GF Change It Up Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another one I got from http://www.landolakes.com/mealideas/gluten-free-recipes.cfm. It is a wonderful recipe, and this site is one of my new favorites! To mix it up, add raisins, craisins, nuts, m&m's, toffee, etc. for a variety of cookies.


2 1/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package (2 cups) gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

Heat oven to 375°F.
Combine flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum in medium bowl. Set aside. Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 minutes or until light golden brown. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Let stand 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend: To make Flour Blend, combine 2 cups rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, and 1/3 cup tapioca flour. Store in container with tight-fitting lid; stir before using.

Easy Popcorn Balls

This was Grandma Lorimer's recipe. It's easy and delicious and the kids love it. If you're real ambitious you can add peanuts, M&M's, or whatever else you want. If I'm feeling lazy, instead of making balls, I'll press the popcorn into a pan or a ring or something!

Ingredients~
6 quarts of popped corn (I pop 1/2 cup corn and that works out great!) (And don't forget to sift through it and get rid of the old maids)
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 3oz. pkg. of jell-o, any flavor

Directions~
Combine sugar, syrup, and jell-o in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil. Pour over popped corn. Shape into balls with buttered hands.

GF Cocoa Bean Brownies (or Flourless Chocolate Cake)

Makes 16 small brownies. A thin batter puffs up during baking and then deflates a little as it cools. They also stay amazingly moist for many days. They have a slight "beany" taste, but otherwise are good.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cocoa
1/3 cup canola oil
1-15 oz can beans, drained and rinsed (kidney, pinto, navy, or black beans all work well)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Oil an 8x8 inch pan. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until brownies are just set. Cool, cut and serve. For a flourless chocolate cake, and a fancier presentation, use an 8" round cake pan. Cut into wedges and serve with raspberry or strawberry sauce.

GF Meringue Cookie Recipe

This one is from a friend, Bev, and she says feel free to add anything else that you want to change it up a bit.

4 egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp. g-free cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, grated (optional) of chocolate chips
chopped pecans to taste (opt)
a few drops mint flavoring to taste (opt)

Line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment. Beat egg whites until they stand in soft peaks, then gradually beat in half the superfine sugar. Continue beating until the mixture is very stiff and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar, cornstarch and grated chocolate (or chocolate chips), pecans, mint flavoring, or anything else that sounds good with a metal spoon or spatula. Drop on parchment with the spoon and bake in preheated over at 275 degrees for about 1 hour, changing the position of the cookies sheets halfway through the cooking. Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and leave the meringues to cool in the oven. You can leave them overnight, too. If you like them better a bit chewy, take them out instead of leaving them overnight.

GF Cream Cheese Pudding Dessert

This is one was sent to me from a friend's mom, so thanks!
Crust:
1 cup coconut blend flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup softened butter
Press into 9 x 13 pan and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool thoroughly

Mix together:
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup cool whip
Spread over crust, then chill.

Then combine:
6 oz. pkg instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
Pour over layer and chill again.

Then combine:
6 oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 1/2 cups milk
Pour over chocolate layer and chill again.

Top with cool whip.

GF Pound Cake

I got this recipe from http://www.landolakes.com/, and it was awesome! It doesn't even taste gluten free.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
4 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla
3 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 cup milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine sugar and melted butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until well mixed.
Stir together flour blend and baking powder in small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating at low speed until well mixed. Pour batter into greased and floured 12-cup bundt or 10-inch angel food cake (tube) pan (or two loaf pans). Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan.

Gluten-Free Flour Blend:
Combine:
2 cups rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Store in container with tight-fitting lid; stir before using.

My Favorite Chili

I mix up all the ingredients the night before. Then I put it in my crock-pot first thing in the morning. The flavors mix better that way. If you want it hotter, add more red pepper. I have cut back the amount listed on the recipe because I have kids who won't eat it hot.

2 lb beef, cooked
1 46oz can tomato juice
1 29oz can tomato sauce
2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (red pepper)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup brown sugar

Combine all ingredients and let cook in crock-pot on low for 8-10 hours.

Dean's "Step Aside, Relief Society" Spaghetti Sauce

I realize that everyone has their own recipes for this, but this is one I sorta made up on the spot today, and it worked great. To celebrate my triumph, I decided to blog it.

2 - 6 oz. cans tomato paste
2 - 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1- green bell pepper, chopped
1 - white onion, chopped
3 - cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 - 6 oz. cans sliced black olives, undrained
1 - 8 oz. can mushrooms, undrained
1 - tbsp. basil
1 - tbsp. oregano
1 - tbsp. thyme
1 - tsp. crushed red pepper
1 - cup water
1 - tsp. salt

Put all ingredients in crock pot and simmer on high for about 4 hours. I spend about the last 20 minutes without the lid on the crock pot. Serve over noodles.

Strawberry Dream Cake

Good and pink. The website calls it decadent. The only think I know is that it got eaten up pretty quickly at dinner tonight.

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
• 1 1/2 cups frozen sweetened strawberries, pureed
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 8 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1/2 pint sliced fresh strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. Make cake per directions except substitute the 1 1/2 cups of strawberries for the water and add 1 extra egg, (if cake mix calls for 2 eggs add 3), and 8 ounces of the cream cheese at room temperature. Beat well and pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will not come out clean when this cake is done since it is so moist. Let cake cool fully before frosting.
4. To Make Frosting: Heat the heavy cream until just beginning to boil. Pour it over the white chocolate (chopped) and the remaining 4 ounces cream cheese. Mix well and let cool. Once cool fold into the whipped topping. Use to frost cooled cake and garnish with sliced fresh strawberries.