Light and Fluffy Gluten-Free Cornbread

Have you been looking for a moist and delicious gluten-free cornbread recipe?  Today is the day!  This is my hubby's creation; the perfect blend of gluten free flours and slightly crunchy cornmeal come together to make a light and flavorful bread that actually holds together.  A slice of this goes perfectly with our Potato Kale Soup or Pumpkin Chili.  For an added treat we like to drizzle a bit of sweet local honey on top.  Enjoy!

Recipe: Makes one pie pan size cornbread loaf or 12 muffins
Ingredients:
dry mix:
3/4 cup medium grain organic cornmeal
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
3 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/3 cup sugar

wet mix:
2 eggs*
3 Tablespoons light olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients, mixing well.  Add wet ingredients to the dry ones, stir to combine.
3. Pour into glass pie dish coated with cooking spray and bake at 350'F for about 24 minutes or until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If you prefer you can bake them as muffins at 350'F for about 15-18 minutes or until slightly golden and internal temperature is about 200 degrees.
*If you can't have eggs or you choose not to, try substituting 1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds with 1/4 cup water in place of each egg. For this recipe it would be 2 Tablespoons ground chia and an extra 1/2 cup of water to replace the two eggs. You can buy ground chia or grind it yourself in a blender, grinder or food processor. Make up a small batch and store in an airtight container so it's reading when you're baking.
...click here for the recipe!

Raspberry Sconies {Gluten Free}

Happy New Year! For a special Christmas morning breakfast my hubby made these delicious scones. We affectionately call them "sconies" in our house since they are alittle smaller than the average scone. The addition of tangy raspberries was fantastic!  These have another great surprise ingredient...pureed white beans. Dried white beans cooked in the slow cooker then pureed are a wonderful addition to just about any baked good, adding fiber, antioxidants, lowering the fat and adding great texture to gluten free recipes. You can use the bean puree 1:1 to replace half the fat in most recipes. Give it a try! Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes 12 scones)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons firm unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup pureed white beans (pureed in blender until smooth)
2 cups old fashion oatmeal
1 cup Pamala's Gluten Free all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3-1/2 cup frozen organic raspberries

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350'F. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for ~1 minute. Add egg, vanilla, and bean puree and mix on med-low speed for 2 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: oats, salt, and Pamela's flour.
3. With mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients, slowly by the cup, into the wet. Once combined add the raspberries and mix only enough to combine.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes at 350'F until slightly golden and set.

White Bean Puree Recipe: (yields about 5 cups)
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups of dried white beans and flash boil them for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and rinse well.
2. Place drained and rinsed beans in slow cooker and cover with 6 cups of water, cook on high setting for 4 hrs.
3. Allow cooked beans to cool slightly. Blend beans in a blender until smooth. Bean puree can be stored in fridge for up to 1 week or freeze them in ice cube trays (once frozen pop out cubes into a resealable plastic bag and they should keep for a few months)

Pureed beans after firming up in the fridge

...click here for the recipe!

Banana Bread {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

It's been awhile since we've had banana bread so I was excited that my hubby wanted to make some. He came up with this recipe and you'd never guess it's gluten free and dairy free! It was so moist and dense and flavorful and the whole loaf was eaten in one day, yum! You may also like to try our Low Fat banana bread or our Low sugar, Vegan banana bread. Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes one loaf, 10-12 slices)
Ingredients:

{dry ingredients}
3/4 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1 Tablespoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

{wet ingredients}
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (or use 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil for dairy free)
1 1/3 cups oat milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

extras: 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350'F.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl or stand mixer, beat wet ingredients together until well combined.
3. Slowly (by the 1/2 cup) add the dry ingredients into the wet with your mixer on low speed.
4. Gently fold in walnuts by hand with a spoon. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan (about 9"x5" size), or use a Stoneware loaf pan like us, then no cooking spray is needed. Bake at 350'F for 60-70 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 170'-200'F and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy. ...click here for the recipe!

Pumpkin Ginger Snap Cookies {Gluten Free}

We have been enjoying this fall weather so much! This is my favorite time of year to cook. Sounds silly but I love to make soups, casseroles and generally warm and comforting dinners when it's chilly out. This week we had an old favorite, chicken enchiladas, but mixed it up with corn tortillas, yummo! We also had taco salad, wild rice stuffed acorn squash, tamale pie and our tasty pumpkin chili! This week I'm going to try out a couple new dinner recipes, if they turn out, I'll be sure to share. What yummy dinners have you had lately?

