Gluten Free Cheater's Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sometimes packing boxes and boxes of dusty crap makes you really want to take a break to refresh yourself. And sometimes you just miss a plain old ice cream sandwich in the summertime. I figured out a really delicious, cheating, non-cooking way to make gluten free ice cream sandwiches. I found these cookies from Kinnikinnick at Whole Foods the other day and thought they would be tasty on their own, but I think I like them better this way after all.

First, take the good old standby gluten free ice cream, Breyer's Natural Vanilla (for the record, it was my favorite ice cream before I was diagnosed as well) and let it sit out of the freezer for about 5 minutes, just until it gets soft. If you use hard ice cream for these the cookies will break. Use a small scoop to put a small scoop of ice cream on the bottom of a Montana cookie. Place the bottom of another cookie on top and gently smoosh. Place on a freezer safe plate or tray and return them to the freezer for about 20 minutes or until they are frozen well. Eat and enjoy! I think these would be such an easy dessert for a summer barbecue, and you can make up a whole bunch and freeze them ahead of time. I'm pretty sure there's other cookies that would work with this idea, like the Mi-Del Gluten Free Ginger Snaps with Breyer's Butter Pecan ice cream, Pamela's Lemon Shortbread cookies with Lemon sorbet or even a pineapple sherbet, and more that I haven't even thought of yet. It's going to be a great summer!

Happy eating!

Rose's Gluten Free Orange Dreamsicle Cupcakes

I know Mother's Day was a while ago, but I had the most delicious treat that Sunday that I wanted to share with everyone. My friend Rose also eats gluten free and at church that Sunday while all the ladies were eating a treat, she brought out some gluten free plates she had made up for the four or so people who can't eat wheat. I consider that going the extra mile! I was so touched that she went to the trouble to bake for us, and she said she was just making some for herself anyway and she thought everyone else would like to try them, too. Right you are, Rose. Here's her recipe, which is, in my biased opinion, another great gluten free summer dessert.

Gluten Free Orange Dreamsicle Muffins

1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
3 eggs
1 stick softened butter
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup orange juice from concentrate
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. In a large bowl mix cake mix and all other ingredients except chocolate chips until well blended with a hand mixer. Gently fold in white chips. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Top with Orange Glaze while cooling.

Orange Glaze

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp orange zest

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and desired consistency. Drizzle over muffins while warm.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Cupcakes...Just In Time for Summer!

So sorry about the long delay between posts. I was having technical difficulties with my blog login and basically just figured out what I was doing wrong, a week later. Whatever. Technology, kiss my grits! Also, I've been completely distracted because we sold our house and are now looking for a place to live. That takes precedence over cooking, I think. But never fear, I have been sitting on some great dessert recipes that now I can share with you.

One of my favorite blogs to peruse is Real Mom Kitchen. I really and truly don't know how people can come up with so many new recipes every day. I think I need to go to college to learn how to do that or something, because it's amazing to me how many great recipes Real Mom Kitchen has. It's inspiring to just read the recipe names, so give it a shot. Anyhoo, I came across this recipe for her Pink Lemonade cupcakes and thought it sounded so great I gave it a try. My gluten free version is a variation of Renee's Cupcakes that makes a really moist gluten free cupcake, and the frosting recipe is basically the same as the original except I left out shortening. I don't love frosting with shortening in it, personally. But if you want sky-high frosting that won't move, I'm pretty sure shortening is the secret ingredient. I will be making these on KUTV Channel 2's Fresh Living show next Friday, June 10 at 11 a.m., so check it out because they are going to look darling on my new cupcake tower that I found at Target the other day for about $20. I love it and I think it will come in handy for lots of events over here. Now I just have to find a box to put it in...

Gluten Free Pink Lemonade Cupcakes1 box of Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
1 box Jell-O Lemon Pudding Mix
3 eggs
2/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup canola oil
4 T pink lemonade mix, like Country Time
red or pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place muffin liners in muffin tins. Mix all ingredients together with a hand mixer, mix well. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Pink Lemonade Frosting
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup thawed frozen pink lemonade concentrate
4 cups powdered sugar
1 T milk
zest of 1 lemon
(optional: 1 tsp vanilla)
3 drops of red food coloring

Beat butter in a stand mixer's bowl until soft and fluffy. Add lemonade, sugar, milk, lemon, vanilla if desired, (I left it out because I wanted it zingy) and food coloring. Mix well. Place in pastry bag with extra large tip and pipe onto top of cupcakes.

