Gluten and Dairy Free Pumpkin Bread

Oh how I LOVE pumpkin bread. I made some this year using my favorite recipe for the Harvest Feast at my boys’ school. To my surprise my oldest (7) asked me if it has wheat in it. I told him it did and asked if he wanted me to make a wheat free version for him. He said “yeah!” Why was I surprised? Because he is a VERY picky eater and does not usually like to try new things. If you have read through my blog you will know that he is also Autistic. If you know anyone on the spectrum you will know that this IS A VERY BIG THING. I am so proud! He not only tried it, with out having to be coaxed, HE LIKED IT ALOT! Just smelling something new is huge let alone putting it in his mouth!

I have only made this once but I thought there might be a lot of people out there who might like a good pumpkin bread for the holidays. I also have a few notes from my first batch. 1- I am going to cut back on the oil a bit because it took forever to bake and was still very moist almost too moist. So next time I am going to try 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup. 2- My oven isn’t the greatest at maintaining temperature so if you think it looks like it still needs more time…..give it more time. I could have baked mine for a bit longer (that would have helped the moisture issue as well)

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups Gluten Free Flour Mix

3 cups sugar

1 Tbs xanthan gum

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp allspice

1-1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup oil (I am going to cut back to 3/4 c for my next batch)

1 29oz can pumpkin (Libby’s states it is gluten free!) I love Manufacturers that take the time to spell it out. They will forever have my gratitude for it.

4 eggs

1 cup each of Raisins and nuts may be added (walnuts are really good in this bread)

Pre heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 loaf pans with non-stick spray. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine the oil, eggs and pumpkin. Mix pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. It will be thick and heavy. You can mix it in a stand mixer but it will probably be too thick for a hand mixer. A wooden spoon works great too. Bake for 1-1/2 hours at 325 degrees.

Note: I have found that gluten free baked goods are always best when eaten right away. This recipe makes 2 loaves. If you won’t be serving both right away, try freezing half the batter. You can even freeze it directly in the loaf pan you plan to bake it in. You can also try this as muffins or even mini muffins. A favorite thing of mine is to take muffin mix and freeze some so that I can make them up on a Saturday morning in my mini muffin maker.

Happy Holidays!!!

Katrina

Technorati Tags: gluten free,dairy free,pumpkin,bread

Easy Chocolate Halloween Lollypops

I can’t take credit for coming up with this idea. Other than I decided to do bats and cats because they are usually black and I am using Gluten and dairy free dark chocolate they are the brain child of my Mother-in-law.

Either one of these products are a good choice. I have used them both and like them equally. If you are looking for Mini Chocolate chips use Enjoy life’s. Tropical Source’s chips are regular sized.

My crafty sister-in-law Rebecca posted about this on our craft blog. I am simply sharing my take on her project which she got from Mom making them many years ago. You can go HERE to see her post and the tutorial and for a ghost template. Mostly I am just sharing with my friends and family what Hobbs and I did together today. Calvin stopped by to supervise and give suggestions. ;)

Hobbs helped me make the bats. I outlined the shapes from templates I printed out and added chocolate to the centers. Hobbs used the lollypop sticks to spread the chocolate around. I brought out some candy shapes and Calvin said that I should put a bone in the cat’s mouth. I decided to place it like it is a bow with a skull below like a name tag. I didn’t have just round shapes so I used skulls for the bat’s eyes. Instead they look more like big ol’ teeth or something. ;) Ah well they taste just as good. The candies actually have a citrus/fruity taste to them so they go really nicely with the flavor of the chocolate.

What I like about them is that unlike candy molds that make really thick chocolate lollypops these don’t use all that much chocolate for each one. Just enough to satisfy a chocolate craving. Also you can make a ton out of just one bag of chocolate. These can easily be adapted with other shapes for other Holidays as well. Just think Turkeys with Candy Corn tails (be sure to check the label Brocks is MFG on equipment that isn't dedicated), reindeer, hearts with conversation hearts in the middle, a pot of gold.... the list could go on and on. How great would these be with crushed up candy canes mixed in?