We also love our sweets around here. When I showed my hubby a picture of some ginger snap cookies online he said, "those look awesome!". I decided to set out to come up with a gluten free version with a fall twist. I enlisted my husband's help since he's our resident expert on gluten free baking. Together we came up with this recipe. Ginger snaps have such a great warm smokey flavor from the molasses and ginger and our addition of fresh pureed pumpkin gave them a wonderful fall flavor and an extra fluffy chewiness. This recipe makes a lot of cookies, which is good because they won't last long. Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes 34-36 cookies)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, plus some for garnish
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (we used fresh roasted pumpkin using this method, or you can use canned, just be sure it's plain pumpkin puree)
4 cups Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice

Directions:
1. Cream together the sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add in egg, molasses, vanilla and the pumpkin and mix until well incorporated.
2. Slowly, one 1/2 cup at a time add in the flour to the mixing bowl and continue to mix until well combined. Add in the ginger and all spice and mix another few seconds to incorporate.
3. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a cool cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a 350'F oven for 14-16 minutes, rotating trays halfway through, until cookies are crackled on top and have a slight give to the touch. Remove cookies from the baking sheets to wire racks to cool. ...click here for the recipe!

Blueberry Muffins {Gluten Free}

My hubby made these tasty little muffins for breakfast and they were a treat! I especially love the mini muffin size (I can eat more that way). These are a delicious gluten free alternative to our other Blueberry Muffin recipe. The crispy streusel topping is my favorite part, yummy.  Enjoy!

Recipe: (Makes 48 mini muffins or 24 standard muffins)
Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup Gluten Free oat milk (you can substitute with any milk or milk substitute)
1/2 banana, smashed (slightly green banana works best)

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1 cup sorghum
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon xantham gum
1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping:
1/4 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F'. In a large bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk all the wet ingredients together until well combined.
2. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in frozen blueberries.
3. In a small bowl combine topping ingredients together and cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or two forks
4. Scoop batter into a muffin tin coated with cooking spray, fill cups 3/4 full, sprinkle topping evenly over all the muffins. Bake at 375F' for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Increase bake time to 20-25 minutes if preparing standard size muffins) ...click here for the recipe!

Black Bean Brownies {Gluten Free}

Are you ready for the best chocolaty, delectable, light and cakey gluten free brownies ever?  My amazing hubby came up with this "from scratch" recipe and these are delicious!  Have you ever tried adding black beans to brownies?  We've tried it a few times before and I was never a big fan of the beanie taste.  By blending the beans with the wet ingredients in a blender and using good quality chocolate the "bean" flavor is really undetectable.  I'm sure if you don't reveal the secret ingredient no one would ever guess they were enjoying the added fiber and protein of black beans in their dessert.  If you are wanting a sweet chocolaty treat these should be next on your list to try.  Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes about 9 brownies)
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons good quality vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate flavored Rice Dream rice milk, may also substitute milk or any other milk substitute
1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Ghirardelli premium unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Gluten Free flour (we used the Gluten Free Pantry brand all purpose Gluten Free flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup good quality semi sweet chocolate chips (we used Guittard)

Directions:
1. In a blender add melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, rice milk and black beans (drained and rinsed), blend until well combined and smooth.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients; cocoa powder, GF flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until combined.
3. Add the liquids from the blender to the dry ingredients in the bowl and stir until well combined.
4. Spray an 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray and pour batter in evenly. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and bake in a 350'F oven for 24-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. ...click here for the recipe!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Millet Cookies {Gluten Free, Low Fat}

My hubby created another awesome cookie recipe that got some rave reviews. These cookies have a moist cake-like texture and great flavor all while being gluten free. These aren't your ordinary chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. The sorghum and millet flours offer a great subtle sweetness and nuttiness and an unripe banana (bright yellow with a little green still) adds a light and moist texture without the fat.  Hulled millet is not just for birds. It's a healthy, easily digested whole grain that's high in protein and fiber and adds a great nutty crunch. These are tasty, you may need to make two batches. Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes 28-30 cookies)
Dry ingredients:
1/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup hulled millet
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 1/2 cup quick-cook oats (not instant)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 banana (not yet ripe)  *a very ripe banana will impart more banana flavor and result in a less fluffy cookie
1-1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'F. In a electric mixer, cream butter, banana and sugar together on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. At medium-low speed add eggs one at a time then add the vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl whisk dry ingredients together, except chocolate chips. With your mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly in 3 parts allowing each part to be fully combined before adding the next. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, spoon dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, space at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 350'F for 12-14 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Remove, let cool and firm up on the baking sheet.