Happy eating!

King Arthur Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix...Worth Every Calorie

It seems to me that most people out there aren't really concerned with how to make gluten free things like All Bran or Fiber Bars. We want dessert! We are really concerned with how to enjoy the good parts of a meal, aren't we? Don't get me wrong, getting dinner on the table and making sure there's adequate nutrition are important to me, but there's no magic formula for that. I could survive on wheat free food just fine. But to live without wheat free food, that's another thing entirely.

I teach a class every other month at Macey's grocery store on gluten free cooking, and at the last one someone asked me if I had tried the new King Arthur line of gluten free flour and mixes. I said that no, I hadn't (and immediately felt as though I had been slacking on my research) and that I thought it was probably really great flour without having tasted any of it. King Arthur has been arguably the best wheat flour around for a long time. I know they use it at the Viking Cooking School where I took a gluten free cooking class, and that place is gourmet with a capital "G." I told my student that the fact that King Arthur had waited this long to come out with a gluten free line meant that it was probably pretty good, since they have taken their time to develop a blend of flours that is delicious and performs well when baking. I decided I needed to find out for myself. Of course I tried the chocolate cake.I am amazed at how easy both King Arthur and Betty Crocker have made their gluten free mixes to be. It's pretty much like a regular cake mix, no fancy extra ingredients, everything contained but the wet ingredients. Here's how my cupcakes turned out. They look dang close to regular cupcakes, don't you agree? I frosted half of them simply with chocolate frosting, and my children ate most of them before I could take a picture. If my children will eat them and not notice they taste different than a regular chocolate cupcake, I think that's saying something. I froze the rest individually and pull one out when I need a chocolate fix. They are actually really good without any frosting at all. I've even used one for the base of a Brownie Sundae with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge and it was so delicious. If you're looking for a moist, delicious, gluten free chocolate cupcake, give these a try. I'm pretty sure they won't disappoint!

Happy eating!

Crazy for Chocolate: A Review

image from marthastewart.com
Since we are crazy for chocolate this week, I thought it might be fun to revisit some of the fun chocolate recipes we've done at Off the Wheaten Path in the last couple of years. Here's some of my favorites:

Brownies with Millet Flour
Chocolate Cake with German Chocolate Frosting
Whoopie Pies
Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
Chocolate Covered Pretzels


I'm also really wanting to learn how to make a simple chocolate recipe with a fancy name: ganache. It's just chocolate and cream melted together and poured over a cake, but I'm still intimidated. Head on over to Martha Stewart's website where they have a great tutorial on how to make ganache. image from marthastewart.com

Don't forget tonight at 7 p.m. I'll be teaching all about gluten free chocolate recipes at Macey's in Sandy, 7800 South and 1300 East!

Happy eating!

Crazy for Chocolate: Quick Chocolate Fudge

Sometimes you just need chocolate in its purest most unadulterated form. Sometimes people just really need a piece of fudge to get on with the day. I used to always make the recipe on the back of the Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme jar, but when I married my husband, his mom, a certified chocoholic, had this great easy fudge recipe that I liked a lot better. The current debate is: nuts or no nuts? I happen to love walnuts in the fudge. It makes it taste more substantial to me. Some people like almonds, pecans, or even pistachios in their fudge. It's up to you. Plain or with nuts, this fudge tastes great. And it's naturally gluten free! No special ingredients necessary.Quick Chocolate Fudge

1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/3 cup evaporated milk
3 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate for this recipe)
2 t vanilla
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup nuts

Line an 8x8x2 pan with Saran Wrap. (This comes in handy later.) In a heavy pan, stir the Karo syrup and milk together. Add chocolate chips and cook over medium low heat until chips are melted. Stir constantly so chocolate doesn't seize. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Fold in nuts. Turn into the lined pan and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. When set, remove from pan and wrap in Saran Wrap and store in refrigerator. Cut into squares when ready to serve.This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy chocolate. I love the creamy texture of this fudge and the meaty walnut flavor. Depending on my mood, it lasts for about a week in the fridge. Enjoy some chocolate with someone you love this week!

Happy eating!

