Oatmeal Date Chocolate Cookies ~ Heart Smart and Gluten Free

UPDATE September 2012: I just thought I should jump in here and let people know some changes I have made to this recipe. The one below works just fine, but my baking style has changed a little bit.

I now use only sweet sorghum flour and millet flour. I find that these 2 work just great together. Sometimes I might add a touch of almond flour, if I have it around. I barely use xantham gum anymore, I just add another egg. When I do add an egg, I might need to add more flour. This recipe does need about 1/3 more if you add an egg. Oh...and I always add some golden flax meal...for the nutrition.

Cheers, everyone, and oh, I do find that the above tips works for most of my baked goods now......

Have a great day!

I got the recipe for Oatmeal-Date-Chocolate Cookies from Health Magazine, I just changed the flours, added an egg, and a touch of xanthan gum. The resulting cookie was moist, chewy and delicious. I loved them, and my children have declared them their favorite cookies ever.

Changes? In the future I would double the recipe; they are so good you can't help but grab yet another one. These also look like they would travel well; I would prefer to pack these for a snack on a hike with an apple than any gluten free bar. I might also add nuts on occasion, but I really enjoyed the uninterrupted chewy factor.

Oatmeal Date Chocolate Cookie
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup gluten free flour ( I love a mix of: equal parts brown rice & sweet sorghum with a bit of teff)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups gluten free oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped dates
4 ounces chocolate chips
(optional: nuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter over low heat in small pot, add brown sugar, take off heat and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and brown sugar/butter mixture. Fold in dates, chocolate, and nuts if using. Drop tablespoon size of batter on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes .

Cheers!!

Real Simple Magazine Cake Recipe ~ Gluten Free

I wouldn't call this recipe real simple, it's a cake from scratch, but it's not all that difficult either. This was hands down the best, the absolute best, gluten free cake I have ever had. It stayed moist as leftovers, did not turn crumbly in texture at all. No one would guess it was gluten free. I think it's the sweet rice flour that is the trick.

Sorry no pic, we ate it and enjoyed. Thought is would be better to give you the recipe instead of holding out on you, just for that. For the record, I did a double layer chocolate cake with raspberry in the middle with chocolate frosting on top. Marvelous!

I will be making this for my brother's birthday, since he just found out he has to be wheat free. Thank goodness he has ME as his sister!

Cheers!

Mrs. GF

Chocolate Cake


adapted from Real Simple, May 2011





1 cup (2 sticks butter) softened (soften extra for pans)


3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (& extra for dusting)





The Flours (2 cups total)


1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour


3/4 cup millet


1/2 cup almond flour


1/4 cup sweet rice flour





1 teaspoon baking powder


1 teaspoon baking soda


1 teaspoon kosher salt


1 1/2 cups sugar


2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


4 large eggs, room temperature


1 1/2 cups milk





Preheat oven to 350. Butter the pans and line with parchment. Butter again. Dust with cocoa powder. Put aside.

In bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Put aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.

Put batter in pans, and bake til toothpick comes out clean in center. Cool in pans, then after 15 min, take out of pans and cool on rack.

Approximate baking times as stated by Real Simple: For two 8-inch rounds: 30 to 35 minutes. For two 9-inch rounds: 25 to 30 minutes. For one 9-by-13-inch rectangle: 35 to 40 minutes. For 24 cupcakes: 20 to 25 minutes.

Molten Lava Cakes ~ Gluten Free

My mother got a card with this recipe, and there is nothing on there for me to give proper credit. The recipe is too good not to share. My family and I really enjoyed it, and it was quite easy. I liked mine topped with ice cream and would consider adding shredded coconut, nuts, or liqueur next time I made these.

Also, I did get tagged a few times for a meme, I will do it, I just do not have time right now, I barely got this recipe out! Thanks for the attention and I will get back to you!!

Molten Lava Cake

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375. Melt chocolate and butter together, over double boiler (or take a pan of boiling water and place a bowl on top to melt them in together..and some might like to use a microwave). After they have both melted, take off the heat and add 2 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix.

Separate eggs. In separate bowl beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add the 2 remaining tablespoons of sugar, beat about 2 minutes longer.

Fold in the egg whites into the chocolate until just combined. Get 4 ramikins, 6 ounces, and place on baking sheet. Divide batter between the ramikins and bake for about 22-25 minutes.
And eat!

Cheers!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Healthy Redux

O.K. you may wonder...how are these healthy? Well, I guess I should word it healthier. Before going gluten free, I baked with whole grains, using a little less sugar in my baking to create treats for my children that weren't as bad as regular, offering maybe a little more nutrition instead of completely empty calories. So when I first went gluten free, and I was baking with cornstarch, tapioca flour and white flour..it felt like such a step back for me. Why bake? It was completely nutritionally devoid as far as I was concerned.

But I missed some of my gluten treats, and plodded along until I started discovering grains with a little bit more to offer nutritionally speaking..teff, sweet sorghum, brown rice...my favorites. So I decided to re-do my original recipe with these and see how they were. Definitely still a treat, my children loved them, but if you have a hankering for the old kind, try my first chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Chewy Crisp Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup sweet sorghum
1/2 cup teff
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xantham gum
3/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 teaspoons flax seed
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened, but both will work)

Spray pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, beat butter with granulated and brown sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, xantham gum and salt, and flax seed if using; stir in chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. Pour over butter mixture, stir to combine.

