Gluten-Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Kacy made these cookies for Justin's mom and passed on the recipe. They were delicious! Justin ate a ton of them, which is saying something since he isn't a big treat person. 

Ingredients:

4 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond flour, or additional 1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

1. In a blender, process 1 cup oats (or 1 1/2 cups oats if omitting almond flour) into a fine powder. Whisk together ground oats, cornstarch, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add oat mixture, beating until combined. Fold in coconut, raisins, cranberries, and remaining 3 cups oats. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes.

3. In batches, drop balls of dough onto greased aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies


My notes:

I substituted chocolate chips for dried fruit, which was great since I've never been huge on oatmeal raisin cookies. Make sure to refrigerate the dough; Kacy said they were pretty crumbly when she didn't. Also, we tried baking them on the aluminum foil, on a ungreased cookie sheet, and a non-stick cookie sheet. They seemed to do best on the non-stick cookie sheet. We found they stay together the best if you let them cool down (almost completely) on the baking sheet.

Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3/4 t salt 2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
1 c peanut butter
2 c gf oats
1 c chocolate chips 

Mix well. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen good sized cookies. The peanut flavor is pretty subtle, and the texture is chewy and not crumbly.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

I found this recipe here, and tested it out yesterday. It was a great success, and everyone in my family liked them. Hooray! I've been wishing for some sugar cookies.


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup oil (I used canola)
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/3 cup white rice flour
• 2/3 cup potato starch
• 2/3 cup tapioca starch
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the sour cream, oil, sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until smooth. Set aside.
3. Place all the remaining dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
4. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until completely blended.
5. Scoop 2 teaspoons of dough on your baking sheet, leaving 2-inches between cookies to allow for them to expand while baking. Dampen your hands with a small amount of water and roll the scooped dough into a smooth ball. This will give your finished cookies a nice round shape.
6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until just slightly browned around the outside. Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Only frost cookies when they are completely cooled. Store cookies in an airtight container.

NOTE: Cookies can be rolled in sugar before baking. Just spoon the dough into a bowl of sugar, and roll dough to coat in sugar. Form dough into balls and bake as directed.

Lemon Bars

My mom found this terrific recipe on this blog. Yum yum!

Shortbread crust:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine

Lemony curd filling:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp rice flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon peel
powdered sugar

Cut butter into the dry crust ingredients, until you have a something similar to cookie dough. Pat into bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 17-19 minutes. Let cool.

Beat eggs. Add sugar, rice flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Whisk until smooth. Pour over crust and bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until filling is set. Dust with powdered sugar.

Holiday Party Chex Mix

Ingredients

9 c. oven-toasted corn cereal squares (I omit the toasting part because I've burned it too many times)
4 c. popped popcorn
1 1/2 c. dry-roasted peanuts
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. baking soda
1 2/3 c. (10 oz. pkg) Nestle Toll House Swirled Holiday Morsels*
1 pkg. (7.5 oz.) chocolate-covered pretzels (In original recipe - NOT gluten free!)
     
*These are only available during the holidays and are hard to find.  Substitute half semi-sweet and half white chocolate chips for a similar taste.

Directions

Preheat oven to 250.  Grease large roasting pan (I use a cookie sheet).  Mix cereal, popped popcorn, and peanuts in a large bowl.  Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in medium, heavy-duty sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract and baking soda.  Pour evenly over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly.  Put into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool completely in pan, stirring frequently to break apart the mixture.  Stir in morsels and pretzels (I like to add these when the mixture is almost completely cool because then some of the morsels melt a little).  Store in airtight container.

Zucchini Bread

I found a recipe for gluten-free zucchini bread last year on Gluten-free Goddess, and finally tried it out. Judging from the fact that I've almost consumed the entire pan today (yikes!), I like it a lot. I followed her instructions almost exactly (except for using sea salt and free-range organic eggs). Next time I'll try to squeeze more moisture out of the zucchini, as the center of the bread seemed a little too moist.

Ingredients:

1 rounded c shredded zucchini (I chopped mine in my mini food processor)
1 c sorghum flour
1/2 c tapioca starch
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 t xanthan gum
1/2 t salt
1 t  cinnamon
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c light olive oil or coconut oil (I used coconut)
1 t fresh lemon or lime juice
2 egg whites, beaten
1/4 c coconut milk (I used So Delicious in the carton, per instructions from the original recipe)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 inch loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper. Lightly oil it.
2. Press the grated zucchini with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as you can.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the brown sugar.
4. Add the oil, lemon juice, egg whites, and the coconut milk. Beat to combine and continue to beat on medium high until the batter is smooth- about two minutes.
5. Add the shredded zucchini. Mix well.
6. Scoop and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and even out the top.
7. Bake in the center of a preheated oven until the top is golden and firm, yet gives a bit when lightly touched. It should feel slightly springy. This may take anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes. (It took mine 60 minutes). Test with a thin sharp knife or a wooden pick- either should emerge with no crumbs or batter.

Rice Chexpie Treats

I've been meaning to type this up for a while. Rice krispies contain gluten (although they are coming out with a GF brown rice version this summer), making one of my favorite treats ever off limits...so sad. How happy I was to finally try making rice krispie treats with rice Chex instead. My husband christened them "Rice Chexpie Treats," or "Rice Chexpies" for short.

Ingredients:
1/4 c butter or margerine
4 c mini marshmallows
6 c Rice Chex

Directions:

1. Melt butter and marshmallows in a large pot over low heat until smooth, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove pot from heat and stir in Chex, then lightly pat into a 9 x 13 pan.

Toll House Cookies

These are soooo good! (If I do say so myself) I'm thrilled that I can eat fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies again.