Crazy for Chocolate: Renee's Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Since next week Valentine's Day will be upon us, I thought it would be fun to share some fun chocolate recipes to get us all in the mood. I'm pretty much in the mood for chocolate once every month, but everyone's in the mood for chocolate on February 14th!

I know some excellent people, I'm here to say, and most of them will share the gluten free recipes they've come up with for the good of mankind. They know I'm going to write about them after I test them, so they only give me the good stuff. Much like my friend, Renee, who is just good stuff inside. For example, her son-in-law has celiac disease and she cooks all kinds of special things just for him when he comes to visit with her daughter. That is above and beyond if you ask me. One of the things she came up with was a simple and delicious variation of chocolate cupcakes. It makes the most divinely moist and delicious cupcakes that are the perfect foil to an easy cream cheese frosting. Here's the recipe:

Renee's Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker gluten free chocolate cake mix

1 small box Great Value brand (Walmart brand) instant chocolate pudding mix (all pudding mixes are not gluten free – we have checked these out so if you are using another brand, please check first!)

2/3 cup half and half

½ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are combined. Mix on medium speed for 2 more minutes. Fill cupcake holders with approximately 3 Tablespoons of batter (little more than half full) and bake per box instructions (around 22 minutes). Do not over bake or they will be dry. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

1 6 ounce package of softened cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until incorporated. Scrape bowl and mix until smooth. Add vanilla and mix well.

Happy eating!

Delicious Gluten Free Ginger-Almond Pie Crust...Faking a Graham Cracker Crust

Over New Years Eve I realized that our family actually has some pretty odd traditions. First of all, we always have a movie marathon of some kind. Although this year was the first year that all of the kids stayed up until midnight together (scratch that...4 year old hit the hay at 11 p.m.) we usually watch a series of movies until midnight to pass the time. We've done Star Wars and Harry Potter and Ice Age and this year we did Spongebob Squarepants. It has to be something we own already and something everybody likes. Let me say that Spongebob gets funnier and funnier the later we stay up. Besides that, we always drink Key Lime Sodas in bottles and eat cheesecake. I'm not sure where this started but it's what we do. I usually make a regular cheesecake in a store bought crust for everyone else and just leave a little filling in a tupperware for me to eat by itself, but this year I went all out and tried a graham-cracker tasting crust that we all could eat.First, I added 20 of these ginger snaps from Trader Joe's that my friend Aimee gave me to my blender. I know there's not a Trader Joe's everywhere (ahem, in my own state, nonetheless), but you could probably use the Mi-Del gluten free gingersnaps, as they are available all over. They have a little bit stronger ginger flavor than the Trader Joe ones, so you might want to use fewer cookies and more almonds, you'll just have to play with it and see what you like. Then I added 1/2 cup slivered almonds and I chopped them up until they were fine crumbs. I added 1/4 cup of melted butter and mixed it all together, then pressed it into my pie plate. I added my no-bake cheesecake filling over the top and refrigerated it for about 4 hours before we sliced it. Check out my party plate! The good thing about this in contrast to some of the other crusts I've made before is that this needs no baking, no extra sugar or flavoring, and it takes about 5 minutes to put together. This delicious, easy crust will double for any graham cracker crust you might be hankering for. It has a slightly tangy, nutty flavor that complements the sweetness of a cheesecake, but I bet it would be good for one of those Jell-O pies or something. Hope you like it as much as I did!

Happy eating!

Chocolate Dipped Gluten Free Rice Krispie Treats: Another Christmas Treat!

Sometimes at the last minute we are stuck needing a gift for someone special who, by no fault of their own, we have overlooked in our list-making and gift-buying and general busy-ness. I can't say this has ever happened to me, ahem, but I think this is a great idea for a last-minute treat to take to someone special whom you may not have time to buy a present for. You really can't go wrong: rice krispie treat, chocolate, cute wrappings, it's a home run. I like this idea so much, in fact, that I made up a batch of them to take to some of our Primary children last weekend.They turned out so cute. I made most of them with regular rice krispies, but I also made a batch with some gluten free rice krispies, just to test them you know. My disclaimer here is that everything I know about chocolate I've learned from my neighbor Mary Pugmire. A couple of years ago my daughter had a chocolate birthday party and Mary came and taught the girls how to make chocolate suckers in molds and we had a chocolate fountain and everyone left the party several pounds heavier. But during the party I asked her a ton of questions and here's what I learned.