Drop by 1 Tbsp, about 2 inches apart onto prepared pans. Bake about 12 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.

Cheers!!!

Gluten Free Recipes That I Want to Try, That Aren't Mine

I know that this is a long title for this post. But it is exactly what this post is about. I have links upon links of recipes I want to try, but no where to reference them. So, I thought I would start doing that here. I might be doing this again, as I find out where all those links went.

And, if you try anything, or have tried any of these, let me know how they turned out!!!


Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake - Gluten Free

Gluten Free Cottage Bread

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Dark Chocolate Lime Souffle

Apple Snow


I also wanted to give a heads up for anyone planning a vacation. I found this website called Gilli's Holiday, and it has hotels that cater to gluten free diets. It seems to focus on Italy, but there are a few other destinations as well.

Cheers!

Black Moons by Jean (aka Whoopie Pies!)

This is based on my Mom's recipe. Whenever we came home and found black moons there, we went out of our minds. They were so good. A little labor intensive, so they weren't made often.

I wanted to use organic shortening, but since I was not sure how well it works, I went with the old fashioned kind. Next time I will try it. Check out organic shortening here. My mother uses egg whites in the frosting, and the frosting is not cooked. If you don't like that, then there are a million different frosting recipes out there. But I do have to add that you will be missing out, since this frosting is amazing. Think Rocky Balboa, he drank raw eggs to be healthier and stronger.

I used soy flour for some of the flour called for, I would have rather used teff flour, but I didn't have any. Also, in the original time I tried this I used tapioca flour, I am making these today (01/27/08), and I am trying it without; I will let you know how it goes. I added unsweetened shredded coconut in here, you don't taste it, it just adds something like in the chocolate chip cookie recipe...a certain chewiness.

Jean's Black Moons

Cookie Part:

1/2 cup shortening
1 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup brown rice
3/4 cup sweet sorghum
1/2 cup soy (next time teff)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
2 teaspoons xanthum gum

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg yolks, milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Sift dry ingredients and add to shortening ingredients. Add the coconut. Mix until combined. Drop by teaspoonful on greased baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, making sure not to burn the bottoms. Cool on counter on wax paper or paper towels.

Filling:

2 egg whites
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups confectionery sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix until thick. Take one cake and frost the flat side, find another cake that somewhat matches and place on top. Yummy!! Black Moon time!! YAY!

Cheers!!

Katherine Hepburn's Brownies (new and improved)

Yet another reason to love the movie star...these brownies. My Mom got this recipe out of a newspaper years and years ago; it was an article about the star, and then she gave this recipe. It has been a favorite ever since. If I was craving brownies, I would make these instead of pulling out a mix, it's that easy.

This is my first remake of an old recipe, and this one was easy to do - it did not call for much flour. I brought some over to my friend, Jen, to taste. She doesn't have celiac, but her husband and daughter do. They all tasted and gave it a huge thumbs up, commenting, "It's even better than Pamela's." So, thanks Maddie and Jen, for giving me your honest opinions!

And if you don't have to eat gluten free, just make these with 1/4 cup flour, no xanthan gum.

And now, a big warm welcome for...

Update: Did I think these needed a remodel? Nope. But did I anyway? Yes. I wanted to reduce the sugar, and I did, and the batch I just made came out great. I think better. I even think I could take out just a little more sugar too.So, I will post the one I just did, and following that will be the original recipe. I didn't use the xanthan gum, so I think you might not need it for the original.

Also, if you bake in a glass dish, like I do, heat oven to 300, and cook 38 minutes.

Here goes:

Katherine Hepburn's Brownies (New and Improved!!)

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
dark chocolate chips to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter over very low heat in heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Quickly stir in nuts, flour, and salt. Spread batter in well greased 8x8 pan, sprinkle chocolate chip on top if desired. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pan to rack and cool.



Katherine Hepburn's Brownies

2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 lb butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter over very low heat in heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Quickly stir in nuts, flour, gum, and salt. Spread batter in well greased 8x8 pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove pan to rack and cool.

Easy Gluten-free Layer Bars

It was my turn to bring snack to a friend's house, so I thought I'd try these. As you know, I have been trying to find easy things to make that are gluten free. This definitely qualifies. They are delicious and very decadent.

Watch out for the butterscotch chips! Not all are gluten free, Nestle's are not gluten free.
I used caramel swirl chips instead, and they worked great. I also used unsweetened coconut, I am sure this will taste great with sweetened as well.

