mint buttercream icing

I love any combination of mint with chocolate - chocolate mint oreos, junior mints, after eights, mint nanaimo bars.....I could go on, but if your mouth is watering you might want to try this icing with a brownie too

3 cups icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar)
1 cup butter
1 tsp. peppermint extract
2 tbsp. whipping cream

Beat the sugar and softened butter for 4 minutes. Add the mint extract and cream and beat for 1 minute.

If you like, add a few drops of green food colouring to tint the icing. I added a wee bit more whipping cream to make the icing more spreadable. If mint is not your thing, you could easily substitute maple or orange extract to suit your taste buds.

Cinnamon Rolls

I found this recipe on food.com

This was my first time making cinnamon rolls, and they did not disappoint! They were amazing fresh out of the oven. My taste buds might have adjusted to gluten free flours, but I think these tasted as good as gluten full rolls.

Fruity Pebbles go Gluten Free

Gluten Free Post Cereal


According to the above article, in Jan 2011 you will find Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles with gluten free labelling. I know my daughter will be excited to eat something other than Rice Chex. We eat cereal every morning to keep it simple, and occasionlly yoplait yogurt, which is also labelled gluten free. I will be looking out for a box of each. It is nice to see another company offering GF cereal.

*update* I found the cereal and fruity pebble treats that are labelled gluten free. This will be handy for travelling.

Vla - a Dutch Custard

Vla is pronounced flah like blah. This is a simple recipe to mimmick the dutch custard. I have never had the real dutch version, so this might not do it justice, but it is a delicious pudding like dessert!

tub of plain yogurt

500 ml. whipping cream

1 sm. pkg. instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

Make pudding according to directions and let it set, whip the cream (with a touch of sugar) then whisk all three together. Top with berries or mandarin oranges. Oh so yum!

Boterkoek - Dutch Butter Cake

Boterkoek has almond flavoring and real butter in it, so try and eat just one wedge!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 cups flour*
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. baking powder

Cream butter, sugar, egg, and flavoring together. add remaining ingredients. press into an 8" or 9" round pan. moisten top with milk. bake at 350 for 30 minutes. cut into wedges.

Carrot Cake

3 large eggs
1 1/3 cup oil
2 cups flour (I used sorghum blend*)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
3 cups finely grated carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat eggs well with oil. mix dry ingredients together and fold into egg/oil mixture. Fold in nuts and carrots. Grease and flour 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 35-40 mins.

Cream Cheese Frosting 
I cup icing sugar
3/4 cup butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

*sorghum blend - mix 1.5 cups sorghum flour 1.5 cups potato starch flour and 1 cup tapioca flour. whisk together and store in an airtight container.

Buttercream Icing

I topped the birthday cupcakes with buttercream icing. I usually make my own mixture of milk and icing sugar, but it wasn't ever that yummy. This icing is scrumptious - it should be a dessert on its own!

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
3 cups icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar)
1 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. whipping cream

beat the sugar and softened butter for 4 minutes. add the vanilla and cream and beat for 1 minute

I used a Ziploc bag to pipe the icing out. I just cut a small corner off, scooped the icing into the bag, zipped it shut, and squeezed it out. I know it's nothing fancy but it was honestly my first time piping out icing. you get the idea

Mocha Cake

Today is Caleb's birthday, so I made him cupcakes from scratch. This tastes just like a box cake and uses normal  ingredients. It is From Our Country Kitchen Cookbook put out by Rehoboth Christian School I use this cookbook for so many recipes. I will put up a carrot cake recipe sometime. It's delicious too!

Mocha Cake

2 cups flour (*I use sorghum blend)

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 2/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter softened

2 tsp. instant coffee

2/3 cup cocoa 

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups water

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

preheat oven to 350. grease two muffin tins or two 9" round cake pans 

mix all dry ingredients together in large bowl. add water, eggs and vanilla and beat for 4 mins. on high speed. pour into pans/tins and bake for 30 mins for a cake or 20 mins for cupcakes (or until a toothpick comes out clean) makes almost 2 doz.


*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

Jell-O Cake

This cake has become a birthday tradition here. My Aunt made it for me 8 years ago when I had my first baby, and my kids choose it for their birthday cake every year still!

