Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies - Gluten Free

This was the first recipe I de-gluten-ized.  The eggs create enough structural integrity and you don't need the gluten protein.  In my opinion, the change to brown rice flour made the texture better.

In the picture above, the two in front were made with the creme-de-menthe chips.  The two in the back with the dark chocolate chips.

Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Gluten-free

8 oz Semi-sweet chocolate - broken into 1/2 oz pieces

4 oz Unsweetened chocolate - broken into 1/2 oz pieces

1 1/2 cup All purpose flour or gluten-free rice flour

1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cup Tightly packed light brown sugar

12 tbl Unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract

2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

or

10 oz bag of Andes Crème De Menthe baking chips

Start melting chocolate in double boiler.

Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.

Cream butter with light brown sugar, then add eggs and vanilla to this mixture. Add the melted chocolate next and after that is completely mixed, add the dry ingredients. Mix well and add chocolate chips (or mint chips).

Chill.

I've found that using a #50 disher (a small ice cream scoop with the number 50 on the "paddle" inside it) makes a very nice sized cookie. Not too big and not too small. If you don't want to use the disher, just use a heaping tablespoon to measure each cookie. Or if you are really lazy... er... pressed for time, just put the batter in a 10x15 pan and bake them like brownies.

Bake 18-22 minutes in preheated 325F oven.

Source: "Death By Chocolate" TV show on the Learning Channel

Notes:

• I use Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips to give it more chocolate power.
• Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder also works better for a more chocolately flavor.

Tiramisu Jello Cake

I some coffee jelly (i.e. Jell-O) on J-List and couldn't resist trying it out.

So I picked up a Betty Crocker SuperMoist French Vanilla cake mix.  The mix calls for 1 cup of water.  I replaced that with 1 cup of strong coffee and baked the cake in a 9x13 inch pan.

Baked and cooled according to the directions on the mix.

Then, like other Jell-O cakes, I punched holes in the top of the cake.

I made the coffee jello according to the directions (I had to guess a bit because I can't really read Japanese - but, seriously, how hard is it to make Jell-O?) and poured it over top of the holey cake.

Then I put it in the fridge.

After a while (an hour or so), I topped it with 1 small container of Cool Whip.

The result was a light tasting, vanilla-coffee cake.  Very yummy (and a nice break from all the chocolate that I was using today)

Cinnamon Sugar Squares

Cinnamon Sugar Squares

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9"x13" baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is an overhang.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, oil, eggs, milk and extract until thoroughly combined.

Continue beating and add salt, baking soda and flour. Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly using a spatula.

Mix ¼ cup sugar with cinnamon.

Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the top of the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes; the edges will be lightly browned.

Cool, then lift the dessert from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into bite-size squares.

Gluten-free

Use Better Batter (see http://betterbatter.org/) gluten-free flour.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Original recipe from Dozen Flours

2 2/3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

1 tbl vanilla

3 tbl white sugar

3 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When cool, cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Gluten-free:

Use 2 2/3 cup4cup (See http://cup4cup.com/) flour or Better Batter (see http://betterbatter.org/) gluten-free flour.

Add ½ cup applesauce.

Increase baking time to 35 minutes.

More Banana Ice Cream

More combinations:
4 frozen bananas.
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
Splenda (to taste)
Chocolately, but you can still taste the banana.

4 frozen bananas
1 cup blueberries
Wonderful!  You really can't taste the bananas, but you CAN taste the blueberries.

Banana Ice Cream Experiments

Start with 4 ripe bananas.  Peel them and place them in a baggie in the freezer for a while (like a day or 2).  I usually put the bananas that are too ripe to travel or are getting too soft to eat in a bag.  When I get to 4 I make ice cream.

Break them up and put them in your food processor.  Let them sit for a bit.  You actually have to let them thaw a bit or they'll get stuck.

Now, think about your additions.  So far, we've experiments with:

1. Peanut Butter.  About 1.5-2 tablespoons per 4 bananas.
2. Cinnamon.  1/2 tablespoon per 4 bananas.  I tried 1 tablespoon, but the cinnamon was overpowering.  I used the Chinese cinnamon from Penzeys since that pairs well with fruit.
3. Honey Ginger.  1 tablespoon honey.  1 tsp of ground ginger.  Sweet with a hot after taste.
4. Orange.  2 tablespoons dried orange peel from Penzey's plus 1 tsp orange extract.  It was OK, but I think I'll do it differently next time.
5. Cocoa.  1 tsp was not enough.  The next time it will be 2.  More on this later.

I've 2 batches staged in the freezer.  One will be the new cocoa attempt.  I haven't decided on the other one yet.  Maybe banana/blueberry this time...  Hmm...

Applesauce Bars - Gluten-free

Applesauce Bars

Gluten-free

¼ cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 can frosting

Gluten-free: Gluten-free Cup4Cup flour can be used here.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease or parchment-line a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in applesauce. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; stir into the applesauce mixture until well blended. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Cool in the pan over a wire rack.

Spread frosting over cooled bars before cutting into squares.

Original recipe here.