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I created this variation on an old favourite so I could make gingerbread houses with my grandhcildren and enjoy the treat with them. When pressed into a mould, this dough creates a moist chewy cookie with a great crumb and traditional taste. If you roll the dough thinner and bake it longer, you can achieve the drier, crunchier cookie, but its not as hard as a ginger snap. Continue Reading…
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I’m one of those fortunate people who can eat certified gluten free oatmeal. About 80% of people who are gluten sensitive or who have Celiac Disease can eat gluten free oats. How do you find out if you can? The medical community can provide tests to definitely answer this for you, as an individual, or you can use a rotation diet to see if you react to gluten free oats. Oats have many health benefits, in addition to tasting great! This recipe is a version of the original sent to me by my sister, Lynn, from Auckland, New Zealand. She uses blueberries in her recipe and a general GF flour blend. I’ve substituted ginger for the blueberries and used my own specific GF flour blend which includes xanthan gum. Continue Reading…
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I recommend making this the day before you serve it. The flavours mature over night and enhance the overall decadence of this dessert. Continue Reading…
I recently tried gluten free rolled oats, for the first time, in my cheesecake base and the entire family were pleased with the results. I enjoyed the taste and didn’t react adversely, so I decided to try a fruit dessert bar. This is one of the variations I made. I’ll post other versions separately, because the bases and fillings are different. I hope you and your family will enjoy them as much as we have. Continue Reading…
My husband, Paul, is not a pumpkin fan, so he asked me to create a cheesecake that was suitable for a fruit topping. We used blueberries because they’re in season and are delicious with cheesecake. I used a blueberry preserve, but you could use fresh blueberries with a fruit glaze. Continue Reading…
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I found some cute little miniature spring form pans when I was out shopping recently. Their base is 4 inches in diameter. I decided to pick up a couple to use for smaller projects. I felt they would be perfect for my cooking experiments in general and our very small family in particular. How often do you have a large cake or dessert that’s just too much for your household to consume before it “passes its rotting date”, as my youngest used to say? So when I decided to try making a gluten free pumpkin cheesecake, I gave my mini pans their maiden voyage. I’m going to use it to replace pumpkin pie at my Thanksgiving dinner!
The resulting cheesecake is rich and tangy, with a velvety smoothness and sweet, crunchy crust. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did. Continue Reading…
A year ago, I wrote the article “Ice Cream Season”. It was my introduction to making ice cream at home. Since then, my dietary needs have changed and I have invested in an ice cream maker. Last week, I also discovered cones that are both gluten and corn free! When my son, Peter, went strawberry picking, we made sure to freeze enough for a batch of frozen yoghurt. Over the weekend we got busy and made some lactose free, low fat yoghurt and some lactose free, crème fraiche. If you are feeling energetic, you can find all the “how to” information in the article “Dairy Deprived”. Tonight, we gathered all our ingredients together…
4 cups of strawberries, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup plain yoghurt (lactose free)
1 cup crème fraiche (lactose free) or whipping cream
3/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
We used Peter’s frozen berries and mashed them in the blender using the crushed ice setting. If you are using fresh berries, you can wash and hull them and cut them into quarters. We decided not to put them through a fine sieve to remove the seeds, but if the seeds bother you, mash them through a sieve.
In a large bowl, we combined the strawberries, lemon juice, honey, vanilla and salt. Then we added the yoghurt and crème fraiche, making sure to stir the mixture well. If you are using an ice cream maker, follow the manufactures directions. If you are going to freeze your mixture and stir it by hand, follow the directions in the article, “Ice Cream Season”.
After leaving the strawberry yoghurt ice cream to set in the freezer for a few hours, we cracked out the cones and “Voila!” …. the yummiest frozen treat I’ve had in a very long time.
1 cup gluten free flour ( 1/3 quinoa, 1/3 almond, 1/3 tapioca )
1 cup pecan meal
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 Tbsp gluten free cocoa powder (Green & Blacks)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
½ cup soft butter
½ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients: gluten free flour, pecan meal, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, pecans and chocolate chips. Mix well.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle, whip the butter and honey together until they are smooth. Add the egg and continue to whip until it is well incorporated. Add the honey and vanilla. On a slow speed, gradually add the dry ingredients a bit at a time until the mixture forms a well blended cookie dough.
Note: This can be done in a standard mixing bowl with spoon or with a hand mixer.
Drop the cookie dough onto the parchment paper by the spoonful. Leave some space in between for them to expand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes on the middle rack in the oven.
Remove to a cooling rack. The cookies are tender when they first come out of the oven so treat them gently. They will firm up as they cool.
Makes 2 dozen delicious cookies
1.5 cups of crème fraiche
1.5 cups of 2% fat yoghurt
1/3 of a cup of honey
2 Tbsp of vanilla
1/2 cup of black cherry preserves
Whip the crème fraiche with beaters or immersion blender until stiff.
Whisk together the honey, yoghurt and vanilla until well mixed. Fold into the whipped crème fraiche. Refrigerate until well chilled. Put in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers directions. In the last 20 minutes of processing, add the black cherry preserves. Put in an air tight container and store in the freezer for several hours.
Like most homemade “ice creams”, this recipe makes a softer end product than you would purchase in a store from a commercial company. If you want a firmer frozen dessert, add more regular yoghurt and less crème fraiche. The fat and sugar content will determine the firmness.
Note: You can use any type of thick fruit preserve you wish. I just happen to love black cherries. I made this yoghurt and crème fraiche in my yoghurt maker at home. Because I am lactose intolerant, I incubated both batches for more than 24 hours, so the bacteria cultures had enough time to eat all the lactose. Because I used honey and pure “cherries only” preserves ( no added sugar ) to sweeten it and lactose free yoghurt and crème fraiche, this recipe is both refined sugar and lactose free.
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1 cup gluten free flour (I use: 1/3 c tapioca, 1/3 c almond meal, 1/3 c quinoa, 1 tsp xanthan gum)
1 cup almond meal
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped cashews (I use macadamia nuts)
½ cup chopped white chocolate (high quality, GF Begian or G&B)
½ cup soft butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients: flour, almond meal, baking soda, salt, cashews and chocolate chunks. Mix well.
Combine the wet ingredients: vanilla, beaten egg, honey and butter. Beat until well mixed.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Drop the cookie dough onto the parchment paper by the spoonful. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.
The cookies should be lightly browned and chewy. Makes 2 dozen.