days in the deep freeze, it was still a creamy, rich, smooth ice cream. Very impressive! This is a recipe I will definitely have to make again! Go ahead, give it a try, let me know what you think.

Source: Eggs on Sunday
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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
5 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Warm the milk, granulated sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, brown sugar and cinnamon; set a mesh strainer over this bowl and set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Once the milk mixture starts steaming, slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Transfer the entire custard mixture back into the medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until the custard mixture thickens enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the mesh strainer into the bowl containing the heavy cream, brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine, then stir in the vanilla. Cover the top with plastic wrap (directly on the mixture), and refrigerate until cold.
Freeze in your ice cream maker, adding the stewed rhubarb (see below) and oatmeal praline (see below) during the last few minutes of churning. Add the rhubarb first, making sure it's swirled throughout the frozen ice cream, then add the oatmeal praline.

Stewed Rhubarb
*Makes a little more than you need for the ice cream. Use the rest to top a bowl of ice cream or stir into yogurt.

Ingredients:
12 ounces rhubarb
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Wash and trim the ends of the rhubarb. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a medium saucepan with the water and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through. Turn off the heat and refrigerate until cold.

Oatmeal Praline

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Gluten-Free rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of coarse salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil. Spread the oats evenly on the sheet and bake in the oven, about 10 minutes, or until they are fragrant and toasted. Remove from oven; transfer the oats to a bowl and return the foil to the baking sheet.
Spread the sugar evenly in a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook over medium heat, watching carefully, until the sugar begins to liquefy and darken around the edges. When it begins to do this, you can stir it gently with a heatproof spatula to moisten and melt the remaining sugar crystals.
Continue gently stirring and tilting the pan until all of the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. When it's turned a deep golden colour, turn off the heat and immediately add the oats to the skillet.
Stir the oats quickly but gently to coat them all with caramel, then scrape them onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Spread them out as best you can, sprinkle with the salt and let them cool completely. Once they're cool, you can break them into smaller chunks by either pulsing them in a food processor or placing them in a large ziptop bag and smacking them with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Citrus Sponge Pudding with Rhubarb Sauce

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:04:00 +0000

This recipe was something totally new to me. But, still having rhubarb to use up, I figured I'd give it a try. This dessert was wonderful, because it was made ahead of time, and you only removed them from the ramekin when you are ready to serve them. You can refrigerate them, or just keep them at room temperature. The light, airy texture of the sponge cake, that is (when inverted) topped with a light pudding was really enjoyable. We loved the strong citrus flavour, which went really well with the sweetened rhubarb sauce. Since I only have green rhubarb, I added a few drops of red food colouring, which made it a nice red colour.

Source: The Rhubarb Compendium

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Ingredients:

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for ramekins
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins
pinch of salt
1 tsp each grated lemon and lime zest
2 large egg yolks
3 Tbsp Featherlight Flour Mix (See note)
1 1/2 Tbsp each lemon and lime juice
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp milk
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter four 6 ounce glass custard cups; coat with sugar. Line a baking pan with a cloth towel and set aside.
In an electric mixer with a paddle, combine the 2 Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar, and salt; mix on medium speed until crumbly. Mix in the grated lemon and lime zest and the egg yolks. Mix in flour, then juices and milk.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Gently whisk in egg-yolk mixture. Ladle into custard cups; place in prepared baking pan; fill pan halfway with hot water. Bake until puddings have set (tops may crack), about 25 minutes. Cool puddings on a wire rack, about 30 minutes. Chill or let stand.
Meanwhile, combine rhubarb, remaining 3 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp water in a small skillet; cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 4 minutes. Let cool. Invert puddings onto plates and serve chilled or at room temperature with rhubarb sauce.

NOTE: Featherlight Flour Mix is as follows: 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 3 cups cornstarch, 3 Tbsp potato flour.

Rhubarb Crisp

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:55:00 +0000

You can't have fresh picked rhubarb, and not make a crisp. I think that is a rule, but I'm not sure. ;) This gluten-free rhubarb crisp is absolutely perfect. I've made it a few times already, in fact, and we all love it. The addition of nuts in the top layer really add a great flavour, as they toast when you are baking the crisp. The topping can be used with other fresh fruits to make a variety of fruit crisps.