This makes 2 large cakes, with a creamy middle. top with your favorite fruits

500 ml whipping cream
500 ml sour cream
1 container cool whip (thawed)
2 small cans of mandarins
2 small packages of jell-o (strawberry or orange)
1 GF vanilla cake mix

prepare cake mix as directed on pkg. (I used the Bob's Red Mill vanilla cake mix)
pour into two 9" spring form pans and bake until tooth pick comes out clean - 20 mins. should do it.

take liquid from mandarin cans and heat to boiling
pour 2 pkgs of jell-o into boiling liquid
stir until dissolved
pour one cup cold water into jell-o mix
set aside to cool you don't want it to set just cool off

(put the pan in your sink surrounded with cold water for faster cooling)

prepare whipping cream in your LARGEST bowl
pour sour cream and cool whip in and stir
add cooled jell-o and stir
it seems fairly runny and you'll think it didn't work but it's ok
pour over cooled cake
refrigerate immediately

just before serving put mandarins, strawberries, and kiwis on top

Magic Lemon Squares

1 cup oats
1 cup flour (I use sorghum blend*)
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice


preheat oven to 350. combine oats, flour, xanthan gum, coconut, walnuts, brown sugar, baking powder and melted butter. stir to form a crumbly mixture. set aside. stir together the condensed milk and lemon juice. pat half the crumb mixture into a 9x9 (I used an 8x8) baking pan. spread the milk mixture on top, and sprinkle with the remaining crumbs. bake 25-30 mins. or until lightly browned. cool thoroughly before cutting.


*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

Layered Lemon Dessert

crust:

1 cup GF flour. I use a sorghum blend*

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 cup ground almonds or pecans

1/2 cup butter softened

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 cup icing sugar

1 (8oz.) tub of cool whip (divided)

2 pkgs. shirriff lemon pie filling 

Cream together the flour, xanthan gum, almonds and butter to form a dough. Press into a 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 for 20 mins. cool. mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and 1 cup of the cool whip. spread over crust. Make the lemon pie filling according to directions. cool for 20 mins. and spread over cream cheese layer. spread the remaining cool whip on top when serving.

*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

Mississippi Mud Pie

crust:
1 cup GF flour (I use a sorghum blend*)
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 cup ground almonds or pecans
1/2 cup of butter softened

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
1 (8oz.) tub of cool whip (divided)

2 (3 1/2 oz.) pkgs. instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

Cream together the flour, xanthan gum, almonds and butter to form a dough. Press into a 9x13" pan and bake at 350 for 20 mins. cool. mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar, and 1 cup of the cool whip. spread over crust. Mix the pudding with 3 cups of milk and spread over cream cheese layer. spread the remaining cool whip on top and sprinkle with chocolate chips/flakes.

*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

note: the crust was a bit thin, you may want to bake it in a smaller pan? or 1.5 times the crust?

One Bowl Brownies

This brownie recipe comes from a Nana in our church. It is an easy recipe that can be made at the last minute and tastes yum with or without icing.


1 cup margarine

2 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour (I use sorghum blend*) 
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1/2 cup cocoa

chocolate chips/nuts (optional)

Put everything in a mixing bowl and mix till light in colour. Pour (spoon) into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with c.chips and nuts. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or once brownie starts coming away from pan

(shown with mint buttercream icing)

*sorghum blend (1.5cups sorghum flour, 1.5 cups potato starch flour, 1 cup tapioca flour - whisk together and store in airtight container)

I Baked Bread

and not just any bread, this is a gluten free loaf for my hubby. It has a mixture of tapioca starch flour, potato starch flour & millet flour. Never heard of them?! Neither had I until Rob was put on a gluten free diet.

Gluten (which comes from wheat, barley and rye) is in a lot of things you commonly use around the house ex. crackers, breads, cookies, cakes, soup packages, bisto gravy thickener, spices and a whole lot more.

I am cooking in a whole new way these days and it is rather difficult. I have some tried and true recipes that I usually cook, but I rarely experiment with new recipes, until lately so my husband doesn't get 'glutened' as they say.

But if you think it is difficult to cook for a person with Celiac, try being a Celiac. Rob has drastically changed his diet. He is eating a lot of rice, corn tortillas, rice cakes, and the flourless peanut butter cookies. He has to read all labels carefully, and most of the time this means saying no to foods he loves!

note: this was a complete flop. my gas oven is not accurate, and always overheats.  I have since purchased a breadmaker with a gluten free cycle and I bake Rob's bread in it.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are super easy to make and they're flourless! They are also scrumptious. I have been baking them everyother day literally. They only take a minute to whip up and taste crispy and chewy at the same time. oh so good!

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
preheat oven to 350. mix all ingredients. drop onto greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork (to get the crispy/chewy affect) bake for 8-10 minutes. makes 1.5 dozen

p.s. I always add 1 cup of chocolate chips

Enjoy! let me know if you love them as much as we do.