1. Chocolate will "seize" or turn cakey if you heat it without stirring too much. The best way to remedy this is to first use a chocolate made for melting. The melting discs or bark coating are a good way to go. Most of them are gluten free, but check the label first.

2. Melt the chocolate in a large bowl in the microwave, first for 45 seconds, then stir, 30 more seconds, stir, 30 more seconds, and it may be ready or need one more go round. Then you can begin to dip.

I used sucker sticks and dipped them into the chocolate and then stuck them into the double-batch of already-cooled krispie treats and let that part cool, just like with the Chocolate Dipped Oreo Suckers we did a couple of weeks ago.

I then dipped the treats into the chocolate and used a spoon to spread it where I wanted it. Then I scraped off the excess , sprinkled it with sprinkles, and placed it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (Don't worry, it was a huge mess so I thought I'd spare you a photo.) Mary taught me that placing chocolate outside on a cold day is a great way to get it to firm up fast. Just make sure there's no loose dogs out to eat your treats.That's it! I wrapped each one in a cellophane treat bag, added a cute tag from TomKat Studios and some ribbon and I was done. Super cute and not too much effort. Just the way I like it!

Happy eating!

Eleanor's Gluten Free Bakery...Magic on a Stick

Yes, you are looking at a cake pop. Much like the cake pops made by Bakerella,(not gluten free, but a great source of inspiration!) whose book I'm on my way out the door to buy because I buy cookbooks for fun. And no, this treat was NOT made by me. I have no idea what kind of elfin magic goes into these delicious bites of cake and shell of frosting, but it is worth the entire $1.39 I paid for it. Let me introduce you to my new friend, Eleanor's Bake Shop.

Eleanor's Bake Shop is run by a bakerella in her own right, Janelle, who can whip up a beautiful gluten free wedding cake five days a week and not even bat an eye. Check out the gallery on their website to see what I'm talking about. They have gluten free lunches that include Arepas, a Venezuelan Flat Bread sandwich that is so yummy. I tried the Beef Brisket Arepas and it was a great lunch, I must say. It was such a great blend of flavors. Now I'm definitely hooked. They have soups and cookies and cupcakes and muffins and all sorts of delicious gluten free stuff you can't get in a fast food restaurant. The bake shop even has a facebook page where you can see what new things they are offering or if they have any specials you need to know about. Right now they are offering special orders on holiday pies and cheesecakes for your family celebrations.

The shop is located at 9495 South 560 West in Sandy, well worth the drive if you ask me. You can order cake pops or cupcakes for any occasion on their website. I noticed today they added three new flavors for the holidays...just in time for eating season.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free Caramel Apple Crepes

Usually when my little family gets together for dinner and I make my famous crepes we have the standard fillings: Nutella, strawberries, whipped cream, powdered sugar. But Monday night I had a brain flash...complete with carameled apples for the season. The best part about this little personal triumph is that I did this whole recipe with no book, no internet, no call to the cook friend. I mixed and matched the flavors and even taste tested while I was cooking. I imagined in my head what I wanted it to taste like and I just went for it. I'm usually so caught up with perfection that I research myself to death. Yay me! Not that it's a hard recipe, but still.

It seems like some sort of breakfast restaurant is always advertising their pancake meals topped with fancy fruit toppings, and since there's nothing I can eat there they will remain unnamed. However, I thought about making a chunky applesauce for the filling and using some caramel ice cream syrup we had in the fridge for that little something extra. It turned out to be a delicious alternative to Nutella and strawberries. Here's the recipe for the filling:

Chunky Caramelized Applesauce

3 gala apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 T butter

juice of 1/2 small lemon

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cornstarch

In a small saucepan, add apples, sugar, butter, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Heat over medium heat until butter melts and sauce simmers. Cook until apples are soft, about 12-15 minutes. Add cornstarch and stir well until thickened. Spoon into a fresh gluten free crepe and drizzle with Smuckers Caramel Sundae syrup. Top with Cool Whip, roll and eat with a fork.Try this one next time you make crepes for dinner or brunch. You could also use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon for an extra-autumn flavor.

Happy eating!