Sources: Based on recipes from Gluten-Free Mommy and Recipezaar

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Ingredients:

Rhubarb Filing

4 cups rhubarb, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Crisp Topping

1 cup gluten-free oats
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almonds, sliced

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Pour into an 8x8-inch pan.
Combine topping ingredients, and sprinkle over top of the rhubarb filing.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:04:00 +0000

This gluten-free rhubarb coffee cake was perfect. In fact, it was perfect to sit and have coffee with a dear friend on the deck, soaking up some rays (the day it was warm in Manitoba) and catching up with each other, and eating this cake. Absolutely perfect. :)

Source: Based on a recipe from Celiac.com

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 eggs
2 cups Featherlight Flour Mix (See Note)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped rhubarb

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp Featherlight Flour Mix (See Note)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I did almonds)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix margarine and sugar together; beat in egg and vanilla.
Mix in dry ingredients followed by milk,j then finely chopped rhubarb.
Combine topping ingredients & set aside.
I used an angel food cake pan for this cake, you can simply use a 9x13-inch pan. If using a greased 9x13-inch pan, pour batter in pan and top with topping. If using an angel food cake pan, spread 1/2 the batter in the bottom of a greased pan, sprinkle some topping on the batter (about 1/3 of the topping), then top with remaining batter, smooth the top, and sprinkle with remaining topping mixture.
For a 9x13-inch pan, bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. I found that with the angel food cake pan, it was about 55-60 minutes. When a toothpick is inserted, it should come out clean.
For the angel food cake pan, let cool in the pan, then cut around the outside & inside, and invert on a plate. Then invert onto another plate, so that the topping is still at the top of your cake.

When I removed the cake from the oven, it DID fall quite a bit, don't be discouraged, it still looks & tastes great!

NOTE: Bette Hagman's Featherlight Flour mix is as follows: 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 3 cups cornstarch and 3 Tbsp potato flour.

Rhubarb-Ginger Conserve

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:01:00 +0000

Last week my Mother-in-law & I went to a family member's garden to pick rhubarb. We weren't sure how much we were going to get, or how big these plants were going to be yet. But, after getting there, we knew that we could pick to our hearts content. Not only were these plants about 4 feet tall, there were also about 50 or so plants (I'm sure there was more, that was just a rough count). They were planted all the way around the outside of the garden. Quite amazing to see.

After coming home with the bounty of rhubarb, it was time to find recipes to use this fresh rhubarb for. I knew I wanted to do a jam, but thought I would try something a little different. After searching, I found a recipe for this Rhubarb-Ginger Conserve. Alright, I had to Google it, a "conserve" is just a fancy way of saying "runny jam". Although, I guess I cooked mine a bit longer, because it is not too runny, and nicely stays on a piece of bread or toast.

Source: The Rhubarb Compendium

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Ingredients:

3 oranges, cut into thin wedges, seeds removed
2 lemons, cut into thin wedges, seeds removed
12 cups rhubarb, finely chopped
1/2 cup candied ginger, finely chopped (I didn't have, so I did 1 tsp ground ginger)
10 cups sugar

Directions:

In a food processor, puree one citrus fruit with one cup of sugar until pureed and runny. Add to a large pot with the rhubarb. Continue until all of the oranges and lemons have been pureed.
Add the ginger and the remaining 5 cups of sugar to the pot with the rhubarb & citrus puree.
Stirring occasionally, heat over medium heat until boiling.
Bring to a boil (uncovered) and then reduce heat and cook for approximately 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Makes about 10 jars.

Chocolate-Chocolate Trifle

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:42:00 +0000

This dessert was SO good! No one would even guess it was gluten-free, unless you tell them. I tweaked a chocolate cake recipe that I've used in the past, made some homemade chocolate pudding, and did a flavoured whipped cream. You could use instant chocolate pudding and a tub of Cool Whip to make things easier for you if you'd like, I won't tell. :)

Sources: Based on recipes from GingerLemonGirl and Recipezaar

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Chocolate Cake

2/3 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup cold coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan, and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Add buttermilk, coffee, oil, vanilla and beaten eggs. Whisk together in well.
Stir together wet ingredients with dry ingredients until fully incorporated and pour into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not overbake!
Cool cake completely. Once completely cooled, cut into 1-inch squares for the trifle.