...click here for the recipe!

Carrot Buckwheat Muffins {Gluten Free}

My hubby has been baking again! Our little 4 year old guy had to stay home sick from Preschool today, which was a real bummer because today was "bring your Daddy to preschool day". Boo. The dads were invited to go and have donuts with their preschooler. My hubby is so great, he hung out at home alittle later than normal since he had planned on going to the school and he and our big boy made these muffins together, just the two of them, melt my heart. It was sad to miss school but special Daddy time still happened.

Don't be deterred by their color, these muffins have buckwheat flour in them and that makes them turn out dark but still very tasty! They are hearty and still have the perfect balance of sweetness and moisture thanks to the raisins. I love the clever and delicious addition of applesauce, which is a great low-fat alternative. These are a fun, healthy and gluten free treat. Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes 30-34 mini muffins or 14-18 regular sized muffins*)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups organic buckwheat flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg
2 cups apple sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water for 5-10 minutes to plump
1 cup finely grated carrot (~2 medium carrots)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375'F. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients buckwheat flour through ground ginger, whisk to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, oil, vanilla, raisins and carrots. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Scoop using a small ice cream scoop into a muffin tin coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 375'F for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean.
*You will need to increase the baking time to 20-25 minutes if using a regular sized muffin tin or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. ...click here for the recipe!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies {Gluten Free}

My hubby has been baking again!  This time he made some delicious oatmeal cookies with a hint of banana.  The banana is unexpected and so tasty, it's like a fusion of a chewy oatmeal cookie and our favorite banana bread.  Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes ~24 cookies)
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons coconut butter (you can find this on the health food aisle of your grocery store)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup banana (~1/2 of a ripe banana)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup Pamela's Gluten Free baking mix
2 cups gluten free oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'F. Cream the coconut butter, sugar and brown sugar together in a mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.
2. With mixer on medium-low speed add the egg, banana, vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix for another minute. Add the Pamela's GF Baking mix, oatmeal, walnuts and chocolate chips and mix with a spoon until combined.
3. Scoop 3 tbsp size scoops onto parchment lined air-bake cookie sheets and cook for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on sheet then move to cooling rack. Enjoy.
...click here for the recipe!

Lemon Yogurt Cake {Gluten Free}

My hubby made this amazing lemon yogurt cake for dessert after our Easter Dinner today. How fun to use lemons from our own little tree!  The raspberries were a perfect compliment {I convinced him to arrange the raspberries on top, which I think turned out great}  ;) Everyone loved it comparing it to a restaurant dessert.  There's an awesome sugary glaze to pour over the top, which adds a extra layer of sweet goodness. Definitely a decadent treat.  Enjoy!

Recipe: serves 10-12
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup of butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of 1 1/2 lemons
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
2 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons Pamela's Gluten Free Pancake and Baking Mix

Glaze:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Topping:
14 oz fresh raspberries

Directions:
1. Separate yolks from the eggs, reserve yolks in a small dish and add egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer.  Whip egg whites on high speed (using the whisk attachment) until stiff peaks form (~5-10 minutes), gently transfer to another bowl and set aside.
2. Cream the (room temperature) butter and sugar together in the electric mixer on high speed (using the paddle attachment) until combined and creamy, about 1 minute.  Add in egg yolks one at a time at medium-low speed.  Add lemon zest and vanilla.
3. Slowly add in 1/4 of the yogurt then 1/4 of the flour mixture and repeat, until all the yogurt and flour mix have been added and the batter is combined.  Very slowly BY HAND fold in the whipped egg whites using a spatula to gently combine with as little stirring as possible.
4. Turn on oven to 350'F.  Pour batter equally into two 9-inch cake pans.  Level batter by gently shaking the pan back and forth.  Let the batter rest in the pans at room temperature until the oven is preheated.
5. Bake at 350'F for 25-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 190'F and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes.
6. To make the glaze mix the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a bowl with a whisk until the glaze is runny and creamy white in color.

7. Once the cakes have cooled for 20 minutes, carefully remove them from the pans and put 1/3 of the glaze between the two layers to help hold them together.  Pour the rest of the glaze over the top of the stacked cakes.  Place raspberries on top starting from the outside edge and working your way in until the top is covered. ...click here for the recipe!