Gluten Free on the Cheap? I'll Give It A Try

A few weeks ago, I was complaining to one of my girlfriends about how much money I spend every month. And most of that money is spent on groceries, I might add. Next to my mortgage the grocery bill is the biggest one I have. Granted (beware: rationalization ahead), I have five children and we eat nearly every meal at home. It would stand to reason that food should be a big expense. And shopping gluten free isn't necessarily bargain after bargain rolling down those grocery aisles. We celiacs and gluten free eaters just have to belly up to the fact that a bread mix will cost $5.99, and that's about the size of it. However, there is also a tremendous amount of waste in my food bill as well, and I'm not as good as I could be when it comes to leftovers and using up the produce before it spoils. So my girlfriend and I decided to go on a "money diet" to teach ourselves how to live within our means just a little bit better. We allotted each other a certain amount for groceries, gas, and "accidental" expenses (like the new church pants boys need when they "lose" the only pair they have, gifts for friends, school stuff, face cream, etc.) Then we take out that amount of cash each week and only use the cash to pay for stuff. Then we see who has more money left over every week. It is a genius plan, I tell you. So far she has beat the pants off me because she just had twins so she can't go anywhere *unfair advantage* and she only grocery shops every two weeks. She's great at being thrifty and planning cheap, easy meals ahead of time. But even though I haven't ever won I still have only gone over budget one time, and that's because I really had to indulge in a guilty pleasure of buying Prince of Persia on Blu-Ray so I could have a Jake Gyllenhall fix at any moment of my choosing.

I told her how much I spent on groceries a week and she said I ought to be able to do it for around $200 a week. $200? For seven people? You've got to be kidding me. But after almost one month of this little experiment, I'm here to tell you it can be done. I really pay attention to every dollar in my budget, and the trips through the drive through and Wal Mart have been reduced to almost zero. I allow fun in small doses now, not indulgent afternoons of buying food to try that I know will give me gas or in buying toys that, quite frankly, are my version of avoiding conflict with short people.

So, after that lengthy introduction, here's what happened the other day. I was reading a book, don't laugh because it's about money and frugality, two issues I run from when I see them coming, and I really needed some chocolate. I looked into my pantry and found some amaranth flour that was about to expire (reduce, reuse, recycle, right?) and made up some brownies with them. I didn't have any frosting and didn't feel like making any, so I just topped the baked brownies with mini marshmallows and popped them back in the oven for about 5 minutes and what do you know? Ooey gooey chocolate fix with no extra trip to the store. Along with a good feeling of using something before it spoiled and was wasted. I wish I could say that the blog would completely be turned over to frugal gluten free living, but I'm not good enough at it yet to pass on anything completely revolutionary. But I will be chronicling the exciting parts, like buying gluten free things when they're on sale instead of when I have to have some RIGHT NOW. It's a start.Happy eating!

There's a New Pebbles in Town

Traipsing through the aisles of WalMart the other day (used to be my favorite activity, now somewhat of a chore...5 kids will do that to you) I came upon a most interesting new product: Cupcake Pebbles. A quick scan of the ingredient list came up gluten free, and further checking on the beloved internet confirms said gluten free sighting. So I joyfully took the box home and made my favorite treat: Pebbles treats (rice krispie treats with pebbles cereal; try it with Fruity Pebbles and Trix, too.) I must say, variety is the spice of life. Yum.

Happy eating!

The World is Coming to an End...I'm Blogging about Bananas

Anyone who knows me well knows of my aversion to bananas. It's not that I hate them, it's just that I can think of 400,000 other foods I'd rather eat before I have to eat them. So when one of my daughters begged me for banana bread and I saw the gross overripe bananas on my counter, I decided to revisit the concept of a banana recipe. This is what I do when I cook with bananas: I add other tasty ingredients to mask the taste and then it's edible! Some of you may be banana nut fans and are so excited to finally see a banana nut recipe, but as for me, eh. I used a recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook *the Bible* and used Grandpa's Kitchen gluten free baking flour. Then I added 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips just to make extra sure I could eat some. It turned out pretty well. Here's the recipe:

Gluten Free Banana Bread
from Better Homes and Gardens

1 1/2 cups Grandpa's Kitchen gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil or applesauce
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Grease a loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
2. In another bowl combine the egg, bananas, sugar, cooking oil, and lemon peel. Blend well and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Blend until just moistened and lumpy. Add nuts and chocolate chips.
3. Spoon batter into loaf pan. Bake 50-55 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

I gave a few slices of this bread to my friend whose two children were recently diagnosed with celiac disease, and they apparently said it was delicious. I'd love to hear comments from any banana nut lovers to see if you like this recipe, too!
Happy eating!

