Gardeners and co-workers... it's Zucchini time!

I hate posts with long, drawn-out intros. This is the very best zucchini bread recipe I've ever found that comes out great with wheat-free flour.  I use King Arthur Gluten Free Baking Mix for the flour here. It is FABULOUS! I always give a mini-loaf to whoever gives me the zucchini, and they are shocked if I tell them it's gluten free.  Enjoy!!!
(I have no idea where I originally got this recipe, if it's yours please message me for credits)

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread (Makes 2 regular loaves)

3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup oil
3 cup grated zucchini, moisture squeezed out
2 1/2 cup gluten free flour of choice (I use King Arthur Gluten Free Baking Mix)
1 grated carrot
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Optional:  1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Grease and flour* two loaf pans.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Add sugars, zucchini, and carrot, and mix well. Add remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly.

Fill prepared pans halfway full, bake 45-60 minutes.

This freezes well, but allow to cool completely before wrapping.  

*Gluten free flour

 

Coffee Cake Muffins

There are more and more "everyday" products that can now be found in gluten free versions.  They still usually cost more, but it's nice to have them.  One I love to use is Gluten Free Bisquick- for pancakes, pizza crust, and more.  You can't just substitute the GF version for regular Bisquick in recipes, however.  After some trial and error, I have found a nice coffee cake to be made with the GF Bisquick.  I like to put quick breads such as this in muffin form for easy serving size and storage.

GF Bisquick Coffee Cake Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly spray 12 muffin tin with non-stick spray.  

Topping 
2/3 cup GF Bisquick
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter

In small bowl mix GF Bisquick, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cut in softened butter until mix is crumbly.  Spoon a small amount into the bottom of each muffin tin.  Set mix and pan aside.  

 

Dough  
2 cups GF Bisquick
1 cup milk
1 egg 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
Mix dough ingredients in a medium bowl.  Scoop evenly (about 1/3 cup) into each muffin tin.

Top each with remaining topping mix.  Using a small stick or skewer, lightly criss-cross or swirl the topping and the dough.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes, until a muffin in the center is firm to the touch. 

 

Snow! Snow! Snow!

As a kid, I remember deep snows around here every year. School closed, sleds out, warming by the fireplace. These days we seem to have much more ice than snow. When the snow does fall now, it usually doesn't seem to be quite as often or as deep. It is a special treat when the snow is deep enough to make Snow Ice Cream. This was always one of my favorite things about a good snowfall and now my youngest does not think it's been a proper winter without one or two batches of the treat.

Alright, this uses a raw egg. According to the Incredible Edible Egg,

The risk of an egg being contaminated with Salmonella bacteria is very low, about 1 in 20,000 eggs. But there’s no reason to take the risk of contracting foodborne illness. Proper handling of eggs can reduce, and even entirely eliminate, the risk.

If you have concerns, you can look for pasteurized eggs at your local market or make them yourself.

Snow Ice Cream
Scoop a large bowl full of snow from a clean, undisturbed spot at least 4"-6" deep.

In a medium size bowl, crack one egg and whisk by hand until frothy. Whisk in 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup milk.

Large spoonfuls at a time, scoop about 3 1/2 to 4 cups snow into the mixture and stir. Don't over stir or you'll melt the snow and have cold sweet soup. If it's too thin, add some more snow.

Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Simple Apple Betty

Here is another dish that is wheat-free but not gluten-free. I came up with it looking for something easy and inexpensive to take to the most recent family reunion. I doubled this recipe in a 9"x13" pan and the reviews were great!

Simple Apple Betty
2 20-ounce cans apple pie filling
4 packages instant oatmeal (can be anything below- use what the kids won't eat for breakfast). Try to have 2 of each if possible.

• - raisin spice
• - brown sugar cinnamon
• - maple brown sugar
• - apple cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
6 Tablespoon butter, divided

Grease an 8"x8" pan. Layer one can of pie filling, 2 packets of instant oatmeal, 2 tablespoon brown sugar into pan; then cut small pieces of 3 tablespoon butter across all. Repeat with a second layer. Bake 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

In the Mainstream

Have you seen it? Right there in the baking aisle at the grocery store...Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes. Brownies, cookies, cakes! The products are a little pricey, especially considering the cake mixes only make one layer size instead of a two-layer cake like traditional cake mixes. However, we know that all WF/GF products are more expensive than their "wheaty" counterparts. The biggest advantage I've seen in these products so far is the ease for family and friends who want to try to accommodate our special diet but are uncertain what to get or where to go. The packaging is clearly marked Gluten Free (I wish it included Wheat Free as well, but I'm not going split hairs on that one) and it's found right along with traditional cake and cookie mixes in the grocery store.

Betty Crocker's website even has some additional recipes using these different mixes. I've not done anything other than just follow the package directions at this point, but I'll post anything I come up with to give these even more variety. As an additional bonus, the boxes also have the Boxtops for Education points to help in collecting for your school.