Thick Chocolate Pudding

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavouring)
1 Tbsp butter

In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, combine the first four ingredients.
Stir in milk until smooth.
Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3 minutes; stir.
Microwave 4-6 minutes longer, or until thickened, stirring after each minute.
Stir in vanilla and butter.
Place plastic wrap directly on the hot pudding (keeps thick pudding skin from forming), and refrigerate until cool.

Whipped Topping

3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp brandy (or other flavouring of your choice)

Using the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk cream on high speed.
Add sugar and brandy. Whip until stiff peaks form.
Mix approximately 1/3 of the whipping cream into the cooled chocolate pudding. This lightens the pudding up, making it more like a mousse.

Assembling the Trifle

In a large bowl (I use a glass pail), spread a thin layer of whipping cream.
Top with a layer of of cake pieces.
Then a layer of pudding (use 1/2 the pudding).
Whipped cream again (1/2 of what remains).
Then cake. Top this layer of cake with bought caramel sauce & 2 chopped up Skor bars, if you wish.
Now top with another layer of pudding (the remainder).
Now it is time to spread on the remainder of the whipped cream. This gets topped with another 2 chopped Skor bars.

NOTE: Best if you can let it sit for a few hours or overnight before serving it.

Easy Gluten-Free Seasoned Pizza Crust

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Throwing together a pizza doesn't have to be a lot of work. By having the flour mix (see note) on hand in the cupboard, it's quick, simple & convenient. We never really let the crust rise much, as we like a thinner crust. However, if you want a thicker crust, you can let it rise for 15-20 minutes before pre-baking it.

Source: The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman

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Yields 1 crust

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups French Bread/Pizza Crust mix (see note)
3 Tbsp dry milk powder or nondairy substitute (try almond meal)
3/4 tsp Italian Pizza Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp dry yeast granules
2 egg whites
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp dough enhancer or vinegar
3/4 cup warm water (more or less)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 1 cookie sheet or round (solid-bottom) pizza pan. (I spread my dough on a piece of parchment paper, which I place on top of my preheated pizza stone. Works great!)
Blend the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Place the wet ingredients in the bowl of your heavy-duty mixer and blend. (Reserve some of the water.) Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mix. Add more water if needed to get a firm dough that can still be spread. Beat on high for 3 1/2 minutes.
Spoon the dough onto the prepared sheet and spread in circle about 12" in diameter (I spread it as large as my pizza stone), making sure the edges are raised to contain the sauce.
Let rise about 10 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes while preparing your toppings. Spread on your choice of pizza sauces, cheeses, and meats. Bake again about 22-25 minutes.

Makes one 12-inch thick pizza crust or 14-inch thin crust.

Note: The French Bread/Pizza Mix is as follows (for 6 cups)
3 1/2 cups white rice flour
2 1/2 cups tapioca starch
2 Tbsp Xanthan gum
2 (7-gram) packets unflavoured gelatin
2 Tbsp egg replacer
1/4 cup sugar

Sweeper Steak

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:24:00 +0000

With the warm weather approaching, I wanted to use up any stewing beef I had in my freezer. Since I don't make much stew in summer, and didn't want it sitting there until fall, I looked for a recipe that used the stewing beef cut, but wasn't stew. This was a simple, quick recipe that fit the bill! Plus, the fact that it was cooked in the slow cooker, meant that I could spend time outside while it was inside baking & getting nice and tender. Perfect!

Source: Based on a recipe from All Recipes

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Ingredients:

2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 (10.75 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (make sure it is Gluten-Free!)
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup beef broth

Directions:

Grease the crock pot bowl with the sesame oil.
Place the beef, cream of mushroom soup, soup mix and beef broth into the prepared slow-cooker and stir to blend.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or until meat is tender.

Serve this over rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. There is plenty of sauce to be used as gravy.

French Bread

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:32:00 +0000

French Bread. Not only French Bread, but Gluten-Free French bread. For me, this has been like the search for the Holy Grail. After searching for a recipe for it, trying a few, and failing miserably, I didn't think I'd ever have French bread again. Much less, garlic toast.