Gluten Free Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Back a few weeks ago, when the weather was hot and smoky, I was sitting on my new couch doing nothing except flipping through channels on my new tv. (I'm a spoiled brat, I know.) It was mid-morning and it was the first chance I've had to watch the Food Network all summer. ALL SUMMER! What is wrong with me?! Any self respecting food blogger would at least try to watch something once a day, right? I've been too busy watching my children play, pretending I look good in my swimming suit at the pool, and going on "field trips" with them to watch much tv. Anyway, Down Home with The Neelys was on, and for some reason, I've never watched it before. My 11-year-old was in a sleepy summer stupor next to me, but when they mixed up this Cookies and Cream Cake she sat bolt upright and said, "Mom, we have got to try that!" What can I say? I've raised Oreo lovers at my house. I must admit, until I found the Kinnikinnick brand of gluten free "chocolate sandwich cookies" I figured the taste of Oreos was lost to me forever. But now, all doors are open to cookies and cream desserts. Bless them, over at Kinnikinnick.

The Neelys made up a yummy looking chocolate cake from scratch complete with buttermilk and cocoa, but I took the easy summer road and used a gluten free chocolate cake mix from Namaste and the Kinnikinnick brand sandwich cookies.

I also used a jar of vanilla frosting from Betty Crocker, which is also gluten free. Here's how I made these delicious oreo-flavored treats:

1. Mix up cake batter according to directions on package

2. Crush an entire package of Kinni-Toos cookies in a large ziploc bag with a rolling pin.

3. Add 1 1/2 cups crushed cookies to the cake batter, mix well, and spoon into muffin tins lined with paper liners.

4. Bake according to package directions.

5. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of crushed cookies to frosting and mix well. Frost cupcakes with frosting when cooled.

So easy, so easy to eat. They are so rich and chocolatey when they first come out of the oven. My kids loved these and I must say I was glad I froze them individually so that I couldn't eat the whole batch at once. But they didn't last the week...that 11-year-old found my stash and they were gone double time. Now that she's back in school I'll have to make some more. I may not even share this time.

Happy eating!

Bakearella and Gluten Free Cowgirl Cookies

First of all, my apologies for not posting at all this week. I promise it was a problem with Blogger and the photo uploading and not me...because you all know I can't blog without photos because I want you to experience my professional photography. When you're through giggling about that last little comment, read on.

Last week my daughter had her fourth birthday party and in preparation I scoured the internet for cowgirl themed birthday products and inspiration. I found the cutest party idea on TomKat Studio's website, which if you've never been to TomKat Studio and you have ever given a party for a child, you must exit this website and click over on hers this instant. Then come back here and finish reading my recipe. It is so divine and so darling. I had to copy the pom poms hanging from the ceiling and the banner that says, "Pony Corral." I also would have bought the printable downloads for the cupcake toppers and bag labels from her shop, but she didn't have them in there, so I enlisted the fabulous JoLayna and we came up with some pretty cute imitations on our own. I think it turned out to be such a cute little party.

(Cupcakes from Grandma and not gluten-free.) Anyway, TomKat's site had a link to a cookie mix from Bakerella, who is famous for her cake pops and brownie pops (so cute and so clever). Her recipe comes with little labels you can print out on your own for the jars, too, which made me completely happy that I didn't have to reinvent that wheel. I decided to make one of the mixes for the nice lady that was letting me bring the kids over to her stable and feed her horses as part of our party. (By the way, I am sooo making these for neighbor gifts for Christmas with red and green m&ms...sorry to blow the surprise, neighbors.) I made the mix up with wheat flour for her, but I wanted to try Bakearella's recipe with Grandpa's Kitchen flour so I could see what she was getting. I nearly ate the whole batch.Apparently "cowboy cookies" are sort of an "everything but the kitchen sink" type of recipe that have the perfect blend of flavors and textures to make it one you could eat while wrangling up some strays, y'all. They have m&ms, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and pecans. We made ours into "cowgirl" cookies by using, you guessed it, pink m&ms. They were so good by themselves I wrapped some up and gave them to the kids (and a few of the moms) and not one of them said, "These taste gluten free!" They all just ate them and raved about the yumminess.
So when you find something cute on the internet, definitely try it at home with your gluten free products. Don't discount it because you supposedly "can't eat cookies anymore." Get in that kitchen, fire up the stand mixer, and try it out! And make sure the gym membership is current so you can work off the effects...