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
¾ c sugar
¾ c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3/4 c sorghum flour
1 1/4  to 1 1/2 c tapioca flour*
3/4 c brown rice flour
2 t xanthan gum
1 t. baking soda
½ t salt
1 ½ - 2 c chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. 
2. Mix in dry ingredients and chocolate chips. 
3. Roll balls of dough (not too big) and place on cookie sheet. Flatten slightly.
4. Bake 375 for 8-11 minutes, or until browned. 

*When I use Bob's Red Mill brand of tapioca flour, I found adding an extra 1/4 c or so preventing the cookies from spreading out as much while baking. Additionally, I find that the cookies spread less for me when I line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

A friend clipped this recipe out of a Banner Health newsletter to give to me. They're basically mini crustless cheesecakes. In other words, heaven!

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 c sugar
24 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c raspberries


Topping:
8 oz light cream cheese
1/4 c sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Use a hand mixer to blend the sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. Add eggs to cream cheese mixture one at a time and blend after adding each egg.
3. Line 24-cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with cream cheese batter. Divide raspberries evenly between the cupcakes and sprinkle on top of each cupcake.
4. Bake for 25 minutes at 350.
5. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. A well with form in the middle of each cupcake.
6. Turn the oven to 450. 
7. Blend together topping ingredients. Using a teaspoon, drop topping into the enter of each cupcake.
8. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Key Lime Pie

I made this from a recipe found allrecipes.com...one where everyone gave it 4-5 stars, and then explained all the changes they made. I made one of the modified versions. It was delicious, and made me wish I had ripe key limes all year round.

Ingredients:

Crust
1 package Pamela's Pecan Shortbread Cookies (gf)
1/4 c sugar

Filling
4 egg yolks, beaten
2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 c key lime juice

Directions:

1. Crush the cookies to crumbs by either pulsing in a food processor or placing the cookies in a ziploc bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. They crumble easily.
2. Combine the crumbs with sugar, then press into a pie pan and bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. Thoroughly mix the filling ingredients, pour into pie crust, and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving, topped with whipped cream.

Apple Crisp

This dessert has always been one of my favorites. I only had to substitute gluten free flour and oats to make it GF. This was my first time trying gluten free oats (and I realized my first time eating oats in 5 months...weird). It turned out wonderfully!

Ingredients:

6-10 apples, depending on size and preference (I use Granny Smith)

Topping:
1 c gluten free flour (I used Shar's GF Baking Master Mix, but you could also try an all-purpose gluten free flour)
1 c gluten free oats (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
1 t cinnamon.

Directions:

1. Core, peel, and slice apples, then place slices in a 9 x 13 inch pan
2. Mix topping ingredients (I cut them together with a pastry blender). Sprinkle topping over apples. 
3. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream.

Pie Crust

I did not personally make this recipe, but I ate it. My parents usually make fresh-picked apple and blackberry pies at our annual family reunion. Before the reunion, my dad called me saying he had found a gluten-free recipe that he wanted to make for me. He shopped for the ingredients, and my parents made me two delicious pies. It really touched me and made me feel special. And the pies were incredible. I'm longer sad when I think about Thanksgiving.

Slightly adapted from a recipe from Gluten-free Girl and the Chef


Recipe yields 1 double pie crust or 2 single pie crusts.

Ingredients:
1 c + 3 T white rice flour
1/2 c sorghum flour
1/2 c potato starch
3 t sugar
1/4 t salt
8 T (or, one stick) cold butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 ice-cold water, or enough to make the dough stick together

Directions:

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients. Slice the butter into little pieces, about 1/2-inch thick. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter has crumbled into pea-sized pieces.
2. Mix in the egg and vinegar, then the water a little at a time, making sure the dough is not too wet.
3. Divide the dough in two separate portions. Roll out one portion between two sheets of parchment or wax paper.
4. Peel off the top paper. Lay a pie plate on top of the dough, then flip the whole thing over. The dough should sag into the pie plate. Remove the other sheet of paper and finish shaping the dough into the pan.
5. If making a pie with a double crust (as the apple and blackberry pies were), fill, then roll out the second portion of dough the same way and place on top. Trim the sides, crimp the edges, and slice vent holes.
6. If making pie with a single pie crust, repeat the steps with the second portion of dough to to make a second crust. Trim the sides and crimp the edges.

Muddy Buddies

The best quick chocolate/peanut butter fix.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2/3 peanut butter

8 cups Rice or Corn Chex

1 ½ to 2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Microwave chocolate chips and peanut butter for 1 ½ minutes or until smooth, stirring after 1 minute. 
2. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until well coated. 
3. Pour powdered sugar on top and stir until well coated (or shake together in a Ziploc bag). Store in airtight container.

Grain-free Chocolate Chocolate-Chunk Muffins

My cousin sent me this recipe, found at joyfulabode.com.

Ingredients:

a cup of nut butter (I used peanut)

3 eggs

About 1/4 cup of honey

1 very ripe banana

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used chocolate chips)

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except lemon juice in a mixer (or with a hand mixer) until well combined
2. Mix in lemon juice
3. Oil muffin tin or line with paper cups
4. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter
5. Bake 350 for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Kettle Corn

Found on allrecipes.com. Another favorite of mine. Or should I say staple?

Ingredients:

1/4 c vegetable oil (I use canola)
1/4 c sugar
1/2 c popcorn kernels

Directions:

1. Heat oil and 3 popcorn kernels over medium heat in a large pot. Cover with lid.
2. Wait until the kernels in the pot have popped (now you know the oil is hot enough), then quickly add sugar and remaining kernels.
3. Cover. Holding the pot (with pot holders), alternate between leaving the pot on the burner for 3 seconds and shaking pot vigorously for 3 seconds. Continue until popping slows. Remove from heat and shake  until popping stops.
4. Pour in large bowl, sprinkle on some salt, stir, and enjoy.