Then along came that wonderful Gluten-Free Gourmet, a Celiac's hero, Bette Hagman. This woman has many wonderful recipes using different flour mixes, and they produce wonderful results!

This bread was a little heavier than store bought French Bread, but we didn't mind. I may not have let it rise long enough, I'm not sure. The flavour was really good, and it even toasted up beautifully under the broiler to make garlic toast. Delicious!

Source: The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman

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Yields one large loaf (halve everything for a small loaf)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups French Bread/Pizza Mix (see Note)
6 Tbsp dry milk powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp yeast
3 large egg whites
1 tsp dough enhancer or vinegar
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup warm water

Directions:

Prepare a French bread pan or cookie sheet by greasing and dusting with cornmeal (if desired).
In a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, combine the dry ingredients (including the yeast). In a small bowl, beat the egg whites, dough enhancer, and oil slightly with a fork. Add most of the warm water. Add these to the dry ingredients and beat on high for 3 minutes. Check after the first few seconds of mixing to see if more water is needed. The dough should be thick but not dry or forming a ball.
Spoon into the French bread pan or onto the cookie sheet in the shape of a French loaf. If necessary, smooth the top with greased fingers. Cover and let rise about 35 minutes for rapid-rise yeast, and 60-75 minutes for regular yeast.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven (Bette's recipe calls for 425 degrees, I found that too warm) for 25-30 minutes, or until nicely browned and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped.

Variation: For a Rosemary French bread, to the dry ingredients add 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary per cup of flour.

Note: The French Bread/Pizza Mix is as follows (for 6 cups)
3 1/2 cups white rice flour
2 1/2 cups tapioca starch
2 Tbsp Xanthan gum
2 (7-gram) packets unflavoured gelatin
2 Tbsp egg replacer
1/4 cup sugar

This also makes a great pizza crust, which I will post soon. Great to have on hand, mix a few more things into, and be ready to go!

Raisin Rice Bran Muffins

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:27:00 +0000

One of my favorite muffins from before my gluten-free days, was raisin bran muffins. I had a great recipe for them, but didn't know how to switch it over to gluten-free. After searching around the web, I found a recipe that I could simply adapt to gluten-free raisin bran muffins. The original recipe called for cranberry relish or sauce (or dried, unsweetened cranberries) in place of the raisins. I have to say, these muffins were quite delicious, and paired with a cup of coffee, were the perfect breakfast muffin.

Source: Gluten Free Gobsmacked

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Ingredients

1/2 cup rice bran
1/4 cup sorghum flour (or rice flour or millet flour)
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup re-hydrated raisins (microwave in a bit of water for 1 minute, then drain)
1/4-1/3 cup cold water

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spritz the inside of 6 paper muffin cup liners with oil. (optional, but your cupcakes may stick otherwise)
Mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk.
In another bowl, mix together wet ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring only until mixed.
Add raising & stir.
Fill muffin liners 2/3 full with batter.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and the middle is firm to the touch.

Mango Topping

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:33:00 +0000

With all the fruits that are in season now, it is a good idea to take advantage of it. I have never really eaten mangoes before. I tried them for the first time last year, and this year, have had quite a few. Once you figure out how to peel & dice them, they really aren't so intimidating anymore.

This super simple topping, which we ate on ice cream, would have been great on white cake too. Although the flavour was really good, next time I think I would add either some scraped out vanilla bean, or some rum to it while frying it up. But, as is, it was really delicious as well.

Source: AllRecipes

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Ingredients:

3 cups mangoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp orange juice
3 Tbsp water

Directions:
In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and serve.

Beef Stroganoff with Hamburger

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:05:00 +0000

This delicious comfort food was prepared by my Mom. I sounds perfect for those days when you get home late, but don't want to do take-out or a sandwich. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes with a side of veggies, and you have a great satisfying meal.

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Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can mushrooms, drained (1 cup sliced fresh mushroom)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (make sure it is Gluten Free)
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (also GF)
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Brown ground beef and onion.
Add remaining ingredients, except sour cream.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add sour cream. Stir & serve over your favorite gluten-free noodles or mashed potatoes.