Happy eating!

Have You Tried a Red Mango?

I have driven by the little small storefront that says "Red Mango" maybe a dozen times and never really clued in to what it has inside of it. I mean, since the world was introduced to Pearl Izumi and Anthropologie, both of which don't have anything to do with jewelry or man's customs and religion, you really can't tell what a store sells by the name anymore. But the other day I treated myself to a taste test and several (ahem) trips back to the store to make sure I got the right flavors. Red Mango, in case you don't know, is a frozen yogurt shop that sells the most unique and delicious and extra healthiest frozen yogurt in the U.S.A. complete with yummy toppings to go on top of it. One thing I really like about Red Mango is that if you click the nutrition button on the website you can see that it is certified gluten free, and you know how I am about those two little words showing up in print...I'm fanatical about it. When they print it, you KNOW it's safe to eat. It also has an exclusive brand of probiotics which helps those of us who have lactose issues, and each serving (minus toppings) weighs in at about 100 calories. Of course I ate the evidence of my visit so I have no picture to show you how delicious it was, but here's a few of the combinations I have tried on my many trips:

Pomegranate yogurt with Fruity Pebbles
Key Lime Pie yogurt with coconut
Madagascar Vanilla with blueberries

Tomorrow I think I'll try the Original (which may actually be Mango flavored!) with some mochi, which are like marshmallows made from sticky rice. Did I say tomorrow? I mean in a few weeks, of course, because, you know, I'm not like obsessed or anything.

Happy eating!

Back to School with Gluten Free Snickerdoodles: Just Like School Lunch Ladies Used to Make

When I was in elementary school, I ate school lunch almost every day from 2nd grade until high school, at which time I discovered the drive thru with my friends. But even though my tastebuds have been sullied by those years of Taco Time burritos, I can distinctly remember the smells that would waft through the halls of Tolman Elementary that were the harbingers of the day's menu. I could tell you exactly what school lunch menu was being served simply by using my nose. Spaghetti? That's an easy one. Garlic and tomato sauce and soggy noodles. Sloppy Joes? Boo. Peanut butter and chocolate meant peanut butter bars for dessert. Of course, the aroma of fresh-baked rolls were a dead giveaway that it was some kind of gravied meat with mashed potatoes. But the killer one was the sweet cinnamon smell that accompanied the giant snickerdoodle cookies that the cooks somehow thought went with a healthy lunch. Not that I was complaining. For the last few years I've forgotten about snickerdoodles. It's just one of those cookies that fell by the wayside for me. Well, all of this back-to-school shopping with five children jogged my memories of the days at good old Tolman Elementary, so I set out to make some snickerdoodles in honor of my alma mater the other day. My first mistake? Assuming that snickerdoodles are simply sugar cookie dough rolled in sugar and cinnamon. Not so! They have a distinct flavor that comes from cream of tartar, which you must add, or they end up tasting wierd. Trust me, I tried it. Then, while flipping through my latest issue of Living Without, I came upon a recipe from a 12-year-old girl who won a state fair with this recipe, so I gave it a try. The verdict: Just like the cooks used to make.

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

from the pages of Living Without Magazine

1 cup shortening or margarine (I used margarine)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend (I use Grandpa's Kitchen)

1 1/2 tsp xantham gum (Grandpa's Kitchen already adds this; omit if you use it)

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 T sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat together margarine, sugar, and eggs until creamy. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda, salt, and xantham gum, if using. Add to the creamy mixture a little at a time until mixed thoroughly. Chill dough briefly, for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together 2 T sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a small-sized scoop, scoop out walnut sized dough rounds and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture until coated on all sides. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in oven until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Watch carefully as cookies brown quickly.

My daughter said these cookies made the house smell like Christmas. I thought they made the house smell like multiplication tables, Elmer's glue, floor disinfectant and grass stains. Bring on the school year. I'm ready.

Happy eating!