Thanks Rebecca for the great idea. The boys LOVED them!

Katrina

Technorati Tags: chocolate,gluten free,dairy free,soy free,nut free,lollypops,suckers,Halloween,kids crafts,allergy friendly

Pumpkin cookies from a box mix – even for people with food allergies

My Sister-in-law wrote this for our craft blog. You can read more about her story HERE.

When Fall hits here in Arizona, I have to do things to help me put myself in the Fall mood. We were still in the hundreds today…I’m talking about the temperature! It is hard to remember it is Fall with heat like this. The first thing I usually do is adjust our menu to include more root vegetables, and baked chicken and even dip into pumpkin cookies. Oh yah. I’m talking about you Mr. Pumpkin. You are not just for carving faces into my friend.

Just like my 3 year old, I also have Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I try really hard to omit wheat /gluten, dairy, soy, beef, nuts, tree nuts, and really go easy on eggs too. I like to bake. I love the smell of some delish sugary confection baking in my oven. Heaven. As you could imagine, my EE doesn’t leave a lot of sweets in my diet. Well, not sweets that won’t make me sick.

I used to always make sure that I had at least one cake mix and one cookie mix on hand for those last minute play dates or childhood emergencies that would call for fresh baked cookies a.s.a.p.! Our paternal Grandma always has the best-tasting-really-bad-for-you- recipes in her baking arsenal. Years ago she sent us all a package with all kinds of fall recipes. You know, church ladies kind of recipes. Yah, you know what I’m talking about now. Recipes smothered in gravies and cheese and other items that should never really be considered a real food, but we still put it in our dinner-kind of recipes. (How is that for a sentence?!) Wowza. My favorite was Spice Cake Pumpkin Cookies. Oh yah! Now we are talking. You know, you take a box mix of Spice Cake, and a can of pumpkin and mix it into heavenly yumminess. But, oh how a regular cake mix would make my insides hurt for a good two weeks.

I don’t have to suffer anymore!! Enter Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix. Oh yah, a gluten free cake mix in a box at a regular grocery store! I’m sure you could do this with Pamela’s or Bob’s cake mixes the same way. But sometimes you just need convenience my friends.

Now don’t look away my non-allergy friends. You too can make this with regular processed and packaged goods. You go buy yourself a regular cake mix or a regular spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin and some chocolate chips. You make it just the same way. And you non-allergy friends have a less gummy cookie. Mmmm.

• 1 package spice cake mix (I used Betty Crocker’s gluten free)
• 1 (15 oz) can solid pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie stuff ‘cause that contains other stuff, yes I am getting technical on you here.)
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/3 cup Enjoy Life chips which are dairy, soy and gluten free)
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla (I have homemade from liquor that I am not allergic to)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cookie sheet.

Mix your cake mix, pumpkin and chocolate chips. drop onto the cookie sheet. I flaten mine with a fork and sprinkle some sugar on mine. If you have Turbinado or Raw Sugar (or even just regular ol sugar) sprinkle some of that on top. Who doesn’t love some crunch on top of their cookies? Wait, don’t answer that.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

These are more cake like than just a hard cookie.

Other variations could be:

add 1/2 cup raisins

add about 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/3 cup molasses to make a more ginger-bready kind.

I did the first batch with some added pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. The second (darker two) batch, I added the molasses. Both were good in their own right.

Below is an option that is not for those on a Dairy free diet (not sure about gluten in kisses because we know they aren't dairy free we don't buy them). Katrina

Last year, I used regular ol’ spice cake mix and pumpkin. I scooped some of the dough into my mini muffin tin.

Then I added some of these babies.

I think it was called Pumpkin Spice something or other. I got them at Target. They had a white chocolate kind of inside to them. I made the cookies this way because I thought it was like a twist to the peanut butter cookies with a kiss in each. This was over the top creamy-ness. If I told you I didn’t eat a ton of them, I would be lying. I would also need to confess they made me really sick. Oh my allergy overload. I learned my lesson! But you non-allergy friends who like white chocolate would likely enjoy this.