Chocolate Oatmeal Chews

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:35:00 +0000

It is another dark, rainy, windy, cold day here in Manitoba. I know...you're jealous, right?? Come on, admit it. :) OK, I don't even want to be here right now. As the long weekend approaches, we're really hoping that the temperatures will rise a bit. The camper is being loaded, the kids are excited, and we're all looking forward to getting out there for a few days. I'm positive that no matter what the weather is, we'll have a great time! What does your family do for the long weekend?

If you're looking for a quick simple treat to whip up for a BBQ or get-together, give these Chocolate Oatmeal Chews a try. As long as you can tolerate gluten-free oats, there is a whole new world of desserts and treats that you can still enjoy. This is one of them.

This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law to switch over to "de-glutenize" it. :) Quite a tasty square, actually.

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Ingredients:

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup featherlight flour mix (see note)
1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cream margarine and sugar.
Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt.
Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, mix well.
Set aside 1 1/2 cups of mixture. Press remainder on greased 9x13-inch pan.
Sprinkle marshmallows and chocolate chips and crumble mixture on top.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 minutes.
Cool & cut into squares.

NOTE: The featherlight flour mix is from Bette Hagman. It is 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 3 cups cornstarch, 3 Tbsp potato flour (not starch).

Fruit Pizza

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:32:00 +0000

My Mother-in-Law has made fruit pizza for quite a few desserts. It is something that everyone likes, and the bright colours really show that spring is (finally) arriving. But, since Celiacs has entered the family, things needed to be changed up a bit. The last time we got together for supper, I brought this gluten-free fruit pizza for dessert, and there were no leftovers!

This fruity pizza, which has the base of a sugar cookie, is simple but delicious! It can be made up to a day before, depending on the fruit that you are using. I'd suggest using fruits that do not have a tendency to get mushy over time, like bananas do. Strawberries, cherries, grapes, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, kiwi, and mango are just a few suggestions. You are really only limited by what you have on hand or what is in season. I used canned peaches, and although not as good as fresh, it was still quite tasty.

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Ingredients:

Cookie Crust

1/3 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp unflavoured gelatin
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup potato starch

Cream Cheese Layer

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Fruit
Enough bright, colourful fruit to cover the top of your pizza.

Glaze

1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp orange zest (optional)

Directions:

Cookie Crust

In bowl of mixer, beat margarine until creamy.
Add rice flour, xanthan gum, gelatin, egg, sugar, milk, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Beat well.
Add tapioca starch and potato starch. Beat until well combined.
Place dough in lightly greased pizza pan. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough, and smooth it out, filling the pizza pan.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned around the outside of the crust. Cool.

Cream Cheese Layer
Beat cream cheese, confectioner's sugar & vanilla until smooth & creamy. Spread on cookie crust, once it is completely cooled.

Fruit
Wash, dry & cut fruit as necessary. Arrange on top of cream cheese layer in a circle pattern, starting from the outside and going in.

Glaze
In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for at least 2 hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

NOTE: Your cream cheese layer will prevent your cookie from getting soggy by the fruit & glaze. Try to spread the cream cheese to the outside of the cookie, and pour the glaze when it is thick enough to not just run over the fruit, but coat the fruit.

Corn Dogs

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:54:00 +0000

Before going gluten-free, I don't remember ever having a corn dog. However, at one of my favorite places to eat now, I have the Mexican food, and my kids have corn dogs. They do look pretty tasty, so I thought I'd try making them at home. At home, at least you know your oil has not been cross contaminated by other fried goodies. These gluten-free corn dogs really easy to make, took very little time, and were down right delicious! So...what do you dip your corn dog in? Ketchup or mustard?

Source: Based on a recipe from AllRecipes
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Ingredients:

enough oil fill your fryer with 1-2" of oil (I use my electric frying pan for deep frying foods, it works great)
1 cup Featherlight Flour Mix (see note)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp bacon drippings (optional, I left this out)
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 lbs hot dogs (make sure these are gluten-free!)
1/2 cup corn starch
wooden sticks (I cut down some wooden skewers, that worked well)

Directions:

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour mixture, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in melted bacon drippings. Make a well in the ceter, and pour in the egg, buttermilk and baking soda. Mix until everything is smooth and well blended.
To make things much easier, pour the batter into a tall drinking glass. This will make it easier to dip the hot dogs.
Pat the room temperature hot dogs dry. Insert wooden sticks into the ends. Roll in cornstarch, tap off excess (helps the batter to adhere to the hot dog). Dip the hot dogs in the batter one at a time, shaking off the excess. Deep fry a few at a time (I did one at a time) in the hot oil until they as are brown as you like them (only takes a few minutes). Drain on paper towel & serve. These can be kept warm in the oven at 200 degrees F until they are all fried.