I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com, click here for the link. Gluten Free Goddess has her own version, check out her recipe for one a little different than the one here.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup caramel swirl or butterscotch chips
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C ). Generously grease one 13x9 inch baking pan. Spread 2/3 cup of the flaked coconut evenly on the bottom of the baking pan. Sprinkle the caramel swirl morsels, chocolate chips, and peanuts evenly over the coconut layer. Pour condensed milk evenly over the whole pan. Top with sliced almonds and 1/3 cup coconut . Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Quick Brownies

I have been on the search for easy, fast recipes that are gluten free. You know the last minute thing you need to bake for your kids school, or your book night, or any other social event? That kind of thing. I saw this recipe from erbetty on celiac.com , and thought it would fit the bill. My kids went crazy. Next time, I think I will caramelize the leftover sweetened condensed milk, and make them turtle brownies. And, of course, I always throw in my milled flax seed, and you don't have to, it doesn't alter the recipe at all.

This picture was taken when it was fresh out of the oven, the chocolate chips were all melty and yummy.

Update: The next day, these brownies are more fudge-like than brownie like. Still delicious, and not dry and crumbly like other gluten-free baked goods. I stored them on the counter with plastic wrap. Next time I would add more nuts too, although I really like nuts in my baked goods!

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2(1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate melted
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup Ghiredelli chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or other nut (optional)
handful milled flax seed

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl mix 1 cup sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. Add egg, add flour, vanilla and baking powder; mix well. Fold in nuts. Spread into greased 8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle choclate chips over batter. Bake 20 min. Cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think I got these from www.celiac.com, I do not know who to give credit to, but they are good! I originally posted these in Feb., but I didn't have a picture, and I didn't edit the recipe to show my changes. I thought about taking the coconut out, but, no one notices it in there, and I think it adds something to the chemistry of the recipe. These taste and look like the real thing. I usually freeze half the dough, so I can make them another time. And since I made these last week, and I now want more, I just might have to pull that dough out now!

And, don't forget, I like to add some ground flax meal in there, as always to add more nutrition.

Update: I did make some more, straight from the freezer with frozen dough, I just broke some off. They took about an extra 3 to 4 minutes from frozen. Learn something new everyday!

Chewy Crisp Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xantham gum
3/4 tsp salt
small handful flax seed
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3/4 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened, but both will work)

Spray pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350.

In large bowl, beat butter with granulated and brown sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, potato and tapioca starches, baking soda, xantham gum and salt, and flax seed if using; stir in chocolate chips, pecans and coconut. Pour over butter mixture, stir to combine.

Drop by 1 Tbsp, about 2 inches apart onto prepared pans. Bake about 12 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely. If you can, I couldn't.

(Note from the original recipe submitter: Also, these are especially good warmed in the microwave for about 10 seconds.)

Flourless Chocolate Torte

I got this from epicurious. com, and changed very little. Click here for the original recipe. I have used this recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and probably Easter too. It's a great easy one. Originally, I doubled the recipe and added a little liqueur of choice to it. There is a new review out, and s/he did a recipe and a half. Since everything else we did the same (the kind of chocolate especially), I thought I would try it this way. I like to add Amaretto or Frangelico to the cake. I use 1/2 Ghiradelli chocolate (dark, 60% cocoa), and half Scharffen Berger. Tastes wonderful and it's pretty easy to make. I also separate the egg whites from the yolks and whisk until frothy and fold in. Serve with whipped cream, berry coulis, fresh berries, or ice cream (try the almond one I made).

Oh, I forgot to add, that all this dark chocolate tastes great with red wine. That's what I had last night. ;)

Flourless Chocolate Torte

ingredients

6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling
Liqueur if desired

preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 9 1/2-inch round baking pan (I use springform one). Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add liqueur if using. Separate eggs. Add yolks and whisk well. Sift cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Whisk eggs whites and fold into batter. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven for about 27 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or coulis if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

Ginger Cake

This recipe is from The Something in Season blog done by Brendon. Check out his blog for some great recipes and cooking tips.

This cake was fabulous, I didn't use the frosting...I didn't think it needed it. It would be a great coffee cake or cake with tea, family dessert. It was quick to make, and the only "work" involved was chopping the ginger...but totally worth the effort.

Tip: This is the original recipe, stands wonderfully on it's own, I like to add chopped pecans and a touch of vanilla.

Something in Season: Dark Chocolate-Frosted Ginger Cake - New & Improved!

DARK CHOCOLATE-FROSTED GINGER CAKE

Cake
• 1 ½ cups brown rice flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• ½ cup turbinado or brown sugar
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced (not grated)
• ¼ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil (if you must, you can use canola oil instead)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Begin by using a paring knife to peel the ginger. Then, using a large knife, mince the ginger until it is fine. Note that if you grate the ginger, the texture and taste will be different. You’ll also want to reduce the amount of ginger to 1/3 cup.
In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Once uniform, stir in the ginger. Pour into a well-oiled, 8-inch round pan. Bake for 34 minutes. While cooling, make the frosting.


Chocolate Frosting:
• 3 ounces dark (70%+) chocolate
• ½ cup coconut milk (regular, not light)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado or brown sugar
Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Combine the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl (like Pyrex glass) and set on a pot filled with an inch or two of water. Bring that water to a boil, and whisk the chocolate / coconut milk mixture until it melts together. Remove from the heat, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Frost the cake while still warm.
Noted: while warm, this frosting has the consistency of syrup. It will form a lovely, rich, drippy chocolate covering for the cake. If you prefer your frosting stiffer, reduce the amount of coconut milk by half.