Enjoy your fall and make some quick cookies! Gluten-free or regular cake mix is up to you! I like having options;)

Anjeanette

Fun Patriotic Drink

Here is where you can find the recipe for this fun drink. http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2008/06/this-drink-is-da-bomb.html

We plan to try it with dinner tonight in honor of inauguration day. I will let you know what flavors I end up using. We already have cranraspberry on hand so that will be our red layer. Though cherry sounds good. What about pomegranate? I made some pomegranate vodka but then we would have to mix the layers before drinking or else drink all the alcohol first. I think I may have a bit of fun with this idea and work my way through all the ideas I have for it (not in one day though).

Holiday Chocolate Truffles

One year while visiting my parents for Christmas we decided to make chocolate truffles. My brother had found a recipe and wanted to try them out. Since my son LOVES chocolate I decided to make some gluten and dairy free. The trick was to find chocolate that is dairy free. Generally you have to go to a health food store to find chocolate chips or bars that are 100% dairy free, not manufactured on equipment that processes dairy or wheat for that matter. They were very yummy and there wasn't much difference between the dairy free ones and the ones made with cream. The chocolate with the hint of orange and the Grand Marnier is the over riding flavor. I like truffles with the smooth, creamy texture of the ganache in the middle. My brother gave some away to friends. Which was a good thing because we had tons. A week at my parents and I am sure to gain at least 5 pounds so 3 dozen truffles is not something I need hanging around waiting for me to work my way through.

Here is what I came up with. You can prepare them two ways. Read though instructions to decided which way you want to make them. I like the first chocolate mold method personally. Make some of both.

For Ganache
8 ounces Dark Semisweet Chocolate (for the ganache)
1/3 cup Tofutti Better than cream cheese
1/3 cup Vanilla Soy Milk
1 orange peel, zested
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

8 to 12 ounces Dark Semisweet Chocolate (the amount you will need depends on the size of your molds and how thickly you line them with the chocolate.)

Chop 8 ounces of the dark chocolate and place in a heat-resistant bowl and set aside.

Blend cream cheese and soy milk till smooth. Add orange peel and bring to a boil in a small sauce pan. Pour cream cheese, soy milk and orange mixture over chocolate and let it sit for a couple of minutes until the chocolate is soft. Gently whisk together, do not beat it. Start in the center and work out until smooth. Add Grand Marnier and stir to blend. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until chocolate ganache is thick enough to hold its shape. This will take about 2 hours.

I bought some holiday chocolate molds. So that my truffles looked like little packages. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Use a new clean paintbrush to brush the inside of the chocolate molds with chocolate. You want to create a shell. Make sure to try to get an even layer. Use the brush to make sure to get the chocolate into all the details of the mold so you don't end up with air bubbles. If you have more than one set of molds this will go faster. Let the chocolate harden.

Place ganache in a pastry bag with a 3/8" tip or a zip lock bag with one corner cut off to make a 3/8" opening. Pipe ganache into the chocolate molds you coated with chocolate. Fill the molds most of the way. You will need to leave room to cover with chocolate.

Cover ganache with chocolate and let cool. Once they have cooled and hardened pop out of molds. Enjoy, if you have some left, store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Another method for chocolate truffles is: (I think this is best made with a friend. One to coat the ganache in chocolate and one to coat with cocoa powder. My brother and I had fun making these together.)

You will need:
3 ounces Dark Semisweet Chocolate
2/3 cup Cocoa Powder (if you plan to not use molds)gloves and parchment or waxed paper

Instead of filling chocolate shells with the ganache you can pipe the ganache into mounds about 3/4" high and 3/4" wide on parchment paper (or wax paper) lined baking sheets. Refrigerate sheets until ganache is firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 more ounces of chocolate and put cocoa powder in another small bowl. Put on surgical gloves and spoon melted chocolate into palm of one hand, then carefully place each truffle in your palm and rotate to coat. Place chocolate-coated truffles in bowl of cocoa powder and gently toss with a fork to lightly coat. Place truffles in an airtight container and store at room temperature.

This yields about 3 dozen truffles.