NOTE: The featherlight mix that I use is from Bette Hagman. It is 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 2 cups cornstarch and 3 Tbsp potato flour (not starch).

Crepes

bakingbeauties@yahoo.com (Jeanine) — Sat, 02 May 2009 11:44:00 +0000

First off...Happy Anniversary to me! As of yesterday, I have been gluten-free for 1 year! It is amazing how quickly you adjust to the new way of baking, cooking, looking at food, and finding the words "Gluten-Free" on packaging (it never would have caught my eye before). I am feeling much, much better, and my iron levels are the highest they have been in years! Woohoo!!

I want to take this little moment to say thank you to all of you that stop by here regularly, irregularly ;) or on a whim. to everyone that has ever left a comment, a huge thank you! I have received so many wonderful comments & emails, and it really helps me stay focused on my goal for my blog. Just because you have Celiacs doesn't mean you can't have everything. You can. It just takes some trial & error to figure out how to make those particular items gluten-free. Sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right flour blend. I want to find & create recipes that will help everyone to eat a normal diet, not having to go without just because of this silly little "disease". I don't consider it a disease, I just can't eat items with gluten...that is a pretty easy way to deal with it. I'd rather just avoid it than have to take pills or shots everyday. Anyways... that's my feeling. I'm glad that so many of you are following along and subscribing! Thanks!

The one thing that I had to give up making, which really saddened my daughter, was crepes (or as we call them in our house, flat pancakes). My daughter loves crepes slathered with syrup, rolled up and cut. I've loved them ever since I was her age. I did try a recipe nearly a year ago, and it failed. Miserably. But, just recently my daughter told me that her favorite food was flat pancakes, and her favorite fruit was strawberries. Now I was determined, I was going to make these crepes gluten-free! I think I had only made crepes once in the past year for the kids, and now that I knew it was her favorite food, I knew I wanted to figure out how to make them again, so that we could ALL enjoy her favorite food again.

That is how this recipe came to be. It is based on my Mom's recipe that she gave me years & years ago. I tell you. What a success. Other celiacs know what I'm talking about. When you re-create something that used to be a favorite of yours, and it works. Wow...excitement! You have to tell someone! Yes, it is silly to get so excited over some flat pancakes, but this meant that we could all partake in them again. While we were eating, I was just commenting (for the fifth time) about how great these were. The taste, texture & roll-ability were all identical to my regular crepes. It was then that my 6 year old, which a huge grin on her face, says "So, that means we can have these more often???" Yes dear, we most certainly can!

Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing what we can all make gluten-free in the next year! Our kitchens may seem more like science labs than bakeries, but the end result will be fantastic! Happy Baking!

Gluten-Free Crepes
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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Featherlight Flour Mix (see note)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

NOTE: Bette Hagman's Featherlight Flour Mix is as follows - 3 cups rice flour, 3 cups tapioca starch, 3 cups cornstarch, 3 Tbsp potato flour (not starch).

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
In a larger bowl, combine all wet ingredients.
Combine the wet & dry ingredients, whisking until nearly smooth (a few lumps are alright).
In a hot frying pan (about medium heat) pour approximately 3/4 cup of batter in the middle of the pan. Lift the pan & turn it to distribute the batter over the entire pan. You want your batter to cover the entire bottom of the frying pan when you are done.
Once there are little holes and air bubbles forming in the top of your pancake, using a spatula, carefully flip the crepe to brown the other side. This does not take long to cook, because they are so thin.
You can top with your favorite syrup, fresh fruit, sprinkle with sugar, or any other multitude of toppings. Roll up and enjoy!

NOTE: Add more milk if the batter is too thick to spread nicely across the pan. I usually have 2 frying pans going at a time, but they need your full attention then. You can not leave them on the stove unattended, because they cook so quickly.