Yummy Granola GFCF

This is my favorite granola recipe.  It's absolutely delicious and so easy to make.


4 c. old-fashioned oats

1 ½ c sliced almonds or pecans

½ c packed light brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 c. cooking oil

1/4 c. honey

1 t. vanilla

1 ½ c. raisins or craisins

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  

In a saucepan or in microwave, warm the oil and honey.

Whisk or stir in vanilla.

Carefully pour liquid over oat mixture.

Stir gently with a spoon.

Spread granola in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan.

Bake 40 minutes - stirring carefully every 10 minutes.

Cool completely.

Stir in raisins or craisins.

Seal granola in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 1 week or freeze for 3 months.  Makes 9 cups.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes

These are incredible.  I adapted them from Better Homes and Garden's recipe for Cherry-Almond Vanilla Cupcakes.  With the chocolate drizzled on top they tasted like chocolate-covered cherries!  (In the photo I spooned the chocolate on, next time I plan to drizzle it.)
Tip: One 10 oz. jar of maraschino cherries without stems is enough for both the cupcakes and the frosting.

1/2 c. dairy-free buttery stick - softened
4 egg whites
2 c. Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
3/4 c. dairy-free buttermilk*
1/3 c. maraschino cherry juice
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2  t. vanilla
12 maraschino cherries, halved
1 recipe Cherry Buttercream Frosting GFCF
1 recipe dairy-free chocolate ganache (optional)

1. Bring dairy-free butter stick  and egg whites to room temperature.  Line 21 muffin cups with paper bake cups.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine buttermilk and cherry juice;  set aside.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl beat Fleischmann's with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla extract; beat till combined.  Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

3.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or till tops spring back when lightly touched.  Cool completely.  Frost with Cherry Buttercream frosting. If desired, spoon chocolate ganache into a sandwich bag, snip off the end and pipe over the frosting.

*to make dairy-free buttermilk, combine 2 teaspoons vinegar with enough dairy-free milk to make 3/4 cup.  (I always use Almond Breeze Original and it works great.)

Cherry Buttercream Frosting:
Add 3 T maraschino cherry juice to Buttercream Frosting GFCF

Chocolate ganache:
Combine dairy-free chocolate chips with a little dairy-free milk and microwave till smooth.  Add just enough milk to get it to drizzling consistency.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Fudge Bars GFCF

I found the original version of this recipe on Six Sisters Stuff.  It looked so good I decided to try to make it gluten and dairy free.  They're awesome!  The peanut butter filling isn't as stiff as I'm assuming it is in the original recipe, but it firms up nicely in the refrigerator. It ends up tasting like peanut butter fudge with a firm chocolate topping - yummy!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) Fleischmann’s Unsalted - melted

2 ¼ cups almond flour (I use Honeyville brand)

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar 

1 cup + ¼ cup peanut butter

1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the melted Fleischmann’s, almond flour, powdered sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Spread evenly into the bottom of very lightly greased 9×13 inch pan. (Original recipe calls for ungreased, but mine were a little difficult to remove from the pan.) In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the ¼ cup peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend

1 cup white rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
2/3 cup potato starch (I only use Ener-g brand - it's the only one that works for me)
1/3 cup tapioca flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 t. xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Store in airtight container.  Always stir well before using.

Big Batch:

3 cups white rice flour 

3 cups brown rice flour

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca flour

1 T xanthan gum

Double Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter GFCF

2 cups Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend

½ cup cocoa powder

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

12 oz. dairy-free chocolate chips (regular size, not mini)

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) Fleischmann’s Unsalted

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs - room temperature

2 t. gluten-free vanilla extract

½ cup peanut butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in medium-size bowl.

Microwave 6 oz. of chocolate chips with Fleischmann’s for 1 minute - stirring halfway through.  Microwave  an additional 15 seconds if needed.  Stir until smooth.

Transfer chocolate mixture to bowl of electric mixer and add both sugars, eggs, and vanilla; beat until well combined.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture.  Mix just until combined.

Stir in remaining chocolate chips.  Stir in peanut butter - you can blend this in completely or leave it swirled.

Drop by level tablespoon scoop onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes or till just set.

Makes approx. 64 cookies. 

These cookies are amazing!! Moist and delicious!

Gluten-Free Flour Blend

I realized that all of my recipes had been turning out better when I used half white rice flour blend, and half brown rice flour blend.  So now I make it easier on myself, and always blend the two together for my everyday baking.


Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend:
1 cup white rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
2/3 cup potato starch (I only use Ener-g brand - it's the only one that works for me)
1/3 cup tapioca flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 t. xanthan gum (Bob's Red Mill)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Store in airtight container.  Always stir well before using.

White Rice Flour Blend:

2 cups white rice flour

⅔ cup potato starch (I recommend Ener-g brand)

⅓ cup tapioca flour

1 t. xanthan gum

Brown Rice Flour variation:  replace white flour with brown rice flour.

Big Batch:

6 cups rice flour (for Favorite Blend, use 3 cups white rice flour, and 3 cups brown rice flour)

2 cups potato starch

1 cup tapioca flour

1 T xanthan gum

Banana Bread GFCF

1 1/4 c. Favorite Gluten-Free Flour Blend
2 t. baking powder

1 ½ t. cinnamon

½ t. salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 c. mashed bananas (about 2 - 3 medium)

2 t. gluten-free vanilla extract

½ c. canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 8 ½ inch by 4 ½ inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, bananas, vanilla and oil.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry just till combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes then remove from oven and carefully cover with foil to prevent overbrowning.  Return to oven and continue baking for 15 - 20 minutes or till toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.  Let cool completely in pan.