(I have not forgotten the requests for Cinnamon Rolls, and I'm still working on a recipe I think is worth passing on.)

Feeding the Sweet Tooth: Part II- From Scratch Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler

Fourth of July at dad's house. I was asked to do the baked beans. However, I knew if I wanted desert I was going to have to bring it myself. Once that was decided I created this Rhubarb - Strawberry Cobbler.

The crust is good 'ol Bob's Red Mill, although I can no longer find the recipe on their website. The filling for this is adapted from Mother Earth News, who say they adapted it from Recipes from the Garden by Rosalind Creasy (Tuttle, 2008).

Rhubarb-Strawberry CobblerCrust:
3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 10" pie pan or 2.5 liter Pyrex dish; set aside. Place all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Beat two minutes on medium speed. Spread about half the batter into the prepared pan to make a thin bottom crust. Set the other half aside for now.

Filling:
3 - 4 stalks rhubarb, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon orange or lemon zest (about 3/4 Tablespoon lemon or orange juice can be substituted)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Wheat-Free Flour blend
1 1/2 tubs (1 pound tubs) sliced, frozen strawberries with sugar added

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the rhubarb, sugar, and 1 tablespoon zest until the rhubarb begins to soften and exude juices, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and flour and bring to a boil while stirring. Cook for about 1 minute. Add the sliced strawberries.

Remove from heat and carefully spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared pan with half the batter.

Topping
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest (or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice)

Spoon the remaining batter in small dollops over the filling.

Mix together sugar and zest. Sprinkle over all. Bake 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

My Favorite Yellow Cake

I love Stir-Crazy cake-- it's simple, tasty, and the first really good wheat free cake recipe I worked out. But after a while, I wanted more. I wanted a nice moist yellow cake. After much searching, trial and error I came across this recipe. It is from Allrecipes.com submitted by "Amy". I have also incorporated a couple of suggestions from other members who have reviewed and rated this recipe. The additions are noted by italics.


Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Servings: 24

"Basic and easy, and very versatile. Layer with white or chocolate frosting, strawberries and whipped cream, etc. Make sure your baking powder is gluten-free."

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and rice flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.

2. Mix the white rice flour and milk and set aside while combining other ingredients. Mix tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.

3. Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread batter into the prepared pans.

4. Put some water in an oven-proof bowl (I use my Pyrex measuring cup) and place in oven with cake pans to help keep cake moist. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool completely then frost, if desired.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving- New York Style Cheesecake

"What can I bring?"

I admit, I have a sweet tooth. And most desserts are not naturally wheat-free. Pumpkin pie, lemon cake, chocolate chip cookies. This being said, dessert of something I often volunteer to make for get-togethers. The following cheesecake is always a hit, and frequently requested for the next get-together. This is the real deal. No jello, no whipped cream. This is thick, rich, baked cheese cake. Like most of my recipes, I've altered, tweaked and fiddled. The original came from the Frugal Gourmet.

The "blender" in the recipe is your standard, old-fashioned Oster-style blender. Like you made milk-shakes in when you were a kid and margaritas before Margarita machines came along.

New York Style Cheesecake Serves 8-12
1 cup Health Valley Rice Bran Crackers crumbs
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound cream cheese, cut into small pieces

Combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup melted butter and line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch ungreased spring-form pan.

Blend sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla in blender for 1 minute. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth.

With the top on and the feeder cap removed, blend in 2 tablespoons melted butter. Pour mixture into the prepared spring-form pan.

Bake in lower third of 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. After baking, remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Watching very carefully, broil the cheesecake just until the top begins to show attactrive spots of brown. You don't want to have all this work in your cheesecake and burn the top.

Refirgerate at least four hours, but preferably overnight. Serve sparingly-- this is very rich!

Everyone Deserves Their Own Birthday Cake

I've met many people with a variety of food allergies. This is often the first recipe I give someone when I learn they have a child with a food allergy. All of them love this cake and I've had nothing but glowing feedback. It is simple to make and is free of most common food allergens.
I got this recipe from a freebie "Cowboy Cooking" cookbook that was packaged with Marlboro cigarettes. I didn't smoke them, but I had a friend who worked at a liquor store who gave it to me from a carton opened for "single pack" sales.

Stir Crazy Cake2 ½ cups wheat-free flour blend
1 ½ cups sugar
1/2 cups cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups cold coffee (or cold water)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Put flour, 1 ½ cup sugar, cocoa, soda and salt into ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Stir with a fork to mix; form 3 wells in mixture. Pour oil in one well, vinegar in one and vanilla in one. Pour cold coffee over all ingredients and stir with fork until well mixed (do not beat). Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Bake in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 35-40 minutes.