Cornbread {Gluten Free}

As you may have noticed we have been cooking more gluten free dishes lately that's because my hubby has been eating gluten free for the last 3 months, trying to rule out an intolerance. One thing I set out to perfect was a gluten free cornbread. I love cornbread and after several attempts of trial and error I found a winner, at least in my book. It's flavorful with a great light crunch from the cornmeal and still soft and moist, a characteristic hard to come by in the gluten free world. It's also fairly light so go ahead and have two pieces, or like me, have three.  Enjoy!

Recipe: (Yields 12 slices)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup sorgum flour (*if you don't have this you can use 1 cup total of white rice flour)
3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
2 Tablespoons of sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons Buttermilk powder
1 cup water (*if you don't have the buttermilk powder you can use 1 cup milk or 1 cup buttermilk and leave out the 1 cup of water)
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400'F. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (except buttermilk powder), whisk to combine.
2. In a 2 cup liquid measuring cup pour 1 cup water and mix in buttermilk powder, (again if you'd rather use 1 cup of liquid milk or buttermilk that will work great, I was trying to reduce the lactose).
3. To the buttermilk add the eggs and oil, beat lightly with a fork to combine.
4. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir well until moistened and pour into a glass pie pan coated with cooking spray. Let pie pan rest on counter for at least 5 minutes before baking, this helps thicken it and makes for a nice texture.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are golden. Slice into 12 wedges and serve hot with your favorite soup, stew or chili. ...click here for the recipe!

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake {Gluten Free}

My hubby was busy baking today! I love it when he bakes, not only because he makes delicious creations but because I really don't care for baking, much too specific for me. I like to play around with recipes, adding things and leaving things out and that just doesn't work with baking. Today's creation was this delicious cinnamon swirl coffee cake and it was fantastic!! Seriously people, this is on par with my favorite sour cream coffee cake I grew up eating and still love to make every Christmas Eve. You would never guess that it's gluten free and that it has been lightened up; another trait I love in a good baked item. If you aren't interested in gluten free, still try this one, I've listed the alternate ingredients to substitute. Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

Recipe: (serves 8-9)
Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts, chopped finely
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

The cake:
2 cups Gluten Free Baking and Pancake Mix such as Pamela's (or 2 cups all purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (or 3 teaspoons baking powder if using all purpose flour)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350'F. For the cake: mix four, baking powder, and sugar together; cut in the butter. In a separate bowl beat eggs then mix in vanilla and yogurt. Stir dry ingredients into wet slowly and stir to combine.
2. For the filling: Mix chopped walnuts with sugars and cinnamon. Spray an 8"x8" glass dish with cooking spray and place half the cake batter in the dish and smooth to make an even layer.
3. Next, sprinkle 2/3rds of the filling mixture on top of the first layer of batter.  Pour remaining cake batter in next and smooth carefully with a spatula. Finally, sprinkle the rest of the filling evenly on top.
4. Bake in a 350'F oven for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes, serve warm. ...click here for the recipe!

Apple Crisp {Gluten Free}

This is a tasty sweet my hubby made.  It was quite tasty and a great way to use up some extra apples.  He made it gluten free by using a gluten free flour mix but you can always use all purpose flour as well.  This would be heavenly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but we didn't have any so I settled for a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Recipe: (serves 6-8)
to make your filling
5 medium apples, peeled, sliced into 1/4″ thick slices
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup gluten free flour mix – you may need to add a bit more if your apples are especially juicy.

to make your topping
6 Tablespoons cold butter
1/3 cup gluten free quick cooking oats
1/2 cup gluten free flour mix
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375'F.
2. Peel and thinly slice apples and place in a large bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and stir to mix. Add flour, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine, pour it all into 8"x8" glass baking dish. The mixture should be a sticky paste consistency that coats the apples.
3. In another bowl cut together cold butter, oats, flour and sugars using two forks or a pastry cutter, until it's well mixed and crumbles. Sprinkle topping mixture over apples and press down lightly to cover all the apples.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and internal temperature is 200'F.  Serve warm.
...click here for the recipe!

Carrot Cakelettes {Gluten Free}

These are some deliciously sweet carrot cake mini cupcakes my hubby made {a.k.a. cakelettes}.  They have a surprise of crunchy coconut and walnuts.  We just love our mini muffin tin, which we use for baked goods like our mini scones and savory items like our mini turkey meatballs, so fun and a great portion size {I can eat 3 or 4 instead of just one}. This recipe is gluten free but you can always substitute half and half, all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, and leave out the xanthum gum if you don't need gluten free. Don't forget a dollop of J's tasty, lemony {less fat since there's no butter} cream cheese frosting to top them off. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Carrot Cakelette Recipe (makes two 8-inch rounds, 18-24 muffins or ~48-52 mini muffins)
Ingredients:
3 cups gluten free flour mix (recipe follows) [can substitute all purpose flour or whole wheat if you aren't eating gluten free]
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 cup organic apple sauce
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup egg beaters
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups grated carrots ~2 good sized carrots, peeled before you grate them
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray two mini muffin trays with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer (or stand mixer) beat sugar, oil, apple sauce, eggs, Egg Beater's and vanilla until well combined, ~ 1 minute.
4. With the mixer set to low speed add the dry mixture to the wet one cup at a time, mix for 1 minute. Turn off mixer and gently add carrots, nuts and coconut, mixing by hand.
5. Scoop into muffin trays {we like to use our mini kitchen scoop #20} and bake for 15-17 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean and internal temperature is 190-200'F
 

And because cream cheese frosting goes perfectly with carrot cake...

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients:
8 oz whipped cream cheese
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
the juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon

Directions:
1. Blend all the ingredients until smooth, chill in the fridge until firm then you're ready to frost your cakelettes.

and because our 3 year old asked and we thought it would be fun...
we put a candle in one
and sang,"Happy Friday to you!"

Gluten Free Flour Mix Recipe {or you can use a premade gluten free flour mix found on the health food isle of the market}
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup Quinoa flour
1 tsp coconut flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1-1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
Mix well. If you want to make extra to have on hand for future baking store in a sealed container in the fridge. ...click here for the recipe!

Granol-un Bars {Gluten Free}

We call these Granol-un Bars at our house, partly because our 3 year old son has trouble saying "granola" and it comes out granol-un but also because these aren't your typical granola bars. In this version of a granola bar, clusters of toasted quinoa, apricots, nuts, and sunflower seeds make a sweet and chewy snack. I'm not gonna sit here and say, "these are a cinch to make, easy peasy". Yes, the recipe is straight forward and you will all understand the directions (smart people) but it is a bit time consuming and involves several steps, during which you should not really leave the kitchen lest you burn your rolled oats {ahem}. Don't fear though, these are amazing and worth the time and like all things, we'll get better, faster and more efficient with practice. These make a great snack as they are filled with fiber and protein, all natural and most importantly delicious!

Recipe: (Makes 18-20)
Ingredients:
Click here for the main recipe

We also added
* 1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped (or you may substitute shelled raw pistachios, chopped)

Dry ingredients:

...click here for the recipe!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten Free}

We have been experimenting with gluten free foods in our house this week and my hubby made this incredible cookie recipe. I would never guess that these were gluten free, they taste great and the texture is like any other chewy oatmeal cookie! You'll likely need to stock up on a few gluten free pantry items but it's worth it if you are eating gluten free, plus you'll be able to make many batches of these cookies. You can also use regular oats, all purpose flour and Corn Flakes if gluten free is not needed. They are not exactly low calorie but they are loaded with fiber and a very tasty treat!

Recipe: (makes 24-28 cookies)
Ingredients
1 cup Gluten-Free all-purpose flour mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups gluten free corn flakes, smashed before you measure
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup gluten-free oats
1 packed cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350'F.
1. Whisk first 8 ingredients, through coconut, together in a large bowl.
2. In a large stand mixer blend sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and eggs until well combined ~1 minute. Add the dry ingredient mix 1 cup at a time to the wet ingredients while the mixer is on low speed until combined. Don't over mix
3. Scoop cookies using a small kitchen scoop or spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them out so they won't touch as they bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown around the edges, be careful not to overcook. ...click here for the recipe!

Pumpkin Pie Bread

This is a quick bread my hubby made that tastes a lot like pumpkin pie. It's even better when served the next day.

Back in October I took my boys to the Pumpkin Patch for the Preschool fieldtrip,
we came home with a beautiful blue pumpkin.  

We never carved it so in early November we chunked it up, baked it {scoop out the seeds and place cut side down in a large glass baking dish, bake @ 350'F for 20-40min until tender} 

 

and pureed it in the food processor into beautiful orange puree.  

Would you believe it made nearly 12 cups of puree?

We used up some more of that homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe.  The mini muffins were a hit at my son's Preschool snack time this week. This recipe makes either two 9x5 loafs or one loaf and 48 mini muffins. Another fun use for our trusty mini muffin tin. Enjoy and try getting the kids in the kitchen to help.

Recipe: makes 2 (9x5) loafs OR one (9x5) loaf and 48 mini muffins

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may need up to 4 cups)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Plain yogurt
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (or ~2 cups homemade pumpkin puree)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup walnuts, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350' F. Spray two 9x5 inch loaf pans with cooking spray (or prepare mini muffin tin if using), not necessary to spray Stoneware pans. Sift dry ingredients together; 3 1/2 cups of flour, the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs, and pumpkin puree. Add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time, add the water. If your pumpkin puree is thin you may need to add up to 1/2 cup more flour here until you get a cake batter type consistency. Stir in walnuts if using. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans, use a tablespoon to fill the mini muffins about 3/4 full.

3. Bake for 1 hour-1 hour, 10 minutes for a loaf size, 10-14 minutes for mini muffins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Store wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. ...click here for the recipe!

Another Take on Banana Bread

This is a low sugar, vegan banana bread (Dairy-free, Egg-free)** and yes, it's actually still quite tasty. It's more in the realm of a bread than the traditional cake type banana "bread". I like both varieties but decided to try something new! Try it out, it's a wonderful way to use up some over ripe bananas. Here's my other banana bread recipe if you're interested.

Recipe: (yields 10-12 slices)
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup All-Purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Orange Juice (or you may use plain soy milk, rice milk, etc)
2 Tablespoons ground Flaxseed (you can buy it already ground as "flaxmeal")
1/4 cup Canola or Vegetable oil (you could substitute this with 1/4 cup of applesauce too)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
3-4 over ripe bananas, mashed (~ 2 cups)
1/2-3/4 cup walnuts (depends on how nutty you're feeling; could also add dried fruit)

Preheat oven to 350'F, Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan* with cooking spray
(*or you may use a Stoneware loaf pan which requires no spray)

Directions:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, whisk gently to combine.

2. In a second large mixing bowl combine the Orange Juice and flax meal. Stir the oil (or applesauce), vanilla, brown sugar (if using) and bananas until well mixed.

3. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet by hand just until combined, don't over mix, it will be lumpy. Add nuts (and/or dried fruit), fold in. Spread batter into loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (if you add extra bananas it may take up to 40-45 minutes), bake until the top is browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. After a few minutes, remove loaf from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Banana Tip: My boys and I love bananas but more often than I'd like there are one or two that ripen alittle too much before we can eat them.  Rather than toss these, I bag them up in a zipper top bag and freeze them.  When I'm ready to make banana bread, I pull the frozen bananas out and let them soften at room temperature about 1 hour or float the plastic bag in a bowl of warm water until the bananas are soft, then I add them to my recipe!

Mini-Loaf Option: This recipe will make four mini-loaves, bake in a 350'F oven for ~ 20-25 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. ...click here for the recipe!

Blueberry Muffins

Tasty blueberry muffins for an early Sunday morning before church.  They have some extra fiber with wheat flour and flax meal.  Enjoy!

Streusel topping

On their way to the oven topped with streusal

Hot out of the oven

Recipe (makes 12 muffins)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup fat free milk
1/4 plain fat free yogurt
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons water (or use orange juice like my sister-in-law suggested)
1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen blueberries)

1. Heat oven to 400'F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. Make Streusel topping (see below); set aside
3. Mix milk, yogurt and egg in a large bowl with a whisk. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once just until flour is moistened (it will be lumpy). Add water(or juice) to thin batter a bit. Fold in blueberries gently. Divide batter using an ice cream scoop, among a 12 muffin cup tin. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon streusal topping.
4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes, serve warm.

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons flax meal
2 tablespoons cold butter

Mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two forks, until crumbly (see photo above). ...click here for the recipe!

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

I made these to bring to church for snack this morning and they were pretty tasty if I do say so. They struck a good balance of sweet and tart. There is some orange juice and orange zest in them that really compliments the cranberry flavor. This is a Cooking Light recipe (click here to view recipe). The only thing I modified was that I used Plain nonfat yogurt in place of sour cream, just because we don't normally have sour cream on hand. I think this recipe would also be tasty made with dried cherries and lemon zest! ...click